IMPROVEMENTS IN GARTERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD HOOKHAM of No. 50 St. Paul's Road, Camden Square London N.W.,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
GARTERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:-
My Invention aims at supplying in the form of a garter a secure and comfortable
support for socks and stockings, while entirely avoiding the evils arising from the
use of garters as commonly worn.
The ordinary garter, by the continuous pressure of the band, seriously interferes
with the circulation of the blood and other fluids, thereby frequently causing
swelling of the legs, varicose veins, cold feet, headache &c. It also often fails in
keeping up the stocking, on which account it is usually worn extremely tight, thus
producing great local pain and discomfort.
In my Invention these evils are obviated, free circulation and ventilation
secured, and the efficiency of the garter as a support for the stocking insured, by
breaking up the continuous pressure of the band, and bringing it to bear instead at
particular points suited to receive it.
I effect this by fixing on the inside of the band (elastic or otherwise) forming
the garter, certain projecting studs or bosses, of such thickness or depth and at
such distances apart as shall insure their taking upon themselves and relieving the
intervening spaces from the whole or nearly the whole of the pressure; and to
more fully insure the support of the stocking with only a moderate pressure on
these projecting studs or bosses, I make them by preference in the form of circular
rings.
The stocking and fleshy parts of the leg immediately beneath these rings are
forced gently into them and act as keys to prevent the slipping both of stocking
and garter.
Ventilation is also secured by the band being thus raised off the stocking, and
this may be perfected and the garter made lighter by using instead of the ordinary
broad band, two or more narrow bands.
For
The projecting studs or bosses may be made of wood, metal, or any other
material applicable to the purpose, and if necessary may be suitably covered.
the ordinary sizes of garters they will usually be five in number.

page_text: As a fastening that kind of clasp is preferred, the two parts of which slide one
on each end of the band, as it admits of adjusting the length of the garter, without
materially altering the positions of the rings on the leg.
The garter is worn in the ordinary way outside the stocking.
Though this Invention is here described with reference to its application to
garters only, it is evident that it may be applied to belts and other articles of dress,
(such for instance as sleeve-supporters,) where it is desirable to secure free
circulation, or to obtain an efficient support.
I, RICHARD HOOKHAM of 50 St Pauls Road, Camden Square, London, N.W.,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GARTERS APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My Invention aims at supplying in the form of a garter, a secure and comfortable
support for socks, and stockings, while entirely avoiding the evils arising from the
use of garters, as commonly worn.
The ordinary garter, by the continuous pressure of the band, seriously interferes
with the circulation of the blood and other fluids; thereby frequently causing
swelling of the legs, varicose veins, cold feet, headache &c.-It also often fails in
keeping up the stocking, on which account it is usually worn extremely tight thus
producing great local pain and discomfort.
In my Invention these evils are obviated, free circulation and ventilation secured,
and the efficiency of the garter as a support for the stocking ensured, by breaking
up the continuous pressure of the band and bringing it to bear instead at particular
points suited to receive it.
I effect this by fixing on the inside of the band (elastic or otherwise) forming
the garter, certain projecting studs or bosses of such thickness, or depth, and at
such distances apart as shall ensure them taking upon themselves and relieving the
intervening spaces from the whole or nearly the whole of the pressure; and to
more fully ensure the support of the stocking with only a moderate pressure on
these projecting studs or bosses, I make them by preference in the form of circular
rings The stocking and fleshy parts of the leg immediately beneath these rings
are forced gently unto them and act as keys to prevent the slipping both of
stocking and garter.
Ventilation is also secured by the band being thus raised off the stocking, and
this may be perfected and the garter made lighter by using instead of the ordinary
broad band, two or more narrow bands.
The projecting studs or bosses may be made of wood, metal, or any other
material applicable to the purpose, and if necessary may be suitably covered-For
the ordinary sizes of garters they will usually be five in number.

page_text: As a fastening, that kind of clasp is preferred, the two parts of which slide one
on each end of the band, as it admits of adjusting the length of the garter without
materially altering the positions of the rings on the leg.
The garter is worn in the ordinary way, outside the stocking.
Though this Invention is here described with reference to its application to
garters only, it is evident that it may be applied to belts, and other articles of
dress, such for instance as sleeve supporters, where it is desirable to ensure free
circulation or to obtain an efficient support.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in perspective a garter arranged and constructed according
to my Invention-Figure 2 illustrates the same in use, supporting a stocking-
Figure 3 is a sectional diagram showing how the material composing the garter
spans or extends from boss to boss; the sustaining pressure of the garter acting
only, at those intervening points. Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of a
portion of a garter. Figure 5 is a section of one of the hollow bosses separately,
and Figure 6 is a front elevation of one of the said bosses-Figure 7 represents
another form of my Invention in which additional ventilation is secured by using
two narrow bands which pass from boss to boss in a scolloped or curved direction,
leaving an open middle or space between the bands.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a a, are the hollow bosses which are attached by sewing or otherwise, to the
inside of an elastic band 6 constituting the garter. The said bosses a are of such
a shape and arranged at such distances apart, as shall ensure either that there shall
be no direct pressure of the band of the garter upon the stocking, or that the
pressure shall be very light, so that the garter b is suspended or raised from off the
stocking by passing from top top of a series of hollow bosses or rings a, a, a, which
are presented to the stocking c to be supported.
Tho garter proper, simply affords a continuous band, supporting the holding
expedients; thereby preventing the constriction that results from the use of an
ordinary garter.
By my Invention the evils arising from ordinary garters are obviated by
obtaining free circulation and ventilation, and the efficiency of the garter as a
support for the stocking ensured.
The projecting studs or bosses a, a, may be made of wood, metal or other suitable
material, and if necessary covered by fabric or other material.
Although I have described my Invention as applied to garters, yet I wish it to
be understood that my said Invention is also applicable to belts, bands, sleevo
supporters and other like articles of dress, where it is desirable to ensure free
circulation or ventilation, or to obtain an efficient support.
Although I have only described and represented annular bosses or ring like
objects, for supporting the band of the garter yet I wish it to be understood that
any series of protuberances tufts or raised parts may be used with like effect, so as
to form intermediate supports upon which the band of the garter or other object is
elevated Or the breaking up of the continuous pressure may be produced by
forming tufts or supports from the band itself, as the band may be corrugated
transversely into wave-like mounds which form the supporting points of the garter,
leaving raised intervening spaces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First The improvements in garters applicable also to other purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that is to say,
relieving or breaking up the continuous pressure of a band or bands by means of
rings or bosses, which raise off, or suspend the material of the band from the
surface on which pressure is to be produced, so that the band merely bridges the

page_text: spaces between the rings or bosses, the parts being arranged, combined and acting
substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly-Constructing and arranging the parts of garters, and other like
appliances by elevating the band or bands by means of intermediate supports, so as
to prevent the band, which bridges the intervening spaces, from coming in direct
contact with the object encircled by it, whether, the said elevating supports be
made in the form of bosses or rings attached by sewing or otherwise, or be made in
any other form, or from, and forming a part of, the band itself, for the purpose
substantially as described and illustrated.
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