n.
- A pin in the form of a clasp, having a sheath to cover and hold the point.
- A pin that prevents the premature or accidental detonation of an explosive device, such as a bomb or grenade.
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safety pin |
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How is a safety pin made? |
Background
A coiled piece of steel wire, sharpened at one end with a catch plate at the other, the modern safety pin is a device that can be traced back to New York City in about 1825. An indebted inventor named Walter Hunt sought a way to repay a $15 debt. He designed a "safe pin" for securing clothing, which protected fingers from the sharp end. He patented the design in 1849 and sold his idea for $400. The design has remained virtually the same ever since. However, the manufacture of its most common material, steel, has greatly improved, as has the mechanized process used in forming the pins. In 1864, E.J. Manville invented an automatic fourslide machine, which was the forerunner of machines used today.
Even though the current design is a modern one, the safety pin is an ancient fastener. Coiled bronze pins, embellished with gold and several inches long, have been found in Egyptian tombs. The Greeks and Romans called them fibulae (Latin for brooch) and used some to fasten garments, while others were mainly omnamental. Dating from the seventh century B.C., elaborately decorated fibulae often had rows of lions or sphinxes along the catch plate, either carved in relief or soldered. An Iranian pin from this period was shaped like a human hand and embellished with two lions placed head to tail, while an Etruscan fibula from the eighth century was decorated with ducks. The fibula became widely used throughout the ancient world as the Roman Empire expanded. In the Middle Ages, the design reverted to one resembling a straight pin. These were fashioned out of skewers of wood for common people, or out of bone, ivory, silver, gold, or brass for those of wealth and high position. In the 15th century, pins were manufactured from drawn wire, a process that still exists in the manufacture of modern safety pins. Today the largest user of safety pins is the retail sewing notions market, while the largest commercial user is the laundry and cleaning industry.
Raw Materials
The most common metals used in safety pins are spring steel, brass, and stainless steel. Most fasteners without critical strength requirements are made from spring steel, an alloy of iron that has a high carbon content (more than 0.5%). By varying the proportion of carbon added to iron, spring steel can have high tensile strength and resiliency that allows it to flex and return to its original shape.
Brass is an alloy of approximately two-thirds copper and one-third zinc. More expensive than spring steel, this metal will polish up to a high luster. It is nonmagnetic and easily worked into shape. The strength of brass is adequate for most safety pin applications.
More expensive than brass, stainless steel is an alloy that includes chromium and nickel (manganese is sometimes used instead of nickel). With a mirror-like finish, stainless steel is used when corrosion, temperature, and strength are considerations. However, for some safety pin applications, a type of low-carbon stainless steel—ferritic, which costs less than stainless steel—is used.
Other raw materials include a variety of coatings and platings. The most common finish on spring-steel pins is chrome, followed by a final wax coat. If the pin is to be subjected to damp environments or to a piece of cloth for a long period of time, other treatments are used to prevent stains from corrosion of the steel. One of these methods is to coat the pin with the chemical chromate, particularly on spring-steel safety pins. For brass safety pins, nickel coatings are used, as they resist some chemicals and remain attractive for a long period. A more expensive treatment for brass pins, primarily for decorative purposes, is gilting. By tumbling the pins in an acid bath, the top layer of brass is removed, revealing a shiny, goldlike surface.
The Manufacturing
Process
The modern manufacture of safety pins is completely automatic. Specialized machines have been developed to perform multiple steps, replacing many workers and increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing process. Over 3 million safety pins can be made by one factory in a day, almost 1 billion a year. There are only two U.S. companies that make safety pins, although there are many more companies abroad.
Making the wire
Cutting the wire
Forming
Finishing and packaging
The Future
Although more modern fasteners like velcro have been introduced in the 20th century, they have not replaced the safety pin. Its simplicity and usefulness seem to guarantee its future into the next century. There is still a large market for safety pins in the less industrialized nations. In India, for example, pins and sewing needles are kept and used for generations, passed on from mother to daughter. In an economy such as this, people do not have easy access to alternative fasteners, and great value is placed on what many of us perceive as a commodity item.
Where To Learn More
Book
Petroski, Henry. The Evolution of Useful Things. Knopf, 1993.
Periodical
Fastening, Joining & Assembly Reference Issue. Machine Design, November 13, 1986.
[Article by: Renee M. Rottner]
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Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Safety pin |
A safety pin is a simple fastening device, a variation of the regular pin which includes a simple spring mechanism and a clasp. The clasp serves two purposes: to form a closed loop thereby properly fastening the pin to whatever it is applied to, and to cover the end of the pin to protect the user from the sharp point.
Safety pins are commonly used to fasten pieces of fabric or clothing together. They are widely used to fasten cloth diapers (nappies), as the safety clasp prevents the baby from being jabbed. Similarly, they can be used to patch torn or damaged clothing. Safety pins can also be used as an accessory or jewelry, such as earrings, chains, and wristbands. Sometimes they are used to attach an embroidered patch.
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Contents
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The fibula, a form of a brooch, was invented by the Myceaneans on the Greek Peloponnesus between the 13th and 14 BC, and is considered an early precursor to a safety pin since they were used in a similar manner. However, it had major flaws. It had no clasp or spring at the end to help put it in place. Over the centuries, the fibula became forgotten.[1]
American mechanic Walter Hunt is regarded as the inventor of the safety pin that bears resemblance to those used today. The safety pin included a clasp that covered the point and kept it from opening, and a circular twist at the bend to act as a spring and hold it in place.[2]
Needing to settle a $15 debt with a friend, Hunt one day decided to invent something new in order to pay off his friend. He used a piece of brass wire that was about 8 inches long and made a coil in the center of the wire so it would open up when released. The clasp at one end, was devised in order to shield the sharp edge from the user.[3]
After being issued U.S. patent #6,281 on April 10, 1849[4], Hunt sold the patent to W. R. Grace and Company for $400 (roughly $10,000 in 2008 dollars). Using that money, Hunt then paid the $15 owed to a friend and kept the remaining amount of $385 for himself. What Hunt failed to realize is that in the years to follow, W.R. Grace and Company would make millions of dollars in profits from his invention.[5]
During emergence of Punk rock in the late seventies, safety pins became associated with the genre, its followers and fashion. Some claim the look was taken originally from Richard Hell whom the British punks saw in pictures, and whose style they adopted.[6] This is disputed by a number of artists from the first wave of British punks, most notably Johnny Rotten, who insists that safety pins were originally incorporated for more practical reasons, for example, to remedy "the arse of your pants falling out". British punk fans, after seeing the clothing worn by such punk forerunners, then incorporated safety pins into their own wardrobe as clothing decoration or as piercings, shifting the purpose of the pins from practicality to fashion. The safety pin subsequently has become an image associated with Punk rock by media and pop-culture outlets.
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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