Improvements in Sleeve Expanders.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
Improvements in Sleeve Expanders.
1, FREDERICK PAUL WRIGHT of St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, U.S.A.,
Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in sleeve expanders for ladies' garments,
its object being to provide a device which will expand the loose folds of the sleeve
so as to hold them in proper position, but which can be readily collapsed or
compressed into small compass to permit the sleeve of an outer garment to be
drawn over the sleeve containing the expander, and which will automatically
spring back or expand to its normal position when the sleeve of the outer garment.
is removed.
To this end my invention consists in a framework of independent elastic bows
having their ends secured to the fabric which serves as the bottom of the expander,
the bows also being covered and connected by inelastic fabric, thus forming a
complete arch. The cloth serving as bottom and that serving as the cover of the
arch is closed together a few inches from the end of the arch and is adapted to be
secured to the lining of the dress sleeve at the shoulder. The end bow at the other
end of the arch is connected with the fabric forming the bottom of the arch at a
slight distance from the bow by means of elastic tapes or guys, the cloth forming
the bottom of the arch being also stitched to the sleeve lining. The bows of the
arch are thus normally held in upright position by the elastic tapes, but may be
folded upward and toward the arm by the pressure of the hand or the sleeve of an
outer garment drawn over the dress sleeve, and will spring back under the tension
of the tapes to normal position when the pressure is removed.
My invention further consists in the construction hereinafter particularly
described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification;
Figure 1 is a view of a dress sleeve having an enlarged portion between the elbow.
and shoulder with the folds expanded and held in normal position by the expander,
the position of which is indicated by the dotted lines;
Figure 2 is a detail end elevation of the lower or elbow end of the expander
shown attached to the sleeve lining;
Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the expander shown attached to a portion of
the sleeve lining; and
Figure 4 is a similar view of the same shown in compressed or collapsed
position.
In the drawings, 2 represents the sleeve lining and 3 the outer fabric or sleeve
proper, the upper portion of which between the shoulder and elbow is made much
larger than the lining. A represents the expander which is adapted to be inter-
posed between the sleeve and lining and attached to the lining, as indicated in
Figure 1, at the shoulder and elbow, so as to distend or hold in puffed shape the
loose folds of the sleeve. The expander is composed of a series of U shaped bows 4
of suitable spring material such as steel, the ends being secured to the sleeve lining,
or a suitable piece of inelastic fabric adapted to be stitched to the lining, and are
covered and connected together by cloth or other inelastic fabric 5, so as to form a
hollow extended arch. The covering 5 extends beyond the bows at the top or
shoulder end, and is attached to the sleeve lining at the point of the shoulder.
The top or arched portion of the last bow, at the lower or elbow end of the

page_text: expander is connected by suitable elastic tapes or guys 6 to the bottom piece of the
arch or the sleeve lining, a short distance from the end of the bow. These tapes
have sufficient tension to normally hold the bows of the arch in upright position with
their covering drawn taut and thus serve to support and distend the folds of the
sleeve. When it is necessary to slip on an outer garment the expander may be
compressed by crowding the bows upward and toward the arm by hand, or they will
be thus compressed and collapsed by the pressure of the outer sleeve when drawn
over the dress sleeve. When the outer garment is removed the elastic tapes draw
back the bows of the arch to their normal position and the dress sleeve is thus
restored to its proper form.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A sleeve expander comprising in combination a series of inverted U shaped
bows with their ends flexibly secured to the sleeve lining, the flexible, inelastic
connection between the top of one of the bows and the shoulder part of the sleeve
lining, and elastic connection between the top of the other end bow and the sleeve
lining beyond the bow.
2. A sleeve expander comprising in combination the series of elastic inverted
Ushaped bows, the cloth covering for said bows forming a hollow arch, the inelastic
means for connecting one end of said arch to the sleeve lining, and the elastic means
for connecting the other end of the arch to the sleeve lining.
3. A sleeve expander comprising in combination a series of inverted U shaped
bows adapted to be secured to the sleeve lining, the cloth covering connecting said
bows with each other and with the shoulder part of the sleeve lining, and the elastic
tapes or guys connecting the top of the bow at the other end of the series with the
sleeve lining at or near the elbow.
Dated this 30th day of January 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.