IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CRINOLINES OR STEEL SKIRTS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Léonce Bernard Schimolle, of Upper John Street,
Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex, Importer of French Goods,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CRINOLINES OR
STEEL SKIRTS."
Sealed the 19th September 1862, and dated the 31st March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
'the 31st March 1862.
I, LÉONCE BERNARD SCHMOLLE, of Upper John Street, Golden Square, in
the County of Middlesex, Importer of French Goods, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CRINOLINES, OR STEEL SKIRTS," to be as follows:
My Invention of improvements in crinoline, or distending steel skirts;
relates to the peculiar arrangement and combination of the steel hoops or
strips. According to my arrangement, I make the skirt with an apron piece
in front, that is, with a piece about the shape and width of an apron,
extending from top to bottom. This piece sets flat, and has no tendency to
bulge out. In the upper part it has no steels whatever; while at the lower
part, and extending about half way up, are a series of straight horizontal
steel strips, which distend and spread it out flat. These, as well as all the

page_text: other steel hoops, are covered in braided or other fabric as usual. The
straight apron strips are united at the ends to vertical strips which rise about
balf way up, or it may be higher. To these vertical pieces I also attach the
circular hoops which pass round behind and distend the back part as desired.
These begin and terminate at the sides of the apron all the way up, and where
united to the vertical strips they are connected only by sewing or otherwise,
so that the junctions will work as on a hinge; where they terminate at the
upper part of the sides of the apron they are secured simply to the fabric of
the skirt. Skirts may in this way distend the dress at the sides and behind as
desired, but set flat, and do not bulge in an unsightly manner in front as
ordinary crinolines or distending skirts do. I apply a strap or stay,, and
attach the ends near the fore part to pass round the back part of the person
of the wearer as usual, to throw the whole skirt backwards. A skirt so made
may be
possesses all the properties of distension desired, and at same time
readily collapsed at parts without bulging in an unsightly manner at others.
To further improve their collapsing properties I sometimes joint the hoop
steels before mentioned in a line down the sides, and connect them in pairs or
threes by short vertical strips. The casing being sewn together forms the
junctions necessary for the parts to hinge on. Other hinged junctions may be
used if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEONCE
BERNARD SCHMOLLE, of Upper John Street, Golden Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Importer of French Goods, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Léonce Bernard Schmolle, Her special licence that I, the said Léonce
Bernard Schmolle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, 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 nake, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CRINOLINES OR STEEL
SKIRTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Léonce Bernard
Schmolle, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describo
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho
'same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office, within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of improvements in crinoline or distending steel skirts,
relates to the peculiar arrangement and combination of the steel hoops or
skirts.. According to my arrangements I make the skirt with an apron piece
in front, that is, with a piece about the shape and width of an apron,
extending from top to bottom. This piece sets flat, and having little tendency
to bulge out. In the upper part it has no steels whatever, while at the lower
part, and extending about half way up, are a series of straight horizontal steel
strips, which distend and spread it out flat; these, as well as all the other
steel hoops, are covered in braided or other fabric as usual. The straight
apron steel strips are united at the ends to vertical strips, which rise about
half way up, or it may be higher. To these vertical pieces I also attach the
circular hoops which pass round behind and distend the back part as desired.
These begin and terminate at the sides of the apron all the way up, and
where united to the. vertical strips they are connected only by sewing or
otherwise, so that the junctions will work as on a hinge. Where they
terminate at the upper part of the sides of the apron, they are secured simply
to the fabric of the skirt.. Skirts made in this way distend the dress at the
sides and behind as required, .but set flat, and do not bulge in an unsightly
manner in front as ordinary crinolines or distending skirts do. I apply a strap.
or. stay near the fore part to pass round the back part of the person of the
wearer as usual, to throw the whole skirt backward. A. skirt so made pos-
sesses all the properties of distension desired, and at same time may be readily
collapsed at parts without bulging in an unsightly manner at others. To
further improve, their collapsing properties. I sometimes joint the hoop steels,
before mentioned, in a line down the sides, and connect them in pairs or

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a front view of a steel skirt constructed according to my
Invention. The upper hoops a, a, a, or steels terminate at b, as usual in steel
distending skirts. In this skirt the lower steels c, c, c, also terminate some-
what in a line vertical with the ends of steels a, at which line I introduce
vertical steel strips d, d, which extend, say, a little more than half way up.
These steels being all covered in the ordinary covering material, the ends of
c, c, are easily sewn to the edges of the steels d, d, the object of such sewing
being to form a junction that will bend readily in a horizontal direction. The
strips d, d, are also united in like manner to strips e, e, which distend and
keep strips d, d, in proper position, and complete the circumference of the
skirt. The whole is enclosed in a covering fabric and attached thereto by
covering the steel strips with tapes sewn to the covering as usual. It is also
furnished with straps or bands for fastening round the waist, and buttons or
other fastenings to enclose the slit down one or both sides as usual. By this
arrangement the junctions of the strips c, c, d, d, and e, e, are all in a line, and the
whole skirt may be very readily folded inwards at those points, and so caused
to collapse when required; while at same time, when released, the skirt
immediately expands and assumes its distended form, thus affording great
convenience in entering or alighting from carriages, or in other situations
where it is desired to occupy as little room as possible. By thus collapsing
the skirt while occupying crowded contracted spaces all danger to the steel is
prevented by doubling or otherwise bending them, as is often the case with
ordinary steel skirts. In order still more to facilitate the collapsing of the skirt,
other hinged junctions may be made at the side or towards the back, taking
care to make the junctions of each steel all in à vertical line, or somewhat
nearly so, that in collapsing the folds of the dress of the wearer and skirts the
folds may occupy a vertical position or nearly so. I sometimes connect the
steels so jointed in pairs or threes by short vertical steel strips, in manner
similar to that described and represented at d, d. Fig. 2 represents a plan of
the junction strips d, d. The lower steel strip of the skirt I prefer should be
entire, and without hinged junctions.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of my improvements applied to a steel
skirt. In this case I have dispensed with the vertical steel strips altogether,
and merely arrange the junctions in vertical lines, as before explained. In

page_text: This skirt while possessing
this case I effect the junction by inserting the ends of the steels in short pieces
of vulcanized india-rubber tubing f, f, and as seen, the ends of the steels are
pushed in from each end of the india-rubber tube till nearly touching each
other. I then sew through the india-rubber and the covering of the steels to
keep them in place. This junction affords all the facility for bending in a
horizontal direction, while at same time it has a tendency to strengthen and so
distend the circle of the steel as seen in Fig. 4. All the junctions are similarly
made, and arranged in vertical rows as seen.
all the properties necessary for distending the skirt of a dress, is, at same time,
readily capable of being folded and collapsed, as herein-before described.
divide the skirt into four or other number of divisions, and
other number of vertical lines of junctions, as described and
order to fold and collapse it in the manner above explained.
four sections of steel mentioned there may be only two, one on each side of the
apron piece. The steels and india-rubber joints are enclosed within tapes or
casings, and the ordinary covering of the skirt.
I
provide four or
represented, in
Instead of the
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, constructing
steel skirts, with series of junctions arranged in lines in the steel strips that
permit of bending in a horizontal direction, as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
L. BERNARD SCHMOLLE. (L.S.)
London.