IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING MEASUREMENTS OR PATTERNS FOR CUTTING OUT WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Baier and Joseph Werner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1883.
JOSEPH BAIER and JOSEPH WERNER, both of No: 26 Wenlock Street, in the
county of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING MEASUREMENTS
OR PATTERNS FOR CUTTING OUT WEARING APPAREL
"
Our invention relates to an improved construction of apparatus or appliances for
taking measurements for clothing, consisting in patterns that are capable of being
expanded or contracted in every direction in which it is desired that accurate
measurement should be taken, and so arranged that, when applied to the body of
the person to be fitted, they can firstly be expanded or contracted so as to fit the
figure exactly, and be then fixed in such expanded or contracted condition, so that,
after removal from the body, an exact cloth or paper pattern can be directly cut
therefrom, thus avoiding the loss of time in taking the usual measurements, while
patterns of much greater accuracy of fit are obtained.
For this purpose, we construct a light and flexible framework, consisting of thin
steel or whalebone rods enclosed in a sheathing formed of some textile fabric that will
readily expand or contract, such framework having the configuration of a particular
pattern or part of a pattern of an articles of dress, such as the various distinct patterns
that, when attached together, form the body of a coat, or the sleeves, or a pair of
trousers. The steels or bones in the several sides of the framing are not formed of one
piece, but of two or more pieces that overlap each other, and at such overlapping parts,
they pass between clamping devices, to be presently described, whereby they can
be securely held in any positions into which they are moved relatively to each
other, and thus it will be seen that the framing can be expanded or contracted
within the limits determined by the overlapping lengths of the rods, and then be
secured in that condition by the said clamps.
In addition to the frame giving the outline of the pattern, are also provided a
series of diagonally arranged bars, passing from side to side of the frame, and also,
where necessary, longitudinal bars passing from end to end in intermediate
positions, these bars being, by preference, so arranged as to form a kind of
trellis-work, each bar being formed, as in the case of the outer frame, of two separate
D.
377

page_text: overlapping steels or bones encased in flexible material, and at the points where
they cross each other, they are also made to pass through clamps, that serve to
hold them in position after they have been expanded or contracted to the required
degree. These bars consequently serve to support and secure the outer frame in
any position to which it has been expanded or contracted, so as to afford an exact
outline pattern of the part required.
Furthermore, in order to enable one and the same pattern or set of patterns to
be used successively for taking the measurements of different persons, without
having to wait for taking a fresh measurement therewith until a pattern has been
cut or drawn therefrom of the measurement previously taken, we provide
graduated tapes passing across the pattern at the points of intersection of the bars,
so that after setting the pattern to shape on the body as described, the divisions of
the tapes at which the intersections are situated can be noted down, and the
pattern be subsequently set to precisely the same shape again by adjusting the
intersections of the bars to the said divisions on the tapes. The tapes may be
kept stretched, no matter to what degree the patterns are expanded or contracted,
by winding them at each end on small pullies, held in position by a spring pawl]
and ratchet wheel.
Various forms of clamps may be employed may be employed for fixing the
steels or bones as described; the construction we employ by preference consists of
a small metal frame, within which is a spring plate which, by means of a small
cam-shaped lever pivotted to the upper bar of the frame, can be pressed down
-firmly upon the lower bar thereof, and thus be made to nip the steels or bones
passing between the two, while, by the reverse motion of the lever, the spring plate
readily releases the steels or bones. A series of these clamps may all be closed or
opened simultaneously by attaching their levers to an elastic cord, which, at one
end, is wound upon a ratchet pulley, so that, by turning this, the cord is made
either to pull or to release the levers.
In using a set of the before-described expanding patterns forming together, for
instance, the body of a coat, each separate pattern is connected to its contiguous
pattern or patterns by hooks and eyes, or other detachable fastening, so that, when
the combined set of patterns are placed on the body to be fitted, and are closed up,
they will automatically adjust themselves to the figure, and after being secured in
their expanded or contracted positions, they are then separated from each other
to allow the cloth patterns to be cut therefrom.