AN IMPROVED GARTER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED GARTER."- -A communication
from abroad by Frank Armstrong, of Bridgeport, Connecticut,
United States of America.
Sealed the 7th September 1871, and dated the 27th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lako
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th March 1871.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED GARTER," a communication,
to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is the production of a garter which
shall possess all the advantages of the ordinary elastic garter without
any of its objectionable peculiarities.

page_text: It is well known that the garters made of bands of elastic fabric now
commonly used although very convenient in respect of the ease with
which they may be put on and taken off, and their freedom from danger
of displacement, are very objectionable by reason of the compression
they exert on the leg of the wearer and the consequent stoppage of the
circulation of the blood and prevention of ventilation at the part sur-
rounded by the garter. By the use of my Invention I obviate all of
these objections and provide an article which will be found convenient,
comfortable, and durable, and which will not necessarily be more costly
than ordinary elastic garters. For this purpose I use a band or hoop
or two or more bands or hoops of spirally coiled wire, combined with
tape, string, leather, or other flexible non-elastic material in such a
manner that the said non-elastic material will prevent the expansion
of the coiled wire beyond a certain limit. The tape or other non-elastic
material is placed inside the wire coils and its ends are secured thereto.
In making my improved garter I prefer to place two of the wire coils
together and to make the garter to clasp and unclasp in the usual
manner. These coils are secured at each end in small metal sockets
and at one, two, or more places are passed through small flat hoops or
rings which keep the two coils properly together. The said wire coils
should be of an oval shape and so put together as to present a wide
and nearly flat surface to the leg. A clasp of any ordinary kind may
.be used but I prefer to have a small flat metallic T picce at one end
which is inserted into an eye in a flat plate at the other end of the
garter. These flat pieces may also serve to secure the ends of the
tape.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the

page_text: thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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 Ircland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
GARTER," a communication to me from abroad by Frank Armstrong, of
Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
The object of the said Invention is the production of a garter which
shall possess all the advantages of the ordinary elastic garter without
any of its disadvantages.
It is well known that the garters made of bands of elastic fabric now
commonly used although very convenient in respect of the ease with
which they may be put on and taken off and their freedom from danger
of displacement are not used by many persons because of the compression
produced by their elasticity which must be sufficient to retain them in
their proper position and the consequent obstruction to the free circu-
lation of the blood and exclusion of the air from the part surrounded
by the garter. By my Invention I obviate all of these objections and
provide an article which will be found convenient, comfortable, and
durable, and which will not necessarily be more costly than ordinary
elastic garters. For this purpose I use a band or hoop or two or more

page_text: bands or hoops of spirally coiled wire combined with tape, string,
leather, or other flexible non-elastic material in such a manner that the
said non-elastic material will prevent the expansion of the coiled wire
beyond a certain limit. The tape or other non-elastic material is placed
inside the wire coils and its ends are secured to the same. In making my
improved garter I prefer to place two of the wire coils together and to
make the garter-to clasp and unclasp in the usual manner. These coils
are secured at each end in small metal sockets, and at one, two, or more
places are passed through small flat hoops or rings which keep the two
coils properly together. The said wire coils should be of an oval section
and so put together as to present a wide and nearly flat surface to the
leg. A clasp of any ordinary kind may be used, but I prefer to have à
small flat metallic T piece at one end which is inserted into an eye in
a flat plate at the other end of the garter. These flat pieces may also
serve to secure the ends of the tapes.
The Drawing shows one of my improved garters.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 an edge view of the same
unfastened but partially distended; Figure 3 is a transverse section on
the line x, x, Figure 1. Like letters indicate the same parts in all of
the Figures.
a, a, are two flat coils made of any suitable wire; b, b, are the metal
sockets wherein these coils are secured; c, c, are the tapes placed inside
the said coils and secured at each end to the metallic pieces e forming
part of the socket b; d, d, are the flat bands or hoops for keeping the
coils properly together; f is the T piece; and the eye into which it
is inserted when the garter is fastened. The garters should be so chosen
as to encircle the leg of the wearer without stretching them to their
full extent. They will then fit with a gentle but firm and even pressure
which is always sufficient to keep the garter in place without any
sensible compression or obstruction to the circulation and the coils being
sufficiently distended or opened to admit air freely through them. The
tapes c prevent any strain upon the wire coils in putting on or taking
off the garter and therefore its elasticity will remain unimpaired for a
great length of time.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I wish it understood that I claim, a
garter consisting of a spiral or coiled metal spring or a number of such

page_text: springs combined with tapes, cords, or bands of some suitable non-elastic
or non-extensible material so arranged and secured to the ends of the
garter as to prevent injurious extension of the springs, and provided
with suitable fastenings, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
Witness,
J. LOWE.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)