US31876A - Skirt - Google Patents

Description

rTIIIITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS B. DE FOREST, OF BIRMINGHAM. CONNECTICUT.

SKIRT.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 31,876, dated April 2. 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS B. Dn Fonns'r, of Birmingham, county of New I-Iaven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I-Ioop- Skirts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

Previous to my invention the following prominent disadvantageous features have existed in hoop skirts as made and worn lstly. The liability of entanglement of the feet with the lower hoops in walking. T his obstacle to the comfort and safety of the wearer is proverbial.

Qndly. The inconveniences arising from having to put on and take offl the hoop over the head have been a great source of annoyance frequently to ladies in dressing.

Srdly. The speedy derangement of the lower hoops and their becoming very soon dirty has rendered the whole skirt very soon unfit for wear, and thus render it necessary to renew the whole skirt at considerable expense.

lthly. The tendency of the lower hoop to remain hitched or bent up behind after sitting has been a great annoyance.

My pres-ent invention has for its object to overcome all these disadvantages and thus render the hoop skirt a more desirable, less, dangerous and more economical article of dress; and to these ends my invention consists in forming the skirt with an opening, or open space in front (and also behind if necessary) at the base of the skirt to allow the free swing or motion of the wearers feet, without any liability of oentanglement in walking, as will be hereinafter fully described. And my invention consists further, in making the skirt in such manner that it can be opened and closed as hereinafter eX- plained, so that the skirt can be put on and taken 0H without passing it over the head as will be hereinafter described. And my invention consists further in making the lower portion of the skirt separate and detachable from the other portion, for the purpose of renewing the former as will be hereinafter described. And my invention consists further in a peculiar method of forming the skirt, by bending the lower hoop, or hoops up the front as will be presently described so that the lower hoop will always have a. tendency to spring downward behind, into its proper position as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure l is a perspective view and Figs. 2. 3, eL and 5 are each side elevations of a hoop skirt, the several views illustrating the several features of my invention-and to be particularly alluded to hereinafter.

Thesame characters indicates the same part in the different views.

In Fig. l are embraced the first, second and fourth features of my improvements; in Fig. 2 are seen the first, second and third features; in Fig. 3 is seen the first only; in Fig. Jf is illustrated a modification of first feature, and at Fig. 5 another modification of the same.

czare the hoops, and I) the vertical bands or supporting strips, the construction of each of which parts and the method of connecting the two forming no part of my inv-ention are shown in the most approved fashion.

A is the open space in front for the feet to pass in and B the space behind.

The skirt illustrated at Fig. 5 has an open space formed behind as well as before, while the other figures show only the space before.

O is the waist band which is made in the usual way.

At Fig. 3 the feet opening, or space A (in front) is formed by .bending the bottom hoop a upward, crossing it at and uniting or securing its two ends at 1, 2, to the fourth hoop ffl, the second hoop a? being stopped off at 3, 4 and its ends there united to hoop a. as illustrated. In the modification of this first feature of my invention shown at Fig. 4, the lower hoop a. is bent up in the same way but is not crossed as in Fig. 3, but simply united at a single point 1, the hoop ai having its two ends united to hoop a at the points 2, 3. d

In Fig. 5 the skirt appears as made with an open space behind as well as one before, that behind however, not being' so large as the one before.

g and z, (see Fig. 1,) are two iaps, or overlapping pieces of cloth, or other suitable material, one provided with buttons, 0, the other with button holes,` by which the skirt is fastened or closed around the person of the wearer, (the waist bands O being fastened as usual). At Fig. 2 another mode of applying this second feature of my invention is shown, consisting in lacing the skirt together down the front with a cord z', passing through eyelet holes; in this figure the skirt is not shown as capable of being opened'or separated all the way down (as in Fig. 1,) but only down to the detachable lower portion. This latter is formed of four continuous or unbroken circles or hoops with the vertical strips Z), the whole separate and distinct from the other part of the skirt and, attachable thereto by buttons c or in any other suitable manner. In the employment of this feature of my invention it may be deemed advisable to have the skirt open only down to the removable bottom piece, as shown at Fig. 2, since the wearer can readily step into the lower portion and then close the other part around her, and the making both portions to open would involve more expense and might render the skirt less effective in keeping the dress distended properly.

At Fig. 1 it will be seen that t-he lowest hoop a is bent up to form the open space A, crossing at the point 1 and continuing in curved line up the front of the skirt, crosses again at the point 2, and then has its ends united to the waist band. By thus extending the said hoop c up as shown the lowest hoop is converted into a strong spring, the

tendency of which is to constantly descend at the hindmost point, which tendency always pulls and keeps the other hoops down be# hind, in their proper position, while the same principle of construction involves a tendency to brace the front of the skirt vertical and keep all the hoops apart and down in front. It will then be understood that by this fourth feature of my invention the skirt is rendered much more perfect and desirable, the hoops being always kept apart and pulled down in their proper places, while at the same time the whole skirt yields readily in sitting, and is exceedingly comfortable and it will be understood that this spring may be formed by 'bending up more than one hoop as shown. The removable lower portion may be made of more or' less hoops than shown as may be deemed expedient. It will be seen that by making the lower portion de advantages.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting the first part of my invention to the formation of the open space before only, or behind only, nor to the combination of both, but wish to cover the formation of the open space in either or both places as may be deemed expedient. Neither do I wish to limit myself to the precise forms or propor-' tions of detail construction shown; but

Having explained the construction and operation 0f each of the several features of my invention as I have successfully practiced them, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- 1. Forming an open space, or open spaces, to accommodate the feet in walking substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. Making the skirt to open in front or behind, wholly or partially by continuing the bottom hook up to the waist-band, or other desired point, and connecting thereto the ends of the other hoops as hereinbefore described.

3. Making the lower portion of the skirt detachable, or removable from the rest at, or near the termination of the open space substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. Forming the lower hoop or hoops into a spring, by bending up, to operate as, and

for the purpose hereinbefore described.

I n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal this 25th day of February, 1861.

THonAs n. nn ronnsr. [1.. sf]

Vitnesses:

CHS. S. Morsn, L. DE FOREST.

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