IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING AND ARRANGING LOOKING-GLASSES FOR TOILET PURPOSES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Clark, of Somerset Terrace, Albion Road,
Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING AND ARRANGING LOOKING-GLASSES FOR TOILET
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 4th November 1856, and dated the 20th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
August 1856.
I, CHARLES CLARK, of Somerset Terrace, Albion Road, Stoke Newington,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING AND ARRANGING LOOKING-GLASSES FOR
TOILET PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in combining and arranging looking-glasses for toilet
purposes consist in placing two or more glasses in the same frame or pedestal,
but at an angle to each other, so that, although the looking-glasses occupy.
little space on the toilet table, two or more persons will have room to dress or
perform other operations of the toilet without inconvenience to each other.
from too close contiguity.
Instead of fitting the several glasses in one frame, they may each have a
separate frame, the bases or pedestals of which are made to fit together so as
to assume the angle or angles required. The frames may be arranged and, .

page_text: fitted together so as to vary the angle or angles at which the glasses are placed
in relation to each other, as required. By simply turning these glasses on
their pivots, and reversing .the position of the whole frame, they may be used
by one person to obtain two reflected views at one time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CLARK, of Somerset Terrace, Albion Road, Stoke Newington, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Clark, Her special licence, that I, the said Charles Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might mako, uso, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING AND ARRANGING LOOKING-
GLASSES FOR TOILET PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My improvements in combining and arranging looking-glasses for toilet
purposes consist in placing two or more glasses in the same frame or pedestal,
but at an angle to each other, so that, although the looking-glasses occupy

page_text: little space on the toilet table, two or more persons will have room to dress or
perform other operations of the toilet without inconvenience to each other from
too close contiguity.
Instead of fitting the several glasses in one frame they may each have a
separate frame, the bases or pedestals of which are made to fit together so as
to assume the angle or angles required. The frames may be arranged and
fitted together so as to vary the angle or angles at which the glasses are placed
in relation to each other, as required.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of two looking-glasses arranged and
combined according to my Invention, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same. The
pedestal a, a, it will be observed, is formed to suit the position of the glasses
b, b', which are sustained by three pillars c, c, c, and supported on swing pivots
in the usual manner.
The plan, Fig. 2, clearly illustrates the Invention, in which the inclined
position of one glass 6 to the other glass 6 is clearly indicated. This inclined
disposition of the glasses permits them to be brought in close proximity, while
at the same time two persons using these glasses simultaneously will not be
inconveniently close to each other, by reason of their position being at right
angles to the plane of each of the glasses, as shown by the dotted red lines.:
By this means two looking-glasses are compactly arranged, and occupy com-
paratively little room on the toilet table, while at the same time all the
comfort of two looking glasses placed on separate tables or at a distance
apart is afforded.
Fig. 3 represents an arrangement of 3 glasses according to my Invention,
and Fig. 4 a plan of the same. The same features of combination and
arrangement are observed, the angles of inclination of the glasses b, b, b, to
each other being such, that when three persons are performing their toilet at
the same time they will not be inconveniently close to each other.
Fig. 5 represents a plan of the pedestal of a glass arranged according to my
Invention, but so that the angle of the glasses one to the other may be varied
at pleasure. The centre pillar is in two parts, and divided down the centre, as
represented by the line 1, 2, Fig. 1; the pedestal is also cut at the same line;
a
joint is formed at d by pin e, by which the two parts of the pedestal g, g¹
are held together, an arc f is further fixed to one part of the pedestal, which
arc is described from the centre of joint e, and is received in a curved socket
The glasses may be arranged
in pedestal g, while the other end is fixed at 9'.
in positions at different angles to each other, as shown in the Drawing.

page_text: Fig. 6 represents the two parts of the combined glasses partly separated.
Fig. 7 is a Diagram representing eight glasses arranged together, according
to my Invention, adapted for an anteroom to the public rooms in hotels and
other public establishments where numbers of people congregate.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner it may
be performed, I desire it to be understood that I do not claim placing two
glasses of ordinary construction side by side and at angles to each other to be
used in that position; but that what I do claim as my Invention, and desire
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, com-
bining and arranging two or more looking-glasses in one frame or pedestal
at an angle or at angles-the-one. to the other, for the purposes and as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
CHARLES CLARK. (L.S.)