AN IMPROVED MIRROR FOR THE TOILET
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lang, of Ludlow, in the County of Salop, Draper
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MIRROR FOR THE TOILET."
Sealed the 16th February 1877, and dated the 25th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lang at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th August 1876.
JAMES LANG, of Ludlow, in the County of Salop, Draper. "AN IMPROVED
MIRROR FOR THE TOILET."
This Invention relates to mirrors for the toilet, and has for its object to facilitate
and assist ladies and gentlemen in the various processes of dressing and adornment,
the fitting on of dresses and other garments, the fixing of collars and other adorn-
ments, the dressing and arrangement of their back hair, and the like operations ;
which object I attain as follows:-
My improved mirror consists of a telescopic shaft or slide, at the lower end of
which shaft is a thumbscrew arrangement or appliance for securing the same to any
chair back or other suitable and convenient place, on the upper end of which shaft
a swing muror is fitted or mounted, and is so arranged as to be easily turned into
any desired position that it may shew the back and either side of the person using
it as desired.
This mirror is easily fixed and removed by any person, and has the great
advantage of fully allowing the free use of both hands, so much needed for the
purposes of dressing and adornment. It is but little more costly, and occupies
but little more space than the ordinary hand mirror, and is made to fold for con-
venience in travelling.

page_text: This Invention relates to mirrors for the toilette, and has for its object to facilitate
and assist ladies and gentlemen in the various processes of dressing and adornment,
the fitting on of dresses and other garments, the fixing of collars and other articles,
the arrangement and dressing of their back hair and the like operations; which
object I attain as follows:-
In order that my said Invention may be more clearly and more fully understood,
and be more readily performed, I will explain the same with the aid of the accom-
panying Drawing which forms part of this Specification, reference being made thereto
by the numerals and letters marked thereon, and which reference applies to cach
Figure of the said Drawing whore the same index numerals and letters appear.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved mirror when open for use. The
dotted lines on the disc shew the metallic stays at the back thereof which support
the said disc in position.
Figure 2 is a front elevation, drawn to a larger scale, of a pin or pivot to be fixed
to a chair back or other convenient place.
Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged front and side elevations of the regulating and fixing
apparatus at the upper part of the shaft.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view shewing the method by which the glass disc is held
in place.
My improved mirror consists of a telescopic shaft or handle, the upper part a
thereof sliding up and down and turning round in the tube a¹, at the lower
end of each shaft a thumbscrew is fitted for securing the said shaft to a chair
back or other suitable and convenient place. In order to further simplify the
fixing of the mirror I propose to form a socket b at the lower end of the tube a¹, so
as to fit and turn upon the pin or pivot c. This pin or pivot c is securely fixed to a
chair, or in any other suitable and convenient place. To the upper end of the part
a of the said telescopic shaft is fitted the apparatus or arrangement for receiving
and holding the glass disc or mirror in place, and also for moving or swinging it to
any vertical angle.
In fitting up my improved mirror in the plainest and cheapest way I take a
simple disc or plate of silvered glass d protected at the back by wood, cloth, leather,
paper, or other suitable material, drop the lower edge thereof into the recess e formed
in the upper part g¹ of the said apparatus, and then gently press the upper edge of
the said disc under the lips f¹ of the metallic stays fas shewn in Figures 1 and 5,
the clasticity or spring of the said stays being sufficient to hold the said disc
securely in place at any angle to which such disc may be set.
The glass plate d and its supports are moved into the several vertical angles
desired by turning the jointed lower end of g¹ on the bearings g. When the desired
position is attained, the plate d and its supports aie secured in such position by the
upper end of the pin h being forced by a spring into one of the holes g³. The said spring
is pulled and held down by the external knob h¹ fixed to the lower end of the said
pink through the slot 2 formed in the upper part a of the telescopic shaft, see
Figures 3 and 4; or the glass may be secured in position by a thumbscrew arrange-
ment.
"
The rotary motion of the disc or plate d and its supports is given by turning the
upper part a of the telescopic shaft in the lower part thereof a¹, and then securing
the mirror in the position thus attained by tightening the thumbscrew a³, see
Figure 1.
When my improved toilette mirror is required for use it is only necessary to place
the lower or socketted end of the shaft a¹ on the pin or pivot c and adjust the posi-
tion of the glass d as herein-before described, the height of such glass being regu-
lated by the distance to which the part a is drawn out of the tube a¹; the whole
operation being so extremely simple that any young or uneducated person can
readily perform it. The various changes in the position of the glass, during dressing
for instance, by which the back and sides of the human head may be clearly seen,
as desired, are effected in the same easy way. Two or more such mirrors may be
used if desired.

page_text: When not needed as a fixed mirror it can readily be shortened so as to lie on the
toilet table, or be used as an ordinary hand mirror.
Some of the advantages of this mirror are its simplicity, the case and facility
with which it can be fixed and arranged in position and removed when not required,
and also the important one of fully allowing the free use of both hands in dressing
and adorning the person.
The shaft can be closed and the upper part be folded down thereon when required
to be stowed away or packed for travelling.
The plate of this mirror can be made in any desired form and size, and the whole
be produced simply and cheaply, or be variously and profusely ornamented, richly
gilded, and the like.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and
the method of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details now described and illustrated, as they admit of much
variation without departing from the leading characteristics of the Invention, for
instance, the mirror may be fixed to the chair or other place by means of a short
projection, angular in section (at right angles or thereabouts) from the lower end of
the telescopic shaft fitting into a recess of similar angular section formed in such
chair or other place and by various other analagous means, also the angular motion
of the glass may be given through or by means of the ordinary ball-and-socket
joint and other well known methods; also the number and forms of the stays and
the lips thereof, if any, for holding the glass securely in place, may be very con-
siderably varied, the glass may be permanently fixed in or to its stays or other
supports or framework, and be itself fitted in a simple or the most costly frame;
but I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by the herein-before mentioned
in part recited Letters Patent-
Firstly. The telescopic shaft as applied to toilet mirrors.
Secondly. The method or methods of setting and fixing the glass plate and its
supports in the position or positions required.
Thirdly. The method of fixing or fitting the mirror to a chair or in any other
desired place. All subtantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn
in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lang, have hereunto sot my hand and
seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
W. COOKE,
Patent Agent,
43, Southampton Buildings.
JAMES LANG. (L.S.)