CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
COOPER, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey, Tailor, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster
the Fourth day of November, in the twelfth year of Her reign, did give and
grant unto me, the said Joseph Cooper, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her
special license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph
Cooper, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Joseph
Cooper, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with and no
others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter, during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might, make, use, exercise, and vend
within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, called
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands
of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR WEARING APPAREL," in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Joseph Cooper, shall particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an enrolment in writing under my hand and seal, to be
enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with this proviso, I, the said
Joseph Cooper, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and tho
manner in which the same is to be performed, is fully described and ascertained
in and by the following instrument in writing, reference being had to the
letters and figures therein contained, and to the Drawings bereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists or has reference to certain improved methods of
suspending trowsers and other similar garments, and which improvements are
also applicable, in combination with the articles commonly called braces or
suspenders, to be used and employed for the purpose of suspending trowsers
and other similar articles; and also to the mode of fastening or attaching the
said braces or suspenders to trowsers or other similar garments. The same
portion of my improvements is also applicable to and used in the construction
for fastening or attaching of riding, walking, or other belts or bands, and of
straps at the bottoms of trowsers or other similar garments, and also to the
connecting of the fronts of coats and other similar garments, as substitute for
coat links, buttons, buckles, and other old means, the object of these my said
improvements being to remove- the. objections and inconveniences attending
such methods, usually adopted, of suspending the above named garments, and
forming the connections, fastenings, or attachments to coats and other similar
garments more securely and not so bulky as those hitherto used.
Another important feature in my said improvements consists in the greater
ease and facility, consequent to the connecting or disconnecting of the braces,
or suspenders, straps, or other connecters, with the trowsers, together with
increased durability of wear and lightness of construction.
But in order that my Invention may be better understood and more readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,
together with the letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents a front view of a pair of trowsers of the usual form; Fig. 2,
a back view of the same. To the upper edge of the trowsers or of the band
thereof, in place of the buttons or other fastenings usually attached thereto, and
to which are usually attached the braces or suspenders, I affix or attach, by
sewing or otherwise; the tabbs or triangular pieces marked a, a, a, Fig. 3, are
for the front part of the trowsers, and b, b, Fig. 4, for the back part, and so
cut, formed, and adapted, to draw the trowsers equally from every point of
attachment towards the top. I should here observe that the tabbs to be used
for the front of the trowsers must have one side much longer than the other, as
at Fig. 3, and at a, a, Fig. 1.
These tabbs are to be made of cloth or any
other suitable material, and to be rendered permanently elastic by means of

page_text: springs of metal or vulcanized india-rubber attached thereto, by inserting them
between the tabb itself and the lining thereof; but I prefer cutting the tabbs,
of the proper form, as above described, out of vulcanized india webbing, the
edges of which should be prepared by binding them with some non-elastic
material, so as not to admit of their stretching beyond a certain extent. To
these tabbs or triangular pieces a, a, and b, b, are attached and fixed the
arrangements for connecting them with the braces or suspenders, or certain
parts or portions thereof, the other fitting and corresponding portions being
securely attached and fixed to the braces or suspenders themselves, as will be
herein-after shewn and explained. Fig. 5 shews the form of the tabbs a, a,
Fig. 1, previous to the application and insertion of the vulcanized india-rubber,
or other springs, which when fastened and attached thereto and inserted
therein, the tabbs, by the action of the said springs c, c, c, assumes the form
and shape shewn by Figs. 3 and 4. To the upper part or edge of these tabbs
is attached the double piece of leather d, to which is affixed and fastened a
metallic plate or connecter, the corresponding part or portion of which is
attached to the brace or suspender. Different forms and modifications of these
plates and connecters will be herein-after shewn and explained. a, a, Fig. 6,
represents the leather strap usually affixed and sewn to the web of the brace
or suspender b, and forming the end thereof. Upon this leather strap or
end a, a, a, a number of metallic studs c, c, c, are fixed and fastened, by riveting
or otherwise, one of which is shewn and represented in Figs. 7 and 8, with one
face or side of larger diameter than the front face or side, which will prevent
any unpleasant pressure upon the body of the wearer, the broad back face
being the part by which the stud is affixed and fastened to the leather strap a, a,
These metallic studs, instead of being affixed and fastened permanently upon
the leather strap, or end of the brace or suspenders, may be simply inserted,
and without any permanent fixing and fastening, into holes cut in the leather
strap or end to receive them, as shewn by Fig. 9.
Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 represent the metallic plate or connecter, which is
affixed and fastened to the top of the tabbs or triangular pieces, as herein-before
explained, these metallic plates or connecters here represented being of different
construction, and which, when in action, attach and connect the trowsers, through
the medium of the spring tabbs above described, to the braces or suspenders,
by being hooked or caught over over the stud upon the leather strap or end of
the said brace or suspender. The metallic plate or connecter, Fig. 10, consists
simply of a plate a, bent as shewn in the adjoining section a', having a hole b
made therein of the shape or form represented, the larger part being sufficient
to allow the front face of the stud, Figs. 7 and 8, to pass through freely, while

page_text: the smaller portion of the hole is the size of the shank of the stud, the elasticity
of the tabb, pulling downwards, holding the stud firmly in its position. The
plate or connecter a is affixed either to the top of the tabb, Fig. 3 or
Fig. 4, or to-the-doubled-piece of leather d, Figs. 3 and 4, which are affixed
to the top of the tabbs a, Fig. 10, being a modification of the metallic
plate or connecter, better adapted to the purpose of securing it to the studs,
Figs 7 and 8, when such stud is attached, either fixed or otherwise, as
in Fig. 9.
Figure 13 represents another modification of the plate or connecter,
also adapted to connect with the stud, Figure 7 and 8, when not fixed
or attached, the several parts of this plate or connecter being represented
in detail at Figure 14. The letters refer to corresponding parts in both
Figures. In this modification the front face of the stud passes into the recess
between the plates a and b.
Figures 15, 16, and 16¹, represent another modification of the plate or
connecter, where the upper plate c fixes round the shank and front face of the
stud as well as the lower one, and is retained in that position by the catch.
spring a², which being forced back by the thumb nut a³, which releases the
upper plate c, which is then thrown up by the action of the catch spring upon
the other extremity of the upper plate, and which penetrates sufficiently to
allow the removal of the stud, the two front plates being rivetted to the back
plate, the upper plate c moving upon the centre. The different plates may be
constructed of sheet metal, separately, in pieces, and afterwards connected
together by means of rivets or otherwise, as they may be cast wholly or
separately.
Figure 17 represents another modification of the plates or connecters,
d being metallic plates fastened to the leather strap or end of the brace
or suspender, one of which is shewn separately in Figure 18. These plates
are furnished with a hole e, similar in size and form to that in the plate,
Figure 10, a similar and corresponding hole being made in the strap or
end; the holes f, f, in the plate, which are cut out for rendering it
lighter. These plates are permanently fastened, by sewing or otherwise, to
the leather strap or end a, a. If the leather used be sufficiently strong,
the use of these metallic plates may be dispensed with, the holes e, e, e, e,
being cut out of the leather, as just described.
Figure 19 represents another modification of connecter, having plates a, a, a,
similar to those shewn in Figure 13, except that the back is formed as in
Figure 14, and fastened permanently to the leather strap or end, but in an
inverted position. The plate or connecter necessary for the leather strap or

page_text: ends of the braces or suspenders, represented by Figures 17 and 19, is
shewn at Figure 12, and consists of a stud h upon the back of the plate i.
Figure 20 represents another modification of my improvements for connecting
or attaching the braces or suspenders to the tabbs by a series of eyelet holes
a, a, a. The plates forming the eyelet holes are made, as shewn separately in
Figure 21; a slot b is made in the plate c, with the part d being bent, and put
through a similar hole cut in the leather strap or end, and is flattened over, as
shewn by the section at Figure 22, the plate being there permanently fixed or
fastened to the leather strap or end by rivetting or otherwise. The plates with
the eyelet holes a, a, in Figure 23, are seen by the dotted lines, the part of
the plate forming the eyelet being oval in form, and bent over in a similar
manner as in Figure 22, but in addition is furnished with another plate or
ring to protect the leather strap or end, and afford a proper support to the
action of the connecting clasp to prevent the strap from tearing. These plates
are likewise permanently fixed or fastened to the leather strap or end by
rivetting or otherwise. The forming of the connecting clasps for suspending
the tabbs to the leather straps or ends is shewn in Figure 11, and which
consists simply in turning over the upper part of the plate a, which is affixed
to the doubled piece of leather b, which is attached to the tabbs, into the form
of a hook or clasp.
Figure 24 represents the method of applying my improved. connecters
to the backs of trousers and other garments. The ends of the brace or
suspender are connected together by a piece of catgut a, passing through
a double piece of leather b, the plate or connecter e, with its stud f, inserted
and fixed within it, as seen in part section, Figure 25. The stud f is made
to fit in corresponding parts of such connecters, which are fastened to the
back tabb upon the trousers, as seen at b, Figures 1 and 2, and herein-before
described.
Figure 26 represents my fastening and connecter applied to a riding,
walking, or other belt or band of the usual form and shape, the parts a, a,
being composed of vulcanized india-rubber, and fastened or connected on
the wearer by any number of any of the herein-before described connecters and
fastenings; but which fastenings are shewn in Figure 26 of the same descrip-
tion with reference to Figures 10 and 12.
Figure 27 shews the manner in which the herein-before described
connections or attachments are adapted and applied to straps for the
bottoms of trousers and other similar garments. A doubled piece of leather
a is sewn in a proper position on the insides of the bottoms of the trousers,
where the strap buttons are now usually placed, with the plates. b, b,

page_text: inserted therein, which plates being furnished with hole c, or studs to fit in
corresponding plates, inserted in another and corresponding double piece
of leather affixed and fastened on the end of the strap, which is made of
vulcanized india-rubber, or any other suitable material. To give these
plates a proper bearing, that portion which is enclosed in the double piece
of leather must be made of the same length as the doubled edge of the
said piece of leather and straight, so as to draw equally along the whole length
of the said double edge, as shewn in Figure 27, any projecting parts of the
connecting plates being allowed to pass through in the sides or edges of the
said double pieces of leather.
Another modification of fastening straps to trousers is seen at Figure 28.
Figure 29 and 30 represent my improved coat fastener, consisting of
two pieces of vulcanized india-rubber webbing a, a, of a suitable width,
inserted and fixed one on each side. One end is fixed to the inside of a
piece of linen b, b, which is sewn to the inner facing of the coat or other gar-
ment at a sufficient distance behind the lappell seam (a corresponding portion
of which must be left open to admit of its passing through when stretched)
to allow of the other ends on which the connecting plates c and care
fixed, meeting easily when drawn out for that purpose, and also being
wholly or partly hidden from view within the coat or other garment when
disengaged. The said connecting plates c and c may be composed of any
corresponding pairs of those herein-before described, and may le fastened on
the loose ends of the said pieces of vulcanized india rubber, or in any other
convenient manner, of which a very simple one is that shewn in Figure 30.
Figure 31 represents a brace or suspender made in one whole piece, either
of cotton, silk, or other material, the ends a, a, of which (shewn full size at
Figure 32) are furnished with worked eyelet holes, and a button hole or open
stud at the back part, which is to be attached to the tabb at the back of the
trousers or breeches.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood I do
not confine myself to the precise details, herein-before described, so long as the
peculiar nature and character of my said Invention and improvements, or any
part or portion thereof, may be retained, but what I claim is,-
Firstly, the constructing of a tabb or tabbs of cloth, or any suitable elastic
material, with springs inserted therein, to be affixed to trousers or breeches, as
above described.
Secondly, I claim the attaching. fastening or connecting brace ends to the
braces or suspenders to tabb or tabbs fixed to trousers and breeches where

page_text: buttons are not used, by means of the connectors, instead of or as a substitute
for buckles, and also straps to the bottoms of trowsers, by any of the means
above described.
Thirdly, I claim vulcanized india-rubber or vulcanized india-rubber webbing
inserted in and sewn to linen in combination with connecters, or any of them,
to the purpose of occasionally connecting the fronts of coats or other garments,
as herein-before described.
Lastly, I claim the attaching, fastening, or connecting of riding, walking
or other belts, bands, or stays, by any of the metallic studs, eyelets, clasps, or
guiding plates, as above described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third
day of May, in the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and