AN IMPROVE- MENT IN TUR MANTIRACHUTE OR CRINOLINE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Cook, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN TUR MANTIRACHUTE OR CRINOLINE"
Sealed the 8th March 1861, and dated the 25th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Cook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
October 1860.
I, HENRY COOK, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CRINOLINE," to be as follows:-
My Invention of an improvement in the manufacture of crinoline consists.
in constructing the material in a wavy form, thus
instead*
of perfectly flat as is now the case. By this means when the crinoline is
formed into rings, and made up in the usual manner, the folds of the dress will'
fall gracefully over the wavy line, instead of being bulged out and broken by
the flat unbroken curves of the present fashion of crinoline.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Cook in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
Cook, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Cook, Her special license that I, the said Henry Cook, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Cook, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CRINOLINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Cook, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately.
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Cook, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
My Invention of "An Improvement in the Manufacture of Crinoline"
consists in constructing this material in a wavy form, thus
instead of perfectly flat as is now the case. By this means when the crinoline is
formed into rings, and made up in the usual manner, the folds of the dress will.
full gracefully over the wavy line, instead of being bulged out and broken by
the flat unbroken curves of the present fashion of crinoline.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a petticoat
framing constructed of crinoline steel made according to my Invention; Fig. 21
is a plan view of the same, shewing the wavy outline of the rings of crinoline
of which the petticoat framing is mainly composed.
a; a, a, are the rings, which, in the Drawing, are eleven in number, but any
larger or smaller number may be used if desired. The crinoline rings are
sustained in their place by means of tapes or bands b, b, attached at their
upper ends to the uppermost ring a', and at the bottom to the lowermost
ring a". It will be seen on referring to the plan view that the curves or
waves in all the crinoline rings are proportionate to the diameter of the ring,
but are all of the same character, and constructed on the same principle.

page_text: I will now explain in what way I proceed in order to obtain or produce the.
curves shewn in the plan view, and which I conceive. to be the curves which
will impart a graceful and flowing appearance to an outer garment when
supported by a petticoat framing constructed of crinoline of. the description:
shewn in the Drawing. I first decide the number of rings which I.intend to
use, and the diameter which it is proposed to give to the largest or lowermost
one. These rings, which are of gradually decreasing diameter, are suspended
equidistant from each other on tapes or cords attached by their ends to the.
topmost and lowermost rings. Having fixed the diameter which it is proposed
to give to the rings between the top and bottom of the petticoat, I carefully
strike on a board, and from one common centre, a number of circles of the
desired diameters and required numbers, as shewn by the red circles in Fig. 2.
The next thing is to determine the number of waves which it is intended to.
give to the rings throughout their circumference. This settled, the circles are:
Ito be divided by radial lines into the required number of parts,.say, twelve, as.
indicated by the blue lines in Fig. 2. The intersections of these radial blue:
lines with the concentric circles or red lines already made will give the central
points of the salient curves of all the rings. The spaces between the blue,
radial lines are then divided into two equal parts, and other radial lines are
drawn from the centre to the circumference, as indicated by the black lines..
The spaces between the blue and black radial lines are further divided into.
equal parts, and other radial lines are drawn from the centre to the cir-
cumference, as indicated by the yellow lines, which will indicate the limits or
extremities of the salient curves. These salient curves are produced by
placing one leg of the compass on the point of intersection a¹ of the blue
radial lines with the red circles, and opening the compass to the distance
between a¹ and a", then striking a curve, which will extend to the yellow
radial lines on each side of the centre. All the other salient curves in all the
rings are of the same radius, but are limited in length by the yellow radial
lines. The re-entering curves are produced by commencing with the same
length of radius, and placing the stationary leg of the compass on the point of
intersection between the black radial lines and the outermost circle a". The
extremities of a re-entering curve produced in this manner will be found to
join the extremities of the outermost salient curves produced in the manner
just explained; and in order to produce the re-entering curves of the other
rings it will only be necessary to keep the stationary leg on the same point
and open the compasses so as to join the extremities of the adjacent or
neighbouring salient curves. It will thus be seen that the re-entering curves
of each flute of the petticoat are all struck from the same centre, and con-

page_text: sequently as they approach the central: or waist part of the petticoat, they
become flatter and flatter. The wavy or curved rings of crinoline are secured
to the vertical bands or tapes by sewing; or in any other convenient manner,
such as that now adopted in analogous cases.
..I would here observe, that although I have given a detailed explanation of
the manner in which I propose to generate the curves or waves of the
crinoline, and which I consider will give the most satisfactory and graceful
result, I do not mean or intend to confine myself to these or any particular
curves, as the size, number, and arrangement of these curves or waves must
be left in some measure to individual taste. I will only say, therefore, that in
order to impart a graceful and easy flow to the outer robe or garment, I
consider it advisable to proportion the curves or waves to the increasing or
diminishing diameter of the rings of crinoline. The desired wavy or curved
appearance may be given to the crinoline steel either by dies of the required
form, or by passing it when in a suitable state between corrugated rollers, and
afterwards hardening and tempering it in the usual manner..
Having now described my Invention of an improvement in the manufacture
of crinoline, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,.
I claim as my Invention, under the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, making crinoline or steel for the manufacture of petticoats of a wavy
or curved form, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness;
S. RENDALL, Sol.,
Overstone Terrace, Cheetham Hill,
Manchester.
HENRY COOK. (L.S.)