IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS AND OTHER LIKE GARMENTS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Money Carter, Adjutant, Royal 'Monmouthshire
Militia, of Monmouth, in the County of Monmouth, for the Invention of
Sealed the 23rd February 1866, and dated the 1st September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Money Carter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st September 1865.
I, JOHN MONEY CARTER, - Adjutant, Royal Monmouthshire Militia, of
Monmouth, in the County of Monmouth, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS AND OTHER LIKE GARMENTS,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
The shirt or other like garment is open the whole of the way behind along
its entire length; one side is shorter than the other, the longer overlapping
the shorter at the back, or vice versa. The fastenings are at or near the top
behind, and at a convenient part at or near the waist.
Garments capable of receiving the above principles, and which hitherto have
been passed over the head of the wearer before they can be worn, are exempt
from this inconvenience when constructed as above set forth, for they are drawn
on in front.

page_text: The same principles also permit a shirt or other like garment to be made
so as to fit, and all fulling or "gathering" of the material employed to be
-dispensed with.
"SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions-of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Money Carter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MONEY CARTER, Adjutant, Royal Monmouthshire Militia, of Monmouth, in
the County of Monmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Money Carter, Her special licence that I, the said
John Money Carter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Money Carter, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRTS AND OTHER LIKE GARMENTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Money Carter, my executors
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 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.
or
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Money Carter, 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:-
This Invention relates to shirts and other garments, and consists of im-
provements in the mode or modes of forming, cutting, or manufacturing the
same.
The object of these improvements is to dispense with all fulling or gathering

page_text: which has to be resorted to in shirts made in the ordinary way, and to
obviate the necessity of passing it over the head of the wearer when putting
it on or taking it off.
The means by which the said Invention is carried into effect is as
follows: The shirt or other garment is made open the whole of the way.
from the top at the back part downwards to the waist at or near the side, or
between the sides at the back in a diagonal direction, and from the waist to
the bottom at the side, or between the sides at the back perpendicularly or
diagonally. The edges are cut so that when the garment is put on there is
sufficient overlap to make a complete covering.
The shirt or other garment being entirely open at the back part, as above
described, it can be put on by simply inserting an arm in each sleeve, and
then fastening the overlap at the neck and waist.
A shirt, as formed upon this improved mode of cutting and making the same,
is shown upon the accompanying Drawing, by which illustrations the mode of
cutting all other similar garments may be readily ascertained.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 represents the front of an improved shirt, and Fig. 2 the back
thereof; both illustrations are lettered with similar reference letters.
a, b, is the overlapping edge covering the diagonal part of the opening from
the top or neck at a, where it is attached to the neck band or collar, the
latter being fastened by a button in the usual way (or by any other suitable
mode of securing the ends) to the waist at 6, where it is also similarly fastened,
and thence open to c. This overlap I designate the long edge or side; d, e,
the short edge or side (open from e to f), which forms the overlap. The
two buttons at a, b, respectively are all the fastenings actually required for
securing the neck and body of the shirt, but more may be added if required.
I should here also observe that no opening is required down the "front" at g, h;
and as the garment thus made has not to be drawn on and off over the head,
large gussets under the arms can be dispensed with, therefore these improve-
ments admit of shirts being made to fit the wearer properly and accurately.
When a shirt is made of flannel or any material that shrinks from washing,
then by making the underlap a little larger than is actually necessary in the
first instance, the buttons or other fastenings affixed at the neck and waist
can be removed a little nearer the edge of the "underlap" from time to time, or
an adjusting fastening, or two or more buttons may be attached, and thus the
shrinkage, if any, may always be provided for and compensated. In other
respects the shirt may be made similar to those in common use.

page_text: Fig. 8.shews another mode of forming the overlap and underlap, both being
alike, or nearly so. In this case the underlap is passed through an opening i, i,
in the overlap, wing pieces j, j, being added, so as to pass round to and fasten
in front.
Having thus stated the nature and object of my said Invention, and
illustrated and explained the mode of carrying the improvements into
effect in practice, I hereby further declare that what I claim and desire to
secure by the before-mentioned in part recited Letters Patent is, the making
a shirt or other garment with an opening from the top of the back-part down-
wards through its entire length, the sides overlapping and underlapping each
other, or, one side only overlapping the other.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Money Carter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 28th day of February, A.D. 1866.