IMPROVE- MENTS IN SKELETON SKIRTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Léonce Bernard Schmolle, of Aldermanbury, in
the City of London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SKELETON SKIRTS."
Scaled the 21st August 1868, and dated the 29th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Léonce Bernard
Schmolle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th February 1868.
I, LÉONCE BERNARD SCHMOLLE, of Aldermanbury, in the City of
London, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKELETON SKIRTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in skeleton crinoline skirts
by which greater freedom of movement is allowed the limbs at all times,
while the skirt is also much more conveniently adapted for a sitting
position. I dispense with the steel ribs in front of the skirt and unite
their ends to a front apron piece formed of two flaps buttoned or other-
wise connected together. The lower ribs instead of being connected to
the tapes in parallel rows as usual are brought together at their ends
somewhat in a fan form on each side, the skirt sloping away towards

page_text: the bottom and back part which is made considerably deeper so as to
give it a train form. The ribs are suspended by bands running from the
top to the bottom of the skirt. I also provide skeleton skirts with a
back piece formed of two flaps attached one on each side in the interior
of the skirt, and connected together by lacing or otherwise in order to
readily adjust the position of the skirt. The skirt is wrapped round
the body from behind by connecting the parts of the apron in front,
the inner back piece keeping the skirt in its place.
Instead of using an apron piece in front, straps may be employed
and elastic webbing may be substituted for the adjustable laced back
piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Léonce Bernard Schmolle in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LÉONCE
BERNARD SCHMOLLE, of Aldermanbury, in the City of London, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, Her special
licence that I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Léonce Bernard
Schmolle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKELETON SKIRTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, 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

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, 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 Invention relates to improvements in skeleton crinoline skirts, by
which greater freedom of movement is allowed the limbs at all times,
while the skirt is also much more conveniently adapted for a sitting
position. I dispense with the steel ribs in front of the skirt and unite
their ends to a front apron piece formed of two flaps buttoned or
otherwise connected together. The lower ribs instead of being con-
nected to the tapes in parallel rows as usual are brought together
somewhat in a fan form, each side sloping away towards the bottom
and back part which is made considerably deeper so as to give a train
form to the skirt. The ribs are suspended by bands running from
the top of the skirt to the bottom. I also provide skeleton skirts
with a back piece formed of two flaps attached one on each side
on the interior of the skirt, and connected together by lacing or
otherwise in order to readily adjust the position of the skirt. The
skirt is wrapped round the body from behind, and the parts of the
apron connected in front, the inner back piece keeping the skirt in
its place.
Instead of using an apron piece in front, straps may be employed
and clastic webbing may be substituted for the adjustable laced back
piece.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view, and Figure 2 a front view of my improved
skeleton skirt.
a, a, are the tapes attached to a waistband as usual; c, c, are the
ribs or steels secured to the tapes a. These ribs instead of being carried
round in the usual way of forming the skirt, are dispensed with at
the front part, the ends of the ribs on cither side being connected to
an apron piece formed of flaps d, d, which are provided with buttons,
hooks, or other means of fastening the flaps together. Straps may

page_text: also be used instead of the flaps to be similarly connected by hooks
or other suitable attachments. I further group the ends of the lower
ribs in the manner shown at c', c', instead of placing them in horizontal
and parallel rows throughout the depth of the skirt as usual. In this
manner the skirt is caused to slope away on each side towards the bottom
and back part which is made of the train form shown.
The ends of the steels are secured in tapes attached to the apron
flaps d, d, in front, the skirt being entirely unprovided with steels in
front, hence perfect freedom of movement is obtained for the limbs at
all times, while the front of the skirt does not bulge in the usual
unsightly manner when sitting. e, e, are the inside flaps or back lacing
placed one on either side and laced together, by the aid of which the
position of the skirt may be readily adjusted, elastic webbing may also
be substituted for the back lacing, if desired. The skirt is simply
wrapped round the person, fastened at the waist, and the apron flaps
connected in front, the inner back lacing being previously adjusted so
as to keep the skirt in place.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a
skeleton crinoline skirt made of the improved form shown in the
Drawing and provided with a front apron and back lacing, the whole
combined and arranged in the manner and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Léonce Bernard Schmolle, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
cight.
L. BERNARD SCHMOLLE. (L.S.)
L. BERNARD SCHMOLLE. (L.S.)