IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES* DRESS HOLDERS OR DRESS SUSPENDERS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Arthur Walton, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturing Jeweller, and Thoinas Shaw, of Birmingham
aforesaid, Tool Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES*
DRESS HOLDERS OR DRESS SUSPENDERS."
Soaled the 26th August 1879, and dated the 5th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Arthur Walton
and Thomas Shaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
5th March 1879.
FREDERICK ARTHUR WALTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturing Jeweller, and Thomas Shaw, of Birmingham aforesaid, Tool Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES' DRESS HOLDERS OR DRESS SUSPENDERS."
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in ladies'
dress holders or dress suspenders, whereby the gripping and releasing of the dress
are effected with great facility and a very firm or secure grip upon the dress is
obtained.
In constructing a lady's dress holder or dress suspender according to our Inven-
tion, we joint two nearly parallel gripping levers near their middles to the body of
the holder, the said body consisting by preference of two parallel discs or orna-
mental plates fixed together at a short distance apart. The extreme ends of the
lower arms of the said levers are provided with heads or small discs between which
the dress to be held or suspended is gripped. The said lower arms of the gripping
levers are pressed outwards by a strong spring between them. Between the
extreme ends of the upper arms of the two gripping levers is a cam turning on a
pin or centre carried by the body of the holder. To this cam an arm is connected
having near its end an eye or loop, through which the suspending cord by which
the dress holder is connected to the waist of the wearer is affixed. This arm also
serves to move the cam so as to cause the holder to grip or release the dress. When
the cam is moved so that its longer diameter is situated horizontally, its ends bear

page_text: upon and press outwards or open the ends of the upper arms of the gripping levers;
the gripping ends of the lower arms of the said levers are thereby made to approach
one another and grip the dress between them with great firmness. When the cam
is turned by its arm through a quadrant so as to bring the longer diameter of the
said cam into a vertical position, the upper arms of the levers are pressed together
and the gripping lower arms are opened or separated by the action of their spring,
and the dress is released.
One end of the cam may be furnished with a stop or shoulder, which when the
cam is turned into its acting horizontal position snaps upon the end of one of the
gripping levers. Or both ends of the cam may have stops or shoulders for the same
purpose. The further motion of the cam is thereby arrested, and the gripping
levers are firmly held in the gripping position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Arthur Walton and Thomas Shaw in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th August 1879.
FREDERICK ARTHUR WALTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturing Jeweller, and THOMAS SHAW, of Birmingham aforesaid, Tool
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LADIES' DRESS HOLDERS OR DRESS SUSPENDERS."
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in ladies'
dress holders or dress suspenders, whereby the gripping and releasing of the dross
are effected with great facility, and a very firm or secure grip upon the dress is
obtained.
In constructing a lady's dress holder or dress suspender according to our Inven-
tion, we joint two nearly parallel gripping levers near their upper ends to the body
of the holder, the said body consisting by preference of two parallel discs or orna-
mental plates fixed together at a short distance apart. The extreme ends of the
lower arms of the said levers are provided with heads or small discs between which
the dress to be held or suspended is gripped. The said lower arms of the gripping
levers are pressed outwards by a strong spring between them. Between the
extreme ends of the upper arms of the two gripping levers is a cam turning on a piu
or centre carried by the body of the holder. To this cam an arm is connected, having
near its end an eye or loop through which the suspending cord by which the
dress holder is connected to the waist of the wearer is affixed. This arm also
serves to move the cam so as to cause the holders to grip or release the dress.
When the cam is moved so that its longer diameter is situated horizontally, its ends
bear upon and press outwards or open the ends of the upper arms of the gripping
levors, the gripping ends of the lower arms of the said levers are thereby made to
approach one another and grip the dress between them with great firmness.
When the cam is turned by its arm through a quadrant so as to bring the longer
diameter of the said cam into a vertical position, the upper arms of the levers are
pressed together, and the gripping lower arms are opened or separated by the
action of their spring, and the dress is released.
One end of the cam may be furnished with a stop or shoulder, which, when the
cam is turned into its acting horizontal position snaps upon the end of one of the
gripping levers. Or both ends of the cam may have stops or shoulders for tho
same purpose. The further motion of the cam is thereby arrested, and the gripping
levers are firmly held in their gripping position or releasing position.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation; Figure 2, in side elevation; and Figure 3,
in front elevation with one of the side plates constituting a portion of the body
removed, a lady's dress holder or dress suspender constructed according to our
Invention, the gripping levers being represented in their closed or gripping
position; Figure 4 represents the same view as Figure 3 with the gripping levers
open for introducing the dress between the gripping ends or discs of the said
levers.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a, b, are the gripping levers of the holder jointed at a², b², to the body c, c, of the
holder. The said body c, c, consists of two plates (see Figure 2) between which
the upper arms of the gripping levers and the closing and holding cam work; d, d,
are the gripping discs, having elastic or soft pads at the ends of the long arms of
the gripping levers a, b, between which discs the dress is gripped. The said lower
arms of the gripping levers a, b, are pressed outwards when at liberty to move and the
dress released by means of the strong spring e situated between the said arms near
their joints (see Figures 3 and 4); f is the cam turning on the centre 2 and
situated between the extreme ends of the upper arms of the two gripping levers

page_text: a, b, as represented. The said cam f has the figure represented, and is furnished
with an arm g for moving it into the required position for opening or closing the
dress holder.
The end of the said arm g is formed into an eye or loop through which the
suspending cord is affixed, by which the dress holder is connected to the waist of
the wearer in the ordinary way.
h, i, are two shoulders or stops for limiting the motion of the cam in one or other
direction.
When the cam fis turned into the position represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
that is, with its longer diameter horizontal, its ends bear against and press out-
wards or open the ends of the upper arms of the gripping levers a, b, and thereby
close the longer arms of the said levers, or cause their ends to approach one another
and grip the dress between them.
When the can fhas reached the position shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, its stop
or shoulder h' engages with the top of the lever a and the further motion of the
said cam is arrested, and the two gripping levers are held very firmly in their
gripping position.
In order to release the dress the cam f is turned through nearly a quadrant
from the position represented in Figure 3 to that represented in Figure 4.
By this motion, the longer diameter of the cam is brought into a nearly vertical
position, and the upper arms of the gripping levers are free to close the motion of
the cam when turned into the position represented in Figure 4, being arrested by
the stop or shoulder at i, bearing against or engaging with the top of the lever b.
As the cam takes the position, Figure 4, the upper arms of the levers a, b, are
pressed together, and the lower gripping arins of the said levers are separated or
opened by the action of the spring e, us represented in Figure 4, and the dress is
released and falls from the holder.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Inven-
tion the improvements in ladies' dress holders or dress suspenders hereinbefore des-
cribed and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, the combination
with the spring levers a, b, c, of the cam f, g, h, i, for closing the gripping arms of
the said levers, and for permitting of the opening or separating of the said gripping
arms, the several parts being constructed, arranged, and working, substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Arthur Walton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
FREDERICK. ARTHUR WALTON. (L.S.)