IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT FRONTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Rome Bealey, of the City of Manchester;
..in the County. of Lancaster, Shirt. Front Manufacturer, for.the.Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT FRONTS."
Sealed the 19th February 1861, and dated the 24th August 1860.
'PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Rome Bealey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th August 1860.
I, RICHARD ROME BEALEY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Shirt Front Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT FRONTS," to be as follows:-
Instead of making the neck bands to pass all round the neck and be fastened
or tied either at the front or back, as hitherto adopted; I make the band of any
suitable shape, but only to fit the front part of the neck or throat part, to each
end of which I attach an elastic band, tape, or other suitable material, to pass
over the shoulders of the wearer, cross each other at the back, and be.
attached to each side of the front by buttons and button holes, or other suitable
contrivance, to keep it in its. proper position. Or, instead of attaching; the
said elastic bands or tapes to the ends of the neck band, they may be attached
to the shoulder pieces or other convenient part of the front as now in general

page_text: use, and still leave the short neck. band to fit the front part of the neck, only
dispensing entirely with tieing or fastening the neck band round the neck in
any manner.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Rome Bealey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd February 1861:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ROME BEALEY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Shirt
Front, Manufacturer, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Rome Bealey, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Rome
Bealey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Rome Bealey, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT
FRONTS," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Richard Rome
Bealey, 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 Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Rome Bealey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
Instead of making the neck bands to pass all round the neck and be fastened
or tied either at the front or back, as hitherto adopted, I make the band of
any suitable shape, but only to fit the front part of the neck or throat part, to
each end of which I attach an elastic band, tape, or other suitable material, to

page_text: pass over the shoulders of the wearer, cross each other at the back, and be
attached to each side of the front by buttons and button holes, or other
suitable contrivance, to keep it in its proper position. Or, instead of
attaching the said elastic bands or tapes to the ends of the neck band, they
may be attached to the shoulder pieces or other convenient part of the front as
now in general use, and still leave the short neck band to fit the front part of
the neck only, dispensing entirely with tieing or fastening the neck band round
the neck in any manner.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and
belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the manufacture of
shirt fronts with a neck band to fit the throat part of the neck only, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Rome Bealey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
RICHARD ROME BEALEY. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Richard Rome Bealey, in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.