AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Thomas Smith, of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and Frederick Talbot, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Factor, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS."
Sealed the 5th January 1858, and dated the 11th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Thomas
Smith and Frederick Talbot at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th July 1857.
We, WILLIAM JOHN THOMAS SMITII, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and FREDERICK TALBOT, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Factor, do hereby declaro the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS," to be as follows:―
Our Invention consists in manufacturing hair pins from flattened wire
instead of from the cylindrical wire from which hair pins are ordinarily
manufactured, and also in twisting the wire of which hair pins are made
near the middle of each limb of the said hair pins. By the use of flattened

page_text: wire great clasticity is given to the hair pin in the direction in which the two
sides have to move, and by twisting the wire, as described, the hair pin obtains
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William John Thomas Smith and Frederick Talbot in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
JOHN THOMAS SMITH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, and FREDERICK TALBOT, of Birmingham aforesaid, Factor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William John Thomas Smith and Frederick Talbot, Her special licence that
wo, the said William John Thomas Smith and Frederick Talbot, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William John
Thomas Smith and Frederick Talbot, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said William John Thomas Smith
and Frederick Talbot, our executors or admistrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand or scal of
one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William John Thomas Smith, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
.

page_text: Our Invention consists in manufacturing hair pins from flattened wire
instead of from the cylindrical wire of which hair pins are ordinarily
manufactured, and also in twisting the wire of which hair pins are made
near the middle of cach limb of the said hair pins. By the use of flattened
wire great elasticity is given to the hair pin in the direction in which the
two sides have to move, and by twisting the wire as described the hair pin
obtains a more secure hold of the hair than is obtained by untwisted hair pins.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front view at a, and
edge view at b, a piece of flattened wire such as we employ for making hair
pins according to our Invention.
Figure 2 represents in front view at c, and in side view at d, a hair pin
made from flattened wire, and twisted according to our Invention. Tho
twisted parts are marked e, in Figure 2.
We sometimes use cylindrical wire in carrying our Invention into effect, in
which case we flatten the cylindrical wire at its middle, as shewn in the front
view of such a piece of wire at f, and in edge view at 9, Figure 3. When
the piece of wire Figure 3 is made into a hair pin represented in front view
at h, and in edge view at i, Figure 4, the flattened part of the said wire forms
the head or bent part k of the hair pin.
The flattening of the wire Figure 3 may be confined to that portion of
which the head or bent part of the hair pin is made, or the flattening of the
wire may also extend to those portions of the wire of which the twisted part
of the limbs are made.
We do not think it necessary to describe the methods whereby the wire is
flattened, twisted, and pointed in carrying our Invention into effect, as the
said methods are well known and commonly practised, and constitute no part
of our Invention.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not
limit ourselves to the precise details described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we
claim as our Invention,-
Firstly, making hair pins of flattened wire, whether the said flattening be
confined to the wire, of which the head or bent part of the hair pin is made,
or extends to the whole of the hair pin, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, twisting the limbs or portions of the limbs of hair pins, whether
the said hair pins be made of cylindrical wire or flattened or partially flattened

page_text: wire, or wire of any other figure, as herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Thomas Smith, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM JOHN THOMAS SMITH. (L.S.)