Improvements in or relating to the Suspending of Ladies' Dresses and other Garments.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Suspending of Ladies' Dresses
and other Garments.
I, ANNIE LANGE of 24 Mecklenburgh Street, Leicester, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the suspending of ladies' dresses and other garments
and to means therefor, and is designed to enable a lady to temporarily or permanently
shorten her garinent at will, so as to decrease the liability of the lower part of the dress
becoming disfigured in wet or dirty weather and also to obviate the necessity for a lady
to hold her dress up by hand as is now necessary with garments of ordinary make.
According to this invention there may be sewn or otherwise attached in a convenient
position on preferably the upper part of the dress skirt, two or a series of hooks or
equivalent, either separately or connected together by a strap or the like; and attached
to the lower part of the skirt there may be two or more eyes or perforated or slotted
plates or equivalents adapted to be supported on and by the hooks.
From this it will be readily understood that when it is desired to raise the skirt
from the lower part all that is necessary is to place the eyes on the hooks and the
skirt is thus raised a desired distance from the ground to prevent its contact with the
dirt or wet and at the same time to retain the skirt at convenient walking length.
The distance horizontally between the hooks and eyes respectively may be regulated
by an extensible or telescopic connection so as to admit of the whole or a portion of
the back part of the dress skirt being raised.
In order to allow of the adjustment of the dress skirt as regards length, a vertical
strap or equivalent provided with a series of hooks, one above the other, may be
employed, and the eyes before mentioned placed upon any desired hooks according to
the height the dress is to be raised above the ground; or the hooks and eyes or their
respective connecting parts may have a chain, perforated strap or equivalent secured
thereto so that the links in the former or holes in the latter may engage the hooks for
the purpose named.
As an alternative method of obtaining the same end there may be fixed in a con-
venient position on the dress skirt a series of lightly constructed levers pivoted
together in such a manner as to admit of being expanded or contracted and known
technically as lazy-tongs. The expanding or contracting of the lazy-tongs respectively
raising or lowering the garment.
Dated this 28th day of January 1800
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Suspending of Ladies' Dresses
and other Garments.
I ANNIE LANGE of 24 Mecklemburgh Street, Leicester, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention has reference to the suspending of ladies' dresses and other garments
and to means therefor, and is designed to enable a lady to temporarily or permanently
shorten her garment at will, so as to decrease the liability of the lower part of the
dress becoming disfigured in wet or dirty weather, and also to obviate the necessity
for a lady to hold her dress up by hand as is now necessary with garments of ordinary
make.

page_text: According to this invention there may be sewn or otherwise attached in a convenient
position on preferably the upper part of the dress skirt, two or a series of hooks or
equivalent, either separately or connected together by a strap or the like; and attached
to the lower part of the skirt there may be a desired number of loops or perforated
or slotted plates or equivalent adapted to be supported on and by the hooks.
From this it will be readily understood that when it is desired to raise the skirt
from the lower part, all that is necessary is to place the loops on the hooks and the
skirt is thus raised a desired distance from the ground to prevent its contact with
the dirt or wet and at the same time to retain the skirt at a convenient walking
length.
The invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings illustrating the device or contrivance I employ for the purpose mentioned.
Figure 2 represents a device which is secured in a convenient position near the upper
part of the back of the dress skirt by stitching through the holes F.
The shaped plates or straps Ď are inclined at an angle as shown, so that the
cross-pieces may be secured to the back of the waist of the skirt, the lower ends of the
plates D being secured to or formed integrally with a horizontal plate, strap or
equivalent B jointed or movably pivotted at C to permit of any deviation from the
straight line on account of the cross-pieces of the plate D being fixed at the angle as
shown and to conform to the various movements of the dress during wear.
The said plate B is also detachable at C so as to be adapted for use with dresses
which open at the back instead of at the side, and for other needful purposes, and
is provided with hooks A, upon which the loops E of figure 3 may be hung as
hereinafter described.
The device shown in figure 3 is fixed on the dress skirt a convenient distance below
figure 2 by stitching through the holes F; it is provided with loops E near the outer
ends of the strap or plate B for hanging on the hooks A figure 1 when it is desired to
shorten the dress skirt; it is also furnished with hooks A upon which the loops E of
figure 4 may be placed.
The device shown in figure 4 consisting of the strap or plate B and loops E is
secured near the lower end of the dress skirt. It will be understood that the before
imentioned devices are secured in position between preferably the dress skirt and the
lining of the dress, and that all that is necessary to shorten the skirt is to place the
loops E, figure 4 upon the hooks A in figure 3 or the loops in figure 3 on the hooks
in figure 2. Figure 1 shows the loops and hooks, of figures 3 and 4 respectively,
engaged as when the skirt is shortened.
The distance the devices figures 2, 3, and 4 are to be fixed from each other may be
determined according to the maximum and minimum distances the dress skirt is to be
shortened.
A convenient method is to make the distance between figures 3 and 4 when fixed
on a dress skirt equivalent to the minimum extent the skirt is to be shortened and the
distance between figures 2 and 3 equivalent to maximum distance the skirt is to be
shortened.
When it is desired to shorten the dress it can readily be done when being worn by
the wearer engaging the loops and hooks as before mentioned and as illustrated in
figure 1.
As an alternative arrangement for shortening the skirt I may connect a cord to the
loops E on either figure 3 or 4. This cord may be adapted to pass round the waist
of the wearer and be fastened in position; the raising or lowering of the cord would
correspondingly shorten or lengthen the garment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Two or more connected or muconnected books A secured to one part of the dress
skirt and two or more connected or unconnected eyes or loops E at a higher or

page_text: lower part of the skirt and adapted to be engaged with the hooks substantially as
herein described.
2. Two or more hooks A or eyes E secured to one part of the dress skirt or
equivalent and connected together by a rod or band B of two parts which may be
taken apart from each other the hooks or eyes being adapted to engage or be engaged
with two or more eyes or hooks secured at a different height or level on the skirt,
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. Two or more hooks A or eyes E connected together by a rigid or jointed rod or
band B having attached to or formed in part with it two T shaped pieces D sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of June 1800
ANNIE LANGE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.