IMPROVEMENTS IN DUMMIES STANDS OR SUPPORTS FOR FITTING OR DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF DRESS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the
County of Middlesex Gentleman for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DUMMIES STANDS OR SUPPORTS FOR FITTING OR DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF
DRESS communicated to him from Emilie Merle and Apollonie Merle persons
"
resident at Paris in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th November 1883.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Ian Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN DUMMIES STANDS OR SUPPORTS FOR FITTING OR
DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF DRESS a communication from Emilie Merle and
Apollonie Merle persons resident at Paris in the Republic of France
"
The object of this Invention is to provide a dummy stand or support for fitting
or displaying articles of dress the said dummy stand or support being capable of
being altered or adjusted in size or shape to correspond to different forms or
figures thereby obviating the necessity for employing a large number of dummies
stands or supports of different patterns or sizes.
In carrying out this Invention the principal adjustment is effected by means of
a screwed shaft capable of being rotated by any suitable means such as by a hand
wheel fixed on the protruding end thereof the said shaft being guided at its
upper part by a ring or collar supported by a central tube mounted on a stand
supporting the figure or dummy. The upper part or bust of the dummy is
preferably made in segments forming two pairs and one flat block-These parts
are connected together at the neck by flexible bands preferably of steel secured
between a ring carried by the central tube and an outer ring of leather or
equivalent materials The two pairs of segments are also connected at the shoulders
by a small hinge
In order to enable the said segments to be moved inwards or outwards the
screwed shaft is provided with right handed and left handed screws which when
the said shaft is rotated serve to draw an upper and a lower nut closer together or
to force them apart according to the direction in which the screws are turned
[Pro I

page_text: These nuts are guided vertically by a slot or slots in the tube the extremities of
the said slot or slots acting as stops for the nuts when the four segments have been
forced outwards to the fullest extent
To one of the two hereinbefore mentioned nuts are jointed the extremities of
forked rods connected at their opposite extremities to the lower part of the bust or
front segments by brackets having suitable eyes for the reception of the joint
pins-The other of the said two nuts is connected in like manner by rods to the
segments which form the back of the dummy
In order that the bust may expand and contract regularly and in proper
proportion the screws are preferably made with different pitches so as to cause the
figure or dummy to expand in accordance with the actual proportions of the
human body.
In order to facilitate taking measurements of the figure a species of chain is
carried entirely round the lower part of the bust being composed of a lattice work
of crossed plates preferably of steel arranged in the manner of lazy tongs and
connected to the bust at the points where they cross one another to strips or wires
forming a cage corresponding to the outline of the lower portion of the figure being
supported by suitable hoops or rings-A belt or girdle graduated in inches for
example enables the circumference of the figure to be accurately measured When
the segments of the bust are expanded to the fullest extent somewhat wide gaps
are opened between them which are preferably covered by an elastic web laced to
the guided segments and supported at the breast by the flat block herein before
described and the natural regular and unbroken outline of the figure is thus
preserved
The apparatus is supported by the central tube or stem herein before referred to
which is provided with a screw thread at its lower part enabling it to be raised or
lowered by turning a hand wheel or nut bearing on the stand and working on the
said screw thread and the said tube or stem may be fixed in any desired position
by means of a suitable pinching screw working in the stand or base

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Patent Office on the 12th May 1884.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN DUMMIES, STANDS, OR SUPPORTS FOR FITTING OR
DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF DRESS a communication to me from Emilie Merle
and Apollonie Merle persons resident in Paris in the Republic of France.
"
The object of this Invention is to provide a dummy, stand or support for fitting
or displaying articles of dress the said dummy stand or support being capable of
being altered or adjusted in size or shape to correspond to different forms or
figures thereby obviating the necessity for employing a large number of dummies
stands or supports of different patterns or sizes
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation partly in section of a
dress stand support or dummy constructed according to this Invention the section
being taken along the line X Y Figure 4.
Figure 2 is a front elevation and Figure 3 a side elevation of the upper portion
showing the bust expanded to its fullest extent.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of the underside of the bust in the contracted and
expanded positions respectively
The principal adjustment of the figure is effected by means of a screwed shaft A
capable of being rotated by any suitable means such as by a hand wheel B fixed
on the protruding end thereof the said shaft being guided at its upper part by a
ring or collar g supported by a central tube C mounted on a suitable foot piece D.
The upper part or bust is preferably divided into four segments the two of
which marked E E' constitute the front of the dummy and two others marked F F¹
form the back.
A flat block El is arranged between the front segments E E¹ (see figures 4
and 5) The segments E E F F and the block Eu are connected to the neck
portion by flexible bands e preferably of steel secured between a ring G (preferably
of wood) carried by the tube C and an outer ring g¹ of leather or equivalent
materials.
The two pairs of segments are also connected at the shoulders by a small
hinge e¹ (figure 3). In order to enable the said segments to be moved inwards or
outwards so as to contract or expand the figure the screwed shaft A is provided
with a right-handed screw a' and a left handed screw as which when the said
shaft is rotated serve to draw closer together or to force apart (according to the
direction in which the screws a² a³ are turned) two nuts H H (sliding in the
tube C). These nuts are guided vertically by a slot or slots in the tube C
the extremities of the said slot or slots acting as stops for the nuts when the
segments have been forced outwards to the fullest extent. To the nut H are
jointed the extremities of three small forked rods I I' I" similarly connected at
their opposite extremities to the lower part of the bust or front segments E E¹ and
the block E by brackets J J1 J1 having suitable eyes for engaging with the
extremities of the rods L. The nut H¹ is connected in like manner by two
rods K K¹ to the segments F F¹ which form the back of the dummy stand or
support.

page_text: In order that the bust may be expanded and contracted regularly and in proper
proportion the screw a¹ is preferably made of a quicker pitch than the screw a so
as to cause the figure or dummy to expand more quickly at the breast than at the
back and thus obtain an effect in accordance with the actual proportions of the
human body.
In order to facilitate taking measurements of the figure a species of chain L is
carried entirely round the lower part of the bust the said chain being composed of
a lattice work preferably of crossed plates or their equivalents preferably of steel
arranged in the manner of lazy tongs and connected to the bust. At the points
where these plates cross one another they are connected to strips or wires M
forming a cage or frame corresponding to the outline of the lower portion of the
figure the said strips or wires being guided about midway by two hoops N N¹ and
supported at their lower extremities by a third hoop N2. A belt or girdle O
graduated or marked off in inches for example enables the girth or circumference of
the figure to be accurately measured. When the segments of the bust are expanded
to the fullest extent as shown in figures 2, 3 and 5 somewhat wide gaps are opened
between them which are preferably covered by an elastic p laced to eylets P
attached to the segments the front elastic being supported at the breast by the
block E2 and the natural outline of the figure is thus preserved.
The apparatus is supported by the central tube or stem C which is provided
with a screw thread at its lower part enabling it to be raised or lowered by turning
a nut Q provided with a hand wheel Q' and bearing on the tripod D. A pinching
screw m in the side of the stand D enables the central tube C to be rigidly
fixed in any desired position.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is:―
First: The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the adjustable
dummy stand or support substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second: In dummies stands or supports for the purposes described an upper
part or bust constructed in segments and capable of being operated substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Third-In combination with dummies stands or supports for the purposes
described the employment of what has been hereinbefore termed the lazy-tongs
arrangement carried by the upper part of the dummy and having attached thereto
the strips or wires of the lower portion of the dummy so that the said upper and
lower portions expand and contract in unison substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this ninth day of May One thousand eight hundred and
eighty four.