IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAWLS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, of Holland Grove, North Brixton, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAWLS."
Sealed the 5th August 1862, and dated the 10th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th February 1862.
I, GEORGE SMITH, of Holland Grove, North Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHAWLS," to be as follows:-.
According to the modes heretofore practised of manufacturing shawls it has
been usual to make them of one flat piece of material, and although several
pieces of different colors have often been sewed together to make the one
piece of the desired size to receive borders and other ornaments, still the piece
has always been flat as regards the ground or cloth part of the shawl. Shawls
are of various shapes, but generally known and distinguished in the trade as
square shawls and scarf or long shawls. Scarf or long shawls, when folded
for wear, being twice doubled, present four thicknesses when in wear, and
square shawls, when folded for wear, present two thicknesses of the material.
The wearer being thus compelled to use a shawl of two thicknesses, which
may not be sufficiently warm, or one of four thicknesses, which may be
too warm.

page_text: Now this Invention is designed partly to add to the usefulness of shawls of
any shape by the addition of what I shall term a "leaf" or "leaves" to
increase the warmth of either square or long shawls to any required degree,
and partly to render shawls more elegant in appearance by the way in
which the said leaf or leaves will be added to them. I propose to accomplish
these objects by adding an extra piece or pieces of the same or any other
fabric (and which, for the purpose of explanation, I term "leaf" or "leaves,")
to the shawls, either by weaving, sewing, or any other means, in such a
manner that when the shawl is worn it may present at the back two, three,
four, or any number of separate "leaves" or pieces of material falling within
the size of each other externally, and all within the size of the shawl itself to
which the "leaves are attached. I do not intend to limit this Invention to the
material, shape, or size of shawls to which the "leaf" or leaves will be added,
or to the size, shape, or material of the "leaf" or "leaves" which are to be
added to the shawls; and I intend, in some of the arrangements, to make the
"leaf" or "leaves" adjustable at the pleasure of the wearer."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SMITH, of Holland Grove, North Brixton, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
.i
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord!
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Smith, Her special licence that I, the said George Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and on 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 "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
SHAWLS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said George Smith,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
According to the modes heretofore practised of manufacturing shawls it has
been usual to make them of one flat piece of material, and although several
pieces of different colors have often been sewed together to make the one
piece of the desired size to receive borders and other ornaments, still the piece
has always been flat as regards the ground or cloth part of the shawl. Shawls
are of various shapes, but generally known and distinguished in the trade as
square shawls and scarf or long shawls. Scarf or long shawls, when folded
for wear, being twice doubled, present, four thicknesses when in wear, and
square shawls, when folded for wear, present two thicknesses of the material,
the wearer being thus compelled to use a shawl of two thicknesses, which
may not be sufficiently warm, or one of four thicknesses, which may be too
warm.
"
Now this Invention is designed partly to add to the usefulness of shawls of
any shape by the addition of what I shall term a "leaf" or "leaves' to
increase the warmth of either -square or long shawls to any required degree,
and partly to render shawls more elegant in appearance by the way in which
the said leaf or leaves will be added to them. I propose to accomplish these
objects by adding an extra piece or pieces of the same or any other fabric.(and
which, for the purpose of explanation, I term "leaf or leaves") to the shawls,
either by weaving, sewing, or any other means, in such a manner that when
the shawl is worn it may present at the back two, three, four, or any number
of separate leaves" or pieces of material falling within the size of each other
externally, and all within the size of the shawl itself to which the " leaves"
are attached. I do not intend to limit this Invention to the material, shape,
or size of shawls to which the "leaf" or "leaves" will be added, or to the
size, shape, or material of the "leaf" or "leaves" which are to be added to
the shawls; and I intend, in some of the arrangements, to make the "leaf"
or "leaves" adjustable at the pleasure of the wearer..
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of

page_text: Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an ordinary square shawl, the letters a shew the right:
-or, face side of the bottom borders; the letters 6 shew the back or wrong side
of the top borders. Figure 2 represents an ordinary square shawl folded for
wear, having the border marked 6 at Figure 1 turned over, all the borders
shewing the right or face side. This gives two substances of cloth to the
(wearer. Figure 3 represents an ordinary long or scarf shawl, shewing the
right or face side of the borders all round. Figure 4 represents an ordinary
long or scarf shawl folded for wear. The effect represented by this Diagram
is the result of folding the shawl, at Figure 3, from end to end and then
turning over one corner; letters c shew the borders.
Figure 5 represents my Invention adapted to a square shawl by attaching a
leaf or piece Z from d to d, either by sewing, buttoning, or otherwise. The
borders of the leaf are distinguished by the letters e; letters f denote the
bottom borders of the shawl, and letters 9 the top borders thereof, arranged to
turn over on to the leaf.
Figure 6 represents one of my improved shawls folded for wear; letters h
mark the attached leaf with its borders; g, the top portion of the shawl folded
over; f, the bottom portion of the shawl. This shawl gives the wearer three
substances of cloth; any number can be adapted.
Figure 7 represents a long or scarf shawl with my Invention adapted
thereto, shewing a leaf attached to each end thereof, as at i. The said leaves
are attached from letters k to either by sewing, buttoning, or otherwise.
The shawl, at letters m, is folded by placing the two ends together, and by
turning over the corner on to the leaf the shawl is in its proper condition to
be worn (see Diagram at Figure 8), which represents the aforesaid improved
long or scarf shawl folded for wear; letters n represent one of the two leaves
attached, the other leaf being on the opposite side of the shawl; letter m is
the corner turned over on to the leaf, also the bottom portion of the shawl.
This arrangement gives six substances to the wearer. They can be diminished
or increased at pleasure.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of " Improvements in Shawls," together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion, that I do not intend to limit or confine myself to adapting any
particular number of separate pieces or leaves to shawls, nor to any particular

page_text: method of connecting said separate pieces to shawls, nor to the material to be
employed in such manufacture; and I desire it to be understood that what
I claim as my Invention and intend to secure by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the mode above described with reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings of manufacturing shawls by adapting
thereto, either by weaving, sewing, or otherwise, any number of separate
pieces or leaves, of any desired material, as above stated and for the purposes
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
GEORGE SMITH. (L.S.)