US42677A - Improvement in hoop-skirts - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

S. A. MOODY, OF NEW YORK, N, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,677, dated May 10, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mrs. S. A. MOODY, of, the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hoop-Skirts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view of my invention shown in use; Fig. 2, a detached view of one of the lower hoops of the same; Fig. 3 an enlarged view of one of the joints of the lower hoops of the same; Fig. 4, an edge view of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to admit of the hoop-skirt -readily contracting laterally, when subjected to any lateral pressure and without being thrown up in front, as is now the case with the ordinary hoop-skirts.v

To this end the invention consists in having the lower hoops of the skirt divided into two parts, and having said parts connected by rings orjoints to'torm a flexible connection which will admit of the sides of the skirt readily yielding and bending inward without being thrown upward in front when subjected to lateral pressure-as, for instance, in being seated in a public conveyance and in close contact with passengers at either side.

'Io enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the tapes, and B the upper hoops of a skirt, which may be constructed and arranged in the usual way. The lower hoops, G, ot' the skirt, instead of being entire or formed of one piece, are divided at the sides of the skirt, as shown at c in Figs. l and 2, and their divided ends are connected by links b and a ring, c, which form a joint or iiexible connection at two opposite sides of each hoop`G. These lower hoops, C, in consequence of these flexible connections, will readily bend inward under a slight lateral pressure, as indicated in red in Fig. 2,v and without admitting of the front parts of the hoops being thrown upward in front. These jointed hoops may extend upward from the bottom of the skirt about one-third of its height, and the side tapes, A, should be dii vided or forked at their lower parts, so that the hoop G may be secured to them at ezch side ot the joints, as shown in Fig. 1, or two separate side tapes maybe used for the same purpose. Y

I am aware that skirt-hoops havel before been formed with hinges ,or joints to permit of their contracting laterally wthen needful.

In my invention great t advantage results from jointing only a suitable number of the lower hoops, the upper ones, where joints are not required, being left entire, so as to Support the principal weight of the clothing.

Another great advantage results from having the joints only at the sides of the skirt instead of having a number extending or distributed completely around each hoop, as in some previous inventions. By employing a greater number than two joints in each hoop there is great danger of the entire skirt collapsing, whereas by using two only and these confined to the sides, it will be manifest that all desirable contraction is freely provided for the hoops yielding to the slightest pressure at either side, and when any excessive pressure is removed the garment in-` stantly resumes its proper form.

My invention is also greatlysuperior to any in which sti' joints are employed or joints provided with springs. Such devices, besides the disadvantage of their costliness and liability to derangement, frequently require special adjustment by hand to contract them and to restore them to their normal position.

In my invention the joints are perfectly free, yielding to the slightest pressure, so that no attention from the wearer is required and no inconvenient position can be assumed by the clothing in passing through a narrow place, sitting in an arm-chair, or entering a carriage, neither can the hoops be placed in any shape from which they will not return when released, so that when the pressure is removed no attention is required to cause the garment to return to its symmetrical shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as an improved article of manufacture, is-

A hoop-shirt having a suitable number of its lower hoops divided at each side and connected by loops b b and'links c, all as herein represented and described.

Witnesses:

J AMEs P. HALL, M. M. LIVINGSTON.

S. A. MOODY.

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