Improvements in Dress Holders, or Dress Suspender Attachments.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 9th May. 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dress Holders, or Dress Suspender Attachments.
I, HENRY HALLADAY, of Globe Works, Burbury Street in the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention pertains to ladies dress holders or suspender attachments, con-
sisting essentially of a pair arms or levers, jointed to each other, after the manner
of a pair of grappling levers, which are closed for gripping, by a spring, and held
in their gripping positions, by the weight of the article to be suspended, acting
upon toggle links.
The object of my invention, is an automatic lock gripping holder or suspender,
so constructed and arranged that the weight of the dress suspended or held, auto-
matically locks the gripping ends of the same, through the intervention of toggle
links, connected and jointed to the upper ends of arms or levers, which are jointed
and connected together at, or about, their middle parts, and are automatically
closed, by a transversely directed spring, enclosed within telescopic casings.
The automatic locking is performed by the links, which normally are inclined to
each other, approaching a straight line, and which movement of the toggle links is
performed, by a supplementary link or other connection, being made to the joint
of the inner ends of the said links.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I proceed as follows:-
I take two levers or arms, with the lower ends of them directed and bowed
inwards, and there terminated by bossed or button-shaped heads or ends, which
constitute the nipping parts of the holder.
The other and upper ends, are preferably directed outwardly, and connected
together or united by a system of toggle links, which form means for further
closing and locking the arms or levers, when closed, by the links being made to
approach a straight line, caused by the weight or pulling of the article suspended.
These said levers or arms, have joint brackets at the middle parts of their inner
sides, and are there jointed together, to admit of the same opening out, and closing,
as may be desired.
The toggle system of links consists of two bifurcated or semi-divided parts,
with solid headed or nearly spherical outer ends, and between the branches adjacent
to the said ends, the extreme upper ends of the branches of the levers are con-
nected and jointed, whilst the inner ends, or the end parts of the branches of the
links, are jointed to each other and to a suspension link or supplementary loop,
which is connected to a cord or other suspender.
The toggle links are respectively made solid, or out of one piece of metal.
Located horizontally or laterally between the arms or levers, and above the
joint connections of them, are telescopic casings or tubes, working one within the
other, and having enclosed within them, a coiled spring, which closes the gripping
ends of the said arms, and opens outwardly their other ends, by the turning of the
said levers upon their connected joint centre.
The outer ends of the casings or tubes, are pierced and take upon inwardly
directed centres or pegs as fulcra, to admit of the change of the angular directions
of the said casings on the opening and closing of the system of levers.
The levers or arms, are or may be, cut out from sheet metal, or they may be
made from wire, or be produced otherwise as may be desired.
When made of wire, I propose that the gripping ends should be shaped or
fashioned into loops or bows, and the bossed or button-shaped heads, should be
connected to the said fashioned ends, by cutting away portions of the said

page_text: fashioned bows or parts, leaving studs or shanks, which pass through holes in the
middles of the said bosses or heads, and are there rivetted on the inside.
Or the said shank-connecting parts may be fashioned from the bows, or the
metal of the bows by squeezing the same into shape by dies and pressure.
Although I have described a dress holder or suspender attachment with the arms
uncrossed, yet I wish it to be understood that my detail improvements may be
applied to holders, where the levers are crossed, or jointed to each other, after the
manner of a pair of tongs.
In this case, I crank or bend the upper ends of the said levers outwardly, and
again crossing each other, and with the extreme ends of them connected together
by toggle or knee links.
Dated this 1th dow of Waha 1800
HENRY HALLADAY,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dress Holders, or Dress Suspender Attachments.
I, HENRY HALLADAY, of Globe Works, Burbury Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention pertains to ladies' dress holders, or dress suspender attachments,
consisting essentially of a pair of arms or levers, jointed to each other after the
manner of a pair of grappling levers, which are closed for gripping by a spring,
and held in their said gripping positions, by the weight of the article suspended,
acting upon locking toggle links.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents partly in vertical section,
and partly in elevation a dress holder, or dress suspender attachment, constructed,
arranged and provided with toggle link lock, according to my invention.
The locking is performed by the inside straight parts of the links, abutting upon
the top side ends of the upper terminations of the limbs, adjacent to the joints, and
just before the line of pressure of the said links, approaches a straight line.
The toggle links are shown partially closed, whilst the gripping ends of the
limbs, are represented open, and the springs for the closing of limbs represented
compressed.
Figure 2 represents a like view as Figure 1, but with the limbs, or the gripping
ends of them, and with the toggle links, shown in the positions which they assume,
prior to the locking of them upon the upper terminals of the limbs, and which is
performed primarily by the weight of the article suspended.
Figure 3 represents a like view as the preceding figures, but with the limb
closing means in section, the gripping ends of the said limbs closed, and the toggle
links locked, by end stops or end abutments of the said links, abutting against
the outside terminal parts of the locking ends of the said limbs.
Thus by the pulling of the links from the position Figure 2, to that of Figure 3,
they are made to lock, and keep the upper ends of the limbs in a fixed and rigid
condition.
Figure 4 represents an edge view of the said dress holder.
Figure 5 is a plan of the upper part of the same and
Figure 6 a section and topside plan of one of the links, which is made integral,
or from a single stamping or solid blank, and represented in elevation and plan in
Figure 7.
Figure 8 represents the middle portion of one of the limbs of the holder, showing
the branch for the joint, and the stud or peg for the enclosing casing of the
enclosing spring.

page_text: In Figures 1 to 8, a are limbs or levers, with the lower or gripping ends a²,
bowed outwardly, and fitted at their terminations with rubber faced bosses or
heads a³, which, when brought together, constitute the nipping parts of the
holder.
These limbs or levers which are the primary members of the appliance, have
upper ends a, terminated at their outside parts by shoulders as, against which the
locking stops 2, of jointed together ball ended toggle links b, take their abutments,
on the said links being fully drawn home, into their locking positions.
The said limbs a, have joint arms a, directed from the inside middle parts of
them, and which arms cross each other, and are jointed by a pin or rivet a', and
upon which last named pin or rivet, the members turn, as a centre of motion. The
toggle lock links b, are inwardly jointed at 63, whilst their locking stops 6*, are
arranged with respect to the shoulder stops a', that they abut against the said
stops, on the said toggle lock links, which are jointed to near the terminal ends of
the limbs, by a pin as, approaching a straight line, which is below that of a line
drawn between the joints a", so that the links and upper ends of the limbs are
locked, and are thereby incapable of a further movement, until the pressure has
been relieved, or the lock fast toggles pulled down.
The middle joints of the toggles, have connected to them, a pull or suspension
link €, and a ring, threaded through a hole in its upper part.
The closing of the limbs or the gripping ends of them, is performed prior to the
nipping, which is followed by the locking action, by a coiled spring d, taking upon
the ends a³, respectively of the limbs a, and enclosed by tubes or casings e, f, the
latter working telescopically within the former and with holes e, f, within the
outer ends of the, said casings, taking upon the pegs or seats a³, and about which
the said casings turn as a centre of motion, during the angular movements of the
limbs.
Each of the toggle links have solid ends 64, and parallel sides 65, the latter made
integral or solid with the said head, or otherwise the head made solid with the
sides. This said link is made from a blank Figure 7, by first stamping or cutting
out the said blank, and then slitting, piercing or saw cutting the body member up
its middle, as where represented in the dotted lines Figure 7, hence the production
of a link, made solid or from a single blank of metal.
Figure 9 represents an end of a link, and an upper end of a limb, showing the
lock upon the inner side of the locking members, instead of upon the outside, as in
the preceding figures.
Figure 10 represents an end of a limb or lever, with the nipping boss affixed
according to my invention.
In this method of fixing, the metal of the presented side of the limb is cut
away, leaving a stud, which is passed through a hole, in the middle of the bossed
shell, and there rivetted.
a is the limb, with a curled end a², and a rivet stud a', formed from the metal of
the side, by cutting away portions of it, and which stud may be fashioned from the
metal by a squeezing process, without cutting away.
This said rivet or stud is passed through a hole a¹, in the shell boss a³, and then
rivetted as in Figure 10.
Figure 11 is the lower portion of the limb, before the attachment of the
boss.
Figure 12 is alike unto Figure 10 and 11, other than that the loop is twined
round.
I wish it to be understood that the toggle lock links may be used with armed
dress holders of varying constructions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First-In dress holders or suspender attachments, locking the toggle links or

page_text: the toggle lock links, by shoulders, stops or parts, at their outer ends, taking
abutments upon shoulders or other parts at the upper ends of the limbs or lever
members, in manner, and in the ways as described and set forth.
Secondly-In dress holders or suspender attachments, locking the upper parts
of the limbs or lever members by means, and in the ways, as described and set
forth.
Thirdly-In dress holders, closing the limbs or members, or the gripping ends
of them, by a coiled spring, disposed within telescopic casings, located between the
arms, or the upper arms of the said limbs or members, substantially, as, and in the
way,
described and set forth.
Fourthly -In dress holders or suspender attachments, making the links of ball-
ended toggle links of the kind as described, from a single blank, or from a single
stamping, in the way as described and set forth, hence a link with its ends and
sides made solid or in one piece.
Fifthly In the gripping or lower terminal ends of dress holders, making the
said ends into bows, loops or semi-coils, and securing the gripping bosses, or the
shells of them, by rivets, or studs, formed from, or cut out of, the middle parts of
the said ends, substantially as set forth in Figures 10, 11, and 12.
HENRY HALLADAY,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.