Safety for All

This topic is popular because, let's face it, the world has become a rather unsafe place.

But this post is not about safety in ways you might be thinking (there's plenty of articles on that topic). While it differs from all of those, it's still, in a way, about personal safety.

And, there's a historical background. I enjoy learning about many things and, of course, sharing on this blog. It's not the first time — and far from the last.

Some of the safety pins in our home

Behold the safety pin. It comes in various sizes and shapes and at some point (or more) in our lives we've used it. I always have several in my luggage and purse. How about you?

Curious to know more, I found out that this invention was created by a prolific American inventor named Walter Hunt. Yes, that name was new to me as well.

1854 Walter Hunt's patent
model of sewing machine

Yet, from 1829 to 1853, Hunt's inventions and patents included not only the safety pin but also a knife sharpener, a rope making machine, a heating stove, a wood saw, a flexible spring, several machines for making nails, a fountain pen, a streetcar alarm bell and — the sewing machine.

By now, you're correctly thinking that Elias Howe is credited with that last invention for which he received a U.S. patent (no. 4,750) in 1846. 

But, in 1833, years earlier, Hunt invented a sewing machine which he never patented. Why? He reportedly felt his invention might cause massive unemployment among seamstresses, as the U.S. was in a recession.  Not only did Hunt failed to patent his design, but was reluctant to take the financial risk to manufacture it (double mistakes).

Because, in 1854, when Hunt did submit a patent application for his sewing machine design, which preceded Howe’s design, the U.S. Patent Office recognized Hunt’s precedence. But, did not grant him a patent because he was too late and he had not applied first. Hunt received public credit for his invention, but Howe’s patent became valid. 

Now, back to the safety pin. Years after the sewing machine debacle, Hunt who owed a $15 debt was thinking of a new invention that would earn money to repay it.

And, that invention became the safety pin .

Hunt took an 8-inch piece of brass wire and made a coil in the center so it would open up when released. The pin design included a clasp that covered the point to keep from opening, and a circular twist at the bend to act as a spring and hold it in place. It was the first pin to have a clasp and spring action to keep fingers safe from injury. 

Safety Pin 1849 patent filing by Walter Hunt 

This time, he patented the design. According to Hunt's patent application: This design could be used without danger of the device becoming bent or wounding the fingers. In his patent filing application, Hunt described his invention as a new and useful improvement in the Make or Form of Dress-Pins.

Did he repay the debt? Yes, and made a profit too, but short-sightedness cost Hunt in the long run. In April 1849, after being issued U.S. patent 6,281, Hunt sold the patent to W.R. Grace and Company for $400 (about $14,000 in today's money). He repaid the debt and pocketed $385. In years to follow, W.R. Grace profited millions of dollars in profits from this invention.

Fibulae (Internet source)

Actually, Hunt’s invention wasn't original or new, but improved on an ancient fastener, the fibulae (Latin for brooch). Coiled bronze pins embellished in gold have been found in Egyptian tombs. Romans used fibulae to hold togas in place. Etruscans used them to fasten dresses and cloaks. Made from expensive materials like bronze, silver, and gold, the design of fibulae became more detailed and elaborate. They emphasized class differences as only the wealthy could afford such costly ornaments.

Another version of the safety pin is credited to Thomas Woodward in 1842 for a Victorian shielded shawl and diaper pin, while similar it lacked the spring mechanism of Hunt's design.  Woodward's invention was a safety pin for baby diapers which fastened according to the bulk of the material which often caused the pin to bend or break.

Walter Hunt, American inventor

Walter Hunt (1796-1859) was born in upstate New York in a rural community of Lewis County, NY, the eldest of 14 children in a farming family. Educated in a one-room schoolhouse, he became a stone-cuter (mason), married and settled on a farm near a textile mill. A skilled mechanic, he often helped local textile mill owners with equipment repairs.

When a mill owner lowered employee wages due to a drop in market prices, Hunt suggested the problem was due to the inefficiency of the machines, not the workers. He suggested building a better machine. Within months, he designed a new system and in 1826 patented it. Hunt left for New York City with a plan to raise money needed to manufacture more of the milling machines. That the plan collapsed within a year. It seems that he was a better inventor than businessman. In what was becoming a pattern, Hunt later sold the patent outright.

While in New York, Hunt witnessed an accident in which a carriage ran over and injured a girl. Carriage drivers had horns to warn pedestrians, but rarely used them wanting to keep both hands on the horse reins in tight traffic. Hunt devised a metal gong with hammer that could be operated by foot. After he patented it, he again sold the idea outright, yet again.

If his business skills matched his inventions, he would be more well known. Hunt was a prolific inventor, but toiled in obscurity, selling many of his designs before they became mainstream items. Unlike other inventors, who built industries and profited from inventions.

In all fairness, Hunt may never have fully capitalized on his inventions due to circumstances. Married with a family of four children, he was often financially strapped. He sold his patents to solve immediate cash problems rather than waiting for a potentially larger gain.

Paper shirt collars

He continued working on inventions in his workshop and died in 1859 from pneumonia at age 63. Before dying, he had the personal satisfaction, but not the financial gain, of finally profiting from his sewing machine invention. In 1858, Isaac Singer agreed to pay Hunt $50,000 for his original design to end a patent controversy; Hunt died before Singer paid up. 

Later, his family was able to capitalize on another invention, the paper shirt collar. In 1875, his son, George, reached a settlement with the Union Paper Collar Company for $5,000 plus expenses in cash, $50,000 in company stock, and 10 percent of all royalties for the use of Walter Hunt's invention which he had patented in 1854.

While Hunt didn't die wealthy, he was well-respected. In its 1859 obituary, the New York Tribune wrote: For more than 40 years, he has been known as an experimenter in the arts. Whether in mechanical movements, chemistry, electricity or metallic compositions, he was always at home, and, probably in all, he has tried more experiments than any other inventor.

Some Safety Pin Trivia

The term pin money originally referred to a custom wherein the head of the house presented the lady of the house with a sum of money at the start of January which she would use to purchase pins for the year as they were costly. When pins became cheap and common, ladies spent their allowances on other fancies, but the term pin money remained popular. The mechanization of production in the 1800s changed the cost and status of safety pins. Now, over 3 million can be made by a factory in a single day.

While more modern fasteners, like velcro, have been introduced over the years, the safety pin remains an everyday necessity worldwide. Its simplicity and household presence have made it not only a useful item, but one of culture and tradition. 

In India, for example, safety pins and sewing needles are kept for generations and passed down to daughters. In the Ukraine, pins are a way to ward off evil spirits when attached to the inside of  children's clothing. In other countries, a safety pin is a form of good luck.

And now you also know — the rest of the story

Thanks for all your comments on a previous post (Cathedral of the Pines). As many of you noted, this site is very special. We plan to visit later this year.