IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE COLLARS AND WRIST- BANDS OF SHIRTS
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Alexander Lyttle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1861.
I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER LYTTLE, of No. 10, Arundel Street, Strand, London,
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH THE COLLARS AND WRIST-
BANDS OF SHIRTS," to be as follows:-
1. The principle of novelty which I claim in this Invention is that of a
sustaining band, cord, chain, "clamps," detachable flaps, or wire to be used as
the medium of connexion between shirts and certain paper or other collars or
wristbands described below.
2. This band, cord, chain, or wire, which I shall designate a "collar brace,"
may be fitted with button-holes for receiving the buttons or "studs" attached
to the shirt, the "neck-band" of which has generally one on the back over
the spine, and one on the front over the windpipe, and it may be similarly
adapted to wristbands.
3. When formed in the shape of a band the collar brace may be either
metallic or non-metallic, as I do not confine myself to any particular material
for its construction.
4. The button-holes in the collar brace (when the latter is composed of an
elastic metallic band, a spring wire, a chain, or a cord) are to be in small flaps
of woven ribbon or tape, or of leather, or of any other convenient organic

page_text: substance, which should be secured to the brace, one at each end and one in
its middle.
5. The metallic band, chain, or wire may be covered like "crinoline steel"
hoops, or in any convenient way, if necessary; and instead of being provided
with the last-mentioned buttoning flaps it may be made with each end termi-
nating in a hook or clasp, and with a third hook or clasp in the centre, the
latter hook or clasp being intended to catch into an "eye" or "loop" of any
convenient construction on the back of the shirt, neckband, or wrists. The
hooks or clasps at either end of the collar brace are designed to link into a
"loop" or "eye" on the front or junction of the shirt neck or wrists, or other-
wise; one of these hooks or clasps may link into the other, the latter being
first linked into the last-mentioned loop or eye.
6. The paper collars and wristbands may be composed of any convenient
"make" or fabric of paper, and of any suitable form or colour and without
any button-holes; but on the under or bottom margin of each, gum or other
adhesive matter is spread at each end and at any other convenient point or
points of their surfaces.
7. When the collar or wristband is about to be worn on the person, this
adhesive matter (which is to take the place of the button and button-holes
now used with collars) is moistened like that on the flap of an envelope or on
a postage stamp, and it is then pressed into cohesion with corresponding points
of the surface of the collar brace.
8. When a fresh collar or wristbands are required the soiled ones can be
torn off the collar brace, unless the latter consists (as it may) of a band of
cheap tape or other cheap material, which can form a permanent portion of
each individual collar or wristband.
9. In the carrying out of this Invention, I not only claim the manufacture
of the collar braces for the purpose herein-before described, but also of all
collars and wristbands of every description which are to be so attached in use;
and in the case of woven or linen collars and wristbands the connection
between them and the collar brace may be secured in a manner exactly
similar to that in which I have recommended the collar brace to be joined to
the shirt.
10. In order to enable the collars or wristbands so worn to be properly
overlapped in front, a portion at the two ends of each in the points now usually
occupied by the button-holes may, if found desirable, be "sloped" off in the
cutting.
11. With some collars and wristbands a light material,may be used by the
following arrangement, viz., the collar or wristband is cut longer than neces-

page_text: sary (say, to the extent of an inch or two,) at either end. This projecting
portion of each is first folded back by a crease made transversely to the length
of the collar or wristband, and at any desired "slope" or "bias," with relation
to the next folding over, which is made upon the same side or surface by a
longitudinal crease. This plan of folding is tantamount to a hemming at the
two ends.
"
12. The latter plan of folding may not only be applied to the "turn-over"
or "turn-down" collars (and wristbands), now so much worn, but it also,
whether composed of thick or thin paper, affords the means of making stiff
"military band" collars and stiff wristbands, the folded overlaps being worn
next the person.
13. A "stiffener" composed of coarse paper, a thin lamina of spring steel, or
of any other convenient substance cut to a suitable form, may be included and
overlapped in the last-mentioned folding of the paper (paragraph 11), and
such stiffener may or may not be attached to or form a part of the before-
mentioned collar brace.
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14. This collar brace also affords the means of making paper collars in the
well-known rather old-fashioned upright shape, which was so much worn
before the present military band," or "turn-down collars came into
general use.
The old collars to which I refer were formed of two bands sewn
together, in one of which were the button-holes or other fastenings, and to the
uper edge of this band was sewn the second band or the collar, the latter being
made to bell out from the neck, and to terminate on either side of the
chin in upright angular points. The latter of these two bands in a collar of
this shape or cut I propose to make of any suitable paper material, or of linen,
or any other suitable fabric, joining it to the collar brace, as already described
in the case of the turn-down and military band collars, and wristbands may be
similarly formed.
15. Instead of the collar brace being continued unbroken round the neck
O the buttoning flaps or other metallic or non-metallic fastenings referred to,
may be separate and attached to the ends and middle of the collar or wrist-
band with adhesive matter or otherwise, as already described in the case of the
continuous collar brace; or a small clamp" carrying these flaps or other
fastenings may be made to clamp on to any of the paper or other collars or
5 wristbands, such a "clamp" being also a means which I propose for con-
necting the collar brace of any kind to the wristbands or collars.
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16. The button flap may be attached to the end of the clamp or to its side,
or it (as also the collar brace when a complete circle) may be attached to the
clamp in any position suitable to the fashion of the collar or wristband.

page_text: 17. I also propose to "crimp" or slightly
or slightly "gopher" the inner folding of
turn-down paper collars, when the paper of which they are composed is found
liable to break, or rather crease, abruptly at points, when bent round the neck
with the included scarf or necktie.