CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR COVERING STRIP STEEL OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE MAKING OF CRINOLINE SKIRTS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE SAME MAY BE APPLICABLE, AND WHICH SAME TREATMENT OR COVERING MAY BE USED FOR TRIMMING OR STRENGTHENING CERTAIN PARTS OF LADIES' DRESSES
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Tolson and Charles
Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 3rd January 1863.
We, WILLIAM TOLSON, Smallware Manufacturer, of Fazeley, in the County
of Stafford, and CHARLES BROWN, Weaver, also of Fazeley, aforesaid, do.
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING OR COVERING STRIP STEEL OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE
MAKING OF CRINOLINE SKIRTS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE SAME
MAY BE APPLICABLE, AND WHICH SAME TREATMENT OR COVERING MAY BE USED FOR
TRIMMING OR STRENGTHENING CERTAIN PARTS OF LADIES' DRESSES," to be as
follows (that is to say) :-
The object of our Invention is to cover strips of steel or other suitable
material for crinolines in such a way as first to provide the means (by forming
a selvedge) for sewing such covered material to the material or fabric of the
skirt to which it may be attached, the covering being effected in any suitable
material or variety of colour, and may be done with great dispatch, so as to
ensure harmony; secondly, to disguise the effect of the hoop-like appearance
in crinoline skirts by weaving or producing in the loom, at the time of covering
the material or otherwise, an additional broad flounce, frill, or other orna-
mental border, to extend down below the covered steel or other suitable
material that may be used; thirdly, in enclosing two or more strips of steel or
other material, the same being placed at suitable distances apart, the inter-
mediate space being occupied with a woven fabric of any material or colour,

page_text: so as to form what is technically called a "fulling," and which may be made
with an outer selvedge on both edges, or frill, fringe, flounce, or other orna-
mental border on one or both edges, as preferred. Material thus wove or
otherwise produced with a double fabric for encasing the material used for
extending the garment may be sold with or without the crinoline steel or
material, the same being subsequently applied when completing or making a
crinoline skirt; and by the same rule it may be withdrawn from the garment,
when required, for the convenience of washing and ironing. We have not
thought it necessary to describe the process in detail of production, as it will
be understood by workpeople accustomed to such productions, and matters not
whether wove in a single or extended loom, so that six or eight pieces of steel
or other material (more or less) may be woven with the additions herein-
before stated at each operation of the shuttle carrier carrying backwards and
forwards the desired wefts, the warps being arranged with cords or otherwise,
according to the design required, as also with elastic threads (for contraction
after the fabric has been. wove) to produce the "fulling" herein-before named;
or the same result or effect may be otherwise obtained. Fabrics thus wove
may be used extensively for fulling, flouncings, and trimmings for dresses and
other articles of female apparel, when required, without the use of steel
or other stiffening material; or in the place of the steel a cord could be
inserted or set up with the warp and covered by being woven in or otherwise
united.