Improvements in Dress or Skirt Suspenders.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1890-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dress or Skirt Suspenders.
We, CHARLES SEEL, Traveller of 33 Wellington Road North, Heaton Norris
near Stockport in the County of Lancaster and MARY ANN WRIGHT, Widow,
Hosier & Dressmaker of 109, Cross Street, Gorton in the County of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to devices whereby dresses or skirts may be suspended
upon the wearer at any desired height from the ground, and it has for its object a.
simple suspender by means of which the wearer can readily adjust the dress or
skirt from the front or sides of the waist in an even and regular manner without
the necessity of pinning or looping it, or of the wearer twisting herself about in
order to effect the adjustment.
The invention may be carried into effect as follows :-
A light frame or bow, of metal or other sufficiently rigid and strong material,
is secured at one edge to the waistband of the dress or skirt, either by stitching or
otherwise, and hangs down inside the garment. The frame is provided at or near
its lower edge with eyes or other guiding devices, preferably two in number, and
the upper edge is also provided with similar guiding devices, but placed, by
preference, further apart so as to approach the sides of the waistband.
Other
Cords are passed through these eyes, being preferably arranged crosswise, that
from the upper right hand eye passing through the lower left hand one, and that
from the upper left hand eye passing through the lower right hand one.
suitable arrangements of cords could however be provided. The lower ends of the
cords are secured to the skirt of the dress, preferably by means of two or more
subsidiary or branch cords which may be attached lightly but firmly to the skirt by
means of rings or other suitable devices placed round the skirt at suitable distances
apart. The upper ends of the cords are each provided with a ring, button or the
like, whereby the dress may be drawn up by the wearer from the front or sides of
the waist. One or more buttons, hooks or the like, attached to the outside of the
waist band serve as a means for securing the cords in position after the skirt has
been adjusted. Or the cords may be simply tied or otherwise secured to each other
at the front or sides of the waist.
Additional guiding devices or cords may be provided if found desirable or
necessary.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dress or Skirt Suspenders.
We, CHARLES SEEL Traveller of 33 Wellington Road North, Heaton Norris,
near Stockport, in the County of Lancaster and MARY ANN WRIGHT, Widow,
Hosier and Dressmaker of 109 Cross Street, Gorton, in the County of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to devices whereby dresses or skirts may be suspended
unon the wearer at any desired height from the ground, and it has for its object a

page_text: simple suspender by means of which the wearer can readily adjust the dress or
skirt from the front or sides of the waist in an even and regular manner without
the necessity of pinning, hooking or looping it, or of the wearer twisting herself
about in order to effect the adjustment.
The invention may be carried into effect as follows; reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figures 1 and 2 show two slightly different forms of the appliance.
A is a light frame or bow, of metal or other sufficiently rigid and strong
material. It is secured at its upper edge to the waistband of the dress or skirt
(preferably at the centre thereof at the back), either by stitching (as through the
holes a) or otherwise, and hangs down inside the garment. The frame A is
provided at or near its lower edge with eyes B or other guiding devices, preferably
two in number, and the upper edge is also provided with similar guiding devices C,
placed at any suitable distance apart.
Cords D are passed through these eyes B and C, being preferably arranged
crosswise, as shown, that from the upper right hand eye passing through the lower
left hand one, and that from the upper left hand eye passing through the lower right
hand one.
Other suitable arrangements of cords could, however, be provided.
The lower ends of the cords are secured to the skirt of the dress, preferably by
means of two or more subsidiary or branch cords E which may be attached lightly
but firmly to the skirt by means of rings or other suitable devices placed round the
skirt at suitable distances apart. In the example shown in Figure 1 of the
drawing, the subsidiary cords E are each provided at the end with a loop e, adapted
to be connected to a button or hook on the skirt or to be stitched thereto. The
upper ends of the cords are each provided with a ring F, or with a button or the
like, whereby the dress may be drawn up by the wearer from the front or sides of
the waist. One or more buttons, hooks or the like may be attached to the outside
of the waistband to serve as a means for securing the cords in position after the
skirt has been adjusted. Or the cords may be simply tied or otherwise secured to
each other at the front or sides of the waist.
Additional guiding devices or cords may be provided, if found desirable or
necessary. In the example shown in Figure 1, we have provided two such
additional guiding devices, each comprising
stitched to the waistband at a convenient point through holes g, and a small
a small bracket, G, adapted to be
pulley H mounted in the bracket and over or round which the cord D passes. The
waistband may, if desired, be pierced at suitable points so that the cords D may be
laced through it, the band thus acting itself as a guiding device. c¹ are small
bridge pieces secured to the back of the eyes C to afford additional strength
thereto.
In the example shown in Figure 2, the frame A is stitched to the waistband by
means of holes in the upper bar of the frame. In that shown in Figure 1, the
upper bar is dispensed with and the holes a are formed in eyes secured to the upper
ends of the side pieces of the frame A. It will be obvious, however, that the
frame A might be dispensed with entirely, the cords passing through guiding
devices attached directly to the rear of the band. We prefer the former
construction, however.
The appliance above described thus furnishes a simple and permanent means for
adjusting the dress, and one which works with perfect freedom, and can be easily
manipulated by the wearer without the slightest discomfort. The appliance also
has the further advantage that it does not injure the fabric or in any way detract
from the graceful draping of the dress.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invén-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
An adjustable dress or skirt suspender, in which one or more cords, secured at a
suitable point or points to the dress or skirt, is or are led upwards through suitable

page_text: guiding devices attached to the rear of the waistband or to a frame thereon, and
thence to the side or front of the waistband, where it or they may be readily
adjusted at will by the wearer, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of October 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.