Untitled record

Application filed Tune 18,1896, Serial No. 596,026. (No model,)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Henry A. Belden, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and 5 useful Improvement in Hair-Pins; and I declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings annexed to and forming part of the same, furnishes a full and clear description thereof, sufficient io to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and operate the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved pin when closed; Fig. 2, a plan view of the pin while open for 15 insertion; Fig. 3, a side view, and Fig. 4 a view in perspective.

The object of my invention is to provide a hair-pin which, without the aid of flattened ends or points, will remain in position when 20 placed in the hair, and not only hold down the hair at the head end of the pin, but also retain its place within the hair by the hold exerted by the prongs closing in upon the latter.

Prior to my invention, so-called “safety hair-pins” had been made with converging points, and also hair-pins with double springs at the head end in the same plane as the prongs, and pins with convolutions to engage 30 the hair or lap over it by being turned around.

Pins made in that manner are often difficult to insert, and when once inserted, if they are turned so as to hold, are apt to become entangled in the hair and often require much 35 longer time to remove than to insert. If made with straight prongs, the hold which they obtain on the hair is too slight to accomplish the object for which they are constructed.

In my improvement I first construct the 40 hair-pin in the ordinary manner from steel wire, but tempered so as to have a good spring in the curve at the head of the pin and a firmness in the prongs.

The prongs a a are each curved toward the 45 other so as to meet at their points δ δ. They are also curved upward in their common plane. The head of the pin where the prongs join each other is then bent over toward the concave side of the prongs a a, so that the 50 spring-curve c on the head of the pin as originally formed will come within a short distance of and stand approximately parallel with the body of the prongs a a, thus affording two projections or levers d d beyond this curve, which, when approximated by the pres- 55 sure of the fingers, will cause the points δ δ of the pin to open for insertion in the hair, and the release of which will allow the spring at c to close the prongs a a in the hair. The two hooks in the body of the pin, on the in- 60 side of the levers d d, caused by bending over this head, afford a substantial fastening to keep the outer hair down in place, while the peculiar form of the prongs a a (which curve toward each other, the two together curving 65 to conform somewhat to the convexity of the head) affords a hold upon the hair and tends by pressure to draw the pin toward the head rather than to let it slip in a contrary direction. 70

I am aware that so-called “hair-pins” and “safety-pins” for other purposes have been made with prongs which spring apart and are held together by a hook or loop at the end of the prongs, and also pins with straight prongs 75 springing together and having in the same plane angular or straight arms to open the pin for insertion. I do not claim any of thesc^_ features; but

What I do claim as my invention, and de- So sire to