Improved Apparatus for Use in Designing or Cutting Dress Bodices and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Use in Designing or Cutting Dress Bodices
and the like.
I, BERTHA MUCKLE of 4 East Parade Newcastle-on-Tyne in the County of
Northumberland, Teacher of Dressmaking do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This improved apparatus consists of several plates or templates for use in
drawing the various curves and setting off the measurements necessary in designing
or cutting out the parts of a dress bodice or the like. These plates comprise a
rectangular plate having along one of its longer sides a scale of divisions, in inches
and parts of an inch and having on its face three tables representing respectively
certain sizes or offsets for breadth of front, size of breast pleats and width of
back corresponding to different bust and waist measures. In addition to this
rectangular plate the apparatus comprises plates preferably four in number with
curved edges adapted for the drawing of all the curves necessary in the designing
or cutting of the bodice or the like and so made that they will serve equally for
the curves of all bodices whatever their sizes may be, and also for other curves
necessary in making or cutting sleeves, skirts, collar pieces and other parts of the
dress.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1895
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,.
Agents to Applicant.
Improved Apparatus for Use in Designing or Cutting Dress Bodices
and the like.
I, BERTHA MUCKLE of 4 East Parade, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of
Northumberland, Teacher of Dressmaking, 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 improved apparatus consists of several plates or templates for use in
drawing the various curves and setting off the measurements necessary in designing
or cutting out the parts of a dress bodice or the like. These plates comprise a
rectangular plate having along one of its longer sides a scale of divisions in inches
and parts of an inch and having on its face three tables representing respectively
certain sizes or effects for breadth of front, size of breast pleats and width of
back corresponding to different bust and waist measures. In addition to this
rectangular plate the apparatus comprises plates preferably four in number with
curved edges adapted for the drawing of all the curves necessary in the designing
or cutting of the bodice or the like and so made that they will serve equally for the
curves of all bodices whatever their size may be and also for other curves necessary
in making or cutting sleeves, skirts, or basques, collar pieces and other parts of the
dress.

page_text: In the annexed drawings Figs. 1 to 5 show the plates.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the method of use and Figs. 9, 10, 11 are enlarged
views of the tables shown in the plate Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 is the rectangular plate called the calculator (preferably 20" x 6") having
printed or marked down the left side an inch or other measure with subdivisions
also on its surface three tables of original dimensions corresponding to certain waist
and bust measures, of these tables A gives the width of front; B size of breast
pleats; and C width of back; while in each table the left hand vertical column
refers to waist measures and the top horizontal line to bust measures.
The front
and back widths are only worked for a half dress the other half of course being
similar.
Fig. 2 is called the long curve part of one edge of which to the left of arrow
marked D is called the "curve for under arm " and that to the left of arrow E is
called "breast pleat curve while that to the right of arrow F with divisions is
called the "front shoulder seam curve on the other side of this long curve
are arrows G and H and division lines J1 J² J³ J* J³ J* J* shown dotted on the
drawings.
"
Fig. 3 is called the "small curve," "short curve," and "hip curve." Four
arrows are shown on cach side viz.: K L M N on the one and O P Q R on the
other, the edge with arrows K L is the curve for first seam in the back, that with
the arrows OP is the curve for the first seam in the front.
"
Fig. 4 represents a plate marked with an arrow S on the side shown which is in
practice marked with the words "neck curve ; on the other side is the arrow T
and the words curve for arm hole."
Fig. 5 is called the "sleeve curve " and has marked on it four arrows U V
W X. Lines Y are also marked on this piece and are called "curves for collar"
and correspond to certain sizes of collar.
The plates may be used as follows for drafting a bodice :-
For drafting the back of bodice rule the following construction lines, (Fig. 6)
Line a-A perpendicular line one inch from left edge of the paper-and equal
to the "back length" measure plus half an inch.
Line bor neck line. Draw two inches to the right from the top of line a.
Line c or shoulder line. Measure four inches down from neck line and draw
about twelve inches across.
Line d or bust line. Measure up from foot of "back length" your under
arm. Draw about fourteen inches across.
Line e, or waist line. From foot of "back length" draw about fourteen inches
across.
Rule a slanting line f from a point inch below upper end of line a to about an
inch (according to figure) inside line a at waist, for middle seam of back.
Measure your half "back width" on the shoulder line c from the middle seam,
put dot g.
Now refer to the calculator for the "width of back." Add four inches (for
space between the seams) to the width indicated, and mark off at h on bust line
from middle seam. Draw a straight line j down to waist e from this mark h.
Mark off on waist line your quarter waist measure plus four inches and put dot k.
The little space between this dot and the perpendicular line j shows how much is
to be added to the two inch spaces to be left between the parts of the pattern.
Add one-third to each of the spaces, the remainder comes at the end of the quarter
waist measure.
Now decide the proportions for the waist at back which vary as fashion
dictates. They can be divided into three parts, as near as possible in the
following proportions; back piece one and a quarter inch for medium waists;
divide the remainder between the side piece and under arm m giving if possible a
greater share to the under arm.
Next place the corner of the calculator at right end n of neck line 6 with eight
inches resting on the shoulder line c and draw for shoulder seam p.

page_text: For neck curve O. Place the arrow at the pointed end of the "long curve
and draw to the end n of neck line b at top of back seam.
"
For back portion g of arm hole.-Place the "long curve as straight as possible
allowing it to touch the "back width" measure and the line marked J₁ touching
the shoulder seam p (this determines the length of the shoulder seam). Draw
tor midway between the shoulder and bust lines or to suit the figure.
"
Place line J to the right at the foot of the arm curve, keeping the line straight
and put dot s. This marks the top of side piece 7. Keep line J2 at the arm curve
and move the "long curve to touch first dot t on waist line e, and draw from
the arm hole down to the waist. The same line on curve to be moved along to the
next dots s u for the side piece.
Now place the curve between the portion of side piece already drawn and the
dot at the end of bust measure, with line J' quarter inch above the bust line, and
put dots vw at either end of line J'; draw two curves xy to waist as before.
A prettier cut is produced by making the side piece smaller than the under arm at
the top.
Place the curve with the arrow at the remaining dot k at waist, and draw
up to
the end of bust measure, Curve sharply for arm hole at the top of side piece
and a very slight curve at the under arm.
For the basque. Take the short curve for basque always placing the arrows on
waist line. Place the arrow at the curve for the first seam in back, at the foot
of the middle seam and draw a slightly curved outline z to the left and stop at the
second arrow which is four inches down. Turn over and use the same curve to
the right at a¹ to complete the back piece, using arrows O P.
For side piece. Move the curve along to side piece and place the arrow Qat
the round edge on the waist line, and draw a curve b' to R slanting about an inch
or more to the left (according to the size of hips), move along to the next seam,
and draw a line c' with the straight edge like the second line of the back piece.
For under arm piece. Use the round edge of hip curve, and draw a line d¹ the
same as the first line of the side piece. Turn over and use the same curve to the
right at to complete the under arm, using arrows M N.
Measure the amount put into the hips at four inches below waist line also the
portion of "over shoulder" which has been put into the back from the back seam
at waist f¹ up to the lower part g' of shoulder seam.
For drafting the front of bodice make the following lines (Fig. 7):
Line 9 2. Place the calculator two inches from the right edge and half from the
top of the paper. Draw a perpendicular line 92 the length of the paper, and put
dot at the arrow Z Fig. 1 for neck curve.
Find your
"front length" measure, take off the two inches which were put in
the back neck, by placing two on the inch measure of calculator at the dot
marked h', and where the front length touches line g³ put dot j¹. From this dot
measure to the left the "width of front" (on calculator) put dot k 1.
Mark down your side length less two inches, from top (as for front length) to
this dot, which you must raise or lower according to measure.
Place the inch measure on calculator on the dots j k¹at front and side lengths,
and draw one and a half inch from line 9¹ to the left to l (one and a quarter inch
for waist under 24 inches).
Now refer to the calculator for "size of breast pleats." Add the fraction to
the first pleat and one inch to the second pleat.
For example 36 inches bust and 24 inches waist is 14 inches on calculator.
1st B. P. 2 inches by adding half an inch.
2nd B. P.-2
Mascus stenight
„
"
1 inch.
from the dot 11 the size of the first breast pleat nut dot m¹.

page_text: If the body is drafted correctly, the quarter waist measures work out accurately,
without the trouble of calculating.
Next find the height of first breast pleat by placing two on the dot as for front
length, and measure straight down your height of B. P. less two inches and put
dot p¹.
Measure up from the side length dot your under arm, lay the calculator across
the paper from the top q¹ of under arm, to line 2 and half inch beyond this line
put dot for curve in front of the bodice (more or less to suit the figure). From
this dot mark off the chest measure and forward the dot q' at the under arm, the
same distance as for curve in front. Measure up on line g* from waist the "throat.
to waist at s¹.
"
To find the height of shoulder seam take the tape and place the "over shoulder"
measure at the waist in front, allowing the tape to pass through the dot /' for
breast pleat, and put a dot t at the amount which was put into the back. Place
the arrow Fat the point of the long curve at the doth at neck and draw the
shoulder seam half an inch less than the back seam p passing through the dot t at
over shoulder.
With the "long curve" draw the bow in front from waist j¹ to throat & passing
through the dot r.
For the first breast pleat use curve on long curve. The same curve does for the
second one.
It must be the same height as the first pleat, and never less than two
inches apart at the top. Stout figures require more.
Draw the under arm with "curve for under arm" placing the arrow D on long
curve at waist and draw to the dot q' under arm.
66
Draw in the neck with "neck curve" from ' to s' and the armhole with
curve for armhole "by placing the arrow S half an inch below chest measure and
drawing to end of shoulder seam and finish the curve to top of under arm.
For the basque. Take the hip or short curve Fig. 3 and place the arrow at the
curve for first seam on waist line in front of bodice, and draw down four inches
to u slanting quarter inch to the right of line 92 (more for stout figures). Turn
over and use the same curve for next seam v. The next two lines we are done
in the same way and curved very slightly. Draw a similar curve y' for the last
line of breast pleat then take the tape and measure (from the amount that was put
in back) the hips already drawn (omitting the spaces for cutting out). The curve¹
at under arm is regulated by the amount required to make up the half of the hip
measure. Should there be too much or too little spring in this curve take off or
add to the seams at back.
For drafting the sleeve make the following lines (Fig. 8).
Line
CONSTRUCTION LINES.
Take the calculator and draw your "elbow length" at the edge of
the paper nearest you, beginning about four inches from the left hand corner.
Line A perpendicular line measuring eleven inches (for medium sleeve)
drawn from the top of line ³.
Line At the end of line 2 parallel to and 1 inch less than line 12.
Line -A line from the centre of line 2 about 24 inches long.
Measure two inches for elbow dot to a² inside line at elbow length.
Inside line ² mark 14 inches for the inner seam at 12 and one inch from the ton

page_text: Use the same curve on line 12 to correspond with line h² but keep the straight
edge of curve on the line and draw to point m² and 1 inch higher and again for the
inner seam placing the point at dot 6 and draw to the dot c on line 2. Continue
the seams by placing the arrow on straight edge of curve and draw to dots d'ƒª eª
on the wrist line.
g
Take the sleeve curve and place U at the top 9 2 of outside seam and X at the
top of inside seam. Draw from U to X.
.
Turn the curve round and place W to top n² of outside seam of under sleeve and
draw to top of inside seam c³.
DIRECTIONS FOR DRAFTING THE COLLAR.
Mark in the holes at the back for the depth of the collar and in the correspond-
ing holes in the front for the length required. Before removing the curve draw
the foot of the collar at the lines running from the holes which have been marked.
Use the same curve to the dots for the top. Draw lines at the back and front to
complete the collar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The plates consisting of the calculator and curves herein described and for the
ממנו
Dated this 21st day of December 1895.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.