AN WRAPPER, APPLICABLE AS A COAT AND OTHER COVERING
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Collis Browne, of Weston-super-Mare, in the
County of Somerset, Physician, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Collis Browne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th December 1854.
I, JOHN COLLIS BROWNE, of Weston-super-Mare, in the County of Somerset,
Physician, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
WRAPPER, APPLICABLE AS A COAT AND OTHER COVERING," to be as follows:-
This wrapper consists of a railway rug, wrapper, or blanket of the ordinary
form, which I improve and render applicable for wear as a coat or cloak. To
effect this, I sew a casing across the breadth of the wrapper, about one-fourth
of its length from the end; I then introduce two cords into the casing; the one
cordis attached by one end to one side or selvage of the wrapper, and the
other cord is similarly attached to the opposite side or selvage, so that by
pulling the cords in opposite directions, the wrapper is puckered up and drawn
together at that point of its breadth until it is of a sufficiently reduced breadth
to go
round the neck. The long end of the wrapper envelopes the body as a
cloak, while the short end falls down above it, and surrounds the shoulders,

page_text: like a cape. The cords may have suitable tassels, and the casing or threading
of them may be varied and ornamented, if desired. In order to render it still
more convenient and like a coat, the front selvages have loops and buttons,
by which a fold can be looped up, which forms a kind of sleeve to the garment.
A soldier's blanket may also be similarly adapted for wear, or any other
wrapper of a similar character may be similarly treated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Collis Browne in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COLLIS BROWNE, of Weston-super-Mare, in the County of Somerset, Physician,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Collis Browne, Her special licence that I, the said John Collis
Browne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Collis Browne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED
WRAPPER, APPLICABLE AS A COAT AND OTHER COVERING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Collis Browne, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 I, the said John Collis Browne, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: My Invention of an improved wrapper, applicable as a coat or other cover-
ing, consists of a railway rug, wrapper, or blanket of the ordinary form, which
I improve and render applicable for wear as a coat or cloak. To effect this,
I sew a casing across the breadth of the wrapper, about one-fourth of its
length from the end; I then introduce two cords into this casing, the one cord
is attached by one end to one side or selvage of the wrapper, and the other
cord is similarly attached to the opposite side or selvage, so that by pulling
the cords in opposite directions, the wrapper is puckered up and drawn together
at that point of its breadth until it is of a sufficiently reduced breadth to go
round the neck. The long end of the wrapper envelopes the body as a cloak,
while the short end falls down above it, and surrounds the shoulders, like a
cape. The cords may have suitable tassels, and the casing or threading of
them may be varied or ornamented, if desired. In order to render it still more
convenient and like a coat, the front selvages have loops and buttons, by which
a fold can be looped up, which forms a kind of sleeve to the garment. A
soldier's blanket may also be similarly adapted for wear, or any other wrapper
of a similar kind may be treated in a like manner.
Fig. 1 represents a railway wrapper, or other suitable piece of fabric, spread
out full size, having a casing a, a, sewn upon it to receive the cords b, c, which,
in its expanded state, as here shown, are drawn within the casing, the tassels
only being visible. The two cords b, c, are placed parallel to each other in
the casing, the end of cord 6 being fixed to the selvage of wrapper at d,
while the extreme end of cord c is secured to the selvage of wrapper at e;
thus, by drawing the tassels in opposite directions, the fabric will be drawn
together in the manner shown at Fig. 2. On turning the upper part of the
wrapper or fabric down, it may then be thrown round the shoulders, in the
manner of a cloak, as seen at Figs. 3 & 4, and tied round the neck by
the cords b, c, the upper part m, m, forming a cape over the shoulders, and
affording considerable additional protection. In order to form a sort of sleeve,
I sew buttons ff, at suitable positions on the front selvage, and with loops
or button holes g, g, formed lower down, a fold of the wrapper is buttoned
up, as seen in the front view, Fig. 3, forming the sleeves at h, h. I also form
another casing at selvage p, p, and introduce and fix two cords i, k, in a
similar manner to those before described, for the purpose of contracting that
selvage, and forming a hood to the cloak, as seen at Fig. 5. Instead of em-
ploying two cords, this selvage may be contracted by means of one cord only
in the casing P: P, whereon the casing may be gathered up into
hood, as shown..
the form of a

page_text: In like manner also one cord may be substituted for cords b, c, for the
contraction at a, a, to pass round the neck of the wearer. Thus, a railway
wrapper, blanket, shawl, or other simple fabric may be equally useful as a
wrapper for the legs in travelling, and at the same time easily convertible
into a cloak for walking, or to be worn in that state when preferred.
This power of convertibility renders it very advantageous as a military coat,
cloak, or blanket, as the case may be, by being thus easily arranged to answer
various purposes, and obviates the necessity of a variety of garments.
In order to give greater length to the front selvage, and in order to form a
large fold for the sleeve, I carry the casing a, a, across the fabric in a curved
direction, as seen at Fig. 6, which throws less fabric into the cape or hood
part. When the upper part of this is worn as a cape, it will cover the back
and shoulders, but will gradually become smaller towards the front; when the
upper part is worn as a hood instead of a cape, it requires less contraction by
the cords i, k, to bring it to the requisite form, and will be less cumbersome.
If it is required to shorten up the front selvages of cloak without buttoning
up the sleeve folds, it is simply necessary to curve the casing a, a, in the
opposite direction, as seen at Fig. 7. In this Figure the piece of fabric is
represented as cut narrower at the upper end, which makes less material to
gather up by the contraction of the cords, which in thick fabrics is of advan-
tage; with this view the breadth of the fabric may be made narrowest at the
casing a, a.
Instead of lifting up folds of the fabric to form sleeves, holes may be cut
in the fabric, as seen at 1, 1, Fig. 8, through which the arms may be inserted;
the arms of the wearer will still be protected, by the upper part, forming the
cape m, m, falling down over them. If sufficient protection is not thus
attained for the arms, I further apply an additional thickness of fabric, which I
sew on in the form of sleeves, as seen at o, o, Fig. 9, which may be stretched flat
on the cloth or wrapper; or the sleeves may be entirely separate, and merely
sewn round the arm holes, as in an ordinary coat, and buttoned down to the
fabric when worn as a wrapper in the flat. Instead of forming a casing or
casings in which to thread the cord or cords, the cord or cords may be
threaded into the material of the wrapper by passing it through and through
the fabric, so as to suit the purposes of contracting and otherwise forming and
holding the fabric in position.
Having described the nature of my Invention, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to woollen fabrics for the manufacture of this
improved wrapper, as waterproof fabrics or materials of sufficient pliability

page_text: may be similarly treated; nor to the particular forms shown, so long as the
peculiar feature of contracting or puckering up and converting the fabric from
the flat to the other forms for wear as described is retained; and that what I
claim is, contracting or puckering up any suitable fabric or material and
otherwise converting such fabric or material for wear, in the manner herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Collis Browne, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN COLLIS BROWNE, M.D.,
Staff A. Surgeon.
ALFRED KING, (L.S.)
Corporal 16th Reg*.
Pte JAMES SMITH, (L.S.)
16th Regiment.
JOHN COLLIS BROWNE, M.D.,
Staff A. Surgeon.
(TS)
Witnessed this Fourth day of June 1855,
Queenstown.