Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1898
I, JOHN CHARLES WESLEY MASTERMAN, of 12, Fountayne Road, Clapton, in the
County of London, Tailor's Cutter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
*This invention relates to a shirt front adjuster to be used on shirts with stiff
fronts and principally on dress shirts, to prevent the sides of the front from rising
or bulging outside the waistcoat; and consists of a strap or band with a fastening
attached at each end, one fastening is to fix on one side of the shirt front then the
strap or band is to go round the back of the wearer and the other fastening is to
come round and fix on to the other side of the shirt front drawing the strap or band
sufficiently tight to prevent the shirt front from rising. Neither the fastenings nor
the strap or band are seen while in use as they will be entirely under the waistcoat
and over the shirt at the back but neither under nor entirely over the shirt front for
when one fastening is fixed on at one side of the shirt front the strap or band is then
passed round the back of the wearer and the other fastening is fixed at the other
side of the shirt front. The said strap or band which may be made of various
materials such as silk, linen, .webbing, elastic, etc., may be attached to the shirt front
or detachable at one or both sides of the shirt front, and may be of various lengths
to suit the requirement of the wearer, or the length may be regulated by the use of
a buckle or slide or such analogous article; and the fastenings may be either loops
and buttons, buttons and button holes, hooks and eyes, clasps, etc., made of various
materials and one or more strap or band may be used on one shirt front.
. In the case where loops and buttons, and, buttons and buttonholes are used for
fastenings, the buttons would be placed on the shirt front, one on each side of the
shirt front for each strap or band, the loops and buttonholes to fix on to the
buttons.
The main principle of the invention is to secure the shirt front by a strap or band
with a fastening attached at each end of the strap or band, one fastening to fix on
one side of the shirt front, the strap or band is then to be passed round the back of
the wearer and then the other fastening is to fix on to the other side of the shirt
front so that when the two fastenings are fixed one on either side of the shirt front
the strap or band to which the said fastenings are attached is drawn sufficiently tight
to prevent the shirt front from rising at the sides. And it is obvious that there
are many and various manners and ways by which the said principle may be
carried out.
Deted this Sixteenth day of January One thousand eight hundred and ninety-

page_text: Improvements connected with Shirt Fronts.
I, JOHN CHARLES WESLEY MASTERMAN, of 75, South Lambeth Road, London, S.W.
(late of 12, Fountayne Road, Clapton, N.), Tailor's Cutter, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements connected with shirt fronts, and is used
with shirts with stiff or starched fronts and principally with dress shirts; by which
means the shirt front is prevented from rising or protuding at the sides outside of
the waistcoat; and consists of a strap or band with a buckle to regulate the size or
length, and a fastening attached at each end of the strap or band; the fastening at
each end is to fix on the shirt front at the side of the shirt front, one on one side of
the shirt front, the strap or band is then to be passed round the back of the wearer
and the other fastening is to fix on the other side of the shirt front; so that when
they are so fixed the shirt front is unable to protude at the sides outside the waistcoat.
The strap or band will be made of various materials such as silk, linen, elastic,
cotton or any webbing or article suitable, and may be attached to the shirt front or
detachable at one or both sides of the shirt front, and may be of various lengths to
suit the requirements of the wearer, or the length may. be regulated by the use of a
buckle or slide of metal or other material, or such analogous article; and the strap
or band may be partly or entirely of elastic. The fastenings may be either loops and
buttons, buttons and buttonholes, hooks and eyes, clips or clasps, etc., etc., made of
various materials. In the majority of cases, elastic loops and buttons, and clips or
clasps would be used for fastenings as I have found the same to be most useful and
convenient. In the case where elastic loops and buttons would be used, the strap or
band need not be of elastic, but of unstretchable silk or cotton webbing or such
analogous material, the buttons in this case would be fixed at the sides of the shirt
front, one button on each side of the shirt front, the two elastic loops would fasten
the strap or band on to the shirt front, one loop would fasten on to the button on
one side of the shirt front, the strap or band then being passed round the back of the
wearer and the other loop would fasten on to the button on the other side of the
shirt front. In the case where clips or clasps are used for fastenings, the clips or
clasps would clench the shirt front, one clip or clasp would clench the shirt front at
one side, the strap or band then being passed round the back of the wearer and the
other clip or clasp would clench the shirt front on the other side, without the use of
buttons.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I hereto annex a
sheet of drawings illustrative thereof:-
The diagrams are intended to represent two of the various ways in which the
principle of the invention may be carried out, and which I have found most useful;
but it is obvious that various other ways may be adapted to the same principle
which I have omitted for the sake of brevity as the principle is thoroughly explained.
Fig. 1, represents a strap or band not in use A indicating the clips or clasps B
flat elastic C a buckle D webbing of various materials.
Fig. 2, represents the stiff or starched front of a shirt, shewing the clips or clasps
marked A clenching the shirt front at each side when in use.
Fig. 3, represents side view of the shirt with one clip or clasp clenching the shirt
front when in use.
. Fig. 4, represents the back of the shirt with the band as it would be passed round
the back of the wearer when in use.

page_text: In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, A indicates clips or clasps B flat elastic C a buckle and D
webbing of various materials.
Fig. 5, represents a strap or band not in use A indicating elastic loops, B a buckle
and C webbing of various materials.
Figures 6, 7, 8 represents front, side, and back view respectively of shirt with Fig. 5,
as it would be when in use on shirt.
Fig. 9, represents the position of buttons on the shirt marked E when elastic loops
are used as fastenings as in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8.
I have shewn the arrangements which I have found most useful both when loops
and buttons, or when clips or clasps are used as fastenings, but it is obvious that
there are many other fastenings and a variety of other combinations that may be
used for the same principle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the saine is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The use of any method of fastening the shirt front at the sides to prevent the
shirt front from rising or protruding outside the waistcoat, by the use of a strap or
band passing round the back of the wearer.
2nd. The use of two loops attached to a strap or band for the purpose herein
described.
3rd. The use of two clips or clasps attached to a strap or band for the purpose
herein described.
Dated this 14th day of October 1897.
J. C. W. MASTERMAN,
75, South Lambeth Road, London, S.W.