Improvements in Safety Pins.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Pins.
We, EPHRAIM BLAKE LEE, Hardware Dealer, and WELLINGTON COLLINS
SMITH, Dealer in Green and Dried Apples, both of Weston, in the County of
Lenawee, and State of Michigan, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the production of a safety pin of novel con-
struction which shall be easily operated as regards locking and unlocking itself
when inserted in the fabric and its removal therefrom, which shall securely protect
the point of the pin, and which is not liable to become accidentally detached and
when removed locks itself ready for use as before.
The safety pin, which may be made of spring wire or any other suitable material
or materials, consists of two members normally in approximately parallel relation
with each other, and made of a single piece of wire doubled over upon itself and
formed into a spring coil to make the pin proper, which is pointed at its front end,
as in the case of other safety pins, but instead of this member flying outward from
its sheath when unlocked and requiring a closing or opening and side movement by
the fingers to unlock or lock it from or with its sheath or shield, its tension and
operation are such that it always remains under cover as it were, control, or in close
proximity to a shoe at the forward end of the other member which constitutes the
lock of the pin proper and protects its point. The safety pin may also be con-
structed of two or more pieces of suitable material, if desired, and the shoe be in
the shape of a figure 4, caused by bending the forward end of the member first to
one side then forward and afterward back in approximate line or plane with the
main portion of the member, or it might be annular, oval, or of other shape, so long
as it extends sufficiently to one side and in front for the pointed portion of the
spring pin or member to rest on or against it, both when the safety pin is in lock
after penetrating the fabric and after the pin has been drawn out of or detached
from the goods.
In use the safety pin is made to enter the fabric by pressing the forward end of
the shoe up against said fabric so as to cause the point of the member to pass
through the fabric, and protrude on the exterior again, when its pointed portion
will spring into lock with or rest on or against the shoe. Or in other words the pin
frame has a portion projecting laterally to its pin seat and so arranged relatively
to the pin point that pressure of such lateral portion against the fabric will cause
the point of the pin to project or be exposed so that it can be inserted in the fabric.
Thus the pin, when entered, locks itself and is a safety pin and its point is
protected at the same time. Said safety pin is removed without unlocking or
unhooking by simply turning the whole pin over laterally and drawing it out at the
same time, after which the two members go back to their normal positions and lock
A sinall set-off or overhang
themselves when the pin is detached from the fabric.
is made in the shoe which set-off in itself forms a lock that helps to hold the pin
from drawing out if in the same position as when put in, but when turned right side
up or outermost it will be impossible for the pin to pull out. The safety pin can
either be made a right hand or left hand one, according to the side from which the
shoe projects.
In one form of pin the shoe is formed as follows:-The one member is bent at
right angles forming an arm which projects laterally in a plane parallel with that
of the coils of the spring and on the extremity of this arm is formed the shoc or
seat for the point of the pin which is made in the form of a figure 4 and composed

page_text: of wire bent to form arms united at an angle, the one arm being set at an angle so
that when the pin is being applied or inserted, pressure on this angle will cause the
point of the pin to be exposed at the base of the angle so that it can be inserted in
the fabric and will when so inserted spring back into locking contact with its seat.
In releasing or removing the pin, if it be turned slightly to one side pressure on the
shoe will cause the pin to move out of its seat so that the point of the pin may be
slipped out of its seat and the pin removed.
In another form of pin the material after forming the member or limb is continued
around the front of the pin in curved form, then bent to form the shoe, that is bent
upward to form the inclined edge of the shoe, then bent downward to form the rear
edge and then carried across the pin to a connection with the member around which
it is bent. In this form of pin the back ends of the two members are twisted to
form an eye and interlock.
In both cases there are the front and back edges to the shoe, in both there is the
inner side or side toward the pin against which the pin rests, in both there are the
bends, points, and angles, that bear against or are presented to the fabric or
garment in withdrawing or disengaging the pin, and in both there is the generic
feature of the pin member and the shoe, the shoe forming a guide surface and
permitting the pin member or pin proper to flex at an angle to the normal plane of
the members, that is at an angle to the direction from one member to the other.
Also, in both instances, the shoe at its top or angle overhangs toward the opposite
side of the pin to ordinarily prevent disengagement of the pin point.
It will be understood that the pin point is movable to and from its seat in
a direction laterally to or at right angles to the plane of the pin actuating coils.
This construction permits the insertion and removal of the pin without necessitating
the special hand manipulation of the pin out of its seat prior to such insertion or
removal.
Dated this 25th day of June 1905
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
improvements in Safety Pins.
We EPHRAIM BLAKE LEE, Hardware Dealer, and WELLINGTON COLLINS
SMITH, Dealer in Green and Dried Apples, both of Weston, in the County of
Lenawee and State of Michigan, United States of America 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 has for its object the production of a safety pin of novel con-
struction which shall be easily operated, both as regards locking and unlocking itself
when inserted in the fabric to which it is applied, and its removal therefrom; which
shall securely protect the point of the pin and which is not liable to become
accidentally detached, and when removed locks itself ready for use as before, all
substantially as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective, as scen from its face side, of a safety
pin constructed in accordance with our invention and showing by dotted lines a
piece of cloth to which the safety pin is supposed to be applied ;
Figure 2 is an edge view of said safety pin ;
Figure 3 is a view showing the pin as about being entered in the cloth or other
- goods;

page_text: Figure 4 a view showing the pin as about being removed from the cloth;
Figure 5 a plan or face view showing the pin as entered through the cloth and
locked; and
Figures 6 and 7 represent a modification, the former showing the pin in the act
of being inserted in the fabric, and the latter figure showing the pin locked in the
fabric.
The whole safety pin may be made of spring wire or any other suitable material
or materials and ordinarily consists of a spring member, arm or leg A and a
member, arm or leg B, normally in approximately parallel relation with each other.
As here shown, the two members A and B are supposed to be made of a single
piece of wire doubled over upon itself at the back end of said members and formed
into a spring coil b, to make the pin proper A, which is pointed at its front end as
at c, as in the case of other safety pins, but, instead of the member A flying
outward from its sheath when unlocked and requiring a closing or opening and side
movement by the fingers to lock or unlock it with or from its sheath or shield, its
tension and operation are such that it always remains under cover, as it were,
control, or in close proximity to a shoe d at the forward end of the member B which
constitutes the lock of the member A and protects its point.
While the safety-pin is here shown as made of one piece of spring wire or other
suitable material, it may be constructed of two or more pieces of suitable material,
if desired, and the shoe d made in the shape of a figure 4, as shown, caused by
bending the forward end of the member B first to one side, then forward and
afterward back in approximate line or plane with the main portion of the member B,
is not necessarily restricted to this shape but might be annular, oval or of other
shape so long as it extends sufficiently to one side and in front for the pointed
portion of the spring pin or member A to rest on or against it, both when the
safety-pin is in lock after penetrating the fabric D, and after the pin has been
drawn out of or detached from the goods.
For explanation of the operation of the safety-pin as represented and described,
said pin is made to enter the fabric D, (which may be of one or more thicknesses)
by pressing the forward end of the shoe d up against said fabric as shown in
Figure 3, so as to cause the point of the member A to pass through the goods from
the exterior surface thereof and back from its inner surface to the exterior again,
when its pointed portion c will spring into engagement with or rest on or against
the shoe d, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5. Or in other words the pin frame has a
portion projecting laterally to its pin seat and so arranged relatively to the pin
point that pressure of such lateral portion against the goods will cause the point of
the pin to project or be exposed so that it can be inserted in the goods. Thus the
pin, when entered, locks itself and is a safety-pin, and its point is protected at the
same time. Said safety-pin is removed without unlocking or unhooking, by simply
turning the whole pin over laterally and drawing it out at the same time, as shown
in Figure 4, after which the two members A and B go back to their normal positions
and lock themselves when the pin is detached from the goods. A small set-off or
overhang at e is made in the shoe d, which set-off in itself forms a lock that helps
to hold the pin from drawing out if in the same position as when put in, but when
turned right side up or outermost it will be impossible for the pin to pull out.
The safety-pin can either be made a right hand or left hand one, according to the
side from which the shoe d projects.
In the form shown in Figures 1 to 5, the shoe is formed as follows: The
member B is bent at f¹ and carried at right angles forming an arm f, which projects
laterally to the member B in a plane parallel with that of the coils of the spring b
and on the extremity of this arm is formed the shoe or seat for the point of
the pin. This shoe is made in the form of a figure 4 and composed in the
construction shown of wire bent to form the arms d² and d' united at an angle at d¹,
the arm being set at an angle, so that when the pin is being applied or inserted,
pressure on this angle at d will cause the point of the pin to be exposed at the base
of the angle, so that it can be inserted in the goods and will when so inserted spring

page_text: back into locking contact with its seat. In releasing or removing the pin, if it be
turned slightly to one side, pressure on the shoe will cause the pin to move out of
its seat, so that the point of the pin may be slipped out of its seat and the pin
removed.
In the form of safety-pin shown in Figures and 7, the member or limb B, is
continued around the front of the pin in curved form as at g, then bent to form the
shoe, that is, bent upward to form the inclined edge d³ of the shoe, is then bent
downward at d to form the rear edge, and is then carried across the pin as at f' to
a connection with the member B, around which it is bent as shown at f. In this
form of pin the back ends of the members A and B are twisted to form an eye b
and interlock as at b².
In both cases there are the front and back edges to the shoe, in both there is the
inner side or side toward the pin A, against which the pin rests, in both there are
the bends, points and angles f2, d, that bear against or are presented to the fabric
or garment in withdrawing or disengaging the pin, and in both there is the generic
feature of the pin member and the shoe, the shoe forming a guide surface and per-
mitting the pin member or pin proper to flex at an angle to the normal plane
of the members A, B, that is at an angle to the direction from one member to the
other.
Also, in both instances the shoe at its top or angle d overhangs toward the
opposite side of the pin to ordinarily prevent disengagement of the pin point.
It will be understood that the più point is movable to and from its seat in a
direction laterally to or at right angles to the plane of the pin actuating coils.
This construction permits of the insertion and removal of the pin without
necessitating the special hand manipulation of the pin out of its seat prior to such
insertion or removal.
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. A safety pin, having its fixed member provided with a shoe arranged at
approximately a right angle to the body of the pin, the pin point being movable
laterally along such shoe toward and from its seat, and the front end of such shoe
being inclined forming a runner-like guide to aid in inserting the pin in a fabric
without first unseating said pin by special hand manipulation, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
2. A safety pin, having its fixed member provided at the lower edge of its front
end, with a shoe arranged approximately at a right angle to the plane of the body
of the pin and projecting laterally from said body and the pin point fitted and
playing in the angle formed between the shoe and the pin body, and flexing at an
angle to the plane of the body, substantially as described, whereby on applying the
pin with pressure to the goods the pin point may be caused to protrude and penetrate
such goods, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A safety pin having its body or fixed member provided at its front end with
a shoe projecting laterally from said body, the extremity of such shoe and the
transversely opposite portion of the fixed member forming bearings spaced apart
and arranged to rest upon and be pressed against the fabric to which the pin is to
be applied, and the pin having its point playing in the space between said opposite
bearings and flexing at an angle to the plane of the body, whereby in application
of the pin to the goods, it may be flexed as described by pressure to cause its point
to protrude and enter the goods, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 19th day of March 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.