IMPROVE- MENTS IN STOCKINGS FOR PERSONAL WEAR
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Ayckbourn, of 4, Lyon's Inn, Strand, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STOCKINGS FOR PERSONAL WEAR."
Sealed the 26th June 1857, and dated the 1st January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Ayckbourn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st January 1857.
I, FREDERICK AYCKBOURN, of 4, Lyon's Inn, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOCKINGS FOR PERSONAL WEAR," to be as follows:-
In the process of weaving or manufacturing the stocking, which I do by any of
the well-known ordinary modes, I work in a band, either with elastic or non-
elastic thread or other suitable material, and in a circuitous direction at that part
of the stocking over which the garter would ordinarily be placed, whether used
under or above the knee. This band may be about an inch broad, and extend
wholly round the leg (Figs. 1 & 2), in which case no further support is required
to the stocking, as the band, not partaking of the great elasticity of the other
portion of the stocking, does the office of a garter; or the band may be made
to extend only about three-fourths round (Figs. 3 & 4), having a small loop
wove or worked into it at each end. The ends of the band are then gently

page_text: drawn towards each other by a piece of ordinary elastic webbing about an inch
long, having at each end of it a small metal clasp (Fig. 5) to hook on to each
loop; or the band may extend almost entirely round the leg (Fig. 6), and its
ends be gently drawn towards each other by an inch or less of elastic webbing
sewn or worked into them.
I claim the Invention of incorporating a partially and entirely circuitous
band in stockings, so as to cause them by the arrangements above described to
be self-supporting when in use.
I claim the application of the elastic webbing in the particular manner bere
set forth as improvements in the mode of supporting stockings.
And I claim the Invention of the clasp with a loop, as above described, as a
fastener for these and other useful purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Ayckbourn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
AYCкBOURN, of 4, Lyon's Inn, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Ayckbourn, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick Ayckbourn,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick
Ayckbourn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOCKINGS FOR
PERSONAL WEAR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick
Ayckbourn, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Ayckbourn, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
per-
In weaving or manufacturing stockings of any description, and by any of the
ordinary well-known processes, I employ the following modes, or any of them,
for causing the stocking to be self-supporting when in use, so as to dispense with
a garter. At that particular part of the stocking, either under the knee or above
it, over which a garter would ordinarily be placed (Fig. 1 and 2), I work in
ornamental, coloured, or plain threads, either of a similar or dissimilar material
from that of which the stocking is being made, and so form a circuitous band
round the stocking about an inch wide, and somewhat resembling a garter in
appearance. Afterwards, by the application of what is well known in the trade
as loopwork, applied manually to the interior surface of the stocking upon that
part only (Fig. 3), or about seven-eighths of it (Fig. 4) over which the said
band extends, I deprive the band of a great portion of its natural elasticity, and
render it sufficiently rigid or stiff to enable the stocking to support itself on the
leg when in use without further aid.
Another mode of effecting my object is, after the stocking and ornamental
band are completed, and in lieu of the said loopwork, I introduce or run through
the said band on the inside of the stocking a bobbin or soft cord, and which
should encircle the leg twice or oftener; the ends of this bobbin or cord meeting
can then be tied or fastened to any required tightness.
Another mode of effecting my object is by sewing in or forming with a
needle and thread in a circuitous direction a band, about half an inch wide,
and extending about seven-eighths round the leg (Fig. 5 and 6.) In this case
there is no elasticity but what is derived from that part of the stocking lying
between the two ends of the band, this, however, will generally suffice to hold
up the stocking; when it is not sufficient, the ends of the band may be
advantageously drawn towards each other by a small piece of ordinary elastic
india-rubber webbing sewn on to thein (Fig. 7 and 8); or the band ends may be
furnished with loops, as in Fig. 9 and 10, through each of which a small metal
clasp (Fig. 11) sewn on at each end of a very short piece of elastic webbing is
passed.
Another method of accomplishing the object of my Invention is by intro-
ducing, working in, or inserting a piece of separate and selvidged breadth of
fabric, ornamental or otherwise, so as to form a band of the required degree of
rigidity to serve as a substitute for a garter above or below the knee, or both,
as required. The way in which this is to be done is by first running one edge

page_text: of the said fabric upon the needles of the stocking machine and working the
part of the stocking below the knee to it, and afterwards running or placing on
the needles the other edge of the breadth of fabric and working to it the other
or upper portion of the stocking. The band of fabric so inserted may evidently
be used longer than would suffice to just encircle the stocking, and so as to
admit of its being wrapped over and tied, or otherwise fastened, which in some
cases may be a preferable mode.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Ayckbourn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
FREDERICK AYCKBOURN. (L.S.)