An Improved Appliance for Protecting the Wearing Edges of Trousers, Dresses, and other Garments.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Protecting the Wearing Edges of
Trousers, Dresses, and other Garments.
I, WALTER WOOD DENNIS, of 112 Clark Street, Chicago, County of Cook and
State of Illinois, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for improvements in devices for wearing apparel and in
what manner the same is to be used, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to devices for wearing apparel and has for its object the
production of a simple, cheap and efficient device for preventing the wearing away
at the bottom of trousers, dresses and the like where they come in contact with the
floor or shoe.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side view of the device;
Figure 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2, Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a section through a piece of wearing apparel with my device in
position;
Figure 4 shows a coil of my device when made in long pieces as used on the
bottom of dresses.
Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.
My device consists of a thin piece A of rubber, leather, or the like, provided
with the projecting rib or flange B. This projecting rib B is integral with the
piece A and is at the bottom or lower side of said piece. Said projecting rib is
bevelled at C as shown.
In applying this device to the garment, the piece A is fastened to the inside so
as to be out of sight, see Figure 3, and the projecting rib B extends beneath the
lower edge of the garment and protects said edge from the wear due to contact with
the floor or shoe.
The bevel portion C allows the outside edge of the rib B to be made thin and
prevents the device from being seen.
When applied to the bottom of trousers, a short piece, as shown in Figure 1, may
be used and fastened to the rear of the bottom of the trouser legs or one piece may
be fastened at the rear and another at the front at the points where the greatest
wear occurs. If desired a long strip may be used extending all the way around the
bottom of the trouser legs.
The device may be applied to the bottom of dresses in short pieces at points
where the wear is greatest or may extend all the way around the bottom of the
dress.
When long pieces are desired, the device may be made up in long strips and
coiled up as shown in Figure 4 and sold, say by the yard, to consumers.
The utility of the device will be readily seen. It protects the garments where
the wear is the greatest, prevents the edges from becoming frayed and preserves
the appearance of the garment to which it is applied.
It may be attached by cement or sewed to the fabric as may be desired. I do
not wish to be limited to the precise form of the device shown.
The piece may be made of backing or lining of cloth when this is desired.
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:
1. As an article of manufacture, a garment protecting device, consisting of a

page_text: thin piece of rubber, leather or the like, to be attached to the inside of the bottom
of the garment, said piece being provided with a rib which projects below the lower
edge of the garment, substantially as described.
2. As an article of manufacture, a garment protecting device consisting of the
piece A, provided with the projecting rib B, and bevelled edge C.
3. As an article of manufacture, a garment protecting device consisting of a thin
piece of rubber, leather or the like with a cloth attached to the back thereof, the
device to be attached to the inside of the bottom of the garment, the thin piece
being provided with a rib which projects below the lower edge of the garment.
4. The combination of a garment with a protecting device, consisting of a thin
strip or sheet having an outwardly projecting flange or rib near oue edge, said
device connected with and secured at the bottom of such garment, the strip or
sheet inside and the flange or rib-just below the bottom edge of the garment.
Dated this 26th day of January 1894.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.