Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a garter which is chiefly designed for securing socks or.
stockings that do not extend above the knee when worn. The said invention
consists in the combination of a band formed of spiral or coiled wire with, a clip
or clips or equivalent devices attached to the said band for holding the sock
or stocking.
.
Garters consisting of one or more bands or rings of spiral or coiled wire are
described in the Specification of my former Letters Patent dated March 27th 1871,
No 821 and are now well known and generally used for securing stockings in
the ordinary manner, that is to say, by placing the garter around the upper end of
the stocking and securing it by a clasp or the like. But I have not heretofore
provided such garters with means for securing socks or stockings which are too
short to reach the part of the leg around which the garter has to be fastened.
And I am not aware that any means have been heretofore provided for securing
socks in this manner.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 shows one of my improved garters as worn.
Figure 2 is a side view of the said garter.
Figure 3 is an edge view of a portion of the same.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
a is the band which is formed of two rings of coiled wire united by the metal
end-pieces b and the intermediate pieces c, each coil having within it a string
or tape which prevents its being overstrained, as described in my said former
specification. The end-pieces b are formed to engage with each other as shewn,
or in any other suitable and convenient manner for fastening the garter around
the leg.

page_text: It is obvious that, instead of forming the garter-band of two coils or coiled rings,
I may form it of one coil or of three or more coils as desired.
I connect, with this elastic wire band, a device which, when the garter is worn,
extends downward therefrom to the upper part of the sock and which is provided
with means for grasping the same in such a manner as to hold it up and keep it
properly tight upon the leg without straining or danger of tearing the material
of the sock.
For this purpose I find the clip or clasp d to be a very efficient device. This
clip is formed of thin brass or other metal and has at d¹ a loop or eye by which it is
connected to one of the coils or coiled rings of the band a, as shown, so that it can
be adjusted thereon to any required position: The lower or outer end of each part
of the clip is provided with teeth at d. A metal ring e or similar device is fitted
to slide over the two. parts of the clip to open and close the same. The small
projections d³ limit the movement of the said ring and prevent its escape or removal
from the clip.
In using my improved garter for fastening a Bock, the band a is secured around
the leg and the upper edge of the sock is inserted within the clip or clasp d. which
is closed and fastened on the sock by forcing the ring e down into the position
shown in Figures 1 and 3. To release the sock, it is only necessary to move the
ring of the clip into the position shewn in Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent I wish it understood that I do not claim the
combination of a clip or clasp with a garter-band generally or irrespectively of the
material of which the said band is formed as I am aware that garters having a
band of elastic and also of inelastic webbing provided with devices for holding &
sock or stocking below the band have been already used but I am not aware that
such garters have heretofore been made with bands formed of coiled wire and
I declare that I claim
The improved garter consisting of a band of coiled wire provided with a clip or
equivalent device substantially as set forth for grasping the upper part of a sock or
stocking and supporting the same below the band in the manner above specified.
Dated this 7th day of Angust 1886.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.