Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1887.
Complete Left, 29th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1887.
I, HORACE HENRY HOLT of Bridge House Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to assist in holding a short sleeve in place while an
outer sleeve is being pulled over it; a long under sleeve can be grasped by the
fingers and held while the outer sleeve is pulled over it, but a short sleeve such as
commonly worn by ladies presents difficulties and frequently is spoiled from the
inability of the wearer to hold it while pulling on the outer sleeve.
This sleeve clasper may be made of a band of any suitable flexible material such for
instance as leather, cloth, or the like but is preferably made elastic so as to be capable
of expansion and contraction. At each end is secured a ring loop or equivalent to one
of which is fastened a piece of string ribbon or other material which passes through
the other ring and the two ends may be united if desired. To use the clasper it
is placed round the sleeve to be held and the cord which passes through the second
loop is pulled drawing the ends together and holding the sleeve tight; the cord is
long enough to be grasped by the hand. The outer sleeve is now pulled on and
when in place the cord is loosed and by pulling upon the other cord which comes
direct from the ring the tension of the band is relaxed or this may have been already
effected by its own contracting power and the whole apparatus is drawn out of the
outer sleeve.
The materials employed may be of any suitable nature and the bands may be made
plain or ornamental cheap or expensive strong or weak as desired and may be used
for other purposes besides that described above, where similar requirements exist.
For ladies dress sleeves especially where lace is used I find it desirable to round
the ends and taper them off to facilitate the removal.

page_text: Improvements in Sleeve Claspers.
I HORACE HENRY HOLT of Bridge House, Hook Norton Oxfordshire, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is to enable the wearer of a dress having short sleeves
to retain such sleeves in their proper position when putting on an outer garment and
it is especially adapted for the use of ladies the sleeves of whose dresses frequently
reach down only to the forearm or even to the elbow and cannot therefore be retained
by the fingers the result being that they become "tucked up" within the sleeves of
the outer garment and cause the wearer much discomfort besides suffering damage
themselves.
To overcome this difficulty it has been necessary to devise an appliance which
should not only clasp the sleeve tightly to the arm of the wearer but be capable of
easy removal after it has fulfilled its duty without interfering with the outer sleeve.
The clasper which forms the subject of my invention satisfies these requirements
and may moreover be manufactured in a variety of tasteful designs. The simplest
form of construction though embodying the essential features is illustrated in figure 1
of the accompanying drawings. This consists of a band or cord A to one end a of
which are attached two other cords B and C one of which passes through a loop b
at the other end of the cord A. so as to form a running noose. It is evident that
the cord B affords a means of drawing together the two ends a and b of the cord A
whilst the cord C also affords a means of separating the same. The precise point
of attachment of the cord C is immaterial so long as it does not interfere with the
passage of the cord B through the loop b.
The cords B and C may consist of one piece fastened to A at a or the cords A and B
may be in one piece and Cattached thereto or the entire device may be made out of
one continuous length of cord at or about the middle of which may be formed the
loop b.
One of the ends may then be passed through the loop and act as the cord B
whilst the other end will serve as the cord C the utility of the device depending on
its having two cords or two ends of a single cord so arranged that by pulling one
end the noose will be tightened round the sleeve whilst by pulling the other it will
be loosened and removed without disturbing either the inner or outer sleeve.
The device constructed simply of cord as above described is however scarcely
adapted for use when the sleeves are composed of delicate materials which are readily
cut or frayed. I therefore propose to elaborate it as shown in figures 2, 3 and 4
wherein the cord A is replaced by a broad belt or band which may be made of any
suitable elastic or non-elastic material and of such a length that when extended and
wrapped around the sleeve the two ends shall be some distance apart. It is advisable
to round off the ends so as to avoid sharp of square corners which would be liable
to catch in any lace that might be worn or in the lining of a jacket and so present
an obstacle to its withdrawal.
The belt shown in figure 2 is composed of both elastic and non-elastic material the

page_text: outer portion or back being of leather lined on the inside with silk whilst between
the back and the lining is inserted a strip of elastic material such as elastic webbing
which extends from C to Cand is stitched or otherwise secured at the ends only.
When not stretched the elastic material is shorter than the portion of the belt lying
between the stretched ends which causes the belt to "pucker" somewhat, the creases
or puckers" however disappear when the belt is stretched as occurs when it is in
use. The cords B and C are secured to a ring or loop d one end of the belt and a
similar ring d' is provided at the other end for the running cord B to pass through.
The cords themselves may be of silk finished off at the ends with tassels or other
<
ornaments.
One or both of the rings may be dispensed with and an eyelet or simple hole f
substituted as shown in figure 3. In figure 4 the belt is shown as consisting of a
piece of elastic webbing A to each end of which is stitched a tab or covering of
leather A" which conceals the attachment of the cords B and C.
The stop B¹ may be set at any desired part of B and serves to prevent the loop or
ring formed by A and B from becoming inconveniently large.
Figure 5 illustrates the manner of applying the device the clasper being shown
upon a long sleeve at the wrist to save space in the drawing although as stated above
is generally required to be used with short sleeves when its utility becomes more
apparent. In the first place the hand is passed through the loop formed the belt or
band A and the cord B and the belt adjusted about the end of the sleeve D after which
the cord B is pulled tight and both cords grasped by the hand which can then be
passed completely through the sleeve of the outer garment. The cords are then
released whereon the belt A. if elastic will contract and cause the cord B to relax its
hold on the ring loop or eyelet through which it passes. This partial slackening
having taken place the appliance can be removed entirely by pulling the cord C with
the other hand and drawing the whole clasper out at the open end of the sleeve.
If the belt A be non-elastic the cord should be joined direct to B say at E,
figure 2, where this is accomplished by whipping or lashing the two cords together as
shown at e. It is evident that by pulling the cord B will be released just as would
be done in the case of figures 3 and 4 by the elastic in the belt A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. The method of securing an internal sleeve whilst an outer one is drawn over it
by means of a clasper placed upon the inner sleeve before the outer sleeve is drawn on
and adapted to be held in position by the hand of the wearer released and removed
without disturbing either sleeve.
2. The combination with a sleeve clasper consisting of a belt or band such as A
capable of being drawn tightly round the sleeve or cuff by means of a running cord B
of a cord C for detaching the same substantially as described and illustrated in figure 1
of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a sleeve clasper such as described a belt A formed of elastic or partially elastic
material and provided with rings or eyelets for the attachment of cords B and C
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a sleeve clasper the combination with the cord B which tightens the clasper
of a cord C connected to B some distance from the junction of B with the belt A for
the purpose of releasing or withdrawing B substantially as described and illustrated
in figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of July 1887