An Improved Dummy or Dress Stand for Tailors' and Dressmakers' Use.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by APOLLONIE MERLE and EMILIE MERLE, both
of 58, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, Manufacturers of Dress
Stands.]
An Improved Dummy or Dress Stand for Tailors' and
Dressmakers' Use.
1, ERNEST DE PASS, of 78 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
Bay :-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved articulated dummy or
dress stand for the use of tailors and dressmakers, the said dummy or stand being so
contrived as to readily lend and adapt itself to all the forms of the body. With a
single man's or woman's dummy, constructed according to this invention, it is
possible to make up clothes for men or women of all sizes.
The invention consists in constructing the framework of the dummy, having the
general form or shape of the body, in sections or picces, some of which are arranged
vertically and others horizontally. These various sections are connected together
by slides, in both directions, so as to permit of their being separated or being
brought nearer to each other by screws, or racks, as will be hereinafter explained."
And in order that the invention may be readily understood, I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the annexed drawings which show several views
of a man's dummy, and also modifications in detail which are necessary in order to
adapt it to a woman's dummy.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a man's duminy partially expanded, and Fig. 2 is a back
view of the same.
Fig. 3 shows an arrangement of racks for effecting the displacement of two
neighbouring sections.
Fig. 4 shows a detail of the mechanism for raising and broadening the shoulders.
Fig. 4 shows a plan of the means or arrangement for enlarging or expanding a
portion of the dummy, either at the waist or at the bosom or chest, or elsewhere.
Fig. 5 shows the arrangement adapted to a woman's dummy, and Fig. 6 shows
the upper part thereof, on a larger scale.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the enlarging or expanding means or arrangement when four
vertical sections or pieces are employed.
Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the means for lengthening the dummy, so as to
increase the height and permitting the entire upper portion to be separated from
the hips, or only the shoulders to be separated from the remaining portion of the
dummy.
Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the collar.
Figs. 11 and 12 show the double blades, controlled by a spring, which may be
substituted for the rigid sections or pieces of the dummy in the vicinity of the
waist.
As shown by Fig. 1, the man's dummy or stand is, by preference, composed of
three horizontal series, the hips, the chest, and the shoulders, arranged one above
the other, and each series is divided into six vertical sections or pieces, three for
the front and three for the back, but this division, especially as regards the vertical
sections or pieces, is quite arbitrary and may be modified as required; for as will
be seen further on, four vertical sections or pieces only are employed in the woman's
dummy or stand.

page_text: The two lengthenings of the height are obtained in the following manner,
reference being had to Fig. 8, which indicates, to a larger scale, the means employed
for effecting the vertical movements. The sections or pieces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, of the
lower portion (Figs. 1 and 2) do not receive any vertical movement upon the
supporting column or upright, but the whole of the remaining sections can be raised
when the screw handle 19 is turned. By rotating this screw handle it is caused
to rise along the screw threaded rod 20, which is fixed, and held vertically at
its lower part by means of a suitable foot or support. In its ascent the screw
handle 19 takes with it the externally screw-threaded tube or sleeve 27 which
carries at its lower part the collar 21, and the two rods 22, 23, said tube or
sleeve 27 being prevented from turning by reason of its being connected to the
handle in the manner illustrated clearly in Figs. 6 and 8. The two rods 22, 23,
therefore rise and thus lift the multiple cam 51, 52, which is connected to the
whole of the middle sections, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, as will be explained further
on. The portions 7, 8, 9, etc., are thus separated from the portions 1, 2, 3, etc. and
the bust is lengthened in the vicinity of the waist. The sliding of the sections is
effected upon guides 25, each of which is formed by two spring-controlled blades
fixed to the lower parts, and between each of which passes a small stud 26.
carried by the upper moveable parts 9, 10, 11, etc. as is shown more particularly
in Figs. 1 and 2.
The tube or sleeve 27 which fits loosely upon the fixed rod 20 is carried by
the screw handle 19 in such a manner that it can turn freely even when the
screw handle 19 is at rest. This tube or sleeve terminates in a handwheel 28,
the revolution of which allows of the lengthening of the bust, not in the region
of the waist, but in that of the chest. By allowing the screw handle 19 to
remain fixed, and by turning the hand-wheel 28, a nut 29, (Figs. 6, 8, 10)
which is connected to the collar 32 by the claws 30 and rods 31 is caused to
move along the screw threaded tube or sleeve 27 and thereby to shift the
collar 32 (Fig. 10) which is connected by the hinged claws 33 to the sections 14
and 17 of the bust (see Figs. 1 and 2), while the sections 7, 8, 9, etc. connected
to the multiple cam 24, receive no movement in a vertical direction. Thus only
the uppermost sections, 13, 14, 15, etc. partake of a rising movement during
this operation.
The widening or broadening of the dummy or stand either at the level of the
hips, or at that of the waist (or of the bosom for women) is effected by means
of the multiple cam shown in plan at Fig. 4*.
This multiple cam consists of two plates one of which is capable of turning
upon the other.
The lower plate constitutes a frame 51 and is connected to
the sections of the dummy or stand by the six horizontal moveable connecting
rods 36 each of which is connected respectively at its outer extremity to the
six sections 1, 2, 6, or 7, 8, .. 12. The upper plate which is in the
form of a rosette constitutes the multiple cam proper 52, is free to turn upon
said frame. When the screw 34, which is supported by two abutments 53, 53,
(Fig. 4) constituting a bearing capable of turning about a vertical axis, carried
by the fixed frame 51, is turned by means of a key, said screw causes a nut 54,
carried by the multiple cam plate 52, to advance or retire, thereby causing the
said multiple cam plate to turn about its center. This cam plate is formed with
eccentric slots in which slide crossheads 35, capable of approaching, or retiring
from, the centre in accordance with the direction of rotation of the cam plate.
These crossheads are secured by pins to the connecting rods 36 which are
connected by the screws 37 to stirrups or yokes riveted to the six sections or
elements of the horizontal portion of the dummy or stand. Thus by the rotation
of the can plate 52 the widening or expansion of the body, either at the hips,
or at the waist, or at the chest or bosom, is obtained.
When it is desired to withdraw, or to advance, one of the sections 1, 2, 3
(which can only be displaced all together by the multiple cam 24) it is only
necessary to screw up, or to unscrew, for a certain number of threads, that

page_text: screw 37 which corresponds to the section it is desired to withdraw or advance.
This produces the same effect as shortening, or lengthening, the rod 36, so as
to bring the section nearer to, or further from, the centre of the multiple cam.
Each of the stirrups or yokes riveted to the sections is caught between the head
of the screw and a transverse stud or pin traversing this screw, so that the said.
stirrup or yoke, and therefore the section, is obliged to conform to the move-
ment of advance or withdrawal of the screw 37.
Likewise, by allowing a certain amount of play in the articulations, more or
less pronounced curves may be given to the various slots in which the cross-
heads 35 slide, so as to cause some of the sections to project less than others
by a single rotation of the cam plate.
In addition to these movements of elongation and expansion, this construction
of dummy or stand enables local deformations to be obtained by means of racks
and pinions, as shown at Figs. 1 and 4. One of the racks 38 is fixed to one
section and the other 39 to a neighbouring section, so that when a pinion 40
gearing with both these racks is caused to revolve, by means of a key, the
neighbouring sections are separated from each other to any required extent.
By reason of a slight amount of friction existing between the slides, any position
given to the racks can be maintained. In a similar manner, by means of the
curved rack 41 (Fig. 4) the bust may be made broader at the shoulder, and
by revolving the pinion 43 gearing with the rack 42, the shoulder may be
raised.
When it is desired that the bust should incline backwards, the screw 44 at
the back (Fig. 2) is tightened up thereby preventing the section 17 from
shifting vertically with relation to the section 11 then a rising movement is
given, by actuating the hand wheel 28, like that for causing the whole of the
region of the shoulders to rise. The front section alone being then able to be
moved, in this movement, the bust is inclined backwards. If, on the other hand, it
is desired to cause the bust to incline forwards, the screw 44 is loosened and the
chest screw 45 is tightened up. To cause the back to advance, or retire, a screw 48
(Fig. 7) may be employed. This screw which abuts against the central rod is
revolved by means of a key, and causes a nut 49 to travel to or fro, which latter,
through the intervention of the connecting rod 50, causes the whole of the multiple
cam plate or rosette, and consequently the sections of the bust which are attaclied
to it, to advance or retire.
A curved or bent piece 46 (Figs. 9 and 10) disposed concentrically with the neck,
and guided by two rods 311, 311, which can freely traverse said neck, is so arranged
that it can be shifted parallelly to itself, by turning, in one or the other direction, a
screw 46' furnished with a pin 47' which retains the piece 46 always in contact with
the head of the screw 46'. By screwing the said screw 46 into the neck, one of the
diameters thereof can be modified, and "circular collars of various diameters (one of
which is shown in dotted lines at. Fig. 9) can be fixed upon the neck.
Figs. 5 and 6 are intended to represent a bust for a woman to which the arrange-
ments just before mentioned are also applicable.
The only modification which might furthermore be applied to the man's dummy
is obtained by the substitution in the region of the waist, of the double flexible
spring blades 55 and 56 (Figs. 11 and 12) which, by the action of the spring 57,
always tend to lie one over the other. The width and curvature at the waist are
given by means of a tape (Fig. 5) which can be more or less drawn downwards
either in front or at back, and thus be more or less tightened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 claim as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents:
1. The improved dummy or dress stand for the use of tailors or dressmakers,
consisting of a suitable number of sections arranged vertically and in superposed
series, said sections and series being capable of taking up a relative movement, with

page_text: respect to one another, upon slides, for the purpose of expanding or elongating the
said dummy or dress stand, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a dummy or dress stand constructed as above described, the employment of
the elongating mechanism consisting of two independent screws which, when
actuated, cause the elongation of one part or the other part of the figure. substan-
tially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a dummy or dress stand constructed as above described, the employment of
the mechanism for effecting the expansion or widening of the dummy or stand, said
mechanism consisting of a cam plate in which eccentrically disposed slots cause
crossheads to diverge from the centre when said cam plate is rotated, substantially
as described.
4. In a dummy or dress stand constructed as above described, the employment of
straight or curved racks, one fixed upon one of the sections and the other upon a
neighbouring section, by means of which local deformations may be obtained,
substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of December 1891.
ERNEST DE PASS,
78, Fleet Street, London, Chartered Patent Agent.