New or Improved Invalids' Garment or Robe.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 2nd - Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Invalids' Garment or Robe.
I, JANE ASPIN, of 19, St. Michael's Road, City Road, Bradford, in the
County of York, Spinster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The object of my invention is to provide a garment, robe, or wrapper, for
invalids or bedridden persons which shall combine among other advantages, the
capabilities of giving warmth and comfort with easy and expeditious application,
and at the same time shall preclude the painful effects experienced by persons
wearing similar apparel as hitherto made.
In carrying out my invention I cut out a portion of woollen, (sanitary or not, as
desired) flannel, cotton, or other material of a size and shape to form the main
portion of the garment, namely the body, and skirt, both back and front, all in
one piece, so as to allow of opening down the middle in front. I then shape out
portions to form the neck, sleeves, collar, and cuffs. These parts are stitched on
to the main portion of the garment leaving the sleeves to open down the front for
their entire length. The neck, collar, and the whole of the front of the garment,
including the skirt if desired, are left open, and are provided with buttons and
button holes or other means of fastening. The front upper portion of the garment
may be formed as an underlying cape for female wear for males the whole of the
front may be in a piece and the overlapping top portion be fastened at the
shoulders. Various ornamentations as taste may dictate may embellish the finished
garment rendering it becoming whether worn during prostration or convalescence.
In applying the garment to the person it is doubled over a little its entire length
and the doubled over portion gently placed under the side of the person who is
now turned over onto the garment and, the remaining required portion of the
garment is gently pulled under the person until in position, when the other parts
may be buttoned up. Or, in certain cases it may be more convenient to robe the
patient by placing part of the garment, doubled crosswise, under the head and back
and then gently, pulling it downwards.
I may modify the garment so as to produce a combination” by dispensing with
the skirt and making the lower portion as a pair of drawers, all in one piece, and
buttoning up along the front of the legs.
Garments or robes made according to my invention have no seams, ridges, or
folds, to distress or incommode the wearer, and all pain and uneasiness by
friction on the skin are thus entirely obviated.
Dated this 24th day of February 1891
CROSSLEY & Co.,
72, New Market Street, Bradford, Yorks., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Invalids' Garment or Robe.
I, JANE ASPIN, of 19, St. Michael's Road, City Road, Bradford, in the County
of York, Spinster, 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 my invention is to provide a garment, robe, or wrapper, for
invalids or bedridden persons, which shall combine, among other advantages the
capabilities of giving warmth and comfort with easy and expeditious application,

page_text: and at the same time shall preclude the painful effects experienced by persons
wearing similar apparel as hitherto made.
In carrying out my invention I cut out a portion of woollen (sanitary or not, as
desired) flannel, cotton, or other material of a size and shape to form the main
portion of the garment, namely the body and skirt, both back and front, all in one
piece, so as to allow of opening down the middle in front. I then shape out
portions to form the neck, sleeves, collar, and cuffs. These parts are stitched onto
the main portion of the garment leaving the sleeves to open down the front for
their entire length. The neck, collar, and the whole of the front of the garment
including the skirt, if desired, are left open and are provided with buttons and
button-holes or other means of fastening. The front upper portion of the garment
may be formed as an underlying cape for female wear; for males the whole of
the front may be in a piece and the overlapping top portion be fastened at
the shoulders. Various ornamentations, as taste may dictate, may embellish the
finished garment, rendering it becoming whether worn during prostration or
.convalescence.
•
In the drawings
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show three designs of the garment or robe manufactured
according to my invention.
Fig. 4 represents the inner surface of the garment shown in Fig. 1, unbuttoned
and opened out and with the lower or skirt portion rolled up.
'
Fig. 5 shows the inside of that delineated in Fig. 2 unbuttoned, except at one
arm, and half rolled up perpendicularly.
In Fig. 6, which represents the inner surface of that shown at Fig. 3, the
garment is opened out completely and unbuttoned, except at one arm, the other
arm being detached, unbuttoned, and opened out and constitutes Fig. 7. The
words right and left are to be understood as indicating those parts with reference
to the figures as they appear in the drawings to the eye.
To avoid unnecessary scams the main portion A. of all designs of my garment
is woven in one piece. The upper middle part of the main portion A forms the
back and shoulder piece a, and may be of two thicknesses of the material to
provide extra warmth the part above the back and shoulder piece a constitutes the
chest extensions B, B, and the collar C; D, D' are the sleeves.
:-
Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, which show a garment or robe designed for male
wear The chest extensions B, B', are provided, on the front, with buttons
at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the buttons being shown dotted in Fig. 4. There is also a series
of buttons along the whole length of each sleeve in front, the top button in each
being marked 6 and 7 respectively. The sleeves having been buttoned up and the
arms placed therein, the chest extensions B, B3, are turned over onto the chest of
the wearer, and the collar buttoned at 1, 1x. The left side or fold-over of the
main portion A. is then brought over the person, and the upper continuation a' is
-buttoned up the button-holes 5*, 4×, 3*, 2*, taking over the buttons 5, 4, 3, 2,
and the loop 7 over the button 7 at top of the right sleeve D'. The same is now
accomplished with the fight fold-over, the buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, fastening the con-
tinuation by the button-holes 2××, 3**, 4**, 5**, and the button 6 on the left
sleeve D making fast the loop 6*.
:
In the ladies garment Figs. 2, and 5, the continuations, a', a², shown in the first
two figures, are dispensed with, and the garment pleated along the top of the two
fold-overs at a³, a instead. The pleating is preferably effected by running a piece
of elastic band, by means of a bodkin, through the top binding of the material.
A silken cord, one of which is shown at a (Fig. 5.) attached to the end of both of
the pieces of elastic, allows of the pleated parts being tightened around the breasts
of the wearer. Each fold-over is provided with a loop as at 8x (Fig. 5.) to take
onto the second button 8 (Fig. 2.) on the chest extension: B'. This arrangement is
highly advantageous in suckling infants.
Figs. 3, 6, and 7 illustrate a garment suitable for wear by either sex. In this
case the two fold-overs are partly pleated at the top, and both are provided with a

page_text: button 9 and 10 fastening into a button-hole 9x, 10x on either side of the collar C.
Fig. 7 shows one sleeve detached to illustrate better the construction of same.
In applying it to a person lying on his (or her) back the garment or robe is first
unbuttoned and opened out completely, and rolled or folded upwards from the
bottom of the skirt, to about as far as the sleeves. The garment will then appear
as indicated by Fig. 4. In this state it is located across the bed above the intended
wearer's head. If he (or she) is already robed in one of my improved garments,
it can be changed with facility with the least possible inconvenience or annoyance,
by unbuttoning the collar and sleeves of the soiled garment and allowing it to fall
away from the arms and neck, and then slightly raising the head and shoulders
while withdrawing the soiled garment and substituting the clean one. As the
person will now be lying on the middle of the clean robe, which has been
smoothed and evened, it is only necessary to adjust each fold-over in its proper
position across the body and button up the parts.
The
If lying on his (or her) side, the sleeve for the person's uppermost arm is
buttoned, the other parts remaining unbuttoned, and about half the garment rolled
or folded up in the manner indicated at Fig. 5. The soiled garment is then
unbuttoned at the neck and uppermost sleeve, and the exposed half of the clean
one adjusted over the person, the buttoned sleeve being first slipped on.
liberated part of the soiled garment is now drawn away from under the clean one
and rolled up until close to the person's back, alongside the rolled up portion of
the clean garment. By gently rolling the person forward a little, pushing the
rolled up portion of the two garments slightly forward, and then gently rolling him
(or her) back into the former position, it will be easy to transfer the rolled up
portions of both garments to the other side of the person. The soiled garment
may now be entirely removed by withdrawing the buttoned sleeve from the other
arm; the unbuttoned parts of the clean robe being then fastened and the garment
comfortably adjusted.
66
I may modify the garment so as to produce a combination" by dispensing with
the skirt and making the lower portion as a pair of drawers, all in one piece, and
buttoning up along the front of the legs.
Garments or robes, made according to my invention, have no seams, ridges, or
folds to distress or incommode the wearer, and all pain and uneasiness by friction
on the skin are thus entirely obviated. One of the special advantages of this
invention is the case in robing or disrobing, or partial removal of the garment, in
order that a doctor or nurse may attend to any part of the patient without dis
turbing the position of the body. By the adoption of this invention the hitherto
painful ordeal of changing the clothing need be no longer dreaded. When it is
imperative that a patient be kept quite undisturbed, as is necessary in many
surgical cases, this garment or robe will be found of inestimable value. A wound
ou shoulder-blade, back, chest, or limb may be dressed without the necessity for
alteration of the position of the body. In convalescence it will be found to be both
comfortable and becoming as a dressing gown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The arrangement and combination of the parts forming the improved construction
of invalids' garment or robe, for the purposes and in the manner substantially as
described and shown on the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of November 1801
CROSSLEY & Co.,
72, New Market Street, Bradford, Yorks., Agents.