Improvements in Skirt Suspenders.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
Improvements in Skirt Suspenders.
CHARLES WILLIAM EDWARD TOWERS Cabinet Maker 71 Fanshaw Street
Hoxton London N. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of new arrangements of cords, pulleys & tags, by means of
which the wearer can raise or lower a skirt or garment. It is applied inside
garment, out of sight & fixed & worked at the back of said garment.
Fig. I. A is a frame made of metal or other suitable material.
B, B are two pulleys one placed above the other, revolving in frame A & over
which cords D & E pass.
C is a tag of cloth attached to frame A or C can be of metal & of one piece
with A having a slit pierced in its upper edge, or holes punched therein to admit
threads by which I sew frame A. to the waist band of skirt or garment.
D & E are cords at whose lower ends H, H, H, are tags, which I sew if possible
to the seams at the back of the skirt that I put my device on.
Cord D at K branches out & forms another point of attachment.
Cords D & E passing over pulleys B & B are sewn together so as to form a
button hole F.
Cords can be made of one piece or joined together as is most convenient, & be
made of cotton, silk, elastic or like material.
Fig. II shews same device with the exception that cords D & E terminate or
join together in a button L.
Fig. III shews how I apply the device. The frames A with their cords &
pulleys, are sewn on one each side of the placket hole at the back of the dress.
The position of frames must be determined chiefly by the seams of garment, as
it is advisable to sew cords to the seams, as they then drag the material of the skirt
less than if this is not studied. I usually place them 3 or 4 inches each side of the
placket hole.
The length of cords D & E should be about 12 to 18 inches from the pulleys
downwards but the exact length is not essential if they are not sewn to garment
lower than halfway between the waistband & ground.
To use this device I pull button L & button hole F towards each other & fasten
them together in the usual manner. This will raise the garment slightly.
If I wish to raise the garment higher I pull F & L towards each other in an
upward direction sufficiently till I attain the height I wish to raise it, I then tie
them in a bow or knot.
Another method is to make a series of loops as shewn in Fig. IV & a series of
buttons as in Fig. V.
This necessitates putting frames A. a good distance each side of placket hole.
By buttoning 1st 2nd 3rd button & loop together respectively I obtain a graduated
rise of the garment from the ground.
Dated this 11th day of February 1896.
[Price 8d.]
CHARLES WILLIAM EDWARD TOWERS.

page_text: Improvements in Skirt Suspenders.
CHARLES WILLIAM EDWARD TOWERS Cabinet Maker 71 Fanshaw Street
Hoxton London N. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of new arrangements of cords, pulleys & tags, by means
of which the wearer can raise or lower a skirt or garment. It is applied inside
garment out of sight & fixed & worked at the back of said garment.
Fig. I. A is a frame made of metal or other suitable material.
BB are two pulleys one placed above the other, revolving in frame A & over
which cords D & E pass.
C is a tag of cloth attached to frame A, or C can be of metal & of one piece
with A having a slit pierced in its upper edge, or holes punched therein to admit
threads by which I sew frame A to the waistband of skirt or garment.
D & E are cords at whose lower ends H, H, H, are tags, which I sew if possible
to the seams at the back of the skirt that I put my device on.
Cord D at K branches out & forms another point of attachment.
Cords D & E passing over pulleys B & B are sewn together so as to form a
button hole F.
I can make any number of branches to cords D & E if the nature of the skirt
or garment requires them.
Cords can be made of cotton, silk elastic, leather, or like material.
Fig. I shews same device as Fig. I with the exception that cords D & E
terminate or join together in a button L..
Fig. III shews how I apply the device. The frames A with their cords &
pulleys, are sewn on one each side of the placket hole at the back of the dress.
The position of frames must be determined chiefly by the seams of garment as
it is advisable to sew cords to the seams, as they then drag the material of the skirt
less than if this is not studied. I usually place them 3 or 4 inches each side of the
placket hole.
The length of cords D & E should be about 12 to 18 inches from the pulleys
downwards, but the exact length is not essential if they are not sewn to garment
lower than halfway between the waistband & ground.
To use this device I pull button L & button hole F towards each other & fasten
them together in the usual manner. This will raise the garment slightly.
If I wish to raise the garment higher I pull F & L towards each other further
through the pulleys till I attain the height I wish to raise it, I then tie them in a
bow or knot.
Another method is to make a series of loops as shewn in Fig. IV & a series of
buttons as in Fig. V.
This necessitates putting frames A. a good distance each side of placket hole.
By buttoning 1st 2nd 3rd button & loop together respectively I obtain a graduated
rise of the garment from the ground.
Fig. VI shews my method of attaining the same ends as the foregoing without
the use of buttons & loops.
Cords D & E passing over pulleys B & B are sewn together for some six or
eight inches-the exact length is immaterial-so as to form by their being so
connected one cord Z.
I make this combination of cords & pulleys so that it can be applied to the right
& left of the placket hole, having the cords Z in the respective combinations
hanging on either side of said placket hole.
I apply this device in the same manner as those already described.

page_text: To use it I pull cords Z towards each other till the skirt is raised to the height
I require it from the ground, I then tie them together in a bow or knot as shewn
in Fig. VIII.
In place of double pulleys B B in frame A a single one can be used.
In that case as shewn in Fig. VII I have a single cord T passing over pulley B,
branching out at K into any number of points of attachment usually three.
The other end of cord T after it has passed over pulley B I turn over & sew
to itself as at Q which prevents the cord when in use from slipping back over
pulley.
Instead of sewing cord T in this manner at Q I can fix a tag.
This combination I apply & use in the same manner as those previously described
viz. by fixing frames A on either side of the placket hole, fastening tags H to dress
& then tying cords T together so that they raise the skirt as required.
In the place of tags H, H, H, I can use small clips or safety pins.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare what I claim is :-
I. The arrangements of cords & pulleys substantially as set forth in the above
statement & as illustrated in Figures I, II, IV, V, VI, VII, of drawings.
II. That this device being actuated by the wearer at the back & having no cords
or appendages shewing on the outside of skirt, is both convenient & sightly & can
be adjusted by the wearer in publick or otherwise.
III. That by having only a cloth or metal tag to attach to the waistband of the
garment-not having a special band or part of a band for my device,-I do not
increase the bulk of the wearer perceptibly at the waist.
Dated this 6th day of March 1896.
CHARLES WILLIAM EDWARD TOWERS.