Improvement in the Skirts of Ladies' Riding Habits.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 189%
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Skirts of Ladies' Riding Habits.
I, GEORGE FRANCIS BROMLEY, of 16 Great Marlborough Street, in the
County of London, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the method of making the skirt of a lady's riding habit
so that in the event of her being thrown from her horse she will be immediately
released therefrom, no matter on which side she is thrown, and it consists in pro-
viding the bottom part of the skirt with a detachable portion provided with an
opening through which the pommel of the saddle passes, such opening if desired
being fitted with a lining so as to constitute a pocket to receive the pommel. The
detachable portion is secured to an opening in the bottom of the skirt by clips,
preferably of the form described in the Specification of the application for Patent
in the joint names of myself and Olof Wilborg No. 18366 dated 26th October 1891,
which will permit of the connections giving way entirely when a certain strain or
pull is brought to bear thereon, such as would occur when a lady is thrown from
her horse, supposing that her skirt remained entangled with the pommel or
otherwise remained connected to the horse..
Instead of employing a detachable portion in the bottom of the skirt, an opening
the edges of which are secured by detachable clips (preferably of the form described
in the Specification of the Patent above referred to) or lacing may be formed in the
skirt and lead from the opening through which the pommel passes to the lower
edge of the skirt, so that the edges of the opening will become separated when any
abnormal strain is brought to bear thereon. Further, a part (preferably of
triangular form) normally forming a portion of the top part of the skirt is firmly
secured to the waistband of the habit and extends down therefrom either (as the
case may be) to the top of the detachable portion of the skirt, or to the opening
through which the pommel passes, such top part being separate from the remainder
of the skirt but having its edges secured to an opening therein by means of
detachable clips.
The effect of this arrangement is that should a rider be thrown on the "off" side
of the horse the strain brought to bear on her habit by her weight will cause the
detachable portion of the skirt to become detached at the edges, leaving the rest of
the skirt (and consequently the lady also) perfectly free, or in the case of the
detachable portion not being employed, the edges of the opening would part and
secure the same result.
Arrangements of this description (but not with the detachable clips constructed
according to the prior Patent above referred to) have been already employed and 1
consequently lay no claim to same, but although effective when the lady is thrown
on the "off" side of the horse, same are of no use should she be thrown on the
near" side, as in such case the pommel is liable to catch in the top portion of the
skirt (which still remains intact) and so cause the rider to be dragged along by
the horse.
66
It is in order to avoid this that in the top part of the skirt, I also provide the
portion referred to which is firmly attached to the waistband and the edges of which
are detachably secured to an opening in the top of the skirt, for as such portion
proceeds (as the case may be) either down to the top of the detachable portion in
the bottom of the skirt or to the opening through which the pominel passes and
from which a detachable seam proceeds to the bottom of the skirt, the effect when
a lady is thrown on the " near side would be that her weight would cause the top
portion referred to, to yield at its edges, thus preventing the pommel from catching

page_text: on the top part of the skirt, this. being the only part which becomes unfastened in
the case where such top portion extends down to the opening through which the
pommel passes and the bottom part of the skirt is provided with a separable opening;
while in the case of the bottom of the skirt having a detachable portion through
which the pommel passes such detachable portion would first be pulled away and
remain on the pommel and then the seams of the top portion would be detached,
should the pommel catch in the top of the skirt, the effect being the same in both
cases.
The edges of the opening which become detached by the action of being thrown
can be temporarily secured by loops or other fastenings or permanently secured by
means of the spring clips referred to, so as to form a perfect walking skirt and in
the case of the detachable portion being removed from the bottom of the skirt, the
edges of the opening from which such part has been removed may be similarly
connected together.
Dated this 9th day of September 1892.
ALLISON BROS.,"
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Skirts of Ladies' Riding Habits.
1, GEORGE FRANCIS BROMLEY, of 16 Great Marlborough Street,, in the
County of London, Tailor, 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 relates to the method of making the 'skirt of a lady's riding habit
so that'in the event of her being thrown from her horse she will be immediately
released therefrom, no matter on which side she is thrown, and it consists 'in pro-
viding the bottom part of the skirt with a detachable portion provided with an
opening through which the pommel of the saddle passes, such opening if desired
being fitted with a lining so as to constitute a pocket to receive the pommel. The
detachable portion is secured to an opening in the bottom of the skirt by clips,
preferably of the form described in the Specification of the application for Patent
in the joint names of myself and Olof Wilborg No. 18366 dated 26th October 1891,
which will permit of the connections giving way entirely when a certain strain or
pull is brought to bear thercon, such as would occur when a lady is thrown from
her horse, supposing that her shirt remained entangled with the pommellor
otherwise remained connected to the horse.
Instead of employing a detachable portion in the bottom of the skirt, an opening
the edges of which are secured by detachable clips (preferably of the form described
in the Specification of the Patent above referred to) may be formed in the skirt and
lead from the opening through which the pominel passes to the lower edge of the
skirt, so that the edges of the opening will become separated when any abnormal
strain is brought to bear thereon. Further, a part normally forming a portion of
the top part of the skirt is firmly secured to the waistband of the habit and extends
down therefrom either (as the case may be) to the top of the detachable portion of
the skirt, or to the opening through which the pommel passes, such top part being
separate from the remainder of the skirt but having its edges secured to an-opening
therein by means of detachable clips.
The effect of this arrangement is that should a rider be thrown on the fi off" side
of the horse the strain brought to bear on her habit by her weight will cause the
detachable portion of the skirt to become detached at the edges, leaving the rest of
the skirt (and consequently the lady also) perfectly free, or in, the case of the
detachable portion 'not being employed, the edges of the opening would part and
secure the same result.
Arrangements similar to those described with regard to the lower part of the

page_text: kirt (but not with the detachable, clips constructed according to the prior Patent
bove referred to) have been already employed and I consequently lay no claim to
same, but although effective when the lady is thrown on the "off" side of the horse,
same are of no use should she be thrown on the " near side, as in such case the
pommel is liable to catch in the top portion of the skirt (which still remains intact
and so cause the rider to be dragged along by the horse.
:"
It is in order to avoid this that in the top part of the skirt, I also provide the
portion referred to which is firmly attached to the waistband and the edges of
which are detachably secured to an opening in the top of the skirt, for as such
portion proceeds (as the case may be) either down to the top of the detachable
portion in the bottom of the skirt or to the opening through which the pommel
passes and from which a detachable opening proceeds to the bottom of the skirt, the
effect when a lady is thrown on the " near side would be that her weight would
cause the top portion referred to, to yield at its edges, thus preventing the pommel
from catching on the top part of the skirt, this being the only part which becomes
unfastened in the case where such top portion extends down to the opening through
which the pommel passes and the bottom part of the skirt is provided with a
separable opening; while in the case of the bottom of the skirt having a detachable
portion through which the pommel passes such detachable portion would first be
pulled away and remain on the pommel and then the seams of the top portion would
be detached, should the pommel catch in the top of the skirt, the effect being the
same in both cases.
The edges of the opening which become detached by the action of being thrown
can be temporarily secured by loops or other fastenings or permanently secured by
means of the spring clips referred to, so as to form a perfect walking skirt; and in
the case of the detachable portion being removed from the bottom of the skirt, the
edges of the opening from which such part has been removed may be similarly
connected together.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a view of a lady wearing a skirt made according to my invention, in the
position she occupies when seated on a horse and taken from the side which is
against the horse, the latter being shown in dotted lines.
Fig. 2 is a view of a skirt taken from the same side and stretched out or extended
so as to show the form of the parts constituting any invention.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing a slightly modified form of my
invention, and
Fig. 4 is another view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a further slight modification.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the skirt of the riding habit, and B the detach-
able portion in which the opening for the passage of the pommel e of the saddle C
is formed, and which portion B extends down to the bottom of the skirt, the edges
of such portion B being connected to the opening left in the skirt to receive same
by means of detachable clips D which yield and allow part B to become detached
as soon as any considerable strain is brought to bear thereon. E is the part which
is rigidly secured to the waistband F of the skirt, and which extends down to the
upper part of the detachable portion B, the edges of such part E being also secured
to the rest of the skirt by detachable clips D which yield when any considerable
strain is brought to bear thereon, so that in the case of the lady being thrown on
the "near
"side of the horse and the pommel catching in the top portion of the
skirt the clips securing the edges of part E will yield, and the rider be thus
released.
In Fig. 3 instead of the detachable portion B extending to the bottom of the
skirt, it is made of approximately circular form, and a detachable opening G (also
secured by detachable clips D) extends from the hole in the skirt A in which
portion B fits, down to the bottom of such skirt. The other parts are similar to those
shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the effect will be the same in this case should the lady
wearing the habit be thrown from her horse on either side.
In Fig. 4 the pommel opening b is formed in the skirt itself, and the 'detachable

page_text: opening extends from such pommel opening to the bottom of skirt A, while the
part E secured to the waistband extends down to the upper part of such pommel
opening b
In this case also the action will be the same as in the arrangement
shown in Figs. 1 and 2 should the lady wearing the 'habit be thrown from her horse
on either side.
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:-
In the skirts of ladies' riding habits having an opening through which the
pommel of the saddle passes, the combination with either a detachable portion in
which such opening is formed, or with an opening detachably secured and leading
from the pommel opening to the lower edge of the skirt, of a part rigidly secured
to the waistband of such skirt and extending down either to the detachable portion
in which the pommel opening is formed, or to such pommel opening, and the edges
of which part are detachably secured to the rest of the upper part of the skirt,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of September 1892.
וי
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant..