IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES FOR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Chesterman, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Chesterman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
November 1863.
I, JAMES CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FRAMES FOR UMBRELLAS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, AND PETTICOATS OR SKIRTS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention in frames, as far as they relate to umbrellas and other like
articles, consists in constructing them with an additional hinged V-shaped
frame, carried from and between every two ribs in the ordinary frame, the
point of the V coming near to the edge of the silk or other covering of the
umbrella or other like article.
My Invention, as far as relates to petticoats or skirts, consists in carrying
similar frames from and between vertical steel bands, the upper ends of
which are fixed to a hoop, while at bottom the ends of these vertical bands
are free. I connect the lower ends of the V frames to vertical bands, attached
at top to a horizontal hoop. I connect a tape, strap, or band to this horizontal

page_text: hoop, and the wearer of the frame on raising the hoop expands the frame all
round the bottom and lower part. One or more spiral springs may be fitted
to draw down the vertical hoop and thus contract the lower part of the frame
on the tape being released, or a second tape or band may be fitted to pull
down the hoop as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Chesterman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Chesterman, Her special licence that I, the said
James Chesterman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Chesterman, 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
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN FRAMES FOR UMBRELLAS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, AND PETTICOATS
OR SKIRTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Chesterman, 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 James Chesterman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My Invention in frames, as far as they relate to umbrellas and other like
articles, consists in constructing them with an additional hinged V-shaped

page_text: frame, carried from and between every two ribs in the ordinary frame, the
point of the V coming near to the edge of the silk or other covering of the
umbrella or other like article.
My Invention, as far as relates to petticoats or skirts, consists in carrying
similar frames from and between vertical steel bands, the upper ends of
which are fixed to a hoop, while at bottom the ends of these vertical bands
are free. I connect the lower ends of the V frames to vertical bands attached
at top to a horizontal hoop. I connect a tape, strap, or band to this horizontal
hoop, and the wearer of the frame on raising the hoop expands the frame all
round the bottom and lower part. One or more spiral springs may be fitted
to draw down the horizontal hoop and thus contract the lower part of the
frame on the tape being released, or a second tape or band may be fitted to
pull down the hoop as required.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view, as seen from below, of
an umbrella, with the frame constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2
is a side view of the same, with the silk or other covering removed.
a, a, are the ribs of the umbrella, from and between every two of which a
V-shaped frame b is carried, being hinged to a slide c, free to slide on the rib.
The two legs of the V are also hinged to each other at the point d, where
they come near to the edge of the covering of the umbrella, and are passed
under a loop e, which retains the point of the V midway between the ribs and
close to the covering. When the umbrella is closed the legs of the V come
together in a similar manner to the ribs, and add very little, if at all, to the
size of the umbrella.
Figure 3 is a side view of a frame for a petticoat or skirt. a, a, are
vertical steel bands, the upper ends of which are fixed to a hoop b, while the
lower ends are free; c, c, are V-shaped frames, carried from and between the
vertical bands a, a. The lower ends of these frames c, c, are connected to
vertical bands d, d, attached at top to a horizontal hoop e; f. f, are tapes or
straps connected to the hoop e, by pulling which the wearer will raise the
hoop e, whereby the frame will be expanded all round the bottom and lower
part. 9, 9, are other tapes or straps, by which the hoop e may be pulled
down when it is desired to contract the lower part of the frame, or instead of
these tapes g one or more spiral springs may be fitted to draw down the hoop.
Sometimes I arrange the V frames in the manner represented at Figure 4, in
which each alternate V is inverted, and the legs of each V are hinged or
jointed at or about the middle thereof to the legs of the V's next adjoining.
When I invert each alternate V, as just mentioned, and when the V frames
are fitted only to the front of the petticoat frame, as represented in Figure 5,

page_text: the legs of the outermost V's are connected to hoops or bands h, h, extending
round the petticoat. In the arrangements represented in Figures 4 and 5,
when the V frames are expanded the bottom and lower part of the petticoat
is also expanded, and vice versa.
Figure 6 shews another modification, similar to that shewn in Figure 5,
but in which the petticoat is expanded by contracting the V frames. The
end a of the upper band or hoop passes behind the end b, and is connected to
a pin on the back of the loop c, to which one leg d of the outermost V frame
on that side is also connected. The end of the lower band or hoop in like
manner passes behind the end f, and is connected to a pin on the back of the
loop g, to which one leg h of the outermost inverted V frame on that side is
also connected. The end a of the upper band passes through loops i, i,
carried by the end b, and the end e of the lower band in like manner passes
through loops j,j, carried by the end f. The end 6 of the upper band passes
through the loop c, and has attached thereto the upper points of all the V's,
and the end of the lower band in like manner passes through the loop g, and
has attached to it the lower points of all the V's.
In Figure 7 I shew another modification, in which the petticoat is expanded
when the expanding and contracting frame is contracted; each leg of the
V frame is formed in two parts, fixed to each other at the points a. The
ends b, b, b, of the three bands or hoops are passed through loops c, carried
by one leg d of the V frame, and are connected to the front of the other leg e.
The other ends f, f, f, of the bands or hoops are passed in like manner
through loops at the back of the leg e, and are connected to
leg d. The legs d and e are hinged together at the point g. In the position,
shewn in the Drawing, the petticoat is expanded to its fullest by separating
the legs of the V frame, the ends of the hoops overlap each other to a greater
extent, and the petticoat is therefore contracted.
the back of the
In all the arrangements of petticoat frames shewn in the Drawings I prefer
that the V frames should be expanded and contracted when desired by means
of tapes or bands attached to these frames and pulled by the wearer. With
the exception of the arrangement shewn at Figure 3, they are intended to be
applied to and form the lower part of ordinary crinoline skirts, and are chiefly
designed to enable the wearers to avoid danger from fire by contracting the
lower part of their petticoats when in the house.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly, constructing frames for umbrellas and other like articles with
V frames between the ribs, substantially in manner herein-before described.

page_text: And, secondly, constructing frames for petticoats or skirts, arranged in such
manner that they may be expanded and contracted, substantially in manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Chesterman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES CHESTERMAN. (L.S.)