An Improved Spring Device for Holding Down the Front Portions of Waistcoats and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spring Device for Holding Down the Front Portions of
Waistcoats and the like.
I, DANIEL WEBSTER BAKER, residing at Number 135 Salem Street, in the City
of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United
States of America, Master Mariner, 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 has for its object to prevent the lower portion of the front of a
waistcoat from rising up and getting out of shape, as now frequently occurs; and to
this end my invention consists in a spring device of novel construction, which is
applied to the inner side of the front portion of the waistcoat, and is adapted to be
connected with the upper portion of the trousers, whereby the front of the waistcoat
is held down with a yielding force and retained in its proper shape and position as
hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view of the outside of the front of a waistcoat and the upper portion
of a pair of trousers, showing in dotted lines my improved spring device attached to
the inner side of the waistcoat, and illustrating the manner in which it is connected
when in use, with the upper portion of the trousers.
Figure 2 is a view of a portion of the inner side of the front of a waistcoat, having
my improved spring device applied thereto
Figure 3 is a plan view of the back of one of the fastening plates by which the
spring device is secured to the inner side of the waistcoat.
Figure 4 is a section of one of the fastening plates, representing the manner in
which it is detachably secured to the inner side of the waistcoat.
Figures 5 and 6 are views illustrating modifications of my invention.
"
In the drawings, A represents a portion of the front of a waistcoat, to the-lower
part of the inner side of which are secured two fastenings or fastening plates B C,
which are connected together by a vertical guide rod or wire c extending from one to
the other and secured thereto by rivets, or in any other suitable manner. These
plates or fastenings B C are preferably attached to the inner side of the waistcoat by
means of ordinary pins a, passing through loops formed on the back of each plate,
and through the cloth on the inner side of the waistcoat as seen in Figures 2 and 4,
whereby they may be easily attached and detached, but if desired they may be secured
in place by sewing, rivetting, or in any other suitable manner. To the plate B is
permanently secured one end of a spring D composed of a single piece of wire,
preferably in the same piece with the wire c, and bent into the form shown, said
spring having two arms or members e, f, the lower one, e, extending along near the
lower edge of the waistcoat front as seen in Figures 1 and 2. The other or free arm f
of the spring D is provided near its outer end with an eye or loop 9 which encircles
the vertical rod c and is adapted to slide up and down thereon, the rod c thus forming
a guide for the arm in its movements toward and from the arm e, whereby the
arm is maintained in its proper position close to the inner side of the waistcoat and
prevented from being bent or twisted out of shape by accidentally catching in the
clothing or other object. When the arm is bent toward the fixed arm e, its outer
end is caught onto or connected with the upper portion of the trousers G as seen in
Fig. 1, when the tendency of the two arms e f to spring apart will cause the lower
arm e to exert a pressure away from the upper arm and force down the lower
portion of the front of the waistcoat to which, as before stated, the said arm e is
attached by means of the plate B, whereby the waistcoat is held down with a spring
pressure which will readily yield to the movements of the body, and yet keep the

page_text: waistcoat smooth and in its proper position, and prevent it from rising up and getting
out of shape.
The outer end of the free arm f of the spring D beyond the eye g is bent to form
a hook which, when the arm is bent down after putting on the waistcoat, is
adapted to catch under the neck of one of the buttons or other fastening of the front
opening or fly of tho-trousers as seen in Fig. 1; but, the outer. end of, the arm.
may be otherwise suitably shaped or provided with any suitable means to enable it to
engago or be connected with the front portion of the trousers, and be easily discon-
nected therefrom when the waistcoat is to be taken off.
In Fig. 5 is represented a modification of the-waistcoat spring above described.
In this case the action of the spring is reversed, the upper arm of the wire-spring
being securely attached to the upper fastening plate C, while the lower arme is free
and is provided with a hook and an eye 9 which encircles and slides upon the
vertical guide rod e in the same manner as the eye of the spring shown in Figs. 1
and 2, the springs performing the same function in both cases, the only difference
being that in the spring shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lower portion of the front of the
waistcoat is held down by the tendency of the two arms to spring apart, while in the
spring shown in Fig. 5, the same result is attained by the tendency of the two
arms to approach or spring towards each other after having been forced apart.
In Fig. 6 is represented another modification of my invention in. which a spring
extensible in the direction of its length and composed of rubber, metal, or other
suitable material is employed. The spring i here shown is composed of a short piece
of elastic webbing which is rivetted, sewed, or otherwise attached at its upper end to
the upper fastening plate C, and is provided with one or more eyes 9 which encircle
and slide upon the vertical rod c, which thus serves to guide the spring and hold it in
place as it is extended or drawn back. To the lower end of the spring is secured a
hook which enables it when drawn down to engage or be connected with the upper
portion of the trousers, when the resiliency of the spring will cause it to draw down
the waistcoat from the point where its upper end is attached thereto, the downward
draught being communicated through the vertical wire c to the lower fastening
plate B, and said wire c serving to stiffen the waistcoat along its front edge, thereby
keeping it smooth and in its proper position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A spring device for holding down the front portion of a waistcoat, consisting of
a vertical guide-rod or wire adapted to be secured at its opposite ends to the inner
side of the waistcoat, in combination with a spring adapted to be secured at one. end to
the waistcoat, and provided with an eye encircling said guido-rod and adapted to slide
thereon, whereby it is guided in its movements, said spring having its free end
provided with a nook or other device to enable it to be detachably connected with the
upper portion of the trousers, substantially as set forth.
2. The herein described spring device for holding.. down the front portion of a
waistcoat, consisting of the fastenings or fastening plates BC connected together
by a guide-rod or wire c, in combination with a spring, one and of which is
secured to one of the fastenings or fastening plates, while its opposite.ror free end
is provided with an eye or loop encircling said guide-rod a and adapted to slide
thereon, said free end of the spring being also formed to engage or be connected
with the upper portion of the trousers to hold the waistcoat. down, substantially as
described.
3. The combination with the two fastenings or fastening plates, BC,, connected
together by a vertical guide-rod or wire extending from one to the other, of: the
double or U-shaped spring D,-one arm or member, of which is secured at, its outer
end to one of the fastenings or fastening plates, while the other.or free member
has formed thereon an eye or loop 9 encircling the guide-rod cand adapted to
slide thereon; said free member being provided with a. bent or, hooked-shaped end /

page_text: located outside the eye g, whereby it may engage with the neck of a button or other
fastening on the upper portion of the trousers to hold the waistcoat down, substan-
tially as set forth.
4. The combination with a waistcoat, of a spring device for holding down its front
portion, the same consisting of two fastenings or fastening plates, connected together
by a guide-rod or wire and secured to the inner side of the waistcoat, and a spring
having one end secured to the waistcoat, and the opposite end provided with a loop or
eye encircling the guide-rod and adapted to slide thereon, said spring having its outer
or free end provided with means to engage or be connected with the upper portion of
the trousers, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of July 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.