METHOD OF CUTTING BIFURCATED GARMENTS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES COPINGTON TRACEY, N° 285 Hudson Street, New York City, County
of New York, and State of New York, one of the United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for the "METHOD
OF CUTTING BIFURCATED GARMENTS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved method of cutting the parts composing
bifurcated garments, such as drawers, pants and overalls. The parts composing a
garment of this kind, and their relative position in the goods are illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Figure 1. is a diagram showing the position of the parts as cut from the goods.
Figure 2. is a view of the garment.
Each leg of the garment is composed of a back piece A. and a front piece B, and
a double tapered crotch piece C, has half of its length in one leg, and half in the
other leg. These parts are cut from certain relative positions as hereinafter set
forth. The waist bands, d, fly facings, e, and pocket facings, f, are cut from such
positions in the goods as may be found best for the particular width of goods used.
The method of cutting the backs and fronts and the crotch-piece will now be
described.
The straight edge, g, of each back piece forms the outside seam of each leg; this
edge is taken from one selvage of the goods. The waist edge, h, is at a right angle
with respect to the edge, g, of the outside seam; the back body-edge, i, and the
inside sean edge, k, at their point of joinder form the buttocks angle, .
From the buttocks angle to a point, l, at or just below the knee, the inside seam
edge, k, is straight, at this point the edge deviates at an angle, and from said point
to the bottom edge, m, of the leg, the inside-seam edge ², is parallel with the
outside seam edge, g. Two back pieces, A. A¹ of one garment when in the goods
have thin inside-seam edges, k, adjoining, in inverted position, the buttocks angle, i¹,
of one back piece having position adjoining the angle (knee) point, l, of the other,
and vice-versa; and the waist edge, h, of one piece is on a line even with the
bottom-edge of the other, and vice-versa. The cutting of two back pieces for the

page_text: first garment as here described, results in leaving a tapered piece, C, (one half of
the crotch-piece) between the lower part, k¹, of the inside-seam edge of one piece,
and the back-body edge, i, of the other piece. The two back pieces for the second
garment are exactly like those of the first, and are so cut from the goods, that the
bottom edge, m, of one piece in the first garment adjoins the same edge of one piece
in the second garment, this results in the broad part of the tapered piece, C, of the
second garment having position coincident with the broad part of the like piece in
the first garment. From this method of cutting, therefore, a crotch-piece, C, O,
having the desired double taper is obtained without any waste. The crotch-piece
is widest at the centre, whereat also one side forms an angle, q, and from said angle
two edges, P, each extend straight to one of the points Ŏ; the edges, P, are taper
edges; the other side of the crotch-piece has a single straight-edge, n. between the
two opposite points, O.
The back pieces, A, for the different sizes of garments are varied only as to the
length; for all ordinary men's sizes the backs are cut the same with or of uniform
width. The production of larger and smaller sizes required, is regulated by the
width of the front pieces, B; for a larger size garment I cut a wider front piece,
and for a smaller size a narrower front piece.
The front pieces, B, are cut with two straight longitudinal edges, g, ³, as shown,
that is ordinarily, three fronts together are taken from a width of goods-the top, r,
of the leg of one front will adjoin the bottom, 8, of the leg of another front thus
each front-piece tapers slightly from the top downward. When the fronts and
backs are thus cut the double tapered crotch-piece, C, provides for the requisite
dimension of goods in the garment seat and crotch.
All parts of the garment by this method are cut without curves, the cuts are
made on straight lines only.
In forming a garment of parts cut as here described, the edge, g. of a back piece
and the edge, g¹, of a front piece are joined forming the outside seam of the leg.
The crotch-piece, C, is folded straight across the centre from the angle, q, and the
straight edge, n, from the said fold creased to one point, O, is sewed to the edge, k³,
of the front piece of one leg, and one tapered edge, P, to the inside seam edge, k, of
the back piece of the same leg. The edges, k, and k², of a back piece are joined
with the edge, k³, of a front piece, while a back body-edge, i, of one back piece
joins the like edge of the other back piece; this secures one tapered point of the
crotch-piece in one leg. The other point of the crotch-piece is in the other leg,
and the straight fold crease across the centre from the angle, q. forms a seamless
crotch for the garment. The shape of the crotch-piece and its position in the
garment here described is substantially the same as that shown in U.S. Letters
Patent granted me May 6. 1884, but this particular method of cutting the backs
and fronts and the crotch-piece, is believed to be shown and described here for the
first time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The herein-described method of cutting bifurcated garments such as drawers,
pants, and overalls, consisting in cutting the back piece, A, for one leg with a
straight edge, g, for the outside seam, and the back body edge, i, and inside seam
edge, k, from the knee angle, l, to its joinder with said body edge forming the
buttocks angle, , and continuing the inside seam edge, k, below the knee parallel
with the outside-seam edge, g; cutting the back piece, A', for the second leg so
that its waist edge, h, is even with the bottom edge, m, of the first piece, and its
inside seam edge, k, in inverted position, will adjoin the like the like edge of the
first back piece, and its buttocks angle, i, and knee angle, l, will have position
adjoining the knee angle and buttocks angle, respectively of the first back piece;
and the one half of the crotch-piece C comprising that which is left between the

page_text: lower part, k¹, of the inside-seam edge of one piece and the back-body of the other
piece, as set forth.
2nd The method of cutting bifurcated garments such as drawers, pants and
overalls, consisting in cutting the back leg-pieces, A, with a straight edge, g, for the
outside seam, and the back body edge, i, and inside sean edge, k, both straight to
form the buttocks angle, ; cutting the front pieces, B, with two straight longi-
tudinal edges, g', k, so that the fronts shall have a slight taper from the top to the
bottom; and cutting a double tapered crotch-piece, C, with a straight edge, n,
between the two extreme points of said double-taper as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of November 1885
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.