New or Improved Combined Shirts and Suspenders or Braces.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1892-Accepted, 30th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Combined Shirts and Suspenders or Braces.
We, GEORGE BERRY and GEORGE SIBLEY BERRY, both of 246 and 248 Goswell
Road in the County of London Shirt and Collar Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention refers to certain improvements as hereafter described, whereby
the discomfort usually attendant on the use of ordinary braces or suspenders is
removed, and ease, comfort, and facility of application are obtained, while the
front of the shirt is caused to set better than heretofore.
The invention primarily consists in the combination with shirts, of means and
appliances whereby trousers are supported and the shirt at the same time is kept
in position while the strain usually exercised by the action of the braces or
suspenders is removed from one part of the shoulder and distributed over the
whole of the yoke. For this purpose we connect by stitching or otherwise to each
side of the front of the shirt what we may term a web, strap or top part of a
brace or suspender and this may be conveniently made of linen or of some material
that will wash with the shirt itself; to this web or strap the brace or suspender
tabs are connected by buckle or in any other convenient way.. In order to strengthen
the shirt at that part to which the webs or straps are connected, we insert or
connect a binder extending from the yoke down the front and to the binder the
web or strap is connected, and, to this the tabs, as before described. To the back
of the shirt there is a similar web or strap connected as for the front portion and
a binder should be employed extending from the neck downwards, whereby the
back part is strengthened from the yoke downwards to where the brace strap is
connected. Sometimes the webs or straps may also be made detachable and be
connected when required to the shirt by buttons or studs.
Shirts made in the manner before described present no difference in appearance
to ordinary shirts beyond the addition thereto of webs or straps at front and back
which are washed with the shirt itself and then when dressing it is only necessary
to buckle on the tabs and button them to the trousers in the ordinary way, or the
tabs may be left on the trousers. The front of the shirt is always kept flat and
the braces are not liable to become exposed to view as they now are when "dress"
or open waistcoats are worn, while ease and comfort to the wearer as well as the
advantages before mentioned, are secured.
Sometimes the webs-or straps may be dispensed with in which case the tabs would
be fastened on to the shirt itself by studs, buttons, or in any other convenient way.
The binder in this shirt comes down much lower than usual, not only to give
sufficient strength to hold the web, but distributing the weight it has to carry by
an equal bearing over the shoulders.
By this invention the ordinary brace is dispensed with, leaving the shoulders
perfectly free.
The usual tab put at the bottom of the shirt front can be dispensed with in' this
shirt, because shirts constructed according to our invention cannot ride up.
The old tab has always been a strain upon the neck and most uncomfortable.
As a dress shirt it will be most comfortable as well as presenting a front without
bulge, break, or crease, a thing impossible with braces over a shirt with open
waistcoat.
Dated this 20th day of September 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Combined Shirts and Suspenders or Braces.
We, GEORGE BERRY and GEORGE SIBLEY BERRY, both of 246 and 248 Goswell
Road in the County of London, Shirt and Collar Manufacturers, 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:-
Our invention refers to certain improvements as hereafter described, whereby
the discomfort usually attendant on the use of ordinary braces or suspenders is
removed, and ease, comfort, and facility of application are obtained, while the
front of the shirt is caused to set hetter than heretofore.
The invention primarily consists in the combination, as hereafter described,
with shirts, of means and appliances whereby trousers are supported, and the
shirt at the same time is kept in position, while the strain usually exercised by
the action of the braces or suspenders is removed from one part of the shoulder,
and distributed over the whole of the yoke.
The invention will be best understood by describing same with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the front portion of a shirt constructed according
to our invention, shewing the same applied to the body of a wearer ;
Fig. 2 is a back view of a portion of such a shirt.
We connect, by stitching or otherwise, to each side of the front of the shirt,
what we may term web, strap, or top part of a brace or suspender A, and this
may be conveniently made of linen, or of some material that will wash with the
shirt itself, and the web or strap A is divided at its upper part as shewn by the
dotted lines; to this web or strap A the brace or suspender tabs B are connected
by buckle or in any other convenient way. In order to strengthen the shirt at
that part to which the divided webs or straps A are connected, we insert or connect
a binder or strengthening picce C extending from the yoke partly down the front.
Between the binder C and the shirt body, the webs or straps A are connected,
and to these latter the tabs B as before described. To the back of the shirt there is
a similar web or strap E, divided at its upper part, and connected as for the front
portion, and a binder or covering strengthening piece F is employed, extending
from the neck downwards, whereby the back part is strengthened from the yoke
downwards to where the brace strap E is connected.
Shirts made in the manner before described present no difference in appearance
to ordinary shirts beyond the addition thereto of webs or straps at front and back
which are washed with the shirt itself and then when dressing it is only necessary
to buckle on the tabs and button them to the trousers in the ordinary way, or the
tabs may be left on the trousers. The front of the shirt is always kept flat, and
the braces are not liable to become exposed to view as they now are when "dress"
or open waistcoats are worn, while ease and comfort to the wearer as well as the
advantages before mentioned are secured.
The binder in this shirt comes down much lower than usual, not only to give
sufficient strength to hold the web but distributing the weight it has to carry by an
equal bearing over the shoulders.
By this invention the ordinary brace is dispensed with, leaving the shoulders
perfectly free.
The usual tab put at the bottom of the shirt front can be dispensed with in this
shirt because shirts constructed according to our invention cannot ride up. The
old tab has always been a strain upon the neck and most uncomfortable.
As a dress shirt it will be most comfortable, as well as presenting a front
without bulge, break, or crease, a thing impossible with braces over a shirt with
open waistcoat.

page_text: We are aware that prior to our invention it had been proposed to make shirts with
straps from the shoulder pieces but without having any covering thereto, such shirts
presenting much the same appearance as ordinary braces or suspenders sewn onto
the shirt itself; we therefore make no claim broadly to shirts which are made to
support the trousers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
In shirts which are made so as to support the trousers, the combination there-
with of divided webs or straps A and E stitched to the front and back of the
shirt proper and covered by strengthening pieces or binders C and F, whereby
the suspender web or straps A and E are securely held and maintained in position,
while the upper portions thereof are hidden from view, all substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of June 1892.
BREWER & SON,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for Applicants.