AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE HUMAN D
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Heselgrave Wilson, of Huddersfield, in the
County of York, Woollen Draper and Tailor, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE HUMAN
D
"
Sealed the 1st September 1865, and dated the 7th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Heselgrave Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th March 1865.
I, JOHN HESELGRAVE WILSON, of Huddersfield, in the County of York,
Woollen Draper and Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
THE HUMAN BODY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to measuring or taking particulars of the dimensions
of the human body, so as to be transferred or marked on cloth or fabrics
intended to be cut out or cut into parts in such manner as to be made or
sewn together to form coats or other garments to fit the said human body.
The improved apparatus may be of leather, india-rubber, cloth, or other
flexible and non-elastic material, capable of being formed and marked with
lines, letters, and figures, as shewn in the Sheet of outline Drawings hereunto
annexed.
The method of applying this apparatus in measuring for a coat is as
follows: I take that part of the apparatus Fig. 1 and apply the end marked A

page_text: to the back seam in the hollow of the back, passing the other end B under
the right arm, and bedding or laying it flat across the breast, adjusting the
graduated edge C to the place where the sleeve is to be joined to the body of
the coat. I then mark the place on the back seam, draw a line along the
edge C, and mark a point for the sleeve which will be indicated by the figures
on the graduated edge of the apparatus, which must be recorded. I then
apply the top end of the apparatus Fig. 2 to the back seam, with the point D
at the place where the collar is to be joined to the body, and pass the end E
over the shoulder, and lay it on the breast. I then draw a line at the edge G,
crossing the line previously drawn. The graduated edge of the moveable
part H is then placed to the front of the arm where the sleeve is to be joined
to the body, and a mark made thereon, and the indications of the figure whilst
in this position are to be recorded. The figures on the part I will also
indicate the place where the sleeve is to be joined to the back, which also
must be recorded. The distance from the top of the back seam to the place
marked in the hollow, must also be taken and recorded. The apparatus is
then laid on the cloth or fabric in like manner, and marks made thereon
according to the recorded indications or figures.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Heselgrave Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HESELGRAVE WILSON, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Woollen
Draper and Tailor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Heselgrave Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said John
Heselgrave Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Heselgrave Wilson, 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 make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for 'AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE

page_text: HUMAN BODY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Heselgrave Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hauds 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 John Heselgrave Wilson, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to measuring or taking particulars of the dimensions
of the human body, so as to be transferred or marked on cloth or fabrics
intended to be "cut out" or cut into parts in such manner as to be made or
sewn together to form coats or other garments to fit the said human body.
The improved apparatus may be of leather, india-rubber, cloth, or other
flexible and non-elastic material, capable of being formed and marked with
lines, letters, and figures as shewn in the Sheet of outline Drawings hereunto
annexed.
The method of applying this apparatus in measuring for a coat is as
follows: I take that part of the apparatus shewn at Fig. 1, and apply the
hollow edge close under the right arm-pit, with the end marked A to the back
seam in the hollow of the back of the coat or garment in wear by the person to
be measured, and the other end B laid flat across the breast. I then mark the
place where the point A¹ lays on the back seam, draw a line along the edge C
across the breast, and intersect the said line at a point vertically below the
front of the arm, which point will be indicated by one of the figures on the
graduated edge C of the apparatus, and which figure must be recorded. I
then apply the end D of the apparatus shewn at Fig. 2 to the back seam with
the point D' at the top of the back, and pass the end E over the shoulder, and
down the breast. I then draw a line at the edge G, crossing the line previously
drawn, and record the figure on the edge G, at the point of intersection. The
part H (which is moveable on the pivot h) is then brought to the point of
intersection with its edge H¹ préviously marked on the line C at the front of
the arm, and the figure at that point on the moveable part II must be recorded.
Whilst the apparatus is in this position the edge 2 will intersect the lines on
the end of the part E at some of the divisions denoted by letters N to W,
and the letter thereon must also be recorded. The letters on the part I
will also indicate the width of the back and position of hind arm where

page_text: the sleeve is to be joined to the back, which also must be recorded. The
distance from the top of the back seam to the place marked in the hollow of
waist must also be taken and recorded. The chest measure is then taken
from the points of intersection on the line G to the front in a horizontal
direction. The apparatus is then laid on the papers, cloth, or fabric with the
parts in position according to the figures and letters recorded, which will
indicate the points essential to the forming of the complete outline or body
pattern. The two sets of divisions and Figures 1 to 3 on the end A of the
part Fig. 1 are intended to form new lines of construction for giving additional
width to the back of the garment according to style or requirement, and the
Figures 1 to 9 on the same part indicate the side seams for three-seamed
coats.
The instrument is also applicable where the breast measurer is used to
determine the size; the Figures from 14 to 24 representing the proportions
required at each part, the line A, Fig. 1, being laid at th less than the breast
measurer down the back seam to find the position of line G.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Heselgrave Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN HESELGRAVE WILSON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Heselgrave
Wilson, in the presence of,
WN. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax.