IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING OR CONSTRUCTING TROWSERS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPHI
MÉGE, of Kepple Street, Russel Square, in the County of Middlesex, Mer-
chant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Mége, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Joseph Mége, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Mége, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING OR CONSTRUCTING TROWSERS," commu-
nicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Joseph Mége, shall cause a par-
ticular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso. I the said
Joseph Mége, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
The Invention consists in a mode of constructing and making trowsers in
such manner as to be capable of being opened behind when required and closed
again by means of one hand of the wearer, such trowsers being principally
intended for the use of soldiers when upon a march; the object being so to
arrange the parts of trowsers as to avoid the necessity of a soldier displacing
his accoutrements or laying down his musket, or releasing his trowsers from
the braces. The mode of closing the hinder parts of the trowsers when con-
structed according to the Patent is by straps or bands concealed within the
lining of the trowsers, and brought into the front part, where they are attached
by buttons or any suitable means. It should be remarked that the only varia-
tions that are necessary to be made in making the trowsers is, that the hinder
part should be fuller than usual; the object of having them fuller is, that the
part where the opening is may be concealed, and that in place of the parts
being sewed together between the legs, that part is sufficiently full, so as to be
capable of being buttoned in front, as shewn in the Drawing. These trowsers,
when the wearer is not on a march, may be laced up or otherwise fastened at
the back, as is shewn by loop and holes in the Drawing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a pair of trowsers. Figure 2 is a perspective front view of
the trowsers. Figure 3 shows a view of a pair of trowsers which are open in
front, in order to shew the interior arrangement. At the back part it will be
seen that the two parts of the waistband are held together by a strap and
buckle E, or by other convenient means. The front part of the trowsers is
fastened by buttons, according to the ordinary system. The back of the
trowsers is formed the two parts A and B, which are not sewed together as
heretofore, but are so constructed as to loop over and form a secure closing of
the back, when the parts A and B are drawn together by means of a suitable
strap or straps. It should be understood that the object of the Invention is so
to construct trowsers, that when the wearer is upright, and also when sitting
(supposing the back parts of the trowsers are drawn together), that the back
shall be well and sufficiently closed, and that the back of the trowsers and the
under part thereof shall only be allowed to open when the parts of the back are
released by the unfastening of the straps or bands employed. And it should
be stated that the arrangement of the straps or bands used for retaining the
parts of the back of a pair of trowsers closed may be varied, but I believe the

page_text: C is a band
arrangement shown will be the most convenient for the purpose.
or strap, which is affixed to a long flap C¹, sewed to the inner surface of the
part B of the trowsers. This strap C passes under the lining and out at the
side of the trowsers, and its end should be fixed by sewing or otherwise, to
prevent its being disarranged; and there is also a button hole or other conve-
nient means at C* for affixing the band or strap to the waistband when the
parts A and B are drawn together, the strap or band being long enough to
allow of the parts A and B separating when the band or strap is unbuttoned
at the point C. The part A of the trowsers has a strap D affixed thereto,
such strap passing through an opening in the flap C', to which the band or
strap C is affixed, and the strap or band D passes under the lining and out at the
side of the trowsers, and the end of the strap D is fixed by sewing or otherwise
to the waistband, towards the front of the person, and there is a buttonhole or
other convenient mode of attaching the band or strap D¹, so that when that
buttonhole or other fastening is used and affixed to the waistband or other
convenient part of the trowsers the parts A and B will be held together at the
back, and the opening securely closed, and the strap or band D is of sufficient
length to allow the parts A and B separating when the fastening at D¹ is
released; and it will be seen that the straps or bands C, D, are so fastened that
the part A will, when closed, overlap the part B, behind the same. In order
to open the part behind, the lower front button is closed unbuttoned, the straps
or bands C, D, are to be released at C, D, when the parts A and B will
separate on the soldier bending the person in the act of squatting, and they
will be kept in that position without the necessity of the wearer holding them
apart. When it is required to close the back of the trowsers it is only necessary
again to fasten the lower button in front, and to draw the straps C and D, and
to fasten them at C, D, and the trowsers will be fastened together as before.
e and show the loops and holes for fastening the opening at the back of the
trowsers when the soldier is not on a march.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
carrying out the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details. But what I claim as the Invention communicated to
me is, the mode of constructing or making trowsers, as herein described, by
having an opening behind, combined with means of closing and keeping the
parts closed, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Mége, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
JOSEPH (L.S.) MEGE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid Joseph Mége came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.