IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHIRT COLLARS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Pate Cooper, of Walworth, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SHIRT COLLARS."
Sealed the 30th June 1857, and dated the 8th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Pate Cooper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
January 1857.
I, GEORGE PATE COOPER, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SHIRT COLLARS," to be as follows:-
Instead of adopting the old method of running the several parts of a collar
together and afterwards turning the inside out, I take several thicknesses of linen
or other suitable material and arrange them in such manner as that when the
collar is finished the interlining shall lie over and prevent the running from
shewing through the outside piece or thickness of the collar. To explain the
manner in which this may be effected, I will take, for example, a collar
composed of three thicknesses of material, in which case I place the several
thicknesses one above the other in the following order, namely, the back
piece of the intended collar at the bottom, the front piece of the same in the

page_text: middle, and the interlining at the top, or vice versa. The whole of the
thicknesses are next to be run together near the top edge and the interlining
and front then turned over the back, thus causing a part of the interlining to
lie over and be interposed between, the running and the outside of the collar,
and thus produce a smooth round edge, superior to that obtained in the ordinary
I would here remark that I do not confine myself to the number of
thicknesses here mentioned. I attach the upper portion of the collar to the
band by means of the back or front piece, and continue that part which is
known in the trade as the Piccadilly throughout the entire distance between
the ends, or from end to end of the collar, thus causing it to readily adjust
itself to the form and movements of the face, and entirely preventing breaking
down or creasing, and enabling it to be worn either standing up or turned
down, as desired. Otherwise the "Piccadilly" (continued throughout from
end to end of the collar, as before-described,) may form a part of the band, and
be attached to instead of forming part of the upper portion of the collar, as
previously mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Pate Cooper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PATE COOPER, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Pate Cooper, Her special licence that I, the said George Pate
Cooper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Pate Cooper, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF SHIRT COLLARS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that .I, the said. George Pate Cooper, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: 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 George Pate Cooper, 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 tho
following statement:-
Instead of adopting the old method of running the several parts of a collar
together and afterwards turning the inside out, I take several thicknesses of
linen or other suitable material and arrange them in such manner as that
when the collar is finished the interlining shall lie over and prevent the
running from shewing through the outside piece or thickness of the collar.
To explain the manner in which this may be effected, I will take, for example,
a collar composed of three thicknesses of material, in which case I place the
several thicknesses one above the other in the following order, namely, the
back pieces of the intended collar at the bottom, the front piece of the same in
the middle, and the interlining at the top, or vice versa. The whole of the
thicknesses are next to be run together near the top edge and the interlining
and front then turned over the back, thus causing a part of the interlining to
lie over and be interposed between the running and the outside of the collar,
and thus produce a smooth round edge, superior to that obtained in the ordinary
manner. I would here remark that I do not confine myself to the number of
thicknesses hore mentioned. I attach the upper portion of the collar to the
band by means of the back or front piece, and continue that part which is
known in the trade as the "Piccadilly" throughout the entire distance
between the ends, or from end to end of the collar, thus causing it to readily
adjust itself to the form and movements of the face, and entirely preventing
breaking down or creasing, and enabling it to be worn either standing up or
turned down, as desired. Otherwise the "Piccadilly" (continued throughout
from end to end of the collar, as before-described,) may form a part of the
band, and be attached to instead of forming part of the upper portion of the
collar, as previously mentioned.
In order that the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which
the same may be carried into effect, may be more fully and clearly understood,
I have liereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents the front piece of a collar intended to be formed of three

page_text: thicknesses of material; and Fig. 2, the back piece of the same, the third piece
or interlining being made similar in form to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view; and
Fig. 4, a section, representing the several pieces placed in order, and run
together near the top edge; Fig. 5 is a similar section, representing the
manner in which the front piece and interlining, after being attached to the
back piece are turned over, so as to cover the running or stitching together;
Fig. 6 is a back view of the complete collar; and Fig. 7, a transverse section
of the same through the line A. The same parts are marked with corres-
ponding letters of reference in all the Figures; a being the front piece of the
collar; b, the back piece of the same; and c, the interlining, which pieces,
being placed in position, as represented at Figs. 3 and 4, are then run or
stitched together along the line d, near to their top edges; after which the
front piece a and interlining c are turned over to the opposite side of the back
piece, whereby the front piece and interlining are caused to lie over the
running or stitching d, as represented at Fig. 5.. The lower edges of the back
piece band interlining c are then turned in, and the three pieces stitched
through in the line e, thereby leaving the lower portion of the front piece a
available for attaching the collar to the band and forming the "Piccadilly," as
before-described; the ends of the collar are then turned down (or hemmed) as
shewn, and a line of stitching of passing through the hems is run along the
ends, and continued beneath the lower edge of the thick fold, formed by the
turning over near the top edge of the collar, as shewn; lastly, I attach
the several thicknesses forming the band g to the front piece a, leaving the
space h, consisting (excepting at the hems) of only one thickness of material, to
form the "Piccadilly" from end to end of the collar.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I wish it to be clearly understood that I
do not confine myself to the use of any particular number of pieces or thick-
nesses of material in carrying the same into effect (as two or any other
convenient number may be used for that purpose), neither do I limit myself
to the precise form or details represented; but what I claim as of my Inven-
tion is,―
Firstly, the mode of manufacturing shirt collars, by first running or stitching
together the several pieces or thicknesses near to their top edges, and
subsequently turning one or more of the said pieces or thicknesses backward
over the top edge or edges of the remainder to the opposite side of the said
remaining thickness or thicknesses, thus covering and concealing the running
or stitching, as described.

page_text: And, secondly, the mode of finishing the ends of the collar, by a wide hem
turned in and sewn and afterward stitched through, as described, whereby
increased strength is given to the ends, and their liability to break down is
avoided.
And, secondly, the mode of finishing the ends of the collar, by a wide hem
turned in and sewn and afterward stitched through, as described, whereby
increased strength is given to the ends, and their liability to break down is
avoided.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Pate Cooper, have hereto set my
band and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
GEORGE PATE (L.S.) COOPER.