Dresses or the ke.
Year: 1885

page_text: Dresses or the ke.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND DISPLAYING
DRESSES OR THE LIKE" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a dress form or stand which consists of skeleton
metallic structures mounted on central standards and capable of being expanded
into a proper shape to display a skirt or other garment upon it and of being
collapsed and folded within very small compass to pack it for transportation.
Dress forms or stands have heretofore been made, in which circular series of
vertical ribs or strips are connected by stretchers with collars fitted to central
standards, and by sliding the collars on the standards, the stretchers could be
brought more or less nearly to a horizontal position to expand the forms or stands.
The object of this invention is to provide a form or stand which will have all
the advantages of those heretofore used, and which may be made and sold at a less
cost, and will be lighter and occupy less room when packed.
:
The body portion of the improved dress form or stand consists essentially of a
circular structure composed of elastic or flexible strips crossing each other
obliquely and pivotted together upon the well known lazy-tong principle, so that
it may be readily expanded or contracted. This body portion is supported by
means of stretchers which are connected with the elastic strips at their outer ends,
and at their inner ends are attached to bands or collars fitted to slide upon the
central standard. By sliding one of the collars upon the standard so that one set
of stretchers are brought more or less nearly to a horizontal position, the form
or stand is expanded into shape for use, and by sliding the collars on the central
standard so that the stretchers are brought nearly into parallelism, therewith, the
form is contracted about the standard so that it may be packed in a very small
compass for transportation. The elastic and obliquely arranged strips are pivotted
Prins 8/1
t

page_text: together at their points of intersection; and at the top of the form a circular
band is employed which may be adjusted to correspond to the size of the waist to
be fitted, and which is connected by pivotted hooks to the upper ends of the
obliquely arranged elastic strips. At the top points of intersection, the elastic
strips, instead of being simply pivotted together, are preferably provided with
slides which are adjustable upon the strips, and which are themselves pivotted
together, and by this construction the obliquely arranged and pivotted strips are
enabled to assume more readily the position required to connect the waist band
to them. The waist band or top band, which when not in use, may be laid out
straight in order to pack closely with the other parts of the form, may have an
extensible section which may be readily connected with it when it is desired to fit
a large waist, and which may be disconnected from it when it is desired to
pack the band with the form and into the same length required for the form.
وف
The main portion of the dress form or stand consists of a circular structure
composed of obliquely arranged strips which may be of spring steel, and which
are connected on the well known, lazy-tong principle so that they form a circular
structure capable of being expanded to a large size or capable of being collapsed
into a very small compass. The lower ends of these strips or, pivotted together
and they are pivotted together in the same manner at their points of intersection.
In order to connect the obliquely arranged strips at their uppermost points of
intersection, I employ clasps the edges of which are turned over so as to receive
the strips between them and slide freely on the strips, and such clasps are pivotted
together. This connection permits of the oblique strips at their uppermost points
of intersection, swinging freely on their pivots and at the same time permits of
their lengthwise movement through the clasps to make them properly self-
adjusting.
The circular body portion of the form, which is composed of the strips is sup-
ported by stretchers which are made like simple umbrella stretchers. These
stretchers are connected to the strips at those points of intersection which are in
one horizontal plane, and extend inward and are attached to collars which are.
fitted to slide upon the centre standard which latter may be made of a round rod
or a piece of tubing. The stretchers at their inner euds are connected with a
notch ring and this notch ring can turn freely on the collar. The collar at its end
portion is shouldered and a washer is secured on the opposite side of the notch
ring by rivetting over the end of the collar.
In order to oppose a slight resistance to the turning of the form on the
standard while in use, I may place between the washer and the notch ring of the
upper stretchers, a friction ring of leather india-rubber or other suitable
material.
The collars are adjustably secured in different positions on the standard by set
screws. When it is desired to have the form turn freely upon the centre standard
or rather upon the collars it is only necessary to loosen the set screw on the upper
collar and the form will then be supported by the notch ring of the lower collar,
which turns upon said collar while the upper collar and notch ring both turn
together freely on the standard. When it is desired however, to oppose a yielding
resistance to the turning of the dress form, the upper collar may be fastened to
the centre standard by its set-screw, and both the upper and lower notch ringe
will then turn on their collars, the packing ring of the upper collar opposing a
frictional resistance to the turning of the upper ring and of the dress form or
stand.
In order to complete the upper end of the form or stand I employ a waist band
or strip which may be of steel and has at one end a clip or slide into which the
opposite end may be inserted when it is bent into a circular form.
A band which is only the length of the dress form when collapsed, and which
can be packed without waste of room may be sufficient to span the largest waist
and I therefore provide an extensible band portion which may be connected
with the main band by means of a button or stud in the former; fitting a peg-hol

page_text: slot in the latter, so as to form a band long enough to span the largest waist.
I prefer to divide the band into inches and fractions thereof, or other units of
length, so that the band may be employed as a measure.
When it is desired to adjust the form or stand for use, and after the body has
been expanded, the band is bent into circular form and is placed outside the
extreme upper ends of the obliquely arranged strips, and is then held or confined
thereon by hooks which are pivotted to the upper ends of the strips, and are
adapted to be swung over to embrace the top edge of the band. These hooks may
be readily sprung away from the band, when it is desired to remove it, and as
readily engaged therewith when it is desired to place the band in position.
The standard is sometimes provided with a three-legged tripod. This tripod
consists essentially of a conical base portion screwed fast, or otherwise secured
upon the lower end of the standard and of three legs, which are pivotted to the
conical base portion or centre. These legs when thus pivotted may be swung up
into positions parallel with the standard or swung downward into positions
divergent therefrom.
In order to hold the legs locked in either of the two positions, a locking plate
may be used which is free to slide on a pin or rod forming an extension of the
standard and which is pressed upward constantly by a spring. This plate has
notches which are coincident with the legs and hold them in either of their two
positions. When the legs are to be adjusted from one position to another, it is
only necessary to press downward on the plate in order to free its -notches from
the leg, the leg may then be turned on its pivot until the notch again springs into
engagement with it to hold it in its new position.
OL
AT
100-
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Apparatus for Supporting and Displaying
Dresses or the like.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & C° Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 a dress form or stand which consists of a skeleton
metallic structure mounted on a central standard, and capable of being expanded
into a proper shape to display a skirt or other garment upon it, and of being
collapsed and folded within very small compass to pack it for transportation.
Dress forms or stands have heretofore been made, in which circular series of
vertical ribs or strips are connected by stretchers with collars fitted to central
standards, and by sliding the collars on the standards, the stretchers could be
brought more or less nearly to a horizontal position to expand the forms or
stands.
The object of this invention is to provide a form or stand which will have all
the advantages of those heretofore used, and which may be made and sold at a less
cost, and will be lighter and occupy less room when packed.
The body portion of the improved dress form or stand consists essentially of a
circular structure composed of elastic or flexible strips crossing each other obliquely
and pivotted together upon the well known lazy-tong principle, so that it may be
readily expanded or contracted. This body portion is supported by means of
stretchers which are connected with the elastic strips at their outer ends, and at
their inner ends are attached to bands or collars fitted to slide upon the central
standard. By sliding one of the collars upon the standard so that one set of
stretchers is brought more or less nearly to a horizontal position, the form or stand
is expanded into shape for use, and by sliding the collars on the central standard
so that the stretchers are brought nearly into parallelism therewith the form is
contracted about the standard so that it may be packed in a very small compass
for transportation. The elastic and obliquely arranged strips are pivotted together
at their points of intersection; and at the top of the form a circular band is
employed which may be adjusted to correspond to the size of the waist to be fitted,
and which is connected by pivotted hooks to the upper ends of the obliquely
arranged elastic strips. At the top points of intersection, the elastic strips, instead
of. being simply pivotted together, are preferably provided with slides which are
adjustable upon the strips, and which are themselves pivotted together, and by this
construction the obliquely arranged and pivotted strips are enabled to assume more
readily the position required to connect the waistband to them. The waist band
or top band, which when not in use, may be laid out straight in order to pack
closely with the other parts of the form, may have an extensible section which may
be readily connected with it when it is desired to fit a large waist, and which may
.

page_text: The Batongen required for
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 represents an elevation of the improved dress form or stand expanded
for use.
Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof in an expanded position.
Figure 3 represents the form or stand folded and in condition for packing in close
compass.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the two portions of the elastic band which are employed
for the waist band of the form or stand.
Figure 6 is an elevation upon a larger scale of the upper portion of several
oblique elastic strips and a portion of the band with which they are connected.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of the waist band and the upper portion of one
of the obliquely arranged strips also showing a hook whereby the two are
connected.
Figure 8 is a sectional view upon the same scale as figures 6 and 7 of the
pivotted and adjustable connection which is employed between the intersecting
oblique strips at their upper ends.
Figure 9 represents a portion of the centre standard and a vertical section of
one of the collars with which the stretchers are connected upon the same large
scale.
Figure 10 represents a sectional elevation of a portion of the tripod on which
the centre standard is supported; and
Figure 11 is a plan of a locking plate employed in the tripod and hereinafter
described.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
The main portion of the dress form or stand consists of a circular structure
composed of obliquely arranged strips A which may be of spring steel, and which
are connected on the well known lazy-tongs principle so that they form a circular
structure capable of being expanded to a large size as shown in Figures 1 and 2,
or capable of being collapsed into a very small compass as shown in Figure 3. The
lower ends of these strips are pivotted together at a, and they are pivotted together
in the same manner at their points of intersection a.
In order to connect the obliquely arranged strips at their uppermost points of
intersection I have represented clasps b, the edges of which are turned over so as
to receive the strips between them and slide freely on the strips, as shown in
Figures 6 and 8, and such clasps are pivotted together at a¹. This connection
permits of the oblique strips A, at their uppermost points of intersection, swinging
freely on their pivots a¹, and at the same time permits of their length wise movement
through the clasps b to make them properly self-adjusting.
The circular body portion of the forin, which is composed of the strips A is sup-
ported by stretchers B, C, which are made like simple umbrella stretchers, as best
shown in figures 1 and 2. These stretchers are connected to the strips A, at those
points of intersection which are in one horizontal plane, and extend inward and
are attached to collars D, which are fitted to slide upon the centre standard E,
which latter may be made of a round rod or a piece of tubing. The stretchers B, C,
at their inner ends are connected with a notch-ring c, as shown in figure 9, and
this notch-ring can turn freely on the collar D. As represented in Figure 9, the
collar at its end portion is shouldered, as at d, and a washer, d', is secured on the
opposite side of the notch ring c by rivetting over the end of the collar.
In order to oppose a slight resistance to the turning of the form on the
standard E, while in use, I may place between the washer d¹ and the notch ring c,
of the upper stretchers B, a friction ring d², of leather india-rubber or other suitable
material as shown in figure 9.
The collars D are adjustably secured in different positions on the standard E by
set-screws e as best shown in figure 9. When it is desired to have the form or stand

page_text: turn freely upon the centre standard E or rather upon the collars D, it is only
necessary to loosen the set-screw on the upper collar and the form or stand will
then be supported by the notch ring c of the lower collar which turns upon said
collar while the upper collar and notch-ring both turn together freely on the
standard. When it is desired, however to oppose a yielding resistance to the
turning of the dress stand the upper collar D, may be fastened to the centre
standard by its set-screw c, and both the upper and lower notch rings c will then
turn on their collars, the packing ring d of the upper collar, opposing a frictional
resistance to the turning of the upper ring c and the dress form or stand.
In order to complete the upper end of the form or stand I employ a waist band
or strip F which may be of steel and has at one end a clip or slide finto which the
opposite end may be inserted when it is bent into a circular form. This band F
is shown in its straight condition in figure 4 and as bent into circular form in
figures 1 and 2.
A band which is only the length of the dress form when collapsed, and which
can be packed without waste of room, may not be sufficient to span the largest
waists, and I therefore provide an extensible band portion F¹, shown in figure 5
which may be connected with the main band F by means of a button or stud f¹ in
the former, fitting a key-hole slot in the latter, so as to form a band long enough
to span the largest waist.
I prefer to divide the band F into inches and fractions thereof, or other units of
length, as shown in Figure 4, so that the band may be employed as a measure.
When it is desired to adjust the form or stand for use and after the body has
been expanded as shown in Figure 1, the band F is bent into circular form, and is
placed outside the extreme upper ends of the obliquely arranged strips A, and is
then held or confined thereon by hooks g, which are pivotted at g', to the upper
ends of the strips A, and are adapted to be swung over to embrace the top edge
of the band F, as shown best in figures 6 and 7. These hooks g may be readily
sprung away from the band when it is desired to remove it, and as readily engaged
therewith when it is desired to place the band in position.
I have shown the standard E as provided with a three-legged tripod which is
not included in the present invention, but which is shown in order to illustrate a
complete structure. This tripod consists essentially of a conical base portion E¹;
screwed fast or otherwise secured upon the lower of the standard E and three
legs G, which are pivotted at h to the conical base portion or centre E. These
legs when thus pivotted may be swung up into positions parallel with the
standard E, or swung downward into positions divergent therefrom.
In order to hold the legs locked in either of the two positions, I have shown a
locking plate H, which is free to slide on a pin or rod I, forming an extension of
the standard E and which is pressed upward constantly by the spring h¹ as shown
in Figure 10. As best shown in Figure 11 this plate has notches h which are
coincident with the legs G and hold them in either of their two positions. When
the legs are to be adjusted from one position to another, it is only necessary to
press downward on the plate H in order to free its notches h² from the leg the leg
may then be turned on its pivot h, until the notch h³ again springs into engagement
with it to bold it in its new position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my Foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is,
First. A dress form or stand consisting of a circular body portion composed of
obliquely arranged elastic ribs or strips pivotted together at their points of inter-
section, stretchers connected with the strips at their outer ends and at their
inner ends secured to bands or collars, a central standard on which said bands
or collars are adjustable, and a circular band portion connected with the upper
ends of the obliquely arranged strips; substantially as and for the purpose herein
described,

page_text: Second. The combination with the obliquely arranged strips pivotted together
at their points of intersection and a circular band portion at the top of the form
or stand of books pivotted to the upper ends of the obliquely arranged strips and
adapted to engage the upper edge of the band portion; substantially as, and for
the purpose, herein described.
Third. The combination with the obliquely arranged strips pivotted together
at their points of intersection and adjustable lengthwise at their upper ends in
slides b which are pivotted together, of a circular band portion connected with the
upper ends of the obliquely arranged strips; substantially as, and for the purpose,
herein described.
Fourth. The combination with the obliquely arranged strips A, pivotted together
at their points of intersection and connected at their upper ends by slides b which
are pivotted together, of a circular band F, and the pivotted hooks g, whereby the
upper ends of the obliquely arranged strips are connected with said band; sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose, herein described.
Fifth. The combination with the obliquely arranged strips A, pivotted together
at their points of intersection, of an elastic band F, consisting of a strip provided
with an attachable and detachable extension F' and means whereby the band with
or without its extension is connected with the upper ends of the obliquely arranged
strips; substantially as, and for the purpose, herein described.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.