An Improved Device or Apparatus for the Protection of Dress Pockets.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device or Apparatus for the Protection of Dress
Pockets.
I, WILLIAM HUNTER MILLER, of 8 Belvidere Terrace, Paignton, in the County
of Devon, Gentleman, 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 means or apparatus applied to dress pockets to render
access thereto difficult or impossible for persons other than the wearer, and the
object of my said invention is to apply to a pocket, an apparatus so constructed,
that it will readily, by a simple operation on the part of the wearer, either close or
open the mouth of the pocket, thereby rendering it impossible for a hand to be
inserted into the pocket when its mouth is closed.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, which forms part of this Specification
and illustrates the application of my apparatus to a ladies' dress pocket;
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, shewing the parts thereof in the
position they assume when the pocket mouth is closed.
Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation through A, A, in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a front sectional elevation shewing the parts in the position assumed
when the pocket mouth is opened, with slight modifications.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
B is a box, or case, preferably formed of metal, having a transverse stud or pin C
fixed within it, upon which are pivoted two metal arms D, D, having short pro-
jections E, E, on their upper ends. F is a horizontal plate fitting the interior
section of the box B and capable of sliding freely up and down in it, the box being
made parallel in section throughout the whole or greater part of its length for this
purpose.
The said plate F has a central aperture H, of just sufficient size to receive the
projections E, E, when the arms are in the position shewn in Fig. 1, the said pro-
jections being then side by side. A helical spring J is attached to one end of the
plate F and to one of the arms D, while a similar spring J' is attached to the other
end of the said plate and the other arm D.
This plate, with the said springs, forms a locking device in connection with the
arms D, D, for when the parts are in the position shewn in Fig. 1, the pro-
jections E, E, being within the aperture H, and the plate held down thereon by the
springs J, J, it is manifest that the arms D, D, are locked in the closed position
and until the plate F is lifted, they cannot be separated, but if the said plate is
lifted by any means until the aperture H is clear of the projections E, E, the
springs J, J, will immediately pull the arms apart into the position shewn in Fig. 3,
and the plate F being then released will rest on the ends of the said projections E, E,
allowing the arms to remain open.
To close the arms again, it is only necessary to press them together till the said
projections come under the aperture H, when the plate F will be pulled down by
the springs J, J', and automatically lock the apparatus as before.
The arms D, D, are affixed to the pocket L at, or a little below its mouth L', on
its outside, holes K, K, being formed in their ends, to receive stitches for this
purpose, but any other suitable means may be employed to secure the arms to the
pocket. The dotted lines L' in Fig. 1 represent the pocket mouth closed and in
Fix 3 onen

page_text: M is a strap, having its lower end sewn, or otherwise attached to the perforated
projections N, N, on the case B, while its upper end is sewn to the inside of the
waistband P of the dress P. By this arrangement the apparatus is hung inside
the dress skirt from the said waistband, and as the arms D, D, are attached to the
pocket, the pocket and its contents are also hung from the waistband, thus avoiding
any drag on the skirt of the dress. When sewing the projections N, N, to the
strap M, the stitches should be taken through the skirt also, to keep the apparatus
securely in position.
Various arrangements may be used for operating the locking plate F, thus in
Fig. 1, a hollow projection Q is fixed to the top of the said plate and slides through
an opening in the case B. A cord R is fixed to the top of this projection and
passes through the strap M and the skirt by means of an eyelet hole S, so arranged
as to be hidden by the gathers P² of the skirt.
The cord, which is now outside the dress, can be taken around the waistband and
have its end secured in any convenient position; or instead of bringing it outside the
dress through an eyelet hole, it may be carried round inside or under the skirt,
on a suitable guide or guides, and brought out in the front of the dress for better
protection.
To gain access to the pocket, the cord may be taken, say in the left hand, and
the right hand placed in opening of pocket and pressed down at the sanie time that
the cord is pulled by the left hand, which will cause the pocket to open, but if only.
one hand be at liberty, the cord may first be pulled and then the hand can be
passed into the pocket. To close the pocket, the wearer has only to press the
arms D, D, together, as before described.
:
As it is just possible, though not very probable, that the cord R might be operated
through the dress from the outside by a pick pocket, for greater security,the
arrangement shewn in Fig. 3 may, if desired, be adopted, viz.: two cords K', R',
attached one to each end of the plate F and connected higher up to a single cord R.
Here if one only of the said cords R¹ be pulled, the effect will merely be to jam the
plate F in the case without releasing the arms D, D; both cords must be pulled
together, which can only be properly done by pulling the upper single cord R.
The projection Q in this case is not required.
When the arms are in the closed position, shewn in Fig. 1, it is manifest that
a hand cannot enter the pocket without sufficient force being first used to break or
bend the arms, or other part of the apparatus, and this could not be done without
attracting the wearer's attention; and it is almost impossible for the pocket to be
tampered with from the outside of the dress, as the cord is so difficult to find and
hold by any other person, without the knowledge of the wearer.
Although I have shewn and described my invention as applied to a ladies' dress
pocket, and although it is more particularly intended for such purpose, I do not
necessarily confine its use to pockets of that class, as it may be modified in design
to suit other kinds of pockets, and in the case of ladies' dress pockets, I do not confine
myself to the particular mode shewn and described for attaching the apparatus to
the pocket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
'claim, is :-
1. In a pocket protecting device, pivoted arms arranged to. close. and open the
pocket mouth, and means for locking the said arms in the closed position.
2. A pocket protecting device, consisting of a case B, a pair of arms D, D, pivoted
within said case and having projectious E, E, a plate F sliding within said case and
having an aperture H to engage with said: projections E, E, and connected to said
arms D, D by means of springs J, J', a projection Q fixed to said plate F and a
cord R attached to said projection; all substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth..
:
!
3. A pocket protecting device, consisting of a case B, a pair of arms D, D pivoted

page_text: within said case and having projections E, E, a plate F sliding within said case and
having an aperture H to engage with said projections E, E and connected to said
arms D, D by means of springs J, J', cords R' R' attached to said plate F and
terminating in a single cord R, all substantially 'as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
Dated this 8th day of January 1895.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2, Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.