An Improved Garter or Band for Supporting Stockings in Position while being Worn and for other Analogous Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
An Improved Garter or Band for Supporting Stockings in Position
while being Worn and for other Analogous Purposes.
I STEPHEN BROOKS of Leeds Road North Huddersfield in the county of York
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to garters or bands used for supporting stockings in position
while being worn and for other analogous purposes and consists in an improved
garter or band which is more easily applied and more readily adjusted to any degree
of tension than garters or bands hitherto in use.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a plan of a garter
or band constructed according to my invention.
a a are plates or pieces of inetal or other suitable material. I provide the plates or
pieces a a of metal or other suitable material with spikes or teeth which spikes or
teeth may be formed by stamping or indenting the material of which the plates
or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material are formed or such spikes or teeth b
may be formed separately and attached to the plates or pieces a a of metal or other
suitable material. The plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material I
connect together by means of an elastic or other material such as a band of india-
rubber, woven or knitted fabric or other suitable material.
In some cases I
propose to connect the plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material by
means of a spring of suitable form formed of any suitable metal or other suitable
material. The elastic or other material or spring may be secured to the plates or
pieces a a of metal or other suitable material by stitching or rivetting or in any other
suitable manner.
In those cases in which the plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable
material are connected together by means of an endless band of elastic or other
material I form boles or openings c through the plates or pieces a a of metal or other
suitable material and I cut through the plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable
material at the place and in the direction indicated by the dotted lines A. I then
bend the portions a¹ of metal or other suitable material so as to allow the endless

page_text: band of elastic or other material to be inserted into the holes or openings o. After
the endless band d of elastic or other material has been inserted into the holes or
openings the portions a¹ of metal or other suitable material are straightened so as to
secure the endless band d of elastic or other material in the holes or openings c.
In some cases I form in the plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material
protuberances e which protuberances e assist the spikes or teeth 6 in retaining their
hold upon the stocking and also serve to prevent the points of the spikes or teeth b
from coming in contact with the leg of the person wearing the band or garter.
In one mode of applying the garter or band herein before described, for supporting
a stocking one of the plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material is
attached by means of the spikes or teeth 6 formed upon it, to one portion of the
stocking. The elastic material connecting the plates or pieces a a of metal or other
suitable material is then stretched and the other plate or piece a a of metal or other
suitable material is then attached to another portion of the stocking as illustrated in
Fig. 3, the elasticity of the elastic material tending to draw the plates or pieces a a
of metal or other suitable material towards each other and thereby tightening the
stocking upon the leg.
When the plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material are connected by a
material which is inelastic in comparison with india-rubber or in comparison with a
knitted fabric it is necessary to so stretch the stocking when applying the garter or
band that the elasticity of the stocking will be caused to retain the stocking in proper
position upon the leg.
The plates or pieces a a of metal or other suitable material may be made in any
design and of any suitable size and the elastic or other material may be made of any
suitable width and strength.
My invention enables the garter or band to be applied to any part of the stocking
and garters or bands constructed according to my invention are less likely to interfere
with the circulation of the blood than garters as hitherto made.
Although I have only described my invention as applied to tightening the stocking
upon the leg my invention may be employed for securing the stocking to any other
suitable garment and for other analogous purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved garter or band hereinbefore described consisting in plates or
pieces such as a a of metal or other suitable material each formed or provided with
spikes or teeth such as 6 and connected together by means of elastic or other
material such as a band of india-rubber, woven or knitted fabric or other suitable
material substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved garter or band hereinbefore described consisting in plates or
pieces such as a a of metal or other suitable material each formed or provided with
spikes or teeth such as band protuberances such as e and connected together by
means of elastic or other material such as a band of india-rubber, woven or knitted
fabric or other suitable material substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Seventh day of May 1888
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Manchester,
Agent to the Applicant.