IMPROVEMENTS IN LEGGINGS OR GAITERS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Blakey, Samuel Blakey, and John Blakey,
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Boot-top and Legging Manu-
facturers, and Benjamin White, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Blakey, Samuel
Blakey, John Blakey, and. Benjamin White at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd February 1862.
We, GEORGE BLAKEY, SAMUEL BLAKEY, and .JOHN BLAKEY, of Liverpool, in
5 the County of Lancaster, Boot-top and Legging Manufacturers, and BENJAMIN
"WHITE, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Boot and Shoe Dealer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEGGINGS
OR GAITERS," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
This. Invention has for its object the construction of improved leggings.or
gaiters, whereby the use of side fastenings or the necessity of suspending them
as now commonly practiced is entirely obviated; and these improved gaiters
or leggings are equally applicable to men's, women's, or children's use. These
improved gaiters or leggings it is preferred to form from one piece of leather
or other suitable material, so as to resemble in form and appearance the top
5 or leg part of the Hessian, Wellington, or other like 'form of boot, so.
that when worn with .elastic-sided, laced, or Blucher boots, or with shoes,
they, will have the appearance of the Hessian, Wellington, or other like
-boots.

page_text: To form a legging or gaiter according to this Invention, take a piece of
leather or any other suitable material, cut 'it to the required form, that when
the two vertical or longitudinal edges are sewed or otherwise attached together
the required shape is obtained, and in most cases it is preferred that the lower
part of the front of the legging or gaiter be cut out, so as to form an arch
over the instep of the foot, and if desired a gaiter front may be added to cover
the top or part of the top of the foot.
When these improved leggings or gaiters are intended for children's or
ladies' wear, it is proposed to insert an elastic gusset in the front or back, or
both, or one on each side of the bottom of the gaiter or legging to facilitate
the putting on and taking off the same, and to cause a closer adherence to
the ankles.
In forming the legging or gaiter shank it will be readily seen that if
required more than one piece of leather or other suitable material may
be used.
The tops and bottoms of the leggings or gaiters may be of any desired
form, and they may be ornamented by stitching, or in any other suitable
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said George Blakey, Samuel Blakey, John Blakey, and Benjamin
White in the Great Seal Patent Office. on the 22nd August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
BLAKEY, SAMUEL BLAKEY, and JOHN BLAKEY, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Boot-top and Legging Manufacturers, and BENJAMIN WHITE,
of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Boot and Shoe Dealer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said George Blakey, Samuel Blakey, John Blakey, and Benjamin
White, Her special licence that we, the said George Blakey, Samuel Blakey,
John Blakey, and Benjamin White, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such-others as we, the said George Blakey, Samuel Blakey, John
Blakey, and Benjamin White, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and' at

page_text: 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 LEGGINGS OR GAITERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said George-Blakey, Samuel Blakey, John Blakey, and
Benjamin White, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Blakey, Samuel Blakey, John
Blakey, and Benjamin White, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to
say) :-
-:
This our said Invention has for its object the construction of improved
leggings or gaiters,, whereby the use of side fastenings or the necessity of
suspending them, as now commonly practiced, is entirely obviated; and these
improved gaiters or leggings we prefer to form from one piece of leather or
other suitable material, so as to resemble in form and appearance the top or
leg part of the Hessian, Wellington, or other like form of boot, so that when
worn with elastic sided, laced, or Blucher boots, or with shoes, they will have
the appearance of the Hessian, Wellington, or other like boots.
To construct a legging or gaiter according to this our Invention, we take
a piece of leather or any other suitable material and cut it to the required
form, so that when the two vertical or longitudinal edges are sewed or other-
wise attached together, the required shape is obtained; and in most cases we
prefer that the lower part of the front of the legging or gaiter be cut out, so
as to form an arch over the instep of the foot, and if required a gaiter front
may be added to cover the top or part of the top of the foot.
When these our improved leggings or gaiters are intended for ladies' ōr
children's wear, we propose to insert an elastic gusset in the front or back or
both, or one on each side of the bottom of the gaiter or legging to facilitate
the putting on and taking off the same, and to cause them to adhere more
closely to the ancles.
In forming the legging or gaiter shank, it will be readily seen that if
required more than one piece of leather or other suitable material may be
used when sewed or otherwise securely joined together.

page_text: The tops and bottoms of the leggings or gaiters may be of any desired
'form, and they may be ornamented by stitching- or in any other suitable
manner.
That this our said Invention may be the more clearly understood, we have
hereto annexed Drawings in partial illustration of several modifications of
gaiters and leggings formed according to our Invention.
Figure 1 shows the configuration of the leather or other material previous
to being "closed," when it forms Figure 2, a walking legging or gaiter'; 'and
Figure 5 is a gaiter formed from a piece of leather or other suitable substance
cut of the same shape as the legging shown at Figures 1 and 2, 'but has a
piece attached to the front to cover the instep or top of the foot of the
.
.wearer.
Figure 4 shows a form for the leather or other material to be cut to form
when "closed" Figure-3, a riding legging shown on the leg of the wearer.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention, and how we believe the same may be best carried into practical
'effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details or relative proportions of the several parts, as it will be at once
seen that the same may be considerably varied without departing 'from.the
Invention; but what we do claim is, the construction of leggings and gaiters
without side openings or side fasteners, substantially and in the manner and
for the purpose herein-before described and set forth, or any mere modification
of the same.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Blakey, Samuel Blakey, John
Blakey, and Benjamin White, have hereunto set our hands and affixed
our seals, this Twenty-first day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.