US2524346A - Guard for safety pins - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 3, 1950 c. F. GALLOWAY 2,524,346

GUARD FOR SAFETY PINS Filed Nov. 25, 1949 gaseanm 6/144 5 fbzmwm Gttorneg Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED S TATES PATENT OFFICE 2,524,346 GUARD FOR. SA TYPINS Charles F. Galloway, Los An glesjCalif. Application November 25, 1949, fs'e'iialiivb. 129,428

The present invention relates to a guard for safety pins.

An object of the invention is the provision of a guard for a safety pin which will hold the pointed end of said safety pin against displacement from its clasp.

The invention is of particular use where safety pins are used for holding clothing on an infant. Ofttimes the pointed end of the safety pin escapes from its clasp with the result that the infant may be injured. The invention has other uses, particularly where displacement of the pointed end of the safety pin must be prevented.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a guard for safety pins which is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, capable of functioning in an efficient manner, and generally superior to guards now known to the inventor.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the guard of the invention shown in cooperation with a safety pin of conventional form.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the guard,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the guard, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, the improved guard is shown in the several figures, and in Figure 1 in combination with a safety pin I. The safety pin is of conventional form, in that it includes a wire, one end of which carries a clasp 2, while the other end is pointed at 3, the wire being intermediately looped at 4. Spring wire is usually utilized so that the two arm portions of the safety pin tend to separate.

It is, of course, possible to disengage the pointed end of the wire from the keeper portion of the clasp and such disengagement may be accidental.

The present invention contemplates the use of a guard adapted to enclose the clasp. This guard, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, inclusive, includes a shield or hood 5 adapted to receive the clasp portion of the safety pin and enclose the same. Said hood or shield includes two side walls 6 and I, an end wall 8 joined with the side walls, to-

gether with top and bottom walls 9 and 10' which merge with the side and end walls. An arm ll forms an extension of the side wall 6, the said arm terminating in an offset end portion l2. Portion I2 is substantially at a right angle to the plane of the arm II and is oppositely positioned relative to the shield 5. Portion 52 has a tapered side Wall i3. Arm H may taper as to width from 4 Claims. (01. 24-156) the shield or hood 5 to the end thereof, as 'best depictedin FigureS. Furthermore, the said arm ltnoaybe stiifened by meansof a'rib M which extends "along the arm II and theside wall 6.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

The guard may be formed of any material, such as plastic, rubber or metal, and it is intended that the arm it should have a certain degree of stiffness. The hood is passed over the clasp of the safety pin, as depicted in Figure 1, whereupon the arm I is passed between the two arm portions of the safety pin, to flex the same, as indicated by the dotted line 15 of Figure 1. The offset portion I2 enters the loop 5 and has snap locking engagement therewith due to the tapered wall 13 and the rounded portion 16. The tapered wall prevents the offset portion I2 accidentally escaping from loop 4. The normal resiliency of the arm aids in holding the offset end l2 within the loop 4. Because the offset end [2 cannot be easily displaced, the hood or shield is retained on the clasp of the safety pin. It is not likely that a child, such as a baby, would. displace the arm II and hence the likelihood of the sharp end of the safety pin becoming disengaged from the clasp is minimized. In any event, actual use of the invention has shown that it requires considerable force to push the offset end l2 from engagement with the loop so that the hood or shield 5 may be moved longitudinally relative to the clasp. A device of the character described is obviously inexpensive in cost of manufacture and, therefore, equally inexpensive in retail cost. As shown in Figure 2, the arm I I normally lies in the plane of the side 6 of the hood or shield 5. Consequently, the arm ll must be flexed, and in flexing, the arm must be distorted to a certain degree, and the arm resistance to such flexing or distortion effectively holds the hood in position of service on the catch. It is apparent from the specification and the drawing that no special type of safety pin is intended and that the device is adaptable to any type of safety pin which includes a loop and a clasp for the pin end of the safety pin.

I claim:

1. A guard for safety pins of the type which includes a clasp and a pair of arms interconnected by a coil, one of said arms secured to said clasp and the other of said arms being pointed and adapted to engage the clasp, including a hood adapted to surround the clasp, an arm extending from said hood and provided with a part for reception within the coil of said safety pin.

2. A guard for safety pins of the type having a clasp, a pair of arms, one of which is secured to said clasp and the other of which is provided with a pointed end for engagement with said clasp, the said arms provided with a loop for normally separating the said arms: including a hood adapted to encase the said clasp, a resilient arm extending from said hood and provided with a part for entrance within the safety pin loop upon a flexing of the arm, to thereby prevent displacement of the hood from said clasp.

3. A guard for safety pins of the type which includes a clasp and a pair of arms interconnected by a coil, one of said arms secured to said clasp and the other of said arms being pointed and adapted to be engaged by the clasp; including a hood adapted to surround the clasp, an arm extending from said hood and provided with an angular extremity for snap engagement with the coil of said safety pin to prevent displacement of the hood from the clasp.

4. A guard for safety pins of the type which includes a clasp and a pair of arms interconnected by a coil, one of said arms secured to said clasp and the other of said arms being pointed and adapted to be engaged by the clasp; including a hood adapted to surround the clasp, an arm extending from said hood and provided with an angular extremity; said angular extremity formed with a notched portion for engagement with the coil of the safety pin to maintain said extremity against displacement from said loop.

CHARLES F. GALLOWAY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,038,202 Reynolds Sept. 10, 1912 1,546,697 Young July 21, 1925 2,138,869 Lockwood Dec. 6, 1938 2,233,247 Dies Feb. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 542,948 France of 1922

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