Improvements in and relating to Hair Pins.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th M.r., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Hair Pins.
I, WILHELM SCHWAHN, of Hanau am Main, Germany, Inventor, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in an relating to hair pins and my
invention consists in the improved construction of hair pins adapted to have affixed
to them articles of jewellery substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinafter described.
It is well known that various articles of jewellery such as brooches, bracelets,
and other like articles have been made in such a manner as to be capable of being
attached-by screwing or otherwise-to specially made hair pins which are for
this purpose provided with a hinge, the object being to enable said articles of
jewellery to be worn as ornaments in the hair.
These hair pins which have usually been made of metal such for example as
white metal, iron, imitation silver or even silver, are usually given gratis to
purchasers of this kind of jewellery, but the great defects appertaining to these
hair pins are that they have little grip or holding power and also, inasmuch as the
hinge referred to and also other parts of these hair pins are soldered on said hair
pin is rendered comparatively very soft and does not consequently possess any
spring."
The defects are obviated by my invention which consists in stamping the hair
pin from a single piece of metal, said hair pin being made perfectly smooth and
polished by a press or other suitable means, the hinge frame and other parts of said
hair pin being formed integrally with said piu instead of being soldered or
otherwise affixed thereto as hitherto.
Hair pins made as described are rendered comparatively very hard and possess
considerable "spring" or elasticity and consequently a correspondingly greater
grip or holding power than hair pins made in the manner above described, and
further, the trouble and inconvenience of soldering or otherwise attaching the hinge
or other parts to the hair pin is obviated.
In the annexed drawing
Fig. 1 illustrates the ordinary form of a hair pin a for supporting articles of
jewellery made in the hitherto usual manner in which the hinge-frame a¹ and the
"bridge-piece" a have been soldered to the said hair pin a.
Fig. 2 illustrates a hair pin a made in accordance with my invention in which
the hinge-frame a¹ and the bridge-piece a³ are formed integrally with the said hair
pin a in the manner above described.
As will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1 the hinge-frame a¹ is
provided with an eye b, said eye b being hingedly attached to said hinge-frame;
and the eye b is provided with a ringed screw c on which the article of jewellery is
screwed and when desired said eye b and screw c may be enclosed in a spiral
spring d.
My improved hair pin is shown in Fig. 2 but the parts b c and d referred to and
with which my improved hair pin may also be provided, have been omitted in the
drawing for the sake of clearness.
In the event of any article of jewellery being frequently changed in use say
from being used as an ornament in the hair to a brooch, I may provide said article

page_text: with a screw a³ (Fig. 3) said screw being integrally formed with eyes a* by means
of which they may be attached either to the hair pin or to the brooch-frame.
My improved hair pin may be made in any desired form or of any suitable metal
and in any sizes and it may be ornamented if desired without departing from my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A hair pin a integrally formed with a hinge-frame a¹ and if desired a bridge-
piece a for the purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The combination with a hair pin such as a integrally formed with a
hinge-frame a¹ of a screw a³ integrally formed with eyes a for the purposes and
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 28th day of March 1896.
REGINALD W. BARKER,
Monument Chambers, King William Street, London, E.C.,
Applicant's Agent.