US2437502A

US2437502A - Hairpin

Info

Publication number: US2437502A
Application number: US722370A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest H Butler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-01-16
Filing date: 1947-01-16
Publication date: 1948-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1965-03-09

Description

Mardi 9? 1948. E. H BUTLER 2,437,502

y HAIRPIN Filed Jan. 16, 1 94'7 y ll n- 72 7 w'mwlm 7 A e mi ,1 i 6 l f f yay, 6 'k INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 9, 1.948

UNirED STATES PATENT OFFICE-g 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hairpins, and in particular to that type which may be readily inserted in the hair to positively hold it in place while at the same time permitting of its ready removal from the hair without mussing the same by displacement fof the hairiholding means relative to the pin body.

More specifically, the invention comprises a head from which spaced prongs project, said prongs being constructed for quick release from the head, either individually or simultaneously, las desired, and shifting said prongs in the direction of their insertion in the hair.

One of the primary objects of this invention is the provision of a novel form of locking unit for removably retaining the prongs. in the pin head or body portion of the article. The head is so constructed as to provide a channel or passage to receive the locking means as a unit, said unit embodying a release button for each prong, means for connecting the buttons together and means for tensioning the buttons to normally hold them in locking engagement with the prongs. A further object in view is to provide a retaining means which uniquely cooperates with the locking unit to hold it removably in the head, said retaining means having engaging relation with respect to the button tensioning means such that the tension on the respectiveV buttons is uniform, and the buttons of the locking unit are held in normal operative position.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof dened by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the pin head with the prongs removed;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the pin;

Fig. 4 is fan enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the head or body portion of the pin, showing clearly the manner in which the upper ends are interlocked with the operating buttons and the details of the locking unit; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the locking unit removed from the pin head.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several gures of the drawing.

In describing my invention, it is to be understood that the form illustrated in the drawing, as regards its shape, may be materially modied to suit various purposes. That is to say, the body- -of the head passage 2.

member may be made of any preferred material and given any desired shape with jewel mountings to impart ornamentality olr other desired configuration for hair decoration, and I therefore do not wish to be restricted in this respect. I have illustrated the invention as made up of plastic material, such as Lucite Essentially, however, the article is composed of the head or body portion I, through which is formed the channel or passage 2 extending longitudinally of the head and preferably of rectangular cross section.

Projecting from the head are a pair of correspending main -pnongs 3 extending through sockets B formed on the bottom of the head and upwardly into channel 2. Each of these prongs is squared at its upper end and fits in a correspondingly shaped bore 4' in the sockets so as to pre vent the prongs from turning after they have been inserted in position in the head.

Each prong 3 preferably has a plurality of side prongs or spurs 5 extending upwardly at an acute angle relative to prongs 3. this formation permitting the main prongs 3 to be inserted into the hair which readily slides over the lateral spurs 5 in this movement. Due to the engagement of the hair in the crotches formed by said lateral spurs, the pin vwill be positively held against accidental displacement while the pin itself holds the hair in the desired arrangement.

When the pin is to be removed, either or both of the prongs 3 may be quickly released from the head l in the manner now to be set forth. At the upper end of each prong 3 is formed a lateral notch 6 which is designed to interlock with a notch 6 on the contiguous button 1 forming a part of the locking unit mounted in the passage 2 of the pin head. The notches 6 form hook-like ends von the prongs and face inwardly so as to be engaged by the hook-like lugs of the buttons as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

The locking unit as disclosed is composed of the end buttons 1 mounted in spaced relation so as to close and project slightly from the ends They are connected together by a cord or other flexible means 8, said cord passing through the loops of a spiral expansion spring 9 so that the ends of the spring member tend to push the buttons outwardly of the head and hold the connection 8 taut. The ends of the cord 8 are anchored in small slits I0 in the respective inner ends of the buttons. Primarily the function of the spring is to hold the buttons normally in interlocking engagement with the prongs 3 as above described.

To maintain this locking unit in the head, I pass a pin or screw member l l through the intermediate loop I 2 of the spring member which is bent around to a position at right angles to the loops of the end portions of the spring. Obvious- 1y, by the displacement of the prongs 3 and removal of the screw Il, the locking unit as shown in Fig. 5 may be displaced from the pin head for repair or other purposes.

The use of this article will be apparent from the foregoing description of its construction, whether that use be for purely ornamental purposes or for holding the hair in proper position of different styles of hairdo. Since release of the prongs is produced by inward movement of the buttons, it is only necessary to use the thumb and one nger to press both buttons inwardly simultaneously. The head with the locking unit being removed, each of the prongs may be removed from the hair by shifting them in the same direction as when they were inserted.

While the specific details of construction have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, as dened by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair-pin of the class described, comprising a head having an elongated channel therein, removable prongs projecting from said head and extending into the channel aforesaid, a locking member mounted at each end of the channel for engagement with said prongs, and spring means in the channel between the locking members for tensioning the latter into locking engagement with the prongs.

2. A hair-pin of the class described comprising a body or head, a removable prong member projecting from said head, a button member slidably mounted in said head, said button member being slidable in one direction to establish interlocking engagement with the inner end of the prong and reverselymovable to release the prong, and means for holding said button member in engagement with the prong and against displacement from the head, the button member being provided with a recess and the inner end of the prong extending into said recess normally preventing displacement of the button member from the head of the pin.

3. A hair-pin as set forth in claim 1. wherein each locking member and prong is formed with a lug for interengagement and the spring means normally stresses the locking members into such interengagement.

4. A hair-pin as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locking members are connected together by a exible connection permitting each locking member to be operated independently of the other or simultaneously.

5. A hair-pin comprising an elongated head having a passage extending from end to end thereof, spaced removable prongs projecting from said head and extending into the passage aforesaid, a button member at each end of the passage, closing the same, each button member having interlocking engagement with a prong to hold the latter in the head, spring means between the buttons in the passage tending to hold them slightly projecting from the head and in interengagement with the prongs, and fastening means extending through the head and into engagement with the spring means to maintain the position of the latter and the buttons while the prongs are in ope'rative position.

6. A hair-pin comprising a head having a passage therethrough, spaced prongs projecting from said head and extending at their inner ends into the passage, a locking unit mounted in the passage comprising a pair of spaced buttons interengaging with the prongs, a flexible connection between said buttons limiting the separating movement thereof while permitting each button to independently move toward the other and spring means between the buttons, and pin means extending into the head and engaging the spring to anchor said locking unit in the passage of the head.

ERNEST H. BUTLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 751,426 Zwick Feb. 2, 1904 1,085,212 Kotner Jan. 27, 1914