Improvements in Elastic Skirt-elevators
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Feb, 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar, 1896
Improvements in Elastic Skirt-elevators
I, JOHN MALLETT, of the City of Oakland, in the County of Alameda, and State
of California, one of the United States of America, Nurseryman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows
-
This invention relates to improvements in skirt elevators of that class in which
external operating cords in conjunction with detachable connections with the
inner lining of the skirt are employed to elevate the latter from its normal
position
The main body or pad of the elevator is gracefully rounded at its lower
extremity and contracted in width toward its upper portion, from which extend
opposite members composing a suitable waist band, or belt, the fiee extremities
being secured together by means of an adjustable buckle Radiating outward from,
and secured to, the lower curved extremity of the pad are supporting strips bearing
clasps Near the upper extremity of the pad are situated guide-pulleys, the axes
of revolution of which are at right angles to each other
Passing over these pulleys is a sinew oi gut cord, one extremity of which is
secured to a metal projection or burr near the lower edge of the pad while its other
extremity, after passing over the pulleys, bears an ornamental tassel
The pad is suspended over the posterior of the person by the belt which passes
about the waist, the free extremity of the cord being carried to the night around
the waist and through an aperture in the front of the dress, where the tassel is
suspended The above mentioned clasps are then connected to short tabs sewn to
the skirt of its lining
When for any reason it is desired to elevate the skirt from the ground, the tassel
18 grasped and drawn forward when the pad is curved upward carrying with it the
skirt, the folds of which are prevented from creasing, but caused to assume a
graceful appearance
On the other hand as it is desired to lower or readjust the
skirt into its former position, the tassel is released and the elasticity of the pad
causes it to assume its former position, which operation also forces the skirt
downward into a like position
The degree of efficiency of the invention depends on the power of the pad
to return to its normal position, and to accomplish this object I have constructed a
pad of a composition of materials that I have found by experiments give the best
results, namely, tailors canvas a series of adjoining, transverse, parallel strips
of card-board, rubber webbing, and lastly a sheet of plush bound with elastic
braid
In my invention the gravity of the skirt is of minor concern in its successful
readjustment, the clastic flexible pad accomplishing the immediate and desired
readjustment independent of the weight of the garment Besides this forcibly
readjusting quality of the invention a consequent and by no means insignificant
advantage lies in a giaceful folding appearance given the skirt in the operation of
elevating it
Dated the 6th do of Mow 1000
G F REDE ERN & Co,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant

page_text: Improvements in Elastic Skirt-elevators
I, JOHN MAI LITT of the City of Oakland, in the County of Alameda and State
of California, one of the United States of America, Nuiseryman, 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 improvements in skirt elevators of that class in which
external operating cords in conjunction with detachable connections with the inner
lining of the shirt, are employed to elevate the latter from its normal position
My invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference designate
corresponding parts
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved elevator in its normal position
detached from the skut
Fig 2 is a side elevation of the invention, showing the form assumed by the pad
or web is tension is exerted on the operating cord
Figs 5
Fig 3 is a central longitudinal section of the pad or web through the line a,
Fig 1, and Fig 4 is a transverse section through the line yy, Fig 1
and 6 are detail views of the pulleys and bearings thereof
I will now explain in detail the construction and operation of my invention,
reference being had to the above figures
disk,
The main body or pad A of my improved elastic shirt elevator is formed as
shown in Fig 1, uz, gracefully rounded at its lower extremity and contracted
in width towards its upper portion from which extend opposite members B, C,
composing a suitable waistband or belt, which I will des gnate by the letter D,
the free extremities being secured together by means of the adjustable buckle E
Radiating outward from and secured to the lower cuived extremity of the
pad A. are the supporting stups F, F', F", bearing at the lower free ends the
clasps G Near the upper contracted extremity of the pad A are situated
the guide pulleys H and I, the axis of revolution of the former being at right
angles to the surface of the pad A, while that of the latter is in a plane parallel
to that of the pad The pulley II, is secured to the pad by means of a bol J,
having a cucular flat head J₁, slightly large in circumference than the pulley
The opposite end of said bolt is provided with screw threads
J 2 18
having a projecting flange J" on one side theicor, for the purpose of guiding the
cord This aisk is placed between the pulley and pad The projecting end of the
bolt J, is screw threaded as at J 3, and flat nut J4 is destined to be placed
thereon, and bind the parts of the pad The pulley I is mounted on a short shaft
at right angles to the axis of the pulley H Said shaft has a flat head I¹ at one
end and is sciew-threaded at its reduced end, said thread engaging the female
threads 12, in the head 13, of the post I' A flange 1, is formed between the
head of the post and the threaded poition I", the same bearing again.t the face of
the pad
A nut K², is designed to engage the threads 1, and thus secure the
parts together Pas ing over these pulleys H, I in the manuer shown in Fig 1 is
the sinew or gut cold (L) one extremity of which is secured to a metal projection
on burr (M) near the lower edge of the pad (A), while its other extremity bears
an ornamental tassel (N) The burr (M) is secured to the pad in a manner
similar to that employ ed in securing the pulleys (H, I), its object being to make a
neat connection between the cord and pad, and by a countersunk perforation (O) to
hide the knot in the extremity of the cord
I will now explain the manner of positioning and the function of each individual
part of my invention in the operation of elevating and subsequent readjusting of
the skirt
The pad (A) is suspended duectly over the posterior of the person by the

page_text: belt (D), which passes about the waist duectly beneath the waistband of the skirt
the free extremity of the cord (L) being carried to the right around the waist and
through an aperture in the front of the dress, where the tassel (N) is suspended
The clasps (G) are then connected to short tabs sewed one to each side of the
inner lining of the skut, and one to the center of the back midway between the two
former
(
When for any reason it is desired to elevate the skirt from the ground, the
tassel (N) is grasped and drawn forward, when the pad (A) is cuired upward
cariying with it the skit, the folds of which are prevented from creasing but
caused to assume a graceful appearance, resembling an rdinary bustle On the
other hand as it is desired to lower or readjust the skitt into its former position,
the tassel is released and the clasticity of the pad causes it to immediately assume
its former normal position, which operation also foi ces the skirt downward into a
like position
From the foregoing description of the operation of my invention it is manifest
that its degree of efficiency depends on the power of the pad to return to its
normal position, and to accomplish this object I have constructed a pad of a
composition of materials that I have found by experiments give the best results,
the details of construction of which I will now explain
The first step in the manufacture of this clastic flexible pad (A) is to form a
sheet of tailor's canvas (a) similar to the contour of the complete pad (A) On
this canvas (a) is glued series of adjoining transverse parallel strips of card
board (6) reaching to the contracted portion of the pad (A), the remuning length
of the pad being filled up to a level with layers of tailoi s canvas (c) Stretched
and glued over these strips of card board (b) and extending from about the center
of the pad to the upper edge thereof is a longitudinal strip of thin rubber (d) which
is covered by a second strip of heavier rubber (e) overlapping its lower edge and
glued to the card board (b)
Then over this is stretched and glued a longer strip of rubber webbing (f),
when the whole outer surface of the pad is covered with a sheet (g) of the same
material To give a neat appearance to the reverse surface of the tailor's
canvas (a) I cover and securely fasten thereto by clastic brud (h) a sheet of
plush () from which project the pulleys (H, I) in the manner described above
The object of assembling the pulleys as shown and described is readily seen
from Fig 2, the pulley (I) directing the cold (L) into the plane of the pullev (H),
thereby preventing any unnecessary fiction or rubbing and consequent destruction
of the cord
By the employment of the improved construction and assemblage of parts herein
shown and described the gravity of the skirt is of minor concern in its successful
readjustment, the elastic flexible pad accomplishing the immediate and desired
readjustment independent of the weight of the garment Besides this forcibly
readjusting quality of the invention, a consequent and by no means in ignificant
advantage lies in a graceful folding appearance given the skirt in the operation of
elevating it
I am perfectly aware that various changes in the relative position, size, and
proportion of parts of the component parts of my invention as herein shown can be
made in adapting the elevator to conform with various sizes of individuals and
changes in styles of garments, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the
advantages thereof, aud I therefore reserve the right to make such changes and
alterations as fairly fall within the scope of my invention
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what mannor the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1 In a device of the class described the combination of a flexible elastic pad
with cord secured to one extremity thereof and passing through suitable guides

page_text: cord and immediately assumes its former position when released substantially as set
forth
2 In a device of the class described the combination of a flexible elastic pad
with a cord secured to one extremity thereof and guided in pulleys at the other,
the axes of revolution of said pulleys being at right angles to each other
substantially as set forth
3 A flexible elastic pad for skut elevators composed of tailor's canvas, card
board and rubber webbing united substantially as set forth
Dated this 3rd day of January 1896
JOHN MALLETT
GF Redfern & Co,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant