IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXHIBITING GOODS AND SAMPLES INARATUSRE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Felix M'Ilvenna of 1 Hilton Street Manchester in the
Invention of
county of Lancaster Shop Fitting Manufacturer for an
« IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXHIBITING GOODS AND SAMPLES IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Felix MºIlvenna at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1883.
FELIX MOILVENNA of 1 Hilton Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Shop-fitting Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXHIBITING
GOODS AND SAMPLES IN SHOP WINDOWS AND OTHER PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR
23
This invention has for its object the improvement and perfecting of that class of
articles described in my former patents for shop fittings
In pattern show cases for tailors patterns I find considerable complaint on the
ground that each pattern requires a large space to show it well-in fact for
trousers patterns a space about the size of a man's leg. In order therefore to show
numerous large patterns in a small space I sew them all together in an endless
belt and pass this over two rollers the required distance apart to show the pattern
well and then over numerous rollers behind zig-zagging up and down or doubling
over so as to just clear each other yet occupy a small space for a large length of
roll; but here a difficulty is apt to take place. I find that sometimes a kink will
occur, or one side will get in advance of the other. This causes either a stoppage
of the machine or a tearing of the cloth. To prevent this I either attach to the
rollers, or some of them, toothed wheels at each side, and to the band of cloth
a gear chain on each side gearing into these tootbed wheels or I place slots on the
back of the band of cloth fitting into grooves on the wheels-The cloth band is
worked forward by clock-work or by hand "crank."
In the jewellery and light goods show cases similar complaints occur, namely
that a large amount of space is required to show each article-I therefore place the
articles on a series of revolving round shelves and place these in a cylindrical case
:

page_text: with glass front or glass all round-The revolving shaft being pivotted above or
below in bearings in the frame-At the bottom of the case both in this and the
pattern show case already described I place an order box and opposite each pattern
or article its number-The supports for the jewellers frames instead of being
attached to the upright bars by means of a pin and screw, I form with two flanges
and a lid so as to enclose the support or upright bar the lid being slid into place
or revolved as the case may be-In this way I dispense with the screw or bolt
one or more of the ordinary pins being all that is required to keep the bracket in
place on the stand. Stands are usually required to be screwed into bases but are
apt to turn round in screwing to the great annoyance of the operator: I therefore
make mine with one or more pins or projecting wings fitting into side sockets
which keep them steady while being screwed up.
Corset stands I place round a central pillar usually the pillar of the shop, and
make them in two halves linked together in any convenient manner, a pair of
coiled springs in the corset stand pressed aside by the pillar serve to keep the
stand in place but free to be revolved round the pillar by hand as required
The slanting rods for hatters have hitherto been made with stationary sockets
cast to a particular angle-I prefer to make them with sockets capable of partially
revolving on an axis so that the rod can take any angle that may be required and
thus the hats placed at any required angle-In ordinary window rods the ends are
generally cut straight off or an ornamental cast end fitted in-I find however that
an ordinary stamped metal end fitted thereon and free to revolve on the end is far
cheaper and gives the best result.
In exhibiting boots in shop windows I use a heel support of ornamental contour
fixed or revolving in a base or socket which if the support is fixed in it is itself
free to revolve so as to turn at any angle-The boots can thus be placed at any
angle sideways and tilted up so as to show the various parts instead of all
having to stand in the same uniform row as hitherto practiced when showing
them on the horizontal rods-The heel supports can of course be made with square
sockets as described in my last patent No., 4811 of 1881 and can therefore be
instantly attached-while their capacity of revolving and if necessary of raising
and lowering gives an endless variety of optional display-The shape I usually
prefer for the rest or top is a T.
This principle of making things to revolve is not new in theory but I believe
these applications of the principle are all new and will enable a shopkeeper to
exhibit his goods with greater effect and with a smaller frontage than has been
done hitherto Instead of clock-work electricity or any other light motive power
may be used

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Felix M'Ilvenna in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st July 1883.
FELIX MCILVENNA of 1 Hilton Street, Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Shop Fitting Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXHIBITING
GOODS AND SAMPLES IN SHOP WINDOWS AND OTHER PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR,"
This invention has for its object the improvement and perfecting of that class
of articles described in my former patents for shop-fittings.
In pattern show-cases for tailor's patterns, wall papers, and the like, I find
considerable complaint on the ground that each pattern requires a large space to
show it well, in fact for trousers patterns, a space about the size of a man's leg.
In order therefore to show numerous large patterns in a small space, I use an
apparatus explained by aid of diagrams 1 and 2 as follows. I sew the pieces all
together in an endless belt A, and pass this over two rollers B B¹, the required
distance apart to show the pattern well, and then over numerous rollers Ċ C C
behind, zig-zagging up and down, or doubling over as shown, so as to just clear
each other, yet occupy a small space for a large length of roll; but here two
difficulties are apt to take place, 1st, the specimens stretch, in time sag, and are
thereby deteriorated in appearance, and 2nd, I find that sometimes a kink will
occur, or one side will get in advance of the other. This causes either a stoppage
of the machine, or a tearing of the cloth or paper. To prevent these evils I either
attach to the rollers, or some of them, toothed wheels D D, Fig, 2, at each side,
and to the band of cloth a gear chain E on each side, gearing into these toothed
wheels, or I place slots on the back of the band of specimens fitting into grooves
on the wheels, and preferably connected by wires at their ends, so as to take the
strain off the fabric. The band of samples is worked forward by clockwork of any
suitable construction, or by other mechanism, or by hand crank only.
I am well aware that endless belts have been heretofore run over pullies, but
I believe this is the first time that a belt of samples bas zig-zagged, run round,
several pullies, or has had the arrangements above described for preventing
kinking.
In the jewellery and light goods show-cases similar complaints occur, namely
that a large amount of space is required to show each article. I therefore place
the articles on a series of revolving round shelves, and place these in a cylindrical
case with glass front, or glass all round, as shown in Fig. 3. The revolving shaft
being pivoted above or below in bearings in the frame. At the bottom of the case,
both in this and the pattern show case already described, I place an order box G,
and opposite each pattern or article its number. In this case I am aware that
revolving stands are old, but I have never heard of a revolving round stand in
round show-case arranged as described. The supports for the jeweller's frames, and
for parallel rods, instead of being attached to the upright bars by means of a pin
and regulating screw, I form with two flanges, and a lid, cap, or cover, so as to
enclose the support or upright bar, the lid being slid into place, or rest on it and
be revolved as the case may be. In this way I dispense with the screw or bolt,
one or more ordinary pins projecting, being all that is required to keep the bracket
in place on the stand; two forms of this are shown in the drawings, one on Figs
4 and 5, the other on Figs 6 and 7. Fig 4, shows a plan view, and Fig 5, &
sectional elevation of the most improved modification of this idea; in these H H
are the two flanges, here shown encircling the upright rod I, by means of a

page_text: socket J, and held in place by pin or cotter K. The flanges are slotted at L, and
if the support M is not to be interchangeable, a lid is fixed above the slot to hold
it from being removed; I prefer however to do without the lid or rather make the
support M itself the lid, as then I can have several different kinds of supports
interchangeable to fit to one bracket. The support M can lie flat on the lid if
there be one, or on the flanges, with a projecting flange sliding into the slot L, but
I prefer to make it with a pin N, (instead of a flange.) fitting in the slot L, and
armed with one or more pins or teeth PP, fitting into corresponding recesses in
the bracket; by raising the support till these pins or teeth, clear their sockets, the
support can be revolved and set to another angle, other teeth taking the places of
those in use before in the socket or sockets.
Figs 6 and 7 show another modification of this part of my invention; in them
I is as before the bar, J and P the pins, M support, H H flanges, M¹ lid. In this
case the support is held rigidly in one position, the pins J and P fitting into
corresponding holes, and the lid M₁, holding all tight. In this as in the previously
described arrangement, if desired the flanges can be separate from the support, and
the support itself become the lid or be formed in one with the lid, the support then
resting in the flanges with a projecting flange held by the flanges H H to hold it
tight, as in last arrangement. I prefer in the present instance however for tho
flanges, and not the lid, to be attached to the support. The two variations shown
may be said to be extremes, but there are numerous modifications between these
two extremes, as already indicated, that will do nearly as well, and which, as
identical in principle, I claim with the two special forms shown as a part of my
invention. I disclaim however the present arrangements of support with pin
and regulating screw supports screwed to the standards, and the arrangement
already patented in one of the herein before recited letters patent, in which the
support has several pins fitting into one socket, or one pin fitting into any of
several sockets, all of which differ very materially from the arrangements above
described.
Stands are usually required to be screwed into bases, but are apt to turn round
in screwing, to the great annoyance of the operator. 1 therefore make mine with
one or more pins or projecting wings fitting into side sockets, which keep them
steady while being screwed up; a similar idea has been applied in the case of
bolts for machinery where a pin or projection on the shank of the bolt, or on the
head, is used to prevent it turning, and the only novelty in this part of my invention
is its application to the improvement of show stands, it is not a necessary part of
my invention, but will be found very useful.
Corset stands I place round a central pillar, usually the pillar of the shop,
and make them in two halves linked together in any convenient manner; a pair
of coiled springs F, in the corset stand, pressed aside by the pillar, serve to keep
the stand in place but free to be revolved round the pillar by hand, as required;
this is shown in Fig. 8.
The slanting rods for hatters have hitherto been made with stationary sockets
cast to a particular angle. I prefer to make them with sockets capable of partially
revolving on an axis, so that the rod can take any angle that may be required, 4
and thus the hats placed at any required angle, this is shown in Figs 9, 10, and 11.
In ordinary window rods the ends are generally cut straight off, or an ornamental
cast end fitted in; I find however that an ordinary stamped metal end fitted
thereon and free to revolve on the end is far cheaper and gives the best result.
In exhibiting boots in shop windows I use a heel support of ornamental contour 5
fixed or revolving in a base or socket, which if the support is fixed in it, is itself
free to revolve, so as to turn at any angle, The boots can thus be placed at any
angle sideways and tilted up so as to show the various parts, instead of all having
to stand in the same uniform row, as hitherto practised when shewing them on
the horizontal rods. The heel supports can of course be made with square sockets, 5
as described in my last patent No 4811 of 1881, and can therefore be instantly
∙attached to my: square parallel' rods, while their capacity of revolving, and if

page_text: necessary of raising and lowering, gives an endless variety of optional display. The
shape I usually prefer for the rest or top is a T, and is shown in Fig 12. The
shank A can however if desired be made telescopic, and so that it can be turned
round in its stand, or its square socket if used for parallel rods.
The principle of making things to revolve is not new, but I believe these
applications of the principle are all new, and will enable a shop keeper to exhibit
his goods with greater effect, and with a smaller frontage than has been done
hitherto. Instead of clock-work, electricity or any other light motive power may
be used.
Having now described the invention, and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I claim as my invention secured by the letters patent the various
patentable improvements in shop fittings, substantially as herein described, and
also the method of exhibiting specimens of cloth, paper or other fabrics, sub-
stantially as described in part first of my specification.
In witness whereof I the said Felix McIlvenna have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty seventh day of July in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
FELIX MILVENNA (L.B.)