Improved Apparatus for Securing a Lady's Hat, Bonnet, or the like to the Head of the Wearer.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Securing a Lady's Hat, Bonnet, or the like
to the Head of the Wearer.
We, EDWIN ROBERT STANDFIELD, Medical Electrician, and WILLIAM BREW
Engineer, both of 71, Cathedral Square, Christchurch, in the Provincial District
of Canterbury, in the Colony of New Zealand, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention provides a simple apparatus for securing a hat or the like to the
head of the wearer through the medium of the hair, it is easily adjustable within a
bat, does not necessitate puncture of the hat trimming and is not likely to ruffle
the hair as some fasteners at present in use.
It consists of a light frame of elastic material or a frame provided with a spring
or springs which will cause it to extend so as to become fixed in the crown of
the hat.
To the front of this frame is fixed or pivoted a hair grip which is passed into the
hair, and ordinary hair pins or a special pin we have designed for the purpose are
connected to pieces of elastic to secure the back and sides of the hat.
Referring to the accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1. is a plan of our apparatus in which the frame is made of elastic
material.
Fig. 2. a side view showing the apparatus bent to be sprung into a hat.
Fig. 3. an inverted plan of a hat with the apparatus within it.
Fig. 4. is a plan, and
Fig. 5. a side elevation of the form of our invention in which a wire frame is
employed extended by a spring.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3
The frame (a) consists of a strip of thin steel, whalebone, or similar elastic
material, furnished at either extremity with points (b) (c) at right angles to the
frame, and either formed integral with it as shown or of separate material secured
by any convenient means, a piece of sheet metal having points (e) (/) is clasped
round and soldered to the middle of the frame and forms a bracket or support (d)
for the hair grip (9) which is formed of two thin wires soldered together at (¹)
and preferably pivoted upon the bracket.
The wire thumb and finger grips (4) (i) are pivoted by metal clips (j) to the
frame (a) so as to be foldable parallel with the frame or of being turned at right
angles thereto. The pin (k) is provided with a head (1) at one end and a smaller
head (m) at the other and slides through an eye (n) at the end of the cord (o)
which is preferably elastic; this cord passes through the finger loop (i), a wire
eye () which is soldered to the bracket (d) and is connected to the hair grip
at (1) a second elastic cord (r) provided with a loop (s) passes through the thumb
loop (h) the eye () and is also connected to the grip at (h').
Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5,
In this modification the frame is made of wire and is in two parts (a) (a), each
sliding in guides upon the other, the bridge (1) is made of thin metal secured to
the part frame (a) and is provided with eyes (u), to guide the part frame (a) a
similar bridge (wo) is secured to the part frame (a) and bas eyes (r) to guide the
part frame (a); the points (b) (c) and (e) () are formed respectively upon the

page_text: ends of the wires of which the parts are made; distance pieces (d) and (b)
strengthen the frame and prevent the points passing too far into the substance of
the hat, the wire thumb bridge () is soldered to the part (a') and the finger
bridge (is similarly fastened to the part (a). An ordinary hair pin (4) is
connected to the end of an elastic cord (o) which passes through an eye in the
thumb loop () over the finger loop (i) and is secured to the hair grip () at (4).
The hair grip (g) is pivoted to the distance piece (d) as described in reference to
the preceding figures. An ordinary elastic band (1) which may be substituted by
any other convenient form of spring, connects the bridges (4) and (w) and tends to
draw them together and to extend the frame by passing one part through the
guides upon the other. The operation of both forms of our invention is similar.
The frame in Figs. 1 to 3 is compressed between the finger and thumb which are
placed in the loops (4) and (i) so that it will pass into and approximately fit the
inside curve of hat with the bracket (d) towards the front; upon the spring frame
being released the points penetrate the material and securely hold it in position.
The hat may then be put on the head from the front the hair grip (9) passing into
the hair. The cords (o) and (r) are then pulled tight and the pin (k) pussed
through the hair at the back of the bead and through the loop (s) at the end of
the cord (r)-the head (m) of the pin being sufficiently small to pass easily through
the huir whilst it is large enough to prevent the loop (5) from slipping off the
pin (k).
The object of employing the eye (n) through which the pin (2) slides is to
facilitate the operation of passing the pin through the hair in the correct position.
The hair grip (7) may be rigidly fixed to the bracket (d) if desired in which case
the cords (o) and (r) are fixed to the extremities of the frame but it is preferable
to pivot the grip to the bracket and arrange the cords as described as the hat is
thereby more readily put on and taken off without ruffling the hair.
In placing the frame shown in Figs. 4 and 5 within a hat the frame is compressed
longitudinally by placing the finger and thumb on the bridges (4) and (i) until it
will pass into the hat with the bracket or distance piece towards the front; it is
then allowed to expand when the points will be forced into the substance of the hat
and the frame securely held.
The operation is then as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.
The hair pin (which may be substituted for, or by, the pin (4) shown in the
preceding figures) being passed into the hair at the back of the head.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved apparatus for securing a hat or the like to the head of the
wearer substantially as and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for securing a hat or the like to the head of the wearer a frame
formed of elastic material capable of being bent to pass into the crown of a hat
and afterwards to expand so as to approximately fit the inside curve thereof and
provided with a hair grip substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. A hair pin (4) provided with a head at each end and arranged to slide in an
eye (n) substantially as and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In combination the spring frame (a) the grip (9) and the pin (4) substantially
as and for the purposes berein described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. The wire frame in two parts guided one upon the other nud extensible
longitudinally by means of an elastic baud or similar spring substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accom-
panying drawings.

page_text: 6. In combination a wire frame in two parts and an elastic band for extending
such parts, and a hair grip substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.