improvement in fasteners for garments
Year: 1896

page_text: A communication from CHARLES FREDERICK LITTLEJOHN, Manufacturer,
Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in fasteners for garments. It relates
more particularly, to fasteners for those garments which have a slit, commonly
known as a placket, leading from one edge thereof to facilitate the ready fitting
to or removal of the garment from the person.
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient means for
securing together the edges of the garment bordering upon a slit or placket, to
prevent the accidental separating of the edges of the slit. A further object of
the invention is to provide means whereby the fastener may be readily attached
to the garment either by hand or machinery.
With these objects in view the invention consists of two casings of flexible
material in each of which is formed a central longitudinal pocket for reception of
resilient stiffeners which extend preferably from a point near the bottom of each
casing to near the top thereof leaving extended flexible portions of the casings at
the top and bottom thereof. The edges of each casing are also outlying and
flexible upon each side of the stiffeners in order that the casings may be stitched
to the garment.
The two casings of the fastener are secured together at or near their lower ends
in any suitable manner as by sewing riveting, etc., but I prefer to secure them
together through their flexible portion by means of an eyelet inserted near the
o posing edges of each casing at a point just below or adjacent to the lower ends
of the resilient stiffeners. The location of the eyelet near the forward opposing
edges of the fastener sections prevents too great overlapping of the casings when
they are brought together, permitting them to overlap only for a distance equal
to the width of their opposing edges.
Any suitable means may be used for securing the casings together, but I prefer
to use the form of separable fastener such as is commonly used in gloves. These
fasteners of which there may be two or more are secured to the overlapping edges
of the sections of the casings and serve to hold them together when closed or
brought together.
In lieu of arranging the stiffeners centrally in the casings as above described,

page_text: the stiffener of one casing may be arranged at the first edge thereof while that of
the other casing is at the rear edge and the casings are secured together at their
lower ends centrally of their width whereby when the casings are brought together
they will completely overlap and the resilient stiffeners will lie side by side in
substantially the same plane. The casings in this form of fasteuer are provided
with means for securing them together as in that described above and edges are
left flexible to permit them being sewed to the garment.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:--
This invention relates to an improvement in fasteners for garments. It relates
more particularly to fasteners for those garments which have a slit, commonly
known as a "placket" leading from one edge thereof to facilitate the ready fitting
to or removal of the garment.from the person.
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient means of
securing together the edges of the garment bordering upon a slit or placket to
prevent the accidental separating of the edges of the slit.
A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the fastener may
be readily attached to the garment, either by hand or machinery.
In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in
which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention."
Fig. 2 is a similar one showing the two casings or sections separated.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view.
I am aware that devices have heretofore been devised for accomplishing the
purpose of this invention.
The devices referred to consist of two resilient stiffeners pivoted together at
their lower ends and are provided with fastening devices for securing them
together when closed. Usually perforations are formed at different points
throughout the length of the stiffeners, through which they are sewed to a garment.
Fasteners such as described above have been found objectionable for the reason
that as the resilient stiffeners are pivoted together they are capable of being
moved in only one direction with respect to each other, ri, at right angles to
the axis of their pivot, and they are often bent out of shape in adjusting the gar-
ment upon the wearer. Another objectionable feature of these devices is the
perforations through which they are sewed to the garment, which makes it
necessary to sew the fastener by hand. In some of the devices referred to the
stiffeners, when closed, are superposed, thus not only forming a thick heavy lap
at the placket, but in addition they prevent graceful draping of the garment by
reason of their lack of resiliency. It is the aim of this invention to overcome
all of these objections, as will fully appear from the following detailed description.

page_text: Referring to the drawings, A and B represent the two casings or sections of
flexible material. In these casings central longitudinal pockets are formed for
reception of resilient stiffeners 1, 1, which extend from a point near the bottom
of each section to near the top thereof, leaving flexible portions 2, 3 at the tops
and bottoms, respectively, of the casings A, B. The edges 4, 5 of each casing,
which extend upon each side of the resilient stiffeners 1, 1, are also left flexible
in order that the casings may be stitched to the garment.
The two casings A and B are secured together near their lower ends by any
suitable means, as by sewing, riveting, &c. It is preferred however, to pivot
them together, as shown, by means of an eyelet 6, inserted near the opposing
edges 4, 4 of the casings A, B at a point just below or adjacent to the lower ends
of the resilient stiffeners 1, 1. In addition to securing the casings together the
eyelet when located as shown serves to hold the resilient stiffeners against slipping
in their pockets. By pivoting the casings A and B together through the flexible
portions 3, 3, they may, when unfastened, be moved in any direction with respect
to each other. The location of the eyelet G near the forward opposing edges 4, 4
of the casings A, B prevents too great overlapping of the casings, permitting
them to overlap only for a distance equal to the width of one of the said edges.
Any suitable means may be used for securing the casings together, but it is
preferred to use the form of fastener such as is commonly used on gloves. These
fasteners 7 are secured to the edges 4, 4 of the casings A, B and serve to hold the
casings together when ch sed. The bases of these fasteners overlap the resilient
stiffeners I, 1 and serve as an additional means for preventing the longitudinal
movement of the stiffeners in their pockets.
The upper ends 2, 2 of the casings are secured to or just below the waistband
of a garment, and consequently the garment may be lifted or drawn to one side
without resistance from the resilient stiffeners 1, 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said in-
vention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim is:
1. A placket-fastener in which the resilient stiffeners are not directly fastened
together substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a placket fastener forming the hinge or joint of the flexible material or
fabric for the purpose described.
3. In a placket-fastener carrying the resilient stiffoners in pipes or pockets
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. A placket-fastener comprising two casings of flexible material, stiffeners in
said casings, said stiffeners being smaller than the casings to leave extended
flexible portions, means for securing the casings together through the extended
flexible portions at a point adjacent to the lower ends of the casings and fastening
devices for securing the casings against separation, substantially as described.
5. A placket-fastener comprising two casings of flexible material, stiffeners
within said casings, said stiffeners being narrower than the casings, and arranged
to leave the adjacent edges of the casings outlying and flexible, means for securing
the edges together at one end through the adjacent flexible edges thereof whereby
when the casings are brought together said edges will overlap and the stiffeners
in the casings will lie parallel and in substantially the same plane, and fastening
devices on the casings for securing them against separation, substantially as
described.
6. A placket-fastener comprising two casings of flexible material, resilient
stiffeners in the casings, said stiffeners being narrower than the casings to leave
flexible edges, means for securing the casings together at one end and fastening
devices on the flexible edges, portions of said fastening devices being arranged to

page_text: overlap the stiffeners to hold them against movement within their casings,
substantially as described.
7. The complete placket fastener substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.