IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO COATS, CLOAKS, AND OTHER LIKE OUTER GARMENTS."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Calvert and John Stewart Robertson, both
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Tailors and Drapers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO COATS, CLOAKS, AND OTHER
LIKE OUTER GARMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Calvert and
John Stewart Robertson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 8th December 1865.
We, WILLIAM CALVERT and JOHN STEWART ROBERTSON, both of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Tailors and Drapers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO COATS, CLOAKF,
AND OTHER LIKE OUTER GARMENTS," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
The object of these improvements applicable to coats, cloaks, and other. like
outer garments, is to adopt them so as to be a better security against rain,
fogs, and moist atmosphere, and to enable the wearer to dispense with the
use of a knee rug or driving apron, and at the same time when such protection
is not required the means thereof may be concealed within the garment in

page_text: such a way that it shall not visibly appear different to an ordinary garment
of the same description, and whereby the wearer is always in possession of
the means of protection against the heaviest rains er dampest atmosphore
when overtaken thereby without requiring several separate garments, such as
knee rug, driving apron, hood, cape, or cloak; and consists in forming a
secret pocket or dépot between the outer fabric forming the back of the coat
or other like garment and the inner lining theroof, which has its opening
horizontally beneath the collar of the coat or other garment, and extending
nearly from shoulder to shoulder, and is kept closed by means of buttons,
hooks, or any other convenient fastenings which are concealed by the turn
down of the collar. To the inside of this pocket or dépot, on the upper edge
thereof, is attached the centre portion of a cape, which is made of waterproof
or other fabric, but by preference waterproofed silk. The connexion between
the body of the coat, cloak, or other like outer garment it is preferred should
be by means of an elastic web, or other elastic fabric, so-as to prevent the cape on
being drawn from 'the secret pocket or dépot in the back of the outer garment
being injured or torn away from the body of the coat. In addition to the
cape, a hood may be attached to the bottom of the collar of the coat in
connexion with the cape or seperately from the cape, which it is also preferred
'to make from waterproofed silk, but the applicants do not confine themselves
as to the fabric they may use for the construction of either the cape or lood.
The second part of this Invention consists in making a pocket or dépot in
one or both sides of the Inps or skirts of the cont, the opening or openings to
which, by preference, it is preferred to form vertically, and a little below the
waist. This pocket or these pockets (when more than one is used) has or
have attached thereto, by preference on the vertical inner edge of the opening
to the pocket or dépot, an apron or aprons formed of any suitable material,
but by preference of waterproofed-silk. The cape and hood, when a hood is
'used, or the hood alone in dry weather, or when not required for use, is folded
or allowed to drop down into the dépot or pocket formed between the outer
fabric of the back of the coat and the inner lining thereof; the opening to the
pocket or dépot is held closed by means of buttons, hooks, or other suitable
fastenings, which are concealed by the turn-down portion of the collar of the
garment. The apron or aprons which is or are attached to the pocket or
pockets in the skirts of the coat or other garment below the hips of the
wearer is or are so formed that the upper end or point may be buttoned on
or otherwise attached to the front of the coat or other garment above the
position that the cape would fall below the point of attachment, and a button
or other fastening is used to attach the upper corner of the outer edge to the

page_text: opposite skirt of the garment.. When this apron or these aprons, when two
are used, is or are not required, it or they are folded up and inserted into
their several pockets or dépots, when the coat or other outer garment has all
the appearance of an ordinary garment with the advantage of the wearer
being able to dispense with a waterproof coat or other like garment as well as
the use of a knee rug. or driving. apron, without the liability of the injurious.
results arising from the use of air-proof garments as at present constructed.
The applicants propose to use an elastic or other fastening for attaching the
lower edge of the cape round the wrists.or arnus of the wearer to prevent the
same being blown up by the wind..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Calvert and John Stewart Robertson in. the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th June 1866..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CALVERT and JOHN STEWART ROBERTSON, both of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Tailors and Drapers, sendi greeting.
WHEREAS: Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in. the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five,. in the twenty-ninth year. of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successers, give and grant unto us, the
said William Calvert and John. Stewart Robertson, Her special licence that
we, the said William Calvert and John Stewart Robertson, our executors,.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Calvert
and John Stewart Robertson, our 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO COATS, CLOAKS, AND OTHER LIKE OUTER GARMENTS;"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Calvert and
John Stewart Robertson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing. under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Calvert and John Stewart
Robertson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The object of these our said improvements applicable to coats, cloaks, and
other like outer garments, is to adopt them so as to be a better security
against rain, fogs, and moist atmosphere, and to enable the wearer to dispense
with the use of a knee rug or driving apron, and at the same time when such
protection is not required the means thereof may be concealed within the
garment in such a way that it shall not visibly appear different to an ordinary
garment of the same description, and whereby the wearer is always in
possession of the means of protection against the heaviest rains or dampest
atmosphere, when overtaken thereby, without requiring several separate
garments such as knee rug, driving apron, hood, cape, or cloak, and consists
in forming a secret pocket or dépot between the outer fabric, forming the
back of the coat or other like garment, and the inner lining thereof which
has its opening beneath the collar of the coat or other garment, and extending
nearly from shoulder to shoulder, and is kept closed by means of buttons,
hooks, or any other convenient fastenings, which are concealed by the turn-
down of the collar. To the inside of this pocket or dépot on the upper inner
edge thereof is attached the centre portion of a cape, which is made of water-
'proof or other fabric, but by preference waterproofed silk. The connexion
between the body of the coat, cloak, or other like outer garment we prefer
should be by means of an elastic web or other elastic fabric, so as to prevent
.the cape on being drawn from the secret pocket or dépot in the back of the
outer garment being injured or torn away from the body of the coat. In
addition to the cape a hood may be attached to the bottom of the collar of the
coat in connexion with the cape; or separately from the cape, which we also
prefer to make from waterproofed silk, but we do not confine ourselves as to
the fabric to be used for the construction of either the cape or hood.
The second part of this our said Invention consists in making a pocket or
dépot in one or both sides of the laps or skirts of the coat, the opening or
openings to which we prefer to form vertically and a little below the waist.
This pocket or these pockets (when more than one is used) has or have
attached thereto by preference on the vertical inner edge of the opening to tho
pocket or dépot an apron or aprons formed of any suitable material, but by
preference of waterproofed silk. The cape and hood, when a hood is used, or
a hood alone in dry weather, or when not required for use, is folded or allowed
to drop down into the dépot or pocket formed between the outer fabric of the

page_text: back of the coat and the inner lining thereof. The opening to the pocket or
dépot is held closed by means of buttons, hooks, or other suitable fastenings,
which are concealed by the turned-down portion of the collar of the garment.
The apron or aprons which is or are attached to the pocket or pockets in the
skirts of the coat or other garment below the hips of the wearer is or are so
formed that the upper end or point may be buttoned on or otherwise attached
to the front of the coat or other garment above the position that the cape
would fall below the point of attachment, and a button or other fastening is
used to attach the upper corner of the outer edge to the opposite skirt of the
garment. When this apron or these aprons, when two are used, is or are not
required it or they are folded up and inserted into their several pockets or
depots, when the coat or other garment has all the appearance of an ordinary
garment, with the advantage of the wearer being able to dispense with a
waterproof coat or other like garment, as well as the use of a knee rug or
driving apron, without the liability of the injurious results arising from the
use of air-proof garments as at present constructed.
We propose to use an elastic or other fastening for attaching the lower edge
of the cape round the wrists or arms of the wearer to prevent the same being
blown up by the wind.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings represents an ordinary driving coat, to
which our improvements are applied, with the apron and cape concealed or
put away into their pockets or dépots. The position of the apron or knee
covering when in use is shown by the dotted lines; and Figure 2 is a back
view of the coat, showing the cape out. The dotted lines across the back of
the collar show the position of the pocket or dépot for containing the cape or
hood (when a hood is applied) when out of use.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention, and the best means we are acquainted with for carrying it into
effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not claim any peculiar form of
coat or other outer garment, nor do we claim the use of the waterproof or
other cape, nor any peculiar form of apron or knee rug, but what we claim as
new and our Invention is,―
First, the application and use of a pocket to contain a cape, or hood, or
both, the opening of which is immediately below the turn-down of the collar
of the coat or other outer garment, and attaching thereto a cape, or hood, or
both, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described
and set forth.
And, lastly, attaching the apron or knee rug to a side pocket, or sido
pockets, of a coat or other outer garment in such a manner that the same

page_text: may be folded or inserted into the pocket or pockets, when out of use, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set
forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Calvert and John Stewart
Robertson, have hereunto set our hands, and affixed our seals, this 5
Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM
(L.B.) CALVERT.
JOHN STEWART (L.s.) ROBERTSON.