A safety pin is a variation of an ordinary pin that adds a coiled spring mechanism and a clasp, so the point stays fastened shut and covered when not in use, protecting the wearer from being pricked. It was invented by the American mechanic Walter Hunt, who received United States patent number 6,281 for it on April 10, 1849, forming the pin from about eight inches of brass wire with a coil at the center to provide spring tension and a clasp to shield the sharp end; Hunt sold the patent for 400 dollars, primarily to settle a fifteen-dollar personal debt.
Facts
Patent or First-Use DateSourced to the subject's own account YearSourced to the subject's own account SignificanceSourced to the subject's own accountWalter Hunt invented the safety pin to pay off a fifteen dollar debt to a friend and sold the patent to W.R. Grace and Company for four hundred dollars; the company went on to make far more from his invention. 1 Safety Pin
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What did Walter Hunt do with the money from selling his safety pin patent?
He sold it for 400 dollars, repaid a 15 dollar debt and kept 385 dollars.
Walter Hunt sold his safety pin patent to W.R. Grace and Company for 400 dollars. He used that money to pay the 15 dollars he owed to a friend and kept the remaining 385 dollars for himself. In the years that followed, W.R. Grace and Company made millions of dollars in profits from his invention.
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Source Safety Pin (Wikipedia)
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Source Safety Pin (Wikipedia)
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1. Safety Pin (Wikipedia)
WikipediaInvention of the safety pin section, opening paragraph
American mechanic Walter Hunt is regarded as the inventor of the modern safety pin.
Invention of the safety pin section, patent paragraph
After being issued U.S. patent #6,281 on April 10, 1849, Hunt sold the patent to W.R. Grace and Company for $400 (roughly $15,000 in 2025 dollars).
Invention of the safety pin section, closing sentence
In the years to follow, W.R. Grace and Company would make millions of dollars in profits from his invention.
In Field: Mechanical Engineering, Lead section
A safety pin is a variation of the regular pin which includes a simple spring mechanism and a clasp.
Associated With: Walter Hunt, History section
American mechanic Walter Hunt is regarded as the inventor of the modern safety pin.
Invented By: Walter Hunt, History section
American mechanic Walter Hunt is regarded as the inventor of the modern safety pin.
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