An Improved Trousers Clip or Stocking Suspender.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Trousers Clip or Stocking Suspender.
1. WILLIAM RADCLIFF BIRT, Junr., of 4, High Street, Birmingham, War-
wickshire, India Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the herein described improved clip for use by cyclists
and others for holding the lower part of trousers folded tightly against the wearer's
legs, the said clip being applicable also as a stocking suspender.
The said improved clip can be very readily and speedily applied and when in use
occupies but little space and is not liable to become detached.
I will first describe my invention as a trousers clip.
Part of the said improved clip is of ordinary construction that is to say it
consists of two levers or arms hinged or connected together so as to form jaws
which are closed by a spring or otherwise so as to grip and hold a fold of the
trousers between them.
The tail end of one or both of these levers or arms is or are formed or provided
with a hook or hooks bent backwardly towards the jaws. The said hook or hooks
can either be formed with the lever or levers or attached thereto by a short elastic
or other spring.
In using the clip above described the trouser is neatly folded against the leg in
the well known manner and whilst in this position the edge of the fold is gripped by
the jaws. The said hook or hooks is or are then pressed against the trouser with
which they will engage and thus secure the fold and hold the trouser tightly against
the wearer's leg.
When the said clip is used as a stocking suspender the jaws grip the upper edge
of the stocking and the said hook or hooks engage with the trousers inside at the
proper height.
I sometimes employ two or more of the gripping jaws in combination with one or
more hooks so as to get a better hold on the trousers or stocking.
In a modification of my invention the gripping jaws are altogether dispensed with
and instead thereof one or more hooks are used and connected to the other hook or
hooks by a short elastic or other spring.
Dated this 17th day of April 1890
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Trousers Clip or Stocking Suspender.
I, WILLIAM RADCLIFF BIRT, Junr., of 4, High Street, Birmingham, War-
wickshire, India Rubber Manufacturer, 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 consists in the herein described improved clip for use by cyclists
and others for holding the lower part of trousers folded tightly against the wearer's
legs, the said clip being applicable also as a stocking suspender.
The said improved clip can be very readily and speedily applied and when in use
occupies but little space and is not liable to become detached.
I will first describe my invention as a trousers clip.
Part of the said improved clip is of ordinary construction that is to say it

page_text: consists of two levers or arms hinged or connected together so as to form jaws
which are closed by a spring or otherwise so as to grip and hold a fold of the
trousers between them.
The tail end of one or both of the levers or arms is or are formed or provided
with a hook or hooks bent backwardly towards the jaws. The said hook or hooks
can either be formed with the lever or levers or attached thereto by a short elastic
or other spring, or yielding strap.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a trousers clip or stocking
suspender constructed according to this invention; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 each represent
modified forms of the same; Fig. 5 shews how my said invention is used as a
trousers clip and Fig. 6 shows how the same is used as a stocking suspender.
The spring clip which I have shewn is of an ordinary kind consisting of two
levers and jointed together at c so as to form jaws at d, which are normally
closed by the spring e. ff are the two hooks (or a single hook or more than two
hooks may be used) which I form on the lever a (Figs. 1 and 2) or which I
attach to the lever a by an elastic or other spring or yielding strap (Figs. 3
and 4). In this latter case the hooks ff can readily be made of a piece of
wire sharpened at each end and bent as shewn.
In using my invention as above described as a trousers clip the trouser is neatly
folded against the leg in the well known manner (see Fig. 5) and whilst in this
position the edge of the fold is gripped by the jaws. The said hook or hooks ff
is or are then pressed against the trouser with which they will engage and thus
secure the fold and hold the trouser tightly against the wearer's leg.
When my said invention is used as a stocking suspender the jaws grip the upper
edge or other part of the stocking (see Fig. 6) and the said hook or hooks ff
engage with the trousers or knickerbockers inside at the proper height.
I sometimes, as shewn in Fig. 7, employ two or more of the gripping jaws or
clips to hold the stocking in combination with one or more of the looks ff for
engaging with the trousers or knickerbockers and in this case the strap part is or
may be made long enough to reach to the upper part of the trousers or knicker-
bockers or in this form instead of the hook or hooks another clip may be used
as shewn in Fig. 8.
In a modification of my invention (as shewn for instance by Fig. 9) the gripping
jaws are altogether dispensed with and instead thereof one or more hooks ff are
used and connected to the other hook or hooks f2f by a short elastic spring.
The strap part g in the forms shewn by Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 can if desired be
made longer or shorter than represented..
The form of clip or gripping jaws which I have shewn is what I prefer to use but
my invention is not limited to this form as it will be evident that many other well
known kinds of clips with gripping jaws can be substituted for it without departing
from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. In a trousers clip or stocking suspender the combination with one or more
pairs of gripping jaws for holding the stocking or folded trousers, of a pointed hook
or hooks connected to and formed with the gripping jaws and adapted to engage
with the trousers or knickerbockers for the purpose and substantially as herein-
before described and shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawing.
2. The herein described improved trousers clip consisting of an elastic or yielding
strap having at each end a pointed hook or hooks for the purposes and sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 9 of the accompanying
drawing.
3. The herein described improved trousers clip or stocking suspender consisting
of the divided elastic or yielding strap y having three pairs of gripping jaws or

page_text: clips arranged for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described and as
shewn by Fig. 8 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 17th day of January 1891.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.