US1119476A - Sectional dress-form. - Google Patents

Description

O. A. UFFORD. SEGTIONAL DRESS FORM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1 1911. RENEWED SEPT.9,1914. 1,1 19,476. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

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SEGTIONAL DRESS FORM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1911. RENEWED SEPT a, 1014.

1, 1 19,47 6. Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

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SEOTIONAL DRESS FORM. 1 11101111611 FILED AUG. 1, 1911. RENEWED arm. 9, 11114.

1, 1 1 9,476. Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

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CHARLES A. UFFORD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SECTIONAL DRESS-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed August 1, 1911, Serial No. 641,737. Renewed September 9.1914. Serial No. 860,952.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Urrono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suflolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sectional Dress-Forms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to dress forms and has for its general object to provide a dress form of this nature which can be readily adjusted to different sizes and shapes and which when adjusted will be perfectly rigid and will properly maintain its shape.

More specifically the objects of the invention are to provide a novel connection be tween the various adjustable parts; to provide a waist connection which permits the waist of the form to be enlarged or contracted without throwing the other parts of the form out of proportion; to provide means whereby the front of the form may be thrown out to make a full-chested form or the back may be thrown out to give a more rounded shape to the back; to provide a novel clamping device at the neck of the form by means of which the shoulders and neck may be raised and lowered without changing the shape or size of the neck; to provide a novel adjustable connection for the base of the form at the hips which will hold the sections in roper position as they are adjusted inward y and outwardly; and to provide a novel arm connection by means of which the arm can be readily brought into different positions and held therein, and otherwise to improve the form, all as more fully hereinafter described and then pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings wherein I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is an interior view of the front half of the waist section of the form; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the waist form taken on a plane from front to rear; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the neck-clamping mechanism; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line m m, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line z 3 Fig. 2 with parts broken out; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the waist section; Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the arm connection; Fig. 8 is a side view with the arm removed;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view through the arm connection; Fig. 10 is a detail of the adjustable clamping device on the line bb, Fig. 7; Fig. 11 is a detail of the arm connection; Fig. 12 is a detail of the shoulder plate which supports the arm; Fig 13 shows one form of connection at the waist; Fig. 14 is a section on the line a-a, Fig. 5.

The form herein shown is of that familiar type which is divided both horizontally and vertically into a lurality of sections. In the present embodiment the form is shown as divided vertically from side to side to make front and rear halves, and is also divided vertically from front to rear in three different planes, and is further divided horizontally below the shoulders and horizontally at the waist. This manner of dividingthe form provides four neck sections 1 and front and rear shoulder sections 2 and 3 on each side of the form, and also provides the four bust sections 4, 4, 5, 5, at the front of the form; 4 designating the central bust sections and 5 the side bust sections. This manner of division further provides the eight hip sections 6. In addition to the above division, my improved form is provided with a novel waist portion which will be hereinafter described in detail and which enables the waist of the form to be adjusted to different sizes without effecting the size of the form at the hips.

The various sections, with exception of the waist sections, are connected together by slotted plates 7 which are rigidly secured at one end to certain of the form sections and overlie other sections and are clamped to the other sections by clamping bolts 18, all as shown in my Patent No. 921,184, May 11, 1909.

The form is provided with a central supporting member 9 which is preferably hollow so that it can be set over a rod extending from a stand, andthis supporting memher 9 is provided near its upper end with the joint 10 so that the section 11 above the joint can be turned into different angular positions thereby to throw the neck of the form forward or backward according to the shape desired. The two parts of the hinged joint 10 are clamped into the desired position by means of a clamping screw 110 as will be obvious.

One feature of my invention relates to the adjustable connection at the neck. The upper section 11 of the central supporting rod loosely passes through a threaded sleeve 13 which has screw-threaded to the upper end thereof a bushing 14 carrying a set screw 15.

,At the lower end of the sleeve 13 is another bushing or collar 16 through which the rod 11 loosely passes and screw-threaded on the bushing is a clamping ring or nut 17. The neck sections 1 are provided with radiallyextending slotted plates 18 at their upper ends as usual in adjustable dress forms, the slots of said plates embracing the sleeve 13, and the neck is held in its expanded or contracted positions by clamping these slotted plates 18 between the collar 16 and the nut 17. Since the rod 11 loosely passes through the sleeve 13, however, the clamping of the neck sections in their adjusted positions does not affect the free movement of the rod 11 through the sleeve 13.

In order to lengthen the waist of the form, the adjustable connections at the waist are loosened so as to permit the shoulders of the form to be drawn up away from the hip sections. This may be readily done as soon as the set screw 15 is loosened and without loosening the clamping nut 17, as will be obvious. When the shoulder sections of the form have been elevated to the proper point, the adjustment will be maintained by simply tightening the set screw 15.

In the use of which these dress forms are put by dressmakers it is desirable oftentimes to be able to materially change the shape of the form, both in respect to enlarging and contracting the waist, and in respect to changing the shape of the back or the bust, so as to make the form present a rounded back or a straight back and full bust. In order to permit this to be done and to provide for holding the form in any shape in which it is adjusted, I have provided an interior brace arrangement which extends from the front to the rear of the form and which holds the front and back sections in the desired shape. As herein shown, the central support 9 of the form has mounted thereon a sliding collar 19 carrying a stud 20 provided with a clamping nut 21. V

22 and 23 are two brace members slotted to slidingly embrace the stud 20 and be clamped in position by the nut 21. The brace section 22 is provided at its end with a laterally-extending foot portion 24: which overlies and is clamped to one of the bust sections by the clamping screw 8 and the brace section 23 is also provided with a laterallyextending foot 25 which is clamped to one of the rear sections of the form by one of the clamping nuts 8. Vith this brace it is possible to throw the front or bust section of the form outwardly to any desired position and then to firmly clamp it in such position, and then at the same time to adjust the back sections either backwardly or inhinges 26 make the form more flexible and permit the bust sections to be thrown out or drawn in without, however, destroying the proper shape of the form and without making any material change in the size of the waist.

As stated above my invention comprehends a. novel waist portion for the form, by which the waist can be readily changed in size without affecting the shape or the size of the hips. I secure this end by providing the form with an independent waist portion which is hinged to the hip portion and is movably connected to the bust portion. This waist portion is herein shown as formed in separate sections by the vertical divisions of the form and I have herein shown one waist section for each of the hip sections, each waist section being hinged to its hip section. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the waist sections at the front of the form are designated 28, these being separated from the bust section's along the division line 27. At the back of the form the waist sections are designated 80, the sections 28 and SO comprising the waist portion of the form. These sections 28 and 30 are hinged to the hip sections by suitable hinges 29 which permit the waist sections to swing out or in, relative to the hip sections. The waist sections 28 and 30 will be connected to the sections directly above them in any suitable way as by means of the slotted connecting members 7 shown in Fig. 1, If desired I may make the connection between the hinges 29 and one of the sections'to which they are connected, an adjustable connection. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention. each hinge is adjustably connected to the waist section and for this purpose the hinges are slotted as at'31 and the waist sections are connected to the slotted ends of the hinges by clamping screws 32. By making the dress form with the independent waist sections which are hinged to the hip sections, it is possible to enlarge or contract the form at the waist without distorting the form either at the hips or at the bust. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show clearly how this may be done for if it is desired to expand the waist without changing the size of the hips, the waist sections can be moved into the dotted line position, Fig. 2 to effect the desired enlargement of the waist without changing the size of the form at the hips, the hinged connection between the waist and hips permitting this.

The hip sections 6 each have secured to the lower end thereof a base piece, preferably of wood, and these base pieces are detachably connected together by the mechanism shown in Fig. 6. These base pieces are designated 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40, respectively. The adjustable connection between said base pieces comprises two slotted clamping plates or straps 41 and 42, each pivotally mounted on the central supporting member 9, and the y slotted clamping plates or straps 43, 4 1. The clamping plate 41 is adjustably connected to the two base pieces 39 and 3:"), respectively, by means of suitable clamping screws 45, which also extend through and clamp the plates or straps 4:3, 44:; the plate or strap (L2 is adjustably connected with the base pieces 34:, 38 by clamping screws 45 which also extend through the slots in the straps 4.3 and 44; the clamping plate 4.3 is connected to the base pieces 33 and 36 by other clamping screws 164:, and the clamping plate 44: is connected to the base pieces 87, 40 by similar clamping screws 164, all of said clamping screws extending through the slots in the plates. This construction permits the hip sections to be readily adjusted to different sizes and shapes, as will be obvious.

In order to preserve proper form at the hips when the sections are expanded, I employ steadying pins 47 in the base pieces which enter and play in the slots of the clamping members 43 and 44;, these steadying pins holding said clamping plates 43, 4.4 in proper position and prevmiting the sections of the form from being twisted or thrown out of alinement as they are opened out away from each other.

When the waist is expanded without expanding the hip, the hip sections 6 assume different positions relative to the vertical, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2. In order to permit them to be thus thrown into different vertical positions without throwing the base pieces out of alinement, I have provided a flexible connection between each hip section and its base piece. As herein shown each hip section is provided with a vertical slot 50 through which passes a clamping screw 51 that screws into the corresponding base piece. The edges of the base pieces are rounded. and this connection forms a su'l'liciently flexible one to permit the sections 6 to be moved from the :l'ull to the dotted line position Fig. 2 without bringing any appreciable strain on the base pieces. It desired I may embed a. metal slotted plate 56 in each section to form. a bearing for the screws 5.1.

My invention also includes a novel construction whereby the arm is detachably sustained by the shoulder and can be swung into ditlerent positions and will be retained in such positions. As herein shown the body of the form has secured thereto at the shoulder an arm-supporting plate 60 provided with one or more slots 61. The arm (it; is provided at its shoulder end with two or more fingers 62 adapted to enter the slots 61, this construction permitting a ready removal of the arm by simply withdrawing the lingers from the slots. The supporting plate (50 is rotatably mounted to turn about a horizontal. axis and is constructed to be trictionally held in anv desired position. This is herein accomplished by providing said plate with a clamping screw (33 which is swiveled to the plate and which extends through a centering member (34 carried by the body of the dress term. The clamping screw is provided with a nut 65 so that by adjusting the nut the frictional engagementof the plate 60 with the centering member 6 can be ad usted, this construction permitting the plate 60 to be turned about the screw 62- as an axis so that the arm 66 can be swung into any desired position.

The friction of the plate 60 with the centering member (ii is sntlicient to hold the arm in the position in whi h it is adjusted.

l have also provided means whereby the arm may be raised or lowered. as shown by the hill and dotted line positions Fig. 7. This is accomplished by making the fingers 62 rigid with an arm or plate ()8 that is pivoted at one end. as at 67, to the dress form arm 66, and at the other end 95) is pivotally connected to a slide (39 which extends in the direction ot' the length of tl arm and extends longitudinally of the arm. This slide 69 is shown in the drawings as extending down through the arm and as terminating at the wrist end of the arm, said slide being provided with a slotted end which embraces a clamping screw 70 sustained by the arm. When the clamping screw 70 is loosened the arm can be swung up and down from the full to the dotted line position and vice 'versa, Fig. 7, during which n'n'ivement the slide 69 will have a movement longitudinally oil. the arm. liy clamping the screw 70 the slide 69 will be locked to the arm (36 and said arm will thus be held in an adjusted position. When the plate (30 is turned 90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 7 then the movement of the arm on the hinge (37 will be backward and tor *a rd instead of up and down. hly improrement, therefore, contenu'ilates a construction whereby the arm 66 may be swung backward or forward and may also be swung up and down and can be readily held in any adjusted position. It is desirable that the arms should always be situated centrally oi the shoulder when the shoulder of the torm is expanded from front to rear. and to permit this to be done ll coni'iect one end (it the centering nien'iber lit to the trout hall" ol the term, and the other end o't said centering member to the rear halt ot' the term, so that when the trout and rear halves are separated to give more thickness to the shoulder. the centering member will maintain its central position.

In the present embodiment said centering plate is pivoted at its upper end, as at 71, to a plate 73 which. is detachably secured to the rear shoulder section 2 by screws 7%, and the lower end of said centering member is slotted, as at 72, and embraces a pin or stud 75 extending from the front shoulder section. "With this arrangement it will be readily observed that as the front and rear shoulder sections are moved toward or from each other tovary the size of the form the portion of the centering member through which the swivel screw 63 extends will be maintained at approximately the central portion of the arm-scye so that the arm will not be thrown out of its proper position by the expansion or contraction of the form.

I have shown a collar 81 on the lower end of the central supporting member 9 which holds said member from upward movement.

82 designates a slotted link which may be used to tie together adjacent sections of the form. This link embraces the clamping screws 8 and when said screws are tightened up after the form is adjusted, said link will hold the sections properly spaced. The use of the link obviates the necessity of using a clamping plate 7. With the construction shown in Fig. 1, for example, two clamping screws 8 are sufficient to clamp in adjusted position eight form sections.

In Fig. 13 I have shown a construction wherein the hinge connections 290 which unite the sections at the waist are pivotally connected to the sections 300 above the divi sion line 27,. as at 91, so that the connections can swing sidewise, and the leaves 94 of said connections are elongated and slotted and overlie the hip sections 6. Clamping screws adjustably secure the connections to the hip sections.

Havin g thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a dress form, the combination with aplurality of independentlyadjustable neck sections, of a central supporting rod extending above said sections, a tubular neck-clamping member mounted on said rod and adjustable longitudinally thereof, two clampin elements carried by said tubular member, and by which the neck sections are rigidly clamped in adjusted position, and means situated above said clamping elements to clamp the tubular member to said rod.

2. In a dress form, the combination with a plurality of neck sections, each having a radially-extending slotted plate, of a cen tral supporting rod extending through the slots of the plates and above the neck sections, a tubular neck-clamping member loosely mounted on the rod and also extending through the slots of said plates, means above the neck sections and exterior to the form to clamp said member to the rod in any adjusted position thereon, and other means to clamp said plates to the tubular member whereby the tubular neck-clamping member may be adjusted vertically on the rod without unclamping the neck sections.

3. In a dress form, the combination with a plurality of neck sections, each having a radially-extending slotted plate, of a central supporting rod extending through the slots of the plates and above the neck sections, a tubular screw-threaded neck-clamping member slidably mounted on the rod and also extending through the slots of said plates, said member having a clamping shoulder, a clamping nut screw-threaded to said memher and adapted to clamp the plates between it and the shoulder, and means situated above said nut to clamp said member to the rod in any adjusted position thereof.

at. The combination with a sectional dress form divided vertically in a plurality of places and divided horizontally slightly above the bust thereby to form bust sections and rear waist sections, said bust sections being sub-divided, and the two parts thereof being pivotally connected together, of an adjustable brace connected to the rear waist sections and to the upper portion of the bust sect-ions, a central supporting rod, and means for connecting said brace to said rod.

5. In a sectional dress form, the combination with a plurality of form sections adjustable relative to each other, of a central supporting rod, a collar loosely surrounding said rod and free to be moved longitudinally thereof, a brace extending from front to rear of the form and comprising two overlapping sections, and means to clamp said sections to said collar.

6. In a dress form, the combination with a body section, of a resilient arm-supporting plate at the shoulder thereof, a bolt extending through said plate and securing it to the body section whereby the plate is frictionally sustained for turning movement about a horizontal axis, and an arm sustained by the plate.

7. In a dress form, the combination with a body section, of a resilient arm-supporting plate at the shoulder thereof, an arm detachably supported by said plate, means frictionally and pivotally connecting said plate to the body section whereby the plate can be turned about a horizontal axis extending substantially radially of the form and will be frictionally held in any adj usted position.

8. In a dress form, the combination with a body section of a resilient arm-supporting plate at the shoulder thereof, a bolt extending through said plate and securing it to the body section whereby the plate is frictionally sustained for turning movement about a horizontal axis, and an arm sustained by the plate and pivotally hung to swing up and down 9. In a dress form, the combination with a body section, of a resilient arm-supporting plate at the shoulder thereof, a bolt ex tending through said plate and securing it to the body section whereby the plate is frictionally sustained for turning movement about a horizontal axis, an arm detachably sustained. by the plate and pivotally hung to swing up and down, and means to hold the arm in any adjusted position.

10. In a dress form, the combination with a body section, of a resilient arm-supporting plate at the shoulder thereof and provided with two slots, a bolt extending through said plate and securing it to the body section whereby the plate is frictionally sustained for turning movement about a horizontal axis, and an arm having two fingers pivotally sustained at the upper end thereof, which fingers are adapted to enter the slots in said plate.

11. In a dress form, the combination with a body section, of a resilient arm-supporting plate at the shoulder thereof, and provided with two slots, a bolt extending through said plate and securing it to the body section whereby the plate is frictionally sustained for turning movement about a horizontal axis, an arm having a plate pivoted to its upper end and provided with two fingers to enter said slots of the sup porting plate, and a strap 69 connected to said pivotally-sustained plate and adjustably connected to said arm for holding the arm in different positions.

12. In a dress form, the combination with a body section, of an arm-supporting plate at the shoulder of the form and provided with two slots, means to frictionally sustain said plate for turning movement about a horizontal axis, said means having provision for varying the friction, an arm having a plate at its upper end provided with downwardly-directed lingers to enter said slots, and a pivotal connection between said arm and plate whereby the arm may be swung up and down.

13. In a dress form, the combination with a body portion divided from side to side to present front and rear halves, of a centering member sustained at the shoulder of the term, means for maintaining said centerinomember in central position between the front and rear halves as they are adjusted toward and from each other, and an arm sustained by the centering member.

14. In a dress form, the combination with a body portion divided from side to side to present front and rear halves, of a centering member at the shoulder of the form and connected at one end to one half and at the other end to the other half whereby said centering member will maintain a central position as the front and rear halves are moved toward and from each other, and an arm sustained by said centering plate.

15. In a dress form, the combination with a body section divided from side to side to present front and rear halves, which are adjustable toward and trom each other, of a centering member secured at one end to the rear half at the shoulder of the form and slotted at the other end, a pin or stud carried by the front half of said form and enibraced by the slot of the centering member, and an arm sustained by said centering member.

16. In a dress form, the combination with a body section divided from side to side to present front and rear halves which are adustable toward and from each other, of a centering member hinged at one endto the rear half at the shoulder of the form and slotted at the other end, a pin or stud carried by the front hall of said form and embraced by the slot of the centering member, and a plate sustained by the centering member for turning movement about a horizontal axis and an arm carried by the plate.

17. In a sectional dress form, the combination with waist sections of base pieces, hip sections hinged to the waist sections and having rocking engagement with the peripheries oi the base pieces, and means connecting each hip section to its base piece which means permits the hip sections to have such rocking engagement.

18. In a sectional dress form, the combina- 00 tion with waist sections,of slotted hip sections hinged thereto, a base piece for each hip section, and a screw extending through the slot of each hip section and into the corresponding base piece.

19. i dress form divided at the waist to constitute a hip portion and a bust portion and divided vertically to provide separate sections in both the hip portion and bust portions, means connecting each section of 110 the bust portion to the corresponding section of the hip portion which permits the hip and bust sections to be adjusted toward and from each other thereby to lengthen the waist and the hip sections to have a lateral 115 swinging movement relative to the bust sec tions, and means to hold the lower edge of the hip sections in adjusted position.

.20. The combination with a sectional dress form divided at the waist to constitute the 12 hip portion and divided vertically to provide separate sections in the hip and bust portions, of means connecting each hip section to the corresponding bust section which means permits the hip and bust sections to 125 be adjusted vertically relative to each other and the hip sections to swing laterally relative to the bust sections, a base piece for each hip section, each hip section having rocking engagement with the periphery of its base 13? piece, means connecting the hip sections to the base pieces which permits of rocking movement, said base pieces being adjustable laterally and means to clamp the base pieces in. adjusted position.

21. In a dress form, the combination with hip sections, of base pieces connected thereto, two crossing slotted clamping plates pivotally connected together and secured to certain of the base pieces, two parallel slotted clamping plates overlying the crossing plates, clamping screws securing said parallel clamping plates to other base pieces, and guiding projections other than the screws carried by said other base pieces and entering the slots of the parallel plates.

22. In a sectional dress form, the combination with a plurality of sections, of slotted clamping straps secured to certain sections and overlying other sections, clamping screws anchored in said other sections and adjustable in the slots in said straps and a slotted floating link embracing said screws.

23. In a sectional dress form, the combination with six hip sections,of a base piece connected to each hip section,two crossing slotted clamping plates pivotally connected together, each clamping plate being adjustably connected to each of two diametrically opposed base pieces, two parallel slotted clamping plates overlying the crossing plates and clamped thereto, and means for clamping said parallel plates to the other base pieces.

24:. In a dress form, the combination with a plurality of neck sections each having a radially extending slotted plate, of. a central supporting rod extending through the slots of the plates and above the neck sec- Lil -A5 tions, a tubular neck-clamping member loosely mounted on the rod and adjustable longitudinally thereof and provided with a clamping shoulder beneath the slotted plates, said tubular neck-clamping member extending above the plates, means above the neck sections and exterior-to the dress form to clamp the tubular member to the supporting rod in any adjusted position thereon, and other means above the slotted plates to clamp them against said shoulder.

25. A garment form comprising a bust portion, a hip portion, and an independent waist portion hinged to said hip portion, and means for movably connecting said waist and bustportions.

26. A garment form comprising a bust portion, a hip portion, and an independent waist portion hinged to said hip portion, means for adjusting the dimensions of said hip and bust portions, and independent means for adjusting the dimensions of the lower end of said hip portion.

27. A garment form comprising a plurality of bust sections, a plurality of waist sections, and a plurality of hip sections hinged to said waist sections, and means carried by said bust sections adapted to slidably engage said waist sections, whereby said bust sec tions can be adjusted vertically relative to said waist sections.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. UFFORD.

WVitnesses LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS, J. DRUMMOND.

Content at this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, n. G.

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