IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES' DRESS SUSPENDERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Whittaker, of the City of Manchester, in the
. County of Lancaster, Manufacturer of Fancy Goods, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES' DRESS SUSPENDERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Whittaker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd August 1866.
I, JAMES WHITTAKER, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer of Fancy Goods, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES' DRESS SUSPENDERS," to be as
follows:-
To a belt or band which is passed around the waist and afterwards fastened
by a spring buckle or cord fastener is attached a number of cords or bands
extending downwards to a convenient distance above the feet, and having at
the bottom spring hooks or other ordinary holders for holding a horizontal
elastic or non-elastic cord or band of any required length on the outside of the
dress, and when the dress is required to be suspended it is raised by the hands
and then allowed to double over the horizontal cord or band, and be suspended
by it, and for removing the horizontal cord or band, when desired, it is only

page_text: necessary to unhook it from the spring hooks or fasteners, and the said cord
or band can be contracted when required by unhooking one end and turning
it back through one of the spring hooks and fastening it to another spring
book or to the belt itself.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Whittaker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WHITTAKER, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer of Fancy Goods, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Whittaker, Her special license that I, the said James
Whittaker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Whittaker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter, during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
anake, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LADIES' DRESS SUSPENDERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Whittaker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Whittaker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
To a belt or band which is passed around the waist and afterwards fastened
by a spring buckle or cord fastener is attached a number of cords or bands
extending downwards to a convenient distance above the feet, and having at
the bottom spring hooks or other ordinary fasteners for fastening a horizontal

page_text: elastic or non-elastic cord or band of any requisite length on the outside of
the dress, and when the dress is required to be suspended it is raised by the
hands and then allowed to double over the horizontal cord or band and be
suspended by it, and for removing the horizontal cord or band, when desired, it
is only necessary to unlock it from the spring hooks or fasteners, and the said
cord or band can be contracted when required by unhooking one end and
turning it back through one of the spring hooks and fastening it to another
spring hook or to the belt itself.
When desired the horizontal cord when made elastic and furnished with a
spring hook or other fastener can be used by itself to support the dress, and
thus dispense with the vertical cords and waistband.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said. Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim, the improvements in ladies' dress suspenders, as herein described.
. In witness whereof, I, the said James Whittaker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named James Whittaker,
in the presence of
E. J. IIUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JAMES WHITTAKER. (L.S.)