IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY PINS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY PINS." A communication from abroad by Joel
Jenkins, of Mont Clavi, New Jersey, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY-PINS." A com-
munication from abroad by Joel Jenkins, of Mont Clavi, New Jersey, United
States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in safety or toilet pins, and consists in
a safety or toilet pin which has the coils of its spring in part either enclosed in a
hood or soldered together, whereby the garment of the wearer is prevented from
entering between the coils of the spring, as more particularly hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is a side view of my improved safety-pin, showing the application of
the solder when applied as a stop in the coils of the spring; and
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view showing the application of a hood as a guard or stop to
the spring.
Figure 4 is a plan or top view of the blank of the hood.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the said hood.
Figure 6 is a side view of an ordinary safety-pin before my improved stop or
hood is applied thereto.
When the ordinary safety-pin is worn great annoyance arises from the working
of the fabric of the wearer's garment between the coils of the spring, which holds
the garment as in a vice, and prevents the ready withdrawal of the pin when
desired.

page_text: To obviate this difficulty the springs of safety pins have in some cases been
wholly enclosed by devices to act as guards, but such arrangements have proved
unsatisfactory, for the reason that the entire enclosing of the spring interfere some-
what with its elastic force and proper working.
To obviate this last named objection, and at the same time produce a safety-pin
which will effectually prevent the working of the wearer's garment between the coils
of the spring, I form a guard or stop on the spring as follows, that is to say:-
-I cut
from a sheet of metal of any desired thickness a blank A, having four lugs b and c
of similar proportion and form, one of these logs being perforated as at e. I then
double this blank through its centre, forming a hood B, which is curved along the
line of its fold to correspond with the curve of the coil of the spring d of the pin.
When the blank is folded in this manner the lugs b project downward, as shown in
Figures 3 and 5. The hood being now formed, I insert through the perforation e
the sharpened end of the pin, the hood being slipped back on the wire to the coil-
spring d until the front part of the coil is received within the folded blank or hood.
A die is then caused to descend and force the sides of the hood tightly about that
part of the coil which is within them, firmly clamping the hood in place, and at the
same time folding the lugs b together in the opening f of the coil d; this operation
covers the space at g between the coils of the spring (see Figure 3), into which
space without this or a similar guard or stop the fabric in which the pin is used
would enter, and thereby interfere with the operation of the spring of the pin, and
under some circumstances render it difficult to be withdraw.
Instead of employing the foregoing means to form a guard or stop for the spring,
I can take the pin after it is fully formed, but before it is finished, and then solder
the front portion a (see Figures 1 and 2) of the coil-spring d together, thereby
closing the space between the two coils of the spring at that part, and uniting them
firmly. The space between the coils at a is thus closed, and forms a stop which
will prevent the fabric of the garment from working between the coils of the spring,
as above described.
It will be observed that by forming the stop or guard by either of the two
means described above, but a small portion of the coil-spring is enclosed, and con-
sequently the free working of the other parts of the spring is not materially
interfered with; on the contrary, the spring is somewhat stiffened, and rendered
more prompt in its action.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. A safety or toilet pin having a guard or hood provided with a pin-hole e
and the lugs b, b, adapted to be applied to the pointed member of the pin and to
cover the inner part of its coil, substantially as shown and described and for the
purpose specified.
Second. A safety-pin provided with a coil d combined with a hood having the
lugs b, b, clamped over the inner part of the said coil to cover the said part and fill
the space g between the limbs of the pin, substantially as shown and described and
for the purpose specified.
Third. A spring or safety pin with a portion of the front of the coils of its spring
soldered together, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.