IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO DUMMY FIGURES FOR USE BY DRESS-MAKERS, MANTUA-MAKERS, AND OTHERS IN FITTING AND EXHIBITING CLOTHING
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ashton Gillotte, of the City and County of New
York, in the State of New York, one of the United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO DUMMY FIGURES FOR USE BY
DRESS-MAKERS, MANTUA-MAKERS, AND OTHERS IN FITTING AND EXHIBITING
CLOTHING."
Sealed the 5th December 1879, and dated the 25th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ashton Gillotte at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1879.
JOHN ASHTON GILLOTTE, of the City and County of New York, in the State of
New York, one of the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO
DUMMY FIGURES FOR USE BY DRESS-MAKERS, MANTUA-MAKERS, AND OTHERS IN
FITTING AND EXHIBITING CLOTHING."
I make a dummy figure of sheet material, possessing qualities not only of strength
and endurance but also of firmly supporting and holding the garment or garments
in close imitation of the living form.
The parts to which I have applied the Invention are the bust, waist, and hips,
but it is easy, if preferred, to extend the figure down to embrace the entire skirt.
The accompanying Drawings form a part of this Specification, and represent
what I esteem the best manner of carrying out the Invention.
Figure 1 is a front view of my finished dummy.
Figure 2 is a back view of the same.
Figure 3 is a view showing the shape in a plane condition of the strips required
for the right half of the improved bust.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A', A, etc., are strips of sheet material extending up and down the figure, gored
and conformed to the figure required. These strips are applied and firmly fastened
together at their edges by rivets B. Any suitable means of connection may be
used instead of rivets, or in addition thereto, if desired. At the adjoining edges
one edge is lapped over the other to a nearly or quite uniform extent throughout
the length of the joint. The edge which goes under is snipped to enable the
material to conform to the contour of the figure.
To produce my figure I take a roll or sufficiently large piece of sheet-zinc or
other cleanly and sufficiently flexible material, and having produced or procured by
any ordinary or suitable means paper patterns of the proper contour for the several
parts of a dress for the given figure apply these paper patterns on the material
[Price 8d.1

page_text: and chalk or otherwise mark around; then after allowing for underlap I proceed
to cut the sheet with stout shears or other suitable devices. In one of the strips, A³,
both edges are underlapped; in another strip, As, both edges are overlapped; in
the others each has one edge underlapped and the other overlapped relatively to
the adjacent piece. In each case I snip or cross slit the edge of the material of the
underlap to a depth nearly or quite equal to the extent of the under lap. The
edge of the pieces which appear on the exterior surface form the lines for the seams
of the finished garment. In cutting the cloth therefor enough should be allowed.
each side thereof for seams.
My figure has great rigidity and reliability of form, and may be made at small
cost in great perfection. It will serve not only all the ordinary uses of a dummy-
figure in fitting dresses prior to trying them on the living person of the same size
and figure and thus effect a saving in time, but the seams formed by the edges of a
single thickness of sheet material lying upon the under lap of the adjacent piece,
while they are not sufficient to affect the fitting of the dress or to present any
appearance to the eye on the exterior of the dress, are sufficiently marked to aid
the fingers in feeling the exact position of the several seams through one or more
thicknesses of fabric, and thus to aid in determining the corrections which may be
required in all those garments which have corresponding seams.
I believe that the Invention will be of great use not only to persons who are in
the business of manufacturing garments, either in large or small quantities, and in
exhibiting them to customers, but that many persons of wealth in private life, and
particularly professionals, actors, actresses, and others who require numerous changes
of garments, may greatly economize time and labor by their employment. In these
latter cases each person should have a dummy made to conform to his or her size
and figure, and the several garments for use being skilfully fitted upon the dummy
will exactly fit when they are applied on the person.
it may
Where rivetting is not employed, and the edges are joined by other means,
be preferable to seam the edges in a manner similar to that adopted by sheet-
metal workers, so as to make a stronger joiut, and to hold the material firmly in
place while the soldering or cementing is being effected.
It will be seen that as I have the several strips or parts of my dummy in its
original plane condition, except the narrow portion at its extreme edge, which goes
under, the figure is not of the rounded form theoretically desirable, but a figure of
polygonal section approximating the desired roundness. This is an advantage.
The fabric of the garment being always somewhat superior to the sheet or sheets
forming the figure in its capacity to dish or concave the garment cut by the lines
in my dummy can be relied on to make an easy fit without straining the fabric in
the act of adapting itself to the form.
Although I have shown my improvements particularly adapted to exhibiting
ladies' clothing I can with very slight modification adapt the same to the exhibition
of clothing of males.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Ashton Gillotte in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th.
December 1879.
JOHN ASHTON GILLOTTE, of the City and County of New York, in the State of
New York, one of the United States of America. " IMPROVEMENTS, RELATING TO
DUMMY FIGURES FOR USE BY DRESS MAKERS, MANTUA MAKERS, AND OTHERS
IN FITTING AND EXHIBITING CLOTHING."
4
I make my improved dummy figure of sheet material possessing qualities not 5
only of strength and endurance but also of firmly supporting and holding the
garment or garments in close imitation of the living form.
[.

page_text: The parts to which i have applied the Invention are the bust, waist, and hips,
but it is easy, if preferred; to extend the figure down to embrace the entire skirt or
lower portion of the garment or garments.
The accompanying Drawings form a part of this Specification, and represent
what I esteen the best manner of carrying out the Invention'.
Figure 1 is a front view of my finished dummy.
Figure 2 is a back view of the same.
Figure 3 is a view showing the shape in a plane condition of the strips required
for the right half of the improved figure.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A', A2, &c., are strips of sheet material extending up and down the figure, gored
or otherwise conformed to the figure required.
These strips are applied & firmly fastened together at their edges by rivets B.
Soldering, brazing, or other suitable' means of attachment may be used (according
to the nature of the material employed) instead of the rivets B, or in addition
thereto, if desired.
At the adjoining edges one edge is lapped over the other to a nearly or quite
uniform extent throughout the length of the joint. The edge which goes under is
snipped to enable the material to conform to the contour of the figure.
To produce my figure I by preference take a roll or a sufficiently large piece of
sheet zinc, or other cleanly and sufficiently flexible sheet material, and having pro-
duced or procured by any ordinary or suitable means paper patterns of the proper
contour for the several parts of a garment for the given figure, apply these paper
patterns on the metal or material and chalk or otherwise mark around them. Then
after allowing for underlap I proceed to cut the sheet with stout shears or other
suitable devices.
In one of the strips; A; both edges are by preférence' overlapped; in the others
each has, in the arrangement shown, one edge underlapped and the other overlapped
relatively to the adjacent piece. In each case I snip or cross-slit the edge of the
metal or material of the underlap to a depth nearly or quite equal to the extent of
the underlap.
The edges of the pieces which appear on the exterior surface form the lines for
the seams of the finished garment. In cutting the cloth therefor enough should
be allowed each side thereof for seams.
My figure has great rigidity and reliability of form, and may be made at small
cost, in great perfection. It will serve not only all the ordinary uses of a dummy
figure in fitting garments prior to trying them on the living person of the same size
and figure, and thus effect a saving of time; but the seams formed by the edges of
a single thickness of sheet material lying upon the underlap of the adjacent piece,
while they are not sufficient to affect the fitting of the garment or to present any
appearance to the eye on the exterior of the garment, are sufficiently marked to
aid the fingers in feeling the exact position of the several seams through one or
more thicknesses of fabric, and thus to aid in determining the corrections which
may be required in all those garments which have corresponding seams.
I believe that the Invention will be of great use not only to persons who are in
the business of manufacturing garments either in large or small quantities, and in
exhibiting them to customers, but that many persons of wealth in private life, and
particularly professional ladies, as actresses, who require numerous changes of
garments, may greatly economise time and labor by their employment. In these
latter cases each lady should have a dummy made to conform to her size and figure,
and the several garments for her use being skilfully fitted upon the dummy will
exactly fit when they are applied upon the person.
Where riveting is not employed, and the edges are joined by other means, it may
be preferable to seam the edges in a manner similar to that adopted by sheet metal
workers, so as to make a stronger joint, and to hold the material in place while the
soldering or cementing is being effected.
It will be seen that as I have the several strips or parts of my dummy figure in

page_text: its original plane condition, except the narrow portion at its extreme edge which
goes under, the figure is not of the rounded form theoretically desirable, but a figure
of polygonal section approximating the desired roundness. This in an advantage.
The fabric of the garment being always somewhat superior to the sheet metal or
material of which the figure is constructed, in its capacity to dish or concave, the
garment cut by the lines in my dummy can be relied on to make an easy fit with-
out straining the fabric in the act of adapting itself to the form. My improved
dummy figure may be mounted on a revolving or other suitable stand, and may be
provided with a wire or other suitable skirt, and it may be constructed of any
suitable sheet metal or material capable of being cut into strips and riveted or
otherwise connected together, as described.
Having thus described my Invention I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the peculiar arrangement and construction herein described, so
long as the peculiar characteristics of my Invention are retained substantially as
shown and described.
But what I do claim is,-
First. A dummy figure, constructed substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Second. A dummy figure constructed from sheet metal or other suitable material
cut into strips and fastened firmly together without stamping or dishing, sub-
stantially as berein specified.
Third. A dummy figure constructed from sheets of metal or other suitable material
cut into strips, with the required curved edges, according to the figure to be formed,
bent, lapped, and firmly fastened together, as herein specified.
Fourth. A dummy figure constructed of a series of strips of metal or other
suitable material, each strip having its edges so formed that when bent, lapped, and
firmly fastened together, as described, they shall form a complete figure, substantially
as shown and described.
Fifth. The dummy figure described, composed of strips of sheet material cut in
the required contour, snipped or cross-slitted along the under laps, & joined,
substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ashton Gillotte, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
THOMAS DREW STETSON,
Patent Solicitor and Expert,
New York City, U.S.A.
WILLIAM COLBORNE BROOKES.
JOHN ASHTON GILLOTTE. (L.S.)