An Improved Appliance for Regulating the Length of Ladies' Dress Skirts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th July, 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Regulating the Length of Ladies'
Dress Skirts.
I, EDWARD JEFFERYS of 81 Burngreave Road, Sheffield, Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to make an appliance for regulating the length
of ladies' dress skirts when in use, so that they may readily be shortened or
lengthened at will.
This is effected by an arrangement of cords, preferably four in number, which
are provided at one end with suitable clips for attaching them to the most con-
venient position of the skirt for drawing it up when it is desired to shorten it, and
letting it down when necessary.
The cords then pass through one or more rings formed on or attached to a safety
ring, or some equivalent means of bringing all the cords together or nearly so, and
capable of being easily attached to the back of the skirt, or waist band, or where
prefered at the back. The cords are then divided and pass around the waist to the
front and all again brought together and passed through a suitable clip, capable of
holding them firmly, or allowing them to pass freely through, as desired and
adjusted..
This arrangement enables the wearer to draw up the cords and shorten the
skirt and secure it there by the front clip, or liberate the cords, by the front clip and
let down the skirt.
It is not necessary to have a clip to each cord for attaching it to the dress,
as two or more cords may be attached to one clip, and as many cords or clips used
as desired.
The front clip may be dispensed with and the cords secured by tieing together
or otherwise.
The clips used for attaching the cords to the dress skirt are of a special form, and so
constructed as to secure a vertical fold in the skirt, vertically, without twisting it out
of the perpendicular.
For this purpose I use an arrangement of what is well known as a lever clip but
differing from it by having the place for attaching the cords so that the strain upon it
when supporting the weight of the skirt, is in the direction of the axis of the lever,
instead of, as hitherto, at right angles to it.
This clip is made of two pieces of sheet metal, one to form the lever and the other
folded over, one side to hold the lever, and against the other the lever presses the
material and so holds it.
In this part also provision is made for attaching the cords to the clip, such provision
being at the edge of one of the sides so that the strain is in the same direction as the
fold and the axis of the lever.
Dated this 21st dow of March 1800

page_text: An Improved Appliance for Regulating the Length of Ladies'
Dress Skirts.
1, EDWARD JEFFERYS of No. 81 Burngreave Road Sheffield; Manufacturer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to make an appliance for regulating the length
of ladies' dress skirts when in use, so that they may readily be shortened or
lengthened at will.
This is effected by an arrangement of cords preferably four in number, which are
provided at one end with clips for attaching them to the most convenient position of
the skirt for drawing it up when it is desired to shorten it, and letting it down
when necessary.
The cords then pass through one or more rings formed on, or attached to, a safety
pin or some equivalent means of bringing all the cords together or nearly so, and
capable of being attached to the back of the skirt or waistband, or where prefered at
the back. The cords are then divided and pass around the waist to the front and
all again brought together and passed through a suitable clip capable of holding
them firmly, and allowing them to pass freely through as desired and adjusted.
The clips used for attaching the cords to the dress skirts are of a special form and
so constructed as to secure a vertical fold in the skirt vertically, without twisting it
out of the perpendicular.
For this purpose I use an arrangement of what is well known as a lever-clip, but
differing from it by having the place for attaching the cords, so that the strain upon it
when supporting the weight of the skirt, is in the direction of the axis of the lever,
instead of as hitherto, at right angles to it.
This clip is made of two pieces of sheet steel metal, one to form the lever, and the
other folded over, one side to hold the lever, and against the other the lever presses
the material, and so holds it.
In this part also, provision is made for attaching the cords to the clip, such provision
being at the edge of one of the sides, so that the strain is in the same direction as the
fold and the axis of the lever.
This arrangement enables the wearer to draw up the cords and shorten the skirt
and secure it there by the front clip, or liberate the cords by the front clip and let
down the skirt.
It is not necessary to have a clip to each cord for attaching it to the dress, as
two cords may be attached to one clip and as many cords or clips used as
desired.
The front clip may be dispensed with and the cords secured by tying together or
otherwise.
To render the mode of carrying out this invention clearly understood, two sheets of
drawings are annexed, in which like letters refer to like parts.
Sheet 1. Fig. 1 represents the complete appliance arranged with four cords, a,
with a clip, b, to each cord, for attaching it readily to the skirt of the dress.
The safety pin, c, is made with two loops d, d, through each of which two cords
pass and from thence around each side of the waist and then through the clip, e, which
--secures them at any desired_position.
The two loops on the safety pin facilitate the separating of the cords, to pass them
around their respective sides of the waist, after the safety pin has been fixed to
the waistband.
Sheet 2. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, represent various views of the clip b, shown on sheet 1,
for attaching the cords to the skirt of the dress,

page_text: Fig. 2 is a view looking at one end of the clip, with the lever f shut so as to hold
the dress material.
Fig. 3 is the same view of the clip as Fig. 2, but with the lever f open.
Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 2, and shows the loop 9 provided for the attachment of
the cord.
The
Fig. 5 shows the body part of the clip as it is cut out of one piece of metal before
it is folded over at h to its proper position to hold the lever fand for use.
parts i, i, are to form the loops in which the pivots j, j, of the lever turn.
Fig. 6 represents the safety pin made with two loops at the back, through which
the cords pass.
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:
1st. A lever clip having a loop for attaching a cord to its side, so that the strain
upon it when in use, may be in the same direction as the axis of the lever and the
fold of the dress, for the purpose, and in the manner substantially as herein described
and illustrated.
2nd. A safety pin having two or more loops at the back, for the purpose, and
in the manner, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
3rd. The general arrangement of the appliance, for the purpose, and in the manner,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
1000
E. JEFFERYS.