US1216905A - Hat-pin guard. - Google Patents

Description

1. WOOD.

HAT PIN GUARD. APPLICATION FILED MAYIZ. 1913 1,216,905. I 'Patented Feb. 26; 1917.

JAMES WOOD, or BIN'GI-IAMTON, NEW YORK.

HAT-PIN GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed lxiay 12, 1913. Serial N 0. 767,120.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES VVooD, citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Pin Guards, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates more particularly to guards and loss preventing devices for hat pins and similar articles, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which can be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the pointed end of the pin, and which embodies novel features of construction whereby the pointed end of the hat pin will be securely gripped at a plurality of independent places in the length thereof so as to prevent the accidental withdrawal of the pin from the guard.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, which will tenaciously grip the point of the pin to prevent withdrawal thereof from the guard, and which will. operate in an effective manner both to prevent loss of the hat pin and also to provide a guard for the point thereof which eliminates all danger of persons being injured thereby.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the spring before it is bent into final form.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the'spring after it has been bent into final form.

Fig. 3 is a PQISPGCtlXB view of the device, the parts being shown as separated, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the device as applied to the pointof a hat pin.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

With particular reference to the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a thin steel spring formed of a fiat strip of material theppposite end portions thereof being bowed upwardly as indicated at 2 and 3. Between the said bowed or crimped portions 2 and 3 of the spring strip 1, and on each side of the flat central portion of the latter, the same is provided with the raised or crimped portions 4 and 5 whose flat tops are alined with the highest points of the bowed portions 2 and 3. The spring 1 having the form shown in Fig. 1 and shaped as previously described is bent or doubled upon itself at its central portion in such a manner that the flat top of the raised or crimped portion 4 bears against or has an opposed relation to the fiat top of the raised or crimped portion 5, and the highest points of the bowed or crimped ends 2 and 3 meet, the spring 1 then assuming the shape and form shown in Fig. 2.

Further, in connection with the jaw formed by the portions 4 and 5, it will be observed that the same is of greater area than the jaw formed by the bowed portions 2 and 3. The reason for this is to obtain a greater cushioning effect for the end ofthe pin. In other words, the larger area of the second jaw presents a greater frictional contact grip than the first jaw, thereby more firmly clutching the pin to prevent loss,

while at the same time preventing the point of the pin from entering too far within the casing and being dulled by contact with the hard metallic spring at the point where it bends double. The spring 1 when bentto its final form,

as shown by Fig. 2, has a flared mouth 6 provided by the bowed ends 2 and 8 of the spring strip. It will also be observed that the bowed ends 2 and 3 of the spring strip cooperate with each other to provide opposed jaws for gripping the hat pin, and that in a similar manner the crimped portions 4 and 5 cooperate with each other to provide a second set of opposed jaws for gripping the hat pin at another point in the length thereof. 7 v

This spring 1 in its finished state is inserted within a cylindrical casing or barrel 9 which is closed at one end as indicated at 10 and open at the opposite end. The spring 1 fits snugly in the barrel 9 so that all of its outwardly bowed or bent portions contact with the interior walls of the barrel, as indicated at A, thus tending tokeep the two sets of opposed jaws in the spring Patented Feb. 20, 1917..

in close meeting relation and greatly aiding the same in giving increased gripping force for engaging a pin P or other element inserted into the guard. It will be evident that when the two sets of jaws are forced apart that the entire spring will be expanded and the force of the expansion transmitted to the interior walls of the bar rel 9, the said walls because of their rigidity serving to exert a restraining influence upon the expansion of the spring and forcing apart of the jaws. It will also be observed that upon the pin P or other similar member entering the first set of jaws pro- 'vided by the bowed ends 2 and 3 of the spring strip, the second set of jaws pro vided by the crimped portions 4: and 5 will be forced more tightly together, so that upon the pin passing between the second set of jaws it will be very forcibly gripped. In a similar manner, as the pin passes through the second set of jaws provided by the criniped portions 1- and 5, the expansion of the spring strip produced by the opening of the jaws will be partially transmitted back to the first set of jaws so as to tighten the grip of the first set of jaws upon the pin, this action being due to the fact that, as previously described, the spring is confined within the barrel or cylinder 9 and contacts therewith at the points A so that the expansion produced by the opening of. one set of jaws is transmitted to the opposite set of jaws. An effective double grip is thus obtained upon the pin so as to securely engage the pin and eliminate danger of accidental withdrawal of the guard therefrom.

A bell shaped pin guide member 12 is applied to the open end of the barrel 9, the said guide being formed with a flared mouth 13 and also with a cylindrical neck portion 1a adapted to enter the open end of the barrel and be securely fastened therein in any suitable manner. This pin guide 12 serves to hold the spring 1 within the barrel or casing 9 and also to accurately direct the point of the pin into engagement with the outer set of opposed spring jaws. It will be noticed that the neck 14; of the guide 12 terminates but a short distance from the free ends of the spring 1 so that the expansion of the entire spring and its tendency to flatten out or elongate when the jaws are forced apart is checked. Thus, since the expansion of the spring 1 is limited laterally by the walls of the barrel A, and longitudinally by the closed end 10 of the barrel and the neck 14: of the guide 12, the result obtained is an extremely effective plural grip which causes the device to tenaciously engage the hat pin so as to prevent possibility of loss thereof and also provide a sheath for the pointed extremity thereof to prevent possibility of injury.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A hat pin point protector comprising a tubular casing member closed at one end, and a point engaging and holding element within the casing, said element being a single spring of flat cross-section and sub stantially U-shaped formation, each member thereof having similar crimped portions contacting with each other for a portion of their lengthand forming a plurality of sets of gripping jaws, the set of jaws nearest the open end of the casing being of lesser gripping area than the other set, and said spring being arranged in the casing whereby the bowed portions thereof between the jaws directly contact therewith, and a pin'guide fitted in the open endof the casing and limiting the elongation of the spring to thereby transmit greater gripping force to said jaws thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WOOD.

Witnesses:

ROBERT S. PARSONS,- H. J. TI'LLAPAUGH.

Copies-of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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