AN IMPROVED AUTOMATON LAY FIGURE
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
July 1865. A communication from abroad by Pierre Gallibert, of 39,
Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
AUTOMATON LAY FIGURE," (a communication to me fiom abroad by Pierro
Gallibert, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France), to be as follows -
The principle of this Invention consists in composing the automaton lay
figure of various pieces brought together, fitting into each other, and forming
in their union the automaton statue; these pieces are divided according to the
natural indication of the various movements of the human body, so that each
one remaining immoveable their reciprocal action permits all the natural move-
ments, and even a certain exaggeration of these movements, which is sometimes
necessary to artists for better posturing the draped figure. The play of these
several parts is obtained by the disposition, sometimes rounded, sometimes
juxtaposited, of the various parts, which permits them to enter, more or less,
the one within the other, or only to inflect on the points of junction. This
manner of obtaining the movements offers the advantage of producing only
gentle and natural flexions, while on the contrary the lay figures with ball or
hinge joints have necessarily a stiffness detrimental to the postures, and rendering
the greater number impossible.

page_text: In constructing the lay figure, the subject of this Invention, firstly, the
pasteboard or other material of which the form is made or moulded is stronger
than usual, in order that the assistance of the ordinary inner framing may be
dispensed with; secondly, the exterior and posterior part of the torso, as well
as the fore part of the thighs, are strengthened with flat metal bands having
longitudinal grooves intended to sustain the postures in case of inflexions
by means of small nuts which arrest their play, thirdly, the interior framing
is reduced to a part seated in the pelvis and intended principally to fix
the lay figure to a mechanical stand, it also serves as support to the lower
membranes; fourthly, the outer stand is furnished with a crank and apparatus
by which all the natural postures may be given other than those of a man
seated or lying down.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing forming part of this Provisional
Specification Figure 1 is a particular posture of this improved lay figure
on its foot, shewing that it is possible to give to all parts of the body any
required position; Figure 2 partial anatomical separation of the constitutive
parts of the lay figure; Figure 3 stand on which the lay figure rests.
A, A, iron held on the torso A, and by which the stand iron No. 1 upholds
the lay figure; B wooden working piece, through which passes the pin D,
holding the leg, C, C, C, C, C, steel or iron plates to sustain all the move-
ments in tightening with a bolt The pelvis should ride on the rod No. 1 of
the stand. The bolt must pass through the No. 1 of the pelvis and No. 1
of the iron rod. No 2 upholds the torso, or causes it to incline by loosening
the bolt. Nos. 3 and 4 serve to enclose the torso and retain it in the given
posture, it rises or lowers. When the posture is obtained the bolt must
be tightened. No 5 is a piece to which all the irons hold, when it is
desued to bend from the hips it must be inclined, it may also be lowered
for kneeling by unscrewing the screw No. 8. No. 6 is the crank which
serves for raising and lowering, and No. 7 is a cord which upholds the iron rod
No. 1.