CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF GLOVES, MITTS, AND CUFFS, AND IN FASTENINGS FOR THE SAME, WHICH MAY RE APPLIED TO ARTICLES OF DRESS GENERALLY
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM.
HENRY SMITH, of Fitzroy Square, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at.
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of April, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Smith, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority that I, the said William Henry Smith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Henry Smith, my exe-
cutors, administraors, 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
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF GLOVES,
MITTS, AND CUFFS, AND IN FASTENINGS FOR THE SAME, WHICH MAY RE APPLIED TO
ARTICLES OF DRESS GENERALLY;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso, obliging me, the said William Henry Smith, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her 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
William Henry Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of certain improvements in the construction and manufacture
of gloves, mitts, and cuffs, and in fastenings for the same, which may be
applied to articles of dress generally, consists, firstly, in the application of a
pocket or purse to any convenient part of a glove, mitt, or cuff, to receive any
small article (such as coins or notes) requiring to be safely deposited and
easy of access.
Secondly, in uniting the portions of leather necessary to form a glove or
mitt by means of glue or cement, instead of the ordinary sewing.
Thirdly, in a new mode of cutting out the parts to form a glove or mitt, so
as to give additional beauty when on the hand, and also in uniting them so as
to afford strength in certain parts likely to tear.
And my Invention consists, fourthly, in applying to gloves, mitts, and cuffs
peculiar kinds of fastenings, of the forms and description herein-after shewn
and explained.
I proceed now to describe these several improvements, referring to the
accompanying Drawing in illustration thereof.
Application of pocket or purse.-Fig. 1 represents the outside of a glove
with the pocket or purse applied as at A, which may be done in manner
following: A. circular or other suitably formed piece of the material is
punched out, and attached (by cementing, or sewing, or both combined,)
in any convenient part of the palm of the glove or mitt. The form of
this piece and its situation in a glove or mitt is shewn by dots in Fig. 1. A
slit of the length desired is cut in the front of the palm to form the mouth of
the pocket or purse. The aperture or mouth of the pocket or purse is then
bound with narrow indian-rubber web, crossed in the middle, as shewn at B,
the ends of the web being shewn together at C, which is designed to keep
secure the smallest article deposited therein. The opening being elastic, will
admit of larger articles being deposited, while it is calculated at the same time
to keep the smaller ones in safety. It will be evident that a pocket or purse
may be formed or applied in various ways. The mode just described will be
found to answer the purpose, to which, however, I must be understood not to
confine myself.
Uniting by cement. In order to save the expence of sewing the parts
together to form a glove or mitt, I take the pieces of material when cut out
and unite them. by overlapping, and placing any known insoluble glue or

page_text: cement between the two substances near the edge. The cement I would
prefer using is that commonly called or known as "Jeffery's glue." The glue
or cement might be applied to give additional strength to sewing if required.
I apply it also as a means of securing the ends of the threads in the ordinary
process of sewing (by fixing down therewith in the seam about one fourth of
an inch of the thread) to prevent their drawing, and thus allowing the seams
of the glove or mitt to open, as is frequently the case for want of such like
securing.
At Figs. 2 and 3 are represented in plan and edge view an improved form of
the ordinary sewing machine, (viz.,) with curved ends, as shewn, the object
being to effect a neater scam at the thumb and fingers by working round
suitable curves instead of along a straight line, as heretofore.
I employ
sewing machines made of glass instead of metal, to prevent the soiling of: the
gloves, mitts, or cuffs during the operation of sewing.
Cutting out. Figs. 4 and 5 represent the "trank" and "palm" necessary
to form a glove under my improved mode of cutting out, Fig. 4 shewing the
"trank" to form the back and thumb in one piece, and Fig. 5 the "palm," or
inside of the glove. The object of this part of my improvements is to avoid
the disfigurement caused by joining two different qualities of leather (the
thumbs being usually cut from the shanks of the skin), as well as the kind of
patched appearance which, by the ordinary mode of cutting out, would be pre-
sented at II, Fig. 6, and other parts, by having seams so different from the
natural curvature and lines of the hand. An additional disfigurement arising
from the cutting out of small thumb holes in the "trank," with the view of
saving material, is likewise obviated by my improvement. A further object
to be attained by this part of my improvements is the giving strength, in
certain places, such as D and E, Figs. 1 and 5, where the junction is formed
between the thumb piece F and the inside or "palm" G. This I effect by
causing ends of the inside or "palm" G to overlap in a somewhat triangular
form, as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The liability to tear at the
back will also be obviated by the ordinary thumb seam not being required.
Fastenings. Figs. 7 and 8 shew the form of fastenings to be applied to
gloves, mitts, and cuffs, and which may be applied to articles of dress generally.
Fig. 7 is a simple oval eyelet, punched on the leather, or in any other conve-
nient way fitted to the material; and Fig. 8 is an eye or catch, both of which
are intended to enclose a stud or button. It will be perceived the eyelet or
catch will have to be brought to an angle with the stud or button before the
connection can be broken, the diameter of the latter being great enough to
Thus the connection
cause it to overlap or rest upon the sides of the former.

page_text: will be secure from the ordinary liabilities of the parts of any articles of dress
to become unfastened.
Having thus described my several improvements, I desire it to be under-
stood that I do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms and
arrangements shewn and described; but I claim, under the above in part
recited Letters Patent,-.
Firstly, the application of a pocket or purse to any convenient part of a
glove, mitt, or cuff with the object herein-before referred to.
Secondly, the employment of glue or cement as a mode of uniting the
leather required to constitute a glove or mitt; and also, an application of the
same material in the way described for the purpose of securing the ends of the
threads from drawing when the parts are united by sewing; and also, the
improvements in the ordinary sewing machines, shewn at Figs. 2 and 3, and
described.
Thirdly, a mode of cutting out the parts to form a glove or mitt by which
the union of the thumb as a separate piece is avoided.
And, fourthly, I claim a mode of fastening, either applied to gloves, mitts,
and cuffs, or to articles of dress generally (of which two forms are shewn at
Figs. 7 and 8), in which the two members of the fastening will not become
disconnected until they are brought to form an angle one with the other.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of October, in
the seventh year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said William.
Henry Smith came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument afore-
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth
year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.