IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GARMENTS FOR MALE AND FEMALE ATTIRE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue and
Birkbeck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GARMENTS FOR MALE AND FEMALE
ATTIRE." A communication from abroad by Leander Wolcott Boynton, of
the City and County of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United
States of America.
Sealed the 25th February 1868, and dated the 6th September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue
at the Office of the Commissioners, of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th September 1867.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent
Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GARMENTS FOR MALE AND FEMALE
ATTIRE," to be as follows:-
The Invention-relates to the manufacture of body garments either for under
or outer wear, such as skirts and mantles or cloaks, whole or in one piece by
felting the material of which they are composed, and giving, the article during
the felting or "planking." process its desired form or shape ready for use, or
so that it will only be necessary to split or cut it open to make a skirt or cloak
complete without basting or separate felting of parts together, only if desired

page_text: trimming it or binding the edges whole or in part and attaching suitable
fastenings thereto.
According to this Invention an entire skirt is made in one piece by felting
the material of which it is composed, and giving it during the felting or
planking process the desired form or shape so as to constitute a skirt ready
for use, except simply cutting open the waistband and extending such cut or
slit downwards as far as desired, and so that when the skirt is stiffened (as it
may be) it will not only serve as a valuable garment for all purposes for
which a skirt is ever worn, but will enable a lady if wearing it as an under
garment to dispense with hoops, and yet give or retain the desired form or
shape to the lower part of her dress. Said skirt is made of wool or any other
material which is capable of being felted whole and in one piece, by felting the
material in the same or like manner as in manufacturing hat bodies, without
tearing the batt or stopping on parts, and afterwards uniting the latter to complete
the garment. When wool is used the sliver of carded wool may be wound as it
comes from the doffer of the carding machine on to a suitable cone or former
as in making hat bodies, and when fur or other like material is used the same
may be blown on to a perforated hollow cone or be deposited on the cone by
any other known means, and the material distributed as required for strength or
firmness, that is, the upper and lower portions may be made somewhat thicker
than the remainder or central part with a suitable taper, inasmuch as the top
and bottom are liable to greater strain, and because by so arranging the stock
or material it will tend to make the skirt assume and retain its appropriate
shape whether worn as an under or outer garment, and yet allow of sufficient
flexibility to the garment generally when stooping or sitting down. These
batts are or may be felted as batts for other articles have been formed. To give
the skirt its proper shape the felted batt is placed on to a proper block or former
and worked to the shape of the block by a process similar to that used in
planking hats. When desired the skirt may be stiffened with waterproof
stiffening, or otherwise to the extent desired and in the same way that felt
or felted hats are stiffened. Most of the stiffening should be used at. or
near the top and bottom, and extended in a varying degree towards the central
part, the top and bottom being stiffened enough to make these parts retain
their shape under all ordinary circumstances while the central part must be
sufficiently flexible to yeild readily for stooping or sitting down. When desired
the waistband and bottom may be bound with any suitable material, and the
lower portion of the skirt made waterproof so that it will not absorb the
moisture from the ground, and so that when soiled it may be wiped by a
sponge or otherwise., Said skirt may be ornamented by painting, embossing,

page_text: or embroidering in any form which the fancy may dictate, and to any desired
extent. Furthermore said skirt may be perforated for ventilation to any
extent desired, and may be made of any suitable weight for either an inner
or outer garment; these skirts may be made of one colored material as white
wool or mixed or variously colored as may be desired. A mantle or cloak
suitable either for male or female, attire as an outside covering to the neck
and shoulders, or a cape which is only a cloak of short length, is also made
entire or in one piece by felting the material of which it is composed, and
giving the article during the felting or planking process its desired form or
shape substantially as described for making a skirt, whether of wool or fur, and
so that it will only be necessary to split or cut it open to make a cloak complete
without basting or separate felting of parts together, only if desired trimming
it or binding the edges whole or in part and attaching suitable fastenings
thereto, the stock being preferably so distributed as to give increased thickness
at the shoulders and lower portion or verge. To give the proper shape to a
cloak the felted batt may be placed on a block of the proper shape, and the
batt worked to, the desired form, that is, to that part of the block which is
designed to represent the neck and shoulders, and
the neck and 'shoulders in a smooth and easy manner, which may be done by
planking as in forming felt or felted hat bodies. After this the batt may
be cut open in front and the edges bound or trimmed in whole or in part,
and any kind of fastening attached thereto, when it will be ready for use.
A cloak complete may thus be made without tearing the batt or stopping on
parts and afterwards uniting the latter to complete the garment. The same
may be made of any required size, color, and shape, and will require no
greater quantity of wool or other material than one made, from woven cloth,
while there is no waste of scraps. by cutting, and no sewing necessary except
in the case of binding or trimming and attachment of fastenings, so that there
will be no seams to rip. It also may be made a better fitting and more durable
cloak than most, if not than any cloak of different character of the same
weight, and decidedly warmer than a woven cloth cloak of the same thickness..
so that the fabric will fit
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents and

page_text: Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County o
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letter
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the sai
John Garrett Tongue, Her special licence that I, the said John Garret
Tongue, my executors, administrators, and assigns,, or such others as I
the said John Garrett Tongué, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GARMENTS FOR MALE AND FEMALE ATTIRE,"
à communication to me from abroad by Leander Wolcott. Boynton, of the
City and County of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Garrett Tongue, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under ny, 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 I, the said John Garrett Tongue, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the saine is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention relates to the manufacture of body garments, either for
under or outer wear, such as skirts and mantles, or cloaks, whole or in one
piece, by felting the material of which they are composed, and giving the
article during the felting or " planking" process its desired form or shape
ready for use, or so that it will only be necessary to split or cut it open to
make a skirt or cloak complete without basting or separate felting of parts
together, only if desired trimming it or binding the edges, whole or in part,
and attaching suitable fastenings thereto.
Having thus stated the object and nature of the Invention, its description
will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a female's skirt made according
to the Invention, and Figure 2 a similar view of the same as felted and

page_text: formed ready to have the waistband cut open for use; Figure 3 represents a
view in perspective of a cloak made according to the Invention.
According to this Invention an entire skirt is made in one piece by felting
(as shown at Figures 1 and 2) the material of which it is composed, and
giving it during the felting or planking process the desired form or shape, so
as to constitute a skirt ready for use, except simply cutting open the waist-
band as at and extending such cut or slit downwards as far as desired, and
so that when the skirt is stiffened (as it may be) it will not only serve as a
valuable garment for all purposes for which a skirt is ever worn, but will
enable a lady, if wearing it as an under garment, to dispense with hoops, and
yet give or retain the desired form or shape to the lower part of her dress.
Said skirt is made of wool or any other material which is capable of being
felted whole and in one piece by felting the material in the same or like
manner as in manufacturing hat bodies, without tearing the bat or stopping
on parts, and afterwards uniting the latter to complete the garment. When
wool is used the sliver of carded wool may be wound as it comes from the
doffer of the carding machine on to a suitable cone or former as in making hat
bodies, and when fur or other like material is used the same may be blown on
to a perforated hollow cone, or be deposited on the cone by any other known
means, and the material distributed as required for strength or firmness, that
is, the upper portion at A and lower portion as at B may be made some
what thicker than the remainder or central part; with a suitable taper,
inasmuch as the top and bottom are liable to greater strain, and because by
so arranging, the stock or material it will tend to make the skirt assume and
retain its appropriate shape, whether worn as an under or outer garment, and
yet allow of sufficient flexibility to the garment generally when stooping or
sitting down. These bats are or may be felted as bats for other articles have
been formed. To give the skirt its proper shape, as shown in the Drawing,
the felted bat is placed on to a proper block or former, and worked to the
When
shape of the block by a process similar to that used in planking hats...
the skirt is thus formed it can be cut open at the waistband in the desired place,
the slit being continued downwards to the desired extent, when the skirt wil.
be ready for use. When desired the skirt may be stiffened with waterproof
stiffening or otherwise to the extent desired, and in the same way that felt or..
felted hats are stiffened. Most of the stiffening should be used at or near the
top and bottom, and extended in a varying degree toward the central part
as is deemed necessary, though the top and bottom should be stiffened enough
to make these parts retain their shape under all ordinary circumstances; while
the central part must be sufficiently flexible to yield readily for stooping or
..

page_text: sitting down. When desired the waistband and bottom may be. bound with
any suitable material, and the lower portion of the skirt made waterproof so
that it will not absorb the moisture from the ground, and so that when soiled
it may be wiped by a sponge or otherwise. Said skirt may be ornamented
by painting, embossing, or embroidering as indicated at C (Figure 1) in any
form which the fancy may dictate, and to any desired extent that may be
required. Furthermore, said skirt may be perforated for ventilation, as shown
in Figure 2, to any extent desired, and may be made of any suitable weight
for either an inner or outer garment. These skirts may be made of one
colored material, as white wool, or mixed or variously colored as may be
desired. By this improvement may be produced the most serviceable skirt
that has ever or commonly been made of any textile fabric, and at the same
time be furnished at much less expense in comparison with its usefulness.
Also, while as before observed a skirt thus made is a valuable garment for
every purpose for which a skirt is worn, when stiffened as described it will
enable a lady, as previously specified, to dispense with the inconvenience of
hoops, which serve but the one purpose of giving shape to the other or outer
garment or garments.
Figure 3 of the Drawing shows a mantle or cloak suitable either for male or
female attire as an outside covering to the neck and shoulders (or a cape,
which is only a cloak of short length), is also made entire or in one piece by
felting the material of which it is composed, and giving the article during the
felting or planking process its desired form or shape substantially as described
for making a skirt, shown in Figures 1 and 2, whether of wool or fur, and so
that it will only be necessary to split or cut it open at d to make a cloak
complete without basting or separate felting of parts together, only, if desired,
trimming it or binding the edges whole or in part, and attaching suitable
fastenings thereto, the stock being preferably so distributed as to give increased
thickness at the shoulder portion A and lower portion or verge B. To give
the proper shape to a cloak as at A, the felted bat may be placed on a block
of the proper shape, and the bat worked to the desired form, that is, to that
part of the block which is designed to represent the neck and shoulders, and
so that the fabric will fit the neck and shoulders in a smooth and easy
manner, which may be done by planking as in forming felt or felted hat
bodies. After this the bat may be cut open in front and the edges bound or
trimmed in whole or in part, and any kind of fastening attached thereto, when
it will be ready for use. A cloak complete may thus be made without
tearing the bat or stopping on parts, and afterwards uniting the latter to
complete the garment. The same may be made of any required size, color,

page_text: and shape, and will require no greater quantity of wool or other material than
one made from woven cloth, while there is no waste of scraps by cutting, and
no sewing necessary except in the case of binding or trimming and attach-
ment of fastenings, so that there will be no seams to rip. It also may be
made a better fitting and more durable cloak than most, if not than any cloak
of different character of the same weight, and decidedly warmer than a
woven cloth cloak of the same thickness.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in which
the same is carried into practice, what I claim under the above in part
recited Letters Patent is, the manufacture of garments, such as a skirt, mantle,
or cloak for male or female, attire made by felting the material of which
such garments are composed, and giving each article its required form
or shape during the felting or planking process in such manner as that the
said garment is made entire or in one piece, and without seam or tearing
the bat, and afterwards uniting parts together, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
my
JOHN G. TONGUE. (L.S.)