IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO BUSTS OR LAY FIGURES FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF DRESS-PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE FOR SHOP WINDOW REACHERS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Felix M'Ilvenna of 1 Hilton Street, Manchester, Shop
fitting manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING
TO BUSTS OR LAY FIGURES FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF DRESS-PART OF
WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE FOR SHOP WINDOW REACHERS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Felix McIlvenna at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1883.
FELIX MILVENNA of 1 Hilton Street Manchester, Shop fitting manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO BUSTS OR LAY FIGURES FOR DISPLAYING
ARTICLES OF DRESS-PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE FOR SHOP-WINDOW
REACHERS,
»
This invention is an improvement on the bust protected by letters patent
N° 4811 of 1881.
In place of the rather expensive spring catch arrangement therein described,
I bring two stout metal rods down on the bust or the tube to which the bust is
fixed with little finger cranks above and catch cranks fitting into the grooves in
the stand bar below, the rods being held with the catch cranks in the groove by a
spring or springs except when the two finger cranks are pressed together. There
being a series of grooves all up the rod the bust as in aforesaid patent can be placed
at any height. This plan of rods with finger cranks or their equivalent and catch
cranks on a rod with springs to keep the catch cranks pressed together is applicable
also to window reachers.
The skirts of the busts in aforesaid patent are of wire and rigid; now this takes
up room and is expensive to ship. I therefore make the skirt of one or more wire
discs or rings with a hole for the standard in each and connected to the body and
each other, if there are more than one, by tapes or cloth at their peripheries. The
lowest disc is held firm by being tied preferably by two springs to the legs.
A bust or figure could be made collapsible in this way for most of its height, by

page_text: being formed of a series of discs of contour to the form required, and sliding in a
feathered rod so as to always stand at the same angle horizontally. These discs
being united by a cloth cover sewn on, and the bottom disc firmly tied to the
stand by springs, wire or cord will present a firm surface. I sometimes raise the
bust up by a screw motion instead, the screw being worked from the top in a
somewhat similar manner to the cranks above mentioned, namely the screw goes
through the tube or bust into a hollow screwed stand below, and the bust is kept
on the same part of the screw by a collar or its equivalent, just as it is on the
tube or top piece when the gripping tougs instead of the screw is used as above
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Felix McIlvenna in the Patent Office on the 27th June 1884.
FELIX MOILVENNA of 1 Hilton Street Manchester Shop Fitting Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO BUSTS OR LAY FIGURES FOR DISPLAYING
ARTICLES OF DRESS, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE FOR SHOP WINDOW
REACHERS
"
This invention is an improvement on the bust protected by letters patent
N° 4811 of 1881.
It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig 1. shews the workings of a bust raiser,
Fig 2 a window reacher.
Fig 3 Man manipulating the bust-and
Fig 4 collapsible bust erected and packed for removal.
In place of the rather expensive spring catch arrangement therein described
I bring two stout metal rods A Fig 1. down on the bust or the tube to which the
bust is fixed with little finger cranks B B above, and catch cranks C C fitting into
the grooves D in the stand bar below the rods being held with the catch cranks in
the groove by a spring or springs E E except when the two finger cranks
are pressed together against the force of the spring. There being a series of
grooves all up the rod, the bust as in aforesaid patent can be placed at any height
if desirable one of the upper cranks can be a fixed dummy crank as a purchase for
the finger and a single rod spring and lower crank be attached to the one acting
crank as set just as in the window reacher, Fig 2. one of the tongs is fixed and the
other only has a shank spring and finger crank. This plan of rods with finger
cranks or their equivalent and catch cranks on a rod with springs to keep the
catch cranks pressed together is applicable also to window reachers. The only
modifications being that a smooth pole or rod takes the place of the grooved
standard, and that the catch cranks are a pair of crank tongs that project from
their metal rods a little beyond the end of the pole or rod.
The skirts of the busts in aforesaid patents are of wire and rigid: now this
takes up room and are expensive to ship I therefore make the skirt of one or
more wire discs with a hole for the standard in each or rings as shewn in the
drawings at G and connected to the body and each other if there are more than one
by tapes, twine, or cloth at their peripheries. The lowest disc or ring is held firm
by being tied preferably by two springs to the legs. A bust or figure could be
made collapsible in this way for most of its height by being formed of a series of
discs of contour to the form required and sliding in a feathered rod so as always to
stand at the same angle horizontally. These discs being united by a cloth cover
sewn on and the bottom disc weighted or firmly tied to the stand by springs wire
or cord, will present a firm surface. I sometimes raise the bust up by a screw
motion instead, the screw being worked from the top in somewhat similar manner
to the cranks above mentioned namely the screw goes through the tube or bust
into a hollow screwed stand below and the bust is kept on the same part of the
screw by a collar or its equivalent just as it is on the tube or top piece when the
gripping tongs instead of the screw is used as above described, but I much prefer
the gripping tongs.

page_text: Having now described my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect I claim as protected under the Letters patent:-
1st The method of and also the apparatus for regulating the height of a bust by
means of gripping tongs worked from above substantially as described
2nd The improved reaching tongs substantially as described.
3rd. The collapsible bust skirts or bodies substantially as described.
4th The improvement in busts which consists in giving them a screw adjustment
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof I the said Felix Mellvenna have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty fifth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.