Year: 1895

page_text: WILLIAM ARTHUR THORNTON Belper House Wetherby Yorkshire Draper,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention hereafter known as an attachment consist of four chains fastened
to another and longer length of chain (having rings at intervals) terminating in a
suitable hook. The free ends of the four shorter chains are provided with rings
or eyes, and are sewn to the back width of the skirt (preferably on the inner side)
the two outer chains on or near the seams, and the two others at equal distances
towards the centre. The hook is sewn to the waistband. To raise the skirt the
band is inserted in the plaquet division and the first or succeeding ring is placed
upon the hook according to the height required to raise the skirt.
The attachment may be provided with spring hooks or safety pins, so as to be
detachable from the skirt or with hooks provided with points or spikes, so as to be
fixed to the skirt without sewing. The four shorter chains may be fastened to the
other length of chain by means of a ring, or triangle (when in the latter case a
direct strain is provided for) of metal or other suitable material. Other suitable
material may be used for the attachment instead of chains if desired such as cord,
binding, galoon, or wire.
Dated this 11th day of March 1895.
Attachment o
3333
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR THORNTON, of Belper House, Wetherby, in the
County of York, Draper, 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 attachments for readily raising ladies' dress skirts (herein-
after termed the skirt) a suitable distance from the ground for walking, tennis, golf,
and like purposes. It consists essentially in fastening a number, say for example
four, chains (or their equivalents, such as cord, binding, galoon, wire, or the like)
to a suspensory chain (or its equivalent) having a number of enlarged links or
rings at intervals and suitably connected at one end to a hook. The ends of the
first named chains are sewn, or otherwise fastened, to the inside of the skirt at the
back thereof whilst the above nained book is sewn or otherwise fixed to the waist
band of the skirt, whereby the suspensory chain may be shortened by the wearer
for raising the skirt by simply passing her hand through the placket division of the
skirt and lifting the first or succeeding ring until it is in a position to be placed
upon the book thereby adjusting the shirt to the required length.

page_text: In the drawi
Figs. 1 and 2 are a side and end elevation of one form of the attachment for
raising dress skirts.
Fig. 3 an elevation of another form of carrying my invention into practice.
Fig. 4 a back view showing the application of this invention to a lady's dress
skirt, a portion of the material of which is removed for more clearly showing the
position of the attachment when fixed and the means of adjusting it.
A is the dress skirt shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1 and in full lines at Fig. 4.
A' the seams of the skirt and B the waist band of the same, all of which are of
ordinary construction.
The attachment for raising the skirt is constructed as follows:-
A number say for example four as shown in the drawings, of chains, cords, or
lengths of wire, galoon, binding, or the like, or a combination of two or more of
them, all of which are termed and included in the term the chains C, D, E and F.
In practice I prefer using chains as shown in the drawings. To the lower ends of
the chains C, D, E, and F are fixed rings G (as at Figs. 1 and 2) or hooks H (as
shown at Fig. 3) by which the said chains are sewn (as at Figs. 1 and 4) to the
back width, hereafter termed the back, of the inside of the skirt, that is to say the
rings G on ends of chains C and F inay be sewn on or near the seams A¹ and
the rings G on the ends of chains D and E are sewn at or about equal distances
apart, that is about centrally, between the ends of the outer chains. But when
the attachment is required to be detachable from the skirt then ordinary hooks H
or their equivalents are employed which are made to engage with eyes I, or loops
sewn, (in a similar position to rings G), or otherwise fixed to the inside of the skirt
alsó at the back.
The chains C and F are preferably (though not necessarily so), made longer
than E, D, and when they are applied to a lined skirt, the stitches or other
fastening device, by which the rings G or eyes 1 are fixed to the inside of the said
lining, are arranged also at these points to secure the outer material of the skirt
and its lining together. The upper ends of the chains C, D, E and F are secured
to an enlarged link or ring J, as shown at Fig. 1, or triangle K, (see Fig. 3), or
to a bar or its equivalent, when, in the case of a triangle or bar K, a direct strain
is provided for. To the ring J or triangle K is secured one end of a single
suspensory chain L-having one or more enlarged links or rings M, preferably
split or other rings, arranged at intervals whilst its opposite end is secured to a
hook N by any suitable means, such as passing the hook N through the top link of
the suspensory chain L; or by connecting the said link of the latter to a ring 0,
as shown at Fig. 3, secured to the book, or the suspensory chain L and the
hook N may be separate and distinct, in which case the top link of the suspensory
chain L will require to be sewn or otherwise fixed to the waistband B.
In the drawings at Fig. 1 I have shown one ring M and at Fig. 3 three rings M
interposed in the length of the suspensory chain L between its top link and the ring J
or triangle K, whereby when either of the rings M are raised and passed over the
book N the skirt will be correspondingly raised froin the ground and its length
adjusted.
For some classes of skirts it may be found advisable to attach the chains C and F
to the ring M, as shown by dotted lines at Fig. 1, and the chains D and E to ring J
for more readily raising the skirt.
The hook N is sewn or otherwise fixed to the waistband B in such a position
that when the skirt is in use the hook N will be at the back of the wearer as
shown at Fig. 4.
When desired the hooks herein before mentioned may be provided with points or
spikes whereby they may be attached to the waistband B or other parts of the
skirt A without sewing.
...
To raise the skirt A the hand is inserted in the placket hole or division Pas
shown at Fig. 4 and the first or succeeding ring M, or even ring J may be used for

page_text: this purpose, is placed upon the hook N according to the height required to which
the skirt is to be raised.
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 :-
An attachment for raising ladies' dress skirts substantially such as herein
described, consisting essentially of a number of chains such as C, D, E, F fixed
at one of their ends by rings or hooks and eyes to the inside of the back of the
skirt whilst their opposite ends are secured to an enlarged link or ring such as J,
of a single suspensory chain such as L, said suspensory chain being connected
at its upper end to a hook such as N fixed to the waistband B, and provided with
one or more enlarged links or rings such as M interposed between the said ring J
and hook N for adjusting the length of the suspensory chain L and skirt A,—all
combined and arranged in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated.
Dated this Eighth day of January 1896.
WILLIAM ARTHUR THORNTON.