About the time of the Centennial, Peter B. moved to San Francisco and established a branch of manufacture in that city. There, he can be found in the city directories listed both as Simons' Brothers & Co. and Peter B. Simons.

Also about that time, the four sons of the founde were admitted to the firm, John Farr Simons, George W. Jr., Frederick M. and Edwin S. Simons. Frederick M. had always worked in the business and Edwin S., the younges son, was still a student at Princeton.

In the decade of the 1880's the patent office issued more patents that had been issued since its founding in 1790. The first design patent for a thimble in the United States was granted to John F. Simons, in 1889, for #59, fluted octagon, still in production today. There were many company designers, and the company held hundreds of patents for many silver and gold articles other than thimbles.

Some examples of thimble design patents are:

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