Year: 1887

page_text: I, JOHN H. RUSSELL of Boston in the State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, Journalist, 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:-
The object of my invention is to produce a hair pin which will hold the hair of the
user securely and will be itself more securely retained in the hair than the hair pins
now commonly in use. The hair pin forming the subject of this invention consists of
two prongs, each of which about midway of its length is curved toward and crosses
the other thus forming a closed loop at the upper end of the hair pin where the two
prongs unite. The prongs below the crossed or intersecting point are curved outward
so that when inserted in the hair they receive a larger portion of the hair between them
than they would if parallel with one another. The two prongs normally are in contact
or nearly in contact with one another at their point of intersection, but owing to the
elasticity of the wire will spring away from one another or yield to permit the hair to
pass between them and into the closed loop that is formed at the upper end of the pin,
or between the junction and point of intersection of the prongs.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a hair pin embodying this invention, and
Fig. 2 a diagram showing the position the prongs assume in being inserted in
the hair.
The pin is shown as made from a piece of wire bent around nearly 180° as shown
at a, forming two prongs b, c, each of which near the middle of its length is curved
towards the other (as shown at d) so that the prongs cross or intersect one another as
shown at e, and beyond the point of intersection they are curved again as shown at
nearly to their former direction. The ends of the prongs are preferably flared or
curved outward as shown at 9, so that they are more widely separated at their extreme
ends than in the main portion of their length.
The position of the two prongs b, c, with relation to one another is thus reversed
above and below the point of intersection at e, and the two prongs rest in contact with
one another, or nearly so at the point e.
In using the pin it is first inserted in the hair up to the point of intersection
(marked), when that portion above the point of intersection, remaining between the

page_text: thumb and finger must be turned half round (either to right or left as the prongs
happen to be crossed) to facilitate the passing of the prongs their whole length into
the hair.
It will be observed that the prongs by this turn are made to move nearly parallel as
shown in Fig. 2, and that the points (marked g) instead of flaring away are made to
converge toward each other. By this means in the second half of the passage of the
pin into the hair, or that portion of the passage which takes place after the turn is
made, the ends of the prongs gradually converge until they meet, or nearly so, when
the pin is completely inserted.
The elasticity of the wire of which the pin is composed is sufficient to draw the two
prongs towards and in contact with one another or nearly so after it is inserted in the
hair, thus retaining a portion of the hair securely held in the closed loop above the
intersection, and the remaining portion of the hair is securely held between the lower
portion of the said prongs. The pin thus not only holds or fastens the hair that is
engaged between its prongs throughout their entire length, but is itself securely
retained in the hair and is not likely to drop out or become detached therefrom until
positively withdrawn by the user.
I do not claim a hair pin in which either or both of the legs or prongs are curved
spirally so as to be screwed into the hair, as such construction is not new, but I limit
my invention to a hair pin in which the legs are crossed angularly and are sprung
apart in operation as herein shown and described:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. As an improved article of manufacture, a hair pin composed of a single piece of
wire bent at or near its middle to form two prongs that extend thence in curved planes,
and intersect at or near their middles, substantially as described.
2. A hair pin composed of a single piece of wire bent at its middle to form two
prongs which cross each other, and each of which extends in two nearly similar curves
from its middle towards its point and towards its junction with the remaining prong,
substantially as described.
3. A hair pin composed of a single piece of wire bent to form prongs, each of which
is bent at a point near its middle and extends thence toward its end and junction with
the remaining prong respectively in continuous similar curved planes whereby when
said prongs are crossed the opposite ends thereof shall be curved toward and from
each other respectively, as and for the purpose specified.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.