An Improvement or Improvements in Hair Pins.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov.; 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement or Improvements in Hair Pins.
I EDWIN JOHN LEWIS of No. 25 King Street Reading in the County of Berks
Watch Maker do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
An ordinary hair pin consists of an elastic wire pointed at both ends and bent or
curved at its middle so as to bring the parts on each side of the bend parallel or
nearly parallel. A hair pin of this the ordinary construction has the inconvenience of
baving little hold on the hair into which it is inserted and as a consequence it fre-
quently falls from the hair leaving the hair unsupported.
The object of my invention is to remedy the defect referred to and to produce a
hair pin simple in construction and which while it is as readily inserted in the hair as
the ordinary hair pin when in position in the hair offers such resistance to removal
that it is scarcely possible for it to be accidentally withdrawn.
In making a hair pin according to my invention I take an elastic wire pointed at
both ends and of rather more than double the length of the hair pin to be made. I
bend or curve the said wire not at its middle but at a short distance therefrom so as
to leave one of the branches longer than the other. The short branch is left straight
like one of the branches of an ordinary hair pin but the longer branch is bent into a
helical or corkscrew like figure the helix or coil being formed around the straight
branch. That is the straight branch is in the axis of the helix or coil. The helix or
coil is so elongated that it forms but one convolution about the straight branch.
When a hair pin of this kind is inserted into the hair by pressure it takes an angular
or screw like motion performing a whole or partial rotation and can only be removed
from the hair by a contrary rotary motion that is it cannot be drawn out or removed
from the hair by a direct or straight pull. It consequently retains its position in the
hair with such persistency that it can scarcely by any possibility be removed
accidentally.
Although I prefer to make one branch of the hair pin form a single convolution
about the other or straight branch yet I do not limit myself thereto as the curved
branch may make two or more convolutions or less than one whole convolution about
the straight branch with the same or nearly the same effect.
D
CL1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement or Improvements in Hair Pins.
I EDWIN JOHN LEWIS of No. 25 King Street. Reading in the County of Berks
Watch Maker do hereby declare the nature of my invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
An ordinary hair pin consists of an elastic wire pointed at both ends and bent or
curved at its middle so as to bring the parts on each side of the bend parallel or
nearly parallel. A hair pin of this the ordinary construction has the inconvenience
of having little hold on the hair into which it is inserted and as a consequence it
frequently falls from the hair leaving the hair unsupported.
The object of my invention is to remedy the defect referred to and to produce a
hair pin simple in construction and which while it is as readily inserted in the hair as
the ordinary hair pin when in position in the hair offers such resistance to removal
that it is scarcely possible for it to be accidentally withdrawn.

page_text: In making a hair pin according to my invention I take an elastic wire pointed at
both ends and of rather more than double the length of the hair pin to be made. I bend
or curve the said wire not at its middle but at a short distance therefrom so as to
leave one of the branches longer than the other. The sbort branch is left straight
like one of the branches of an ordinary hair pin but, the longer branch is bent into a
helical or corkscrew like figure the helix or coil being formed around the straight
branch. That is, the straight branch is in the axis of the helix or coil. The helix or
coil is so elongated that it forms but one convolution about the straight branch.
hair pin so constructed retains its position in the hair with such persistency that it
can scarcely by any possibility be removed accidentally.
A
Although I have described the bending of one branch of the hair pin into a single
convolution about the other or straight branch yet I do not limit myself thereto as
the curved branch may make two or more convolutions or less than one whole
convolution about the straight branch with the same or nearly the same effect.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing represent, drawn to a large scale,
elevations taken at right angles to one another of the simplest form of hair pin
constructed according to my invention.
In the hair pin represented the straight branch is marked a and the curved branch
is marked the said curved branch 6 being so coiled or bent as to make a half
convolution ahout the straight branch a. Or the curved branch of the hair pin may
be bent or coiled so as to form a complete convolution about the other or straight
branch a; or the curved branch may be bent or coiled into two or more convolutions
around the straight branch a, the straight branch being in this case situated in the
axis of the convolutions or helix.
The branch of the hair pin represented from which the curved branch bhaving a
half convolution is made is preferably a little longer than the straight branch a but in
making a hair pin in which the curved branch is coiled into a complete convolution
or into two or more convolutions that branch of the doubled wire from which the
curved branch is made is considerably longer than the other or straight branch.
When a hair pin of either of the kinds described is inserted into the hair by
pressure it takes an angular or screw like motion performing a whole or partial
rotation and can only be removed from the hair by a contrary rotary motion; that is,
it cannot be drawn out or removed from the hair by a direct or straight pull. It
consequently retains its position in the hair with such persistency that its accidental
removal is prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention:-
A hair pin consisting of a straight branch and a curved branch the curved branch
being so bent or coiled as to form either a portion of a convolution or a complete
convolution or more than one convolution about or around the straight branch the
straight branch in the case of a complete or more than a complete convolution being
situated in the axis of the convolution or helix for the purpose and substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Dated the 21st day of October 1889.
EDWIN JOHN LEWIS.