A NEW MANUFACTURE OF LADIES' SKIRTS."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "A NEW MANUFACTURE OF LADIES' SKIRTS.""
A communication from abroad by Morris Opper, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd January 1867, and dated the 16th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
16th November 1866.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for : Patents, 66; Chancery, Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW MANUFACTURE OF LADIES' SKIRTS,"
to be as follows:-.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of skirts of cloth woven of the
required width for the length of the skirt; and of the required form, by what is.
known as convex weaving, the length of the cloth being much greater for the
lower part of the skirt than for the upper part or waistband, so as to. obtain.
the required increased diameter from the: waistband to the lower edge without."
gores or pleats, and the cloth being further woven double at intervals and in
narrow strips extending along the length of the cloth and parallel or nearly so

page_text: with the selvages to form pockets for the reception of thin steel or other hoops.
To produce the improved skirt the cloth is woven in a suitable loom, such
as are used for what is known as convex weaving. The warps are mounted
in the loom to weave a cloth of a sufficient width for the length of a skirt, and
the heddles are operated so as to suspend the weaving operation across a
portion of the width at intervals whilst it progresses across the other portion
of the width at intervals, varying the width of the part where the weaving
operation is suspended, and at each operation the cloth is to be taken up only
along that portion of the width where the weaving takes place. In this way
the cloth can be woven of any desired varying length along the different
portions of the width to obtain the required form for a skirt without sewing
in gores.
Where the hoops are to be inserted the warps are operated in
manner well known to weavers so as to make the cloth of two thicknesses for
the insertion of the hoops. The short selvage is formed into or in any suitable
manner attached to a waistband. The hoops are inserted and their ends
secured in any suitable manner, and the two ends of the cloth which form the
two front edges of the skirt are provided with buttons or other suitable means
by which they can be connected.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said "Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Alfred.
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date. the Sixteenth day of November, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I,: the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, 'my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 aud.
lawfully. might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom.
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "A NEW MANUFACTURE OF LADIES' SKIRTS," being a com-

page_text: munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 Drawing hereunto annexed;
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
!
This Invention relates to the manufacture of skirts from cloth woven of the
required width for. the length of the skirt and of the required form by what is
known as convex weaving, the length of the cloth being much greater for the
lower part of the skirt than for the upper part or waistband, so as to obtain
the required increased diameter from the waistband to the lower edge without
gores or pleats, and the cloth being further woven double at intervals and in
narrow strips extending along the length of the cloth and parallel or nearly so
with the selvages to form pockets for the reception of thin steel or other
hoops.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1. is an elevation of the skirt complete,
and Fig. 2 a vertical section thereof. The same letters indicate like parts in
both Figures. To produce the improved skirt the cloth a is woven in a
suitable loom, such as are used for what is known as convex weaving. The
warps are mounted in the loom to weave a cloth of a sufficient width for the
length of a skirt, and the heddles are operated so as to suspend the weaving
operation across a portion of the width at intervals whilst it progresses across
the other portion of the width at intervals, varying the width of the part where
the weaving operation is suspended, and at cach operation the cloth is to be
taken up only along that portion of the width where the weaving takes place.
In this way the cloth can be woven of any desired varying length along the
different portions of the width to obtain the required form for a skirt without
sewing in gores; and where the hoops 6 are to be inserted the warps are
operated in manner well known to weavers so as to make the cloth of two
thicknesses, as at c, for the insertion of the hoops as represented. The short
selvage is formed into or in any suitable manner attached to a waistband d.
The hoops are inserted and their ends secured as at e or in any other suitable
manner,
and the two ends of the cloth which form the two front edges of the

page_text: skirt are provided with buttons or other suitable means by which they can be
connected.
I am aware that prior to-the, said Invention skirts have been made of cloth
woven double in narrow strips at given. distances apart and along, the length
to form pockets for the reception of the hoops, but the cloth was woven of equal
length along the entire width, and to obtain the required form for a skirt the
cloth had to be puckered or pleated at the waistband and for some distance
below, thus rendering, the skirt too heavy and clumsy. . I am also aware that
to avoid. such defects and the waste of material skirts have been made of a
series of tapes extending down from, the waistband, the said tapes being woven
double at given distances to form. loops for the reception of the hoops fastened
therein to prevent them from slipping, but this latter kind of skirt is 'found in
use to be defective for the reason that the uncovered. parts of the hoops.are
liable to catch objects and frequently! to trip: the wearer.. By the. present
Invention the defects of both kinds are avoided...
Having now set forth the nature.of the Invention of a new manufacture of
ladies' skirts, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim manufacturing ladies' skirts of cloth woven of the required form and
double at given distances apart for the reception of the.hoops, substantially 'as
and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of May; in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.'
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (LS.)
2.