Improvements in Ladies' Cycling Skirts.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1897
Improvements in Ladies' Cycling Skirts.
I, WILLIAM FLETCHER, of No. 10 Princes Street, Hanover Square, in the
Administrative County of London, and also of Windsor, in the County of Berks,
Ladies' Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in ladies' cycling skirts. In carrying it
into effect, the skirt is cut full enough behind to fall in a pair of overlapping folds
from the centre of the band to the hem. The intermediate portion of the skirt is
therefore full and concealed and is prolonged to the front so as to form a saddle
cover. The front of the saddle cover is provided with a strap by which it can be
drawn comfortably close up into the fork and made fast in the front of the wearer.
The said front of the saddle cover is tapered and shaped off accordingly to be a
comfortable fit. The prolongation is suitably lined, or has otherwise amalgamated
with it, soft material such as chamois. The band in question is elastic so as to
yield to the motion of the wearer's limbs or body on the saddle.
The prolongation above mentioned is, preferably, fairly of the material of the
skirt, but it may be an addendum. In either case, it is a feature of the present
invention, that as the wearer's hips settle down on the saddle, they hold down
thereupon not any portion of the skirt, but the prolongation.
The skirt is cut down from the band on one side, say ou the left, for a suitable
distance, and fitted with buttons and button holes, or an equivalent fastening
combination. There is, or may be, a second cut on the opposite side real or
dummy, with which a pocket is combined.
I prefer that the top band be independent of the front portion of the top of the
skirt between the cuts mentioned in the last paragraph, and be provided with a
suitable fastening device, such as a buckle. This arrangement makes the said
front portion a fall down flap adapted to give convenient access to the prolongation
strap above mentioned.
Dated this 25th day of February 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, WILLIAM FLETCHER of No. 10 Princes Street, Hanover Square, in the
Administrative County of London, and also of Windsor, in the County of Berks,
Ladies' Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-

page_text: It consists in the combination with the skirt of a fullness sufficient to provide
material for a prolongation to the front adapted to fit within and up to the fork of
the wearer and to therefore serve as a cover for the saddle. In consequence of it
serving as a cover for the saddle, no portion of the skirt proper is held down to the
saddle by the wearer's hips as they settle down upon it..
Referring to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as part of this
specification and read therewith :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved skirt made according to the present
invention; and
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same skirt shewing the prolongation fixed in
position and the front flap down and waiting to be buttoned up.
The prolongation above mentioned is, preferably, fairly of the material of the
skirt, but it may be an addendum. It is shewn as such in the figures.
a is the skirt. It is cut full enough behind to fall in a pair of overlapping
folds a' from the centre of the band as to the bottom hem a¹.
b is the intermediate piece. It is-shewn as joined to the skirt by the seams b¹
likewise extending from the band a down to the hem a¹.
c-is the prolongation or saddle cover. It is formed out of the material of the
intermediate piece bby cutting the latter in two halves of the proper contour and
seaming them together. After the two halves have been sewn together, the
prolongation is double throughout, starting from each half of the said intermediate
piece b passing through the fork and fitting up into it. So that when the skirt is
on the wearer and she standing up, the prolongation is actually a ihollow horn
projecting forwards from the intermediate piece b, the presence of the horn being
concealed by the folds in the back of the skirt which are cansed by the fullness of
such back. c is the central seam which holds the two halves of the intermediate
piece b together. Its presence and course are clearly shewn in Figure 2, and
indicated in Figure 1. It starts at the band a³ of the skirt a in the middle behind,
runs downwards, turns to the front, runs along the top of the prolongation c,
follows its curvature up to the tip of it; turns the tip, follows the curvature of the
prolongation along its under side, and then returns and descends to the bottom of
the intermediate piece b.
Care is to be taken in setting out the contours of the half intermediate pieces
above mentioned, that the prolongation or saddle cover c is tapered and shaped
generally to be a comfortable fit. It has besides a suitable lining c² of chamois or
other equivalent material.
Proper provision is required to hold the above described prolongation c comfortably
up to the fork. This consists of a band d made fast to the tip of the prolongation c
and extending from it in the direction of the middle front of the band a³, to which
it is made fast by any suitable device. The one illustrated consists of a short
band dextending from one side of the skirt a to the other, across the top of it, a
third band fast to the band d¹ and hanging down from it, and a buckle d³
adapted to fasten the ends of the two bands d d together.
The invention includes provision in the front of the skirt at the top thereof, for
giving the wearer convenient access to the bands or equivalent device above
mentioned.
It may be open down from the top ou either or both sides, the openings being
provided with buttons and buttonholes or other equivalent.device. There may be
a seam on the opposite side, when there is only one opening, to give a balanced
appearance to the front, and in that seam there may be a pocket.
The bandid above mentioned is detachable from the sides of the skirt, so that
they can fall away from each, other.
The figures illustrate, the front as cut down on both sides, thereby producing a
flap e. e, el are the button and buttonhole fastening devices by which it is held
to the respective sides of the skirt a; e, e² are devices by which it engages
and is
Feld to the top corners of the said sides, respectively; and e³, e³, equivalent dévices
by which the band e' of the flap makes connection with the band.a.

page_text: 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. The combination of skirt and prolongation, as set forth.
2. The combination of skirt, prolongation and bands, as set forth.
3.
The combination of skirt, prolongation, bands and provision for giving access.
to the latter.
4. The combination of skirt, prolongation and flap as set forth.
5. The combination of skirt, prolongation, bands and provision for giving access-
thereto, and flap, as set forth.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,.
Agents for the Applicant.