AN APPLICATION OF A CERTAIN MATERIAL TO VARIOUS ARTICLES OF DRESS AND OTHER ARTICLES, THAT THE SAME MAY BE RENDERED MORE ELASTIC
Year: 1820

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HANCOCK, of Pultney Street, Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Coach Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twenty-ninth day of April, in the first year of His reign, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Hancock, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas
Hancock, my exors, admors, and assigns, during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Your
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN APPLICATION
OF A CERTAIN MATERIAL TO VARIOUS ARTICLES OF DRESS AND OTHER ARTICLES, THAT
THE SAME MAY BE RENDERED MORE ELASTIC;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso that if I, the said Thomas Hancock, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine;
and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Hancock, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in the following description thereof (that is to
say):
:-
The material I use is caoutchouc. I cut it into slips of a convenient
length and thickness, according to the purpose for which it is to be used and
the degree of elasticity necessary. If the quality of the caoutchouc is not the
best, or the spring is not required to be very substantial, I prepare these slips
by putting them into hot water, and steeping them awhile to prevent their
cracking on the edges. When the substance of the spring is required to be
more considerable, or the quality of the caoutchouc better, I use it without
such preparation. I apply the caoutchouc spring to gloves in the following
manner: A case or pipe of leather, linen, or cotton, or other similar material,
is made as long as it is necessary the spring should stretch. The spring is
then fastened at the extremities of the pipe or case, by sewing or otherwise,
in such a manner as that the pipe may contract or gather up very considerably.
The case or pipe is then fixed in the wrist of the glove, so as to contract the
glove to the size of the wrist, care being taken not to make the spring so strong
but that the glove will easily draw over the hand. The case or pipe may be
made in the glove itself, and the spring introduced in the manner I have
described. Attention must be made in fastening the caoutchouc that it is not
pierced anywhere between the extremities by the needle, otherwise it will be
liable to tear and break. In a similar manner I apply the caoutchouc spring
to any other article of dress where elasticity is desireable at any particular part.
I apply the caoutchouc springs to waistcoats and waistbands to make them
contract and sit close to the body; to coat sleeve linings to draw them closer
round the wrist; to the mouth of pockets to prevent their contents from
falling out when in an inverted position, and to prevent their being easily
picked; to trowser and gaiter straps to enable them to lengthen and shorten
to the bend of the knees and anckle joints; to braces instead of wire and
other springs, as now commonly used; to stockings to prevent their slipping
down the leg; to garters; to shirt wrists; to the knees of drawers and breeches;
to wigs, false curls, and fronts, to keep them tight on the head; to pocket books
and purses instead of the strap and loop and wire springs; to riding belts; to
stays and such parts of the apparel and dress of women as require to be kept
close to the person, and yet to be elastic as fastenings; to boots, shoes,
clogs, and patten, when the object is to take them off and on without any
lacing, unlacing, or tying. I apply caoutchouc to the soles of boots, shoes,

page_text: and clogs by making either the whole sole of caoutchouc or the inner or outer
sole only, or by fastening a piece of caoutchouc between the soles, and in
either case boots, shoes, and clogs are rendered more elastic to the foot. I
apply the caoutchouc spring to stiffners for neckcloths. I use caoutchouc in
stirrups, to render them elastic to the foot, by forming a piece to the bottom
of the stirrups which I fasten on by having holes drilled in the stirrup, and
sewing on the caoutchouc with wax thread or wire, or by rivetting or screwing
it on with iron.
In this Specification I do not insist upon any particular mode of applying or
fastening the caoutchouc to the various articles described, as that may be
varied as conveniences may require, my object being to produce and apply a
better kind of spring than any now in use for the purposes above mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hancock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty.