To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Walter Hunt, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Make or Form of Dress-Pins, of which the following is a faithful and accurate description.

The distinguishing features of this invention consist in the construction of a pin made of one piece of wire or metal combining a spring, and clasp or catch, in which catch, the point of said pin is forced and by its own spring securely retained. They may be made of common pin wire, or of the precious metals.

See Figure 1 in the annexed drawings (which are drawn upon a full scale, and in which the same letters refer to similar parts,) which figure presents a side view of said pin, and in which is shown the three distinct mechanical features, viz: the pin A, the coiled spring B, and the catch D, which is made at the extreme end of the wire bar C, extended from B. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a pin with an elliptical coiled spring, the pin being detached from the catch D and thrown open by the spring B. Fig. 3 gives a top view of the same. Fig. 4 is a top view of the spring made in a flat spiral coil. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same.

Any ornamental design may be attached to the bar C, (see Figs. 6, 7 and 8,) which combined with the advantages of the spring and catch, renders it equally ornamental, and at the same time more secure and durable than any other plan of a clasp pin, heretofore in use, there being no joint to break or pivot to wear or get loose as in other plans. Another great advantages unknown in other plans is found in the perfect convenience of inserting these into the dress, without danger of bending the pin, or wounding the fingers, which renders them equally adapted to either ornamental, common dress, or nursery uses. The same principle is applicable to hair-pins.

My claims in the above described invention, for which I desire to secure Letters Patent are confined to the construction of dress-pins, hair-pins, &c., made from one entire piece of wire or metal, (without a joint or hinge, or any additional metal except for ornament,) forming said pin and combining with it in one and the same piece of wire, a coiled or curved spring, and a clasp or catch, constructed substantially as above set forth and described.

Walter Hunt.

Witnesses:

John M. Knox,

Jno. R. Chapin.