IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING COATS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Thomson, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING COATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Thomson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1877.
ROBERT THOMSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain..
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING COATS."
Waterproof coats as hitherto made are found to be objectionable and un-
comfortable when in constant wear, by reason of a deficiency of ventilation which
causes an overheating of the body of the wearer, and the present Invention-relates
to a method of obviating these objections to waterproof overcoats by providing an
efficient means of ventilation.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist in forming the two breast
parts of the coat with a loose inverted pocket-like opening, up through which a
current of air ascends or is drawn in by the swinging motion of the arms of the
wearer when walking. This inverted opening or air passage is permanently open
below, so that there is a constant current of air passing up through it at the very
part of the body where it is most required when the coat is buttoned close up to
the neck, namely, at the front and sides of the wearer's chest.
The said air passage is preferably formed by leaving a space or opening in the
cloth of which the coat is made from the seam at the top of the shoulder down over
each breast part of the coat to near the level of the waist, over which opening a
layer or piece of the cloth is afterwards cemented or sewn, the cementing or sewing
being carried down both sides of the strip to the lower end, leaving a pocket-like
mouth or opening across. The inner side of the air passage is formed with the
ordinary coat lining, which is open or porous enough to let the air pass in through
it to keep the body of the wearer comfortably cool.
The width of the air passage may be from the imaginary side scam of the 'coat
on a vertical line with the arm, to the front in a vertical line with the button holes;
D

page_text: but in most cases the passage may be considerably narrower and yet give sufficient
ventilation.
Under another modification a simple opening may be cut across the cloth of the
coat on each side near to the level of the waist, and the cut edges may either be
hemmed or overlaid with a small piece of cloth cut from the web to correspond.
This cutting being permanently open above the cloth and lining, being only
cemented together at the edges, but the cloth cemented solid to the lining below
would allow a current of air to pass up, in the same manner as in the former
modification, the passage leading up to the top seam of the shoulder, and extending
from the side seam below the arm to the button hole seam in front, and in this way
a thorough ventilation would also be ensured.
Although this method of ventilation has been described as particularly applicable
to waterproof coats, it will be obvious that it may be applied to "Ulsters
coats and give the like results and advantages..
" or other
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Thomson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
December 1877.
ROBERT THOMSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
“. IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING COATS."
Waterproof coats or Ulster coats, as hitherto made, are found to be objec-
tionable and uncomfortable when in constant wear by reason of a difficiency
of ventilation, which causes an overheating of the body of the wearer, and the
..present Invention relates to a method of obviating these objections to waterproof
overcoats by providing an efficient means of ventilation.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said Invention may be properly
understood, I shall now proceed to describe the two Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best
means of carrying the same into practice, the same letters of reference indicating
the like parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 is an outside back view of an overcoat, and Figure 2 is a sectional side
view of the same taken on the line 1 - - 1 in Figure 1.
Referring to these Figures, the two breast parts a of the coat A are formed with
a loose inverted pocket-like opening B, seen dotted below the arm in Figure 1,
up through which the current of air ascends or is drawn in by the swinging motion
of the arms of the wearer when walking, as represented by the arrows in both
Figures. This inverted opening or air passage B is permanently open below, as
seen in section at b in Figure 2, so that there is a constant current of air passing
up through it at the very part of the body where it is most required when the
coat is buttoned close up to the neck, namely, at the front and sides of the wearer's
chest.
The said air passage B is preferably formed by leaving a space or opening C'in
the cloth of which the coat is made, from the seam D at the top of the shoulder
down over each breast part a of the coat to near the level of the waist a¹, over
which opening C a layer or piece of the cloth E is afterwards cemented or sew
sown;

page_text: the cementing or sewing being carried down both sides of the strip E to the lower
end, leaving an inverted pocket-like mouth or opening B across. The inner side of
the air passage B is formed with the ordinary coat lining, as seen at F in Figure 2,
which is open or porous enough to let the air to pass in through it to keep the
body of the wearer comfortably cool, or the lining may be left perfectably open and
uncemented at the inner edge to give a freer ventilation to the body.
The width of the air passage B nay, if desired, extend from the imaginary side
seam al of the coat A on a vertical line with the arm G, as seen dotted in
Figure 1, to the front in a vertical line with the button holes g; but in most cases
the passage B may be considerably narrower and yet give a sufficient ventilation.
Under another modification a simple opening may be cut across the cloth of the
coat on each side near to the level of the waist, and the cut edges may either be
hemmed or overlaid with a small piece of cloth cut from the web to correspond.
This cutting being permanently open below the cloth and lining, being only
cemented together at the edges and top, would allow a current of air to pass up in
the same manner as in the former modification, the passage leading up to the top
seam of the shoulder and extending from the side seam below the arm to the
button hole seam in front, and in this way a thorough ventilation would also be
ensured.
Although this method of ventilation has been described as particularly applicable
to waterproof coats or overcoats, it will be obvious that it may be applied to other
coats and give the like results.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated; but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the method and means of ventilating waterproof overcoats, Ulsters,
or other coats, substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Thomson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ROBERT THOMSON. (L.S.)