Improvements in Garment Pockets.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th "Jan., 1896
Improvements in Garment Pockets.
I, EDWARD JAMES CURRAN, of Exchange Buildings, William Street, Bathurst,
in the Colony of New South Wales, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and the manner in which the same is to be used to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The objects of my invention are to render pockets of garments proof against the
operations of pickpockets, and against the danger of articles falling out of the same
when the wearer stoops or is subjected to violent motion, or when the clothing
coutaining such pockets is so handled that the pocket is "upside down." Further,
the means I employ enable one pocket to be used as two distinct pockets one
within the other as hereafter more fully explained.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which my improvements are
illustrated,
Figure 1 shows a trouser pocket in side elevation, and Figure 2 shows a cross
section thereof on line Z Z in Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows one form of bar and Figure 4 another form of bar, each made of
spring steel, used in my invention, and Figure shows the bar in Figure 3 in
vertical section.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 show in side elevation, vertical section, and transverse
section, respectively, a coat pocket, the sections in Figures 7 and 8 being taken on
the lines X X and Y Y respectively in Figure 6.
Figure 9 shows a vest pocket in side elevation and Figure 10 a vertical section
on line W W in Figure 9.
Figure 11 shows a vertical section of a pocket in which there is a modification
as compared with Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a side elevation of a pocket containing another modified arrangement
of parts, and
Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional view of the parts C D ou the line V V in
Figure 12.
When a hand is inserted into any of the pockets indicated by Figures 1 to 9 it
meets an apparently firm bottoni along the surface D₁ and downward pressure does
not open a way further inward. The part marked B constitutes a complete inner
pocket with sides B2 of suitable equal length as in Figure 6 or unequal length as
in Figure 1, said pocket hanging freely within the ordinary pocket A, and being
neither so wide nor so deep as A the spaces of A at the, sides of B being shown
by E and that at the base by F, and it will be obvious that these sides and bottom
spaces may be utilized for keeping the respective contents of pocket A in particular
positions. Part of the base of pocket B is in some cases permanently closed as
shown at B in Figures 1 and 8 so that articles in B may rest therein without
dropping into A whenever the pocket A is entered; any small article put into
pocket B may also be allowed to rest therein; with the lip D' serving as a base.
Without the lip D₁ any weighty article, if thin, might work its way into A, but
with D¹ in use that is prevented. The wearer can move such articles on to B'
when he wishes to enter pocket A; but to a thief such articles would act as a
blind to the existence of a protected pocket beyond B. In most cases as in
Figure 9, the whole base of B may be openable. The openable portion of
pocket B is composed of two bars of spring steel, C and D which are sewn to and
enclosed by the base of the material forming the pocket B, holes C³ and D³ in said
steels being provided to enable the steels to be closely secured in and by the
material. The covered steel bars are connected or sewn together at each end and

page_text: normally remain straight and close together with the upper edge of C beneath the
lip of Ď¹ of D. In some cases I do not use a bar with a lip D¹ but merely two
plain bars such as C, or one spring steel bar C or D and in lieu of another bar a
strip of elastic material of the same length when unstretched. The ends of the
connected steels are not so tightly attached as to prevent the bars being separated
widely at their centres when required.
In order to enter pocket A the wearer will have to place his hand in B and by
pressure on the sides thereof stretch apart the steels C and D, and this is easily
done, the operation being if preferred assisted by in the first place inserting a finger
between the steels at either end where the lip D¹ narrows off to nothing.. The
slots D' in Dare to allow the steel to bend readily and being covered up in actual
use will not be then noticed. The lip D¹ should be so placed in the pocket, when
the same is sewn in, as to project away from the body of the wearer so that it
cannot cut or press the skin.
In modified form the pocket B may be provided with an entirely and permanently
closed bottom B' and the opening into A may he a horizontal one at or near the
top of B as in Figure 11, or the longitudinal line of the opening may be a vertical
one as in Figure 12 at the side of the pocket B. In neither case would a thief be
likely to find entrance to A, mere pressure from B giving no such result.
Presuming however that an expert thief knew so much of the construction of the
invention as to find an entrance to A as shown in any of the figures a further
difficulty would await him. On the attempt to withdraw his band from A, the
bars C, D would by their inward pressure bave a tendency to retain their grip on
the same so that the whole of that part of the pocket B would tend to move with
the haud, and in so moving the unusual position of the bars relatively to the body
of the wearer would be likely to attract the latter's attention. This would be the
case particularly with a trouser pocket. But for this device the pocket B might
be attached to A at a part as G Figure 1 which forms one end of the opening
into A from B, but in view of the said device and in order also that the wearer
may shift about the part of pocket B which leads into A with more freedom, the
said pocket B is only connected to A along its upper edges H. The spring
opening will not be equally embarrassing to a wearer who with a little practice will
acquire the habit of controlling the spring opening so that it shall not give
inconvenience.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I'
claim is :-
1. In a garment pocket, the combination of an enclosing pocket A, an enclosed
pocket B hanging freely within A, and having an openable part leading to A, said
part normally closed by spring steels C, D, one of said steels having a lip D'
substantially as described and illustrated and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a garment pocket, the combination of an enclosing pocket A, an enclosed
free hanging pocket B having an openable part normally closed by spring steels
(or a spring steel and an elastic material), and a base part B' or B³ not openable
substantially as and for the purposes described and as illustrated.
3. In a garment pocket the combination with an outer pocket A of an inner
pocket B having springs C and D lip, D' arranged to project towards the outer side
of the garment, slots D2, and apertures DB and C all substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
4. The general arrangement of parts of a combined enclosing and enclosed
garment pocket substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 10th day of December 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.