Improvements in Waistbands for Trousers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Waistbands for Trousers.
I, JAMES LEONARD WESSON, of 400 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to improve the construction of waistbands for
trousers, chiefly to ensure greater comfort and a better fit, than when the waist-
band is made as heretofore common.
The waistband herein described is composed of two strips or plies of cloth
curved in the direction of their length, and laid one upon the other and sewed
together about their edges, which will preferably be inturned to make a finish.
The waistband referred to, is shown as provided at or near its lower edge and at
a point about midway its ends, with a slit, which is preferably curved in the direc-
tion of the curve of the waistband; but the curve for the slit is struck from a circle
of much less radius than the circle corresponding with the curve of the waistband.
Preferably the edges of the material about the said slit will be inturned and
stitched down, and when placed under strain, as when the person wearing the
trousers bends the body forward, the said slit will open or spread, lessening strain
upon the seat and causing the waistband to conform closely to the body.
The portion of the waistband above the slit referred to, is connected to the
portion of the band below the slit, by short pieces of elastic tape or webbing,
preferably interposed between the two strips or pieces of material constituting the
waistband, one end of the said pieces of tape being secured to the waistband above
the said slit, while the other end of each of said pieces is secured to the lower or
narrow part of the band, the stitches uniting the waistband to the top part of the
trousers also passing through the said elastic tapes below the slit.
The waistband is provided with button-holes and is secured to the trousers at its
opposite ends, and also at its lower edge for a portion of its length, as will be
described, and it will also be secured to the trousers between the ends of the
waistband and the ends of the slit, by one or more rows of stitching extended
transversely across the waistband, so that when the trousers are fitted on the
wearer, the top or upper edge of the trousers will be thrown in toward and made
to conform to the body, especially when the latter is bent, and as a result, throwing
the fullness into the seat of the trousers.
My improved waistband is also constructed, as will be described, whereby the
wearer is relieved from strain caused by the movement of the body from a forward
stooping position to the normal or upright position. This result is accomplished
by leaving the waistband on opposite sides of the slit between the transverse
row of stitches and the ends of the band, free or unstitched from the trousers,
and connecting the said band to the trousers by elastic tapes or pieces of
webbing.
Figure 1 shows in side view a waistband embodying this invention, the said
waistband being represented as laid out flat and as stitched to the upper part of a
pair of trousers.
Fig. 2, a cross-section in the dotted line 2-2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a like section in the line 3--3, and
Fig. 4 shows in front view a waistband applied to a pair of trousers, the waist-
band being cut at the hips and the front part turned down to show the construction,
the inner ply of the waistband being partially broken out to better show the elastic
tapes, the waistband at the back being drawn taut.
In the formation of the waistband, I preferably take two strips of cloth a b, cut.

page_text: on a curve, and form a slit 6' therein between its ends, the said slit being preferably
curved, as represented. The edges of the strip about the slit will preferably be
turned in and stitched, and the outer edges of the strips will preferably be turned
in, as shown in the section, Fig. 2.
The portion of the band above the slit and herein marked 10, is connected to
the portion of the band below the said slit and herein marked 12, by elastic tapes
or webs d, preferably laid in between the said strips from edge to edge in pairs, to
permit the button-holes to be cut and worked between them. These elastic tapes
cross the slit b¹.
In this condition, the waistband and tapes are united preferably by a row of
stitches 2 about the edge of the strip. The button-holes f may-then be worked.
The waistband is then stitched to the trousers, preferably by a longitudinal row of
stitches below the slit and crossing the tapes. The waistband is secured to the
trousers at its ends by stitches, as at 5, and between its ends and the ends of the
slit 61, the said waistband is secured to the trousers preferably by a double row of
stitches 7, extended transversely across the said waistband and preferably substan-
tially near the ends of the slit b¹.
The upper edge of the waistband above the slit 61 and between the rows of
stitches 7, is left free or disconnected.
By making the waistband curved, as described, and securing it to the trousers at
its opposite ends, and at a point intermediate of the ends of the said band and the
ends of the slit, the back of the trousers is made to follow or conform to the curved
shape of the waistband when the ends of the trousers are brought together-that
is, when the trousers are buttoned on the wearer-and as a result of making the
slitted waistband curved rather than straight, and securing the said curved waist-
band firmly to the trousers between its ends and the ends of the said slit, the strain,
which would naturally fall entirely upon the row of stitches securing the lower
edge of the waistband to the trousers, is partially transmitted to the top of the
trousers by the stitches 7, thus relieving the lower row of stitches from strain, as
when the body of the wearer is bent, and throwing the fullness into the seat of the
trousers.
By making the waistband curved and attaching it to the trousers, as described,
the upper edge of the said band does not work up over the top of the trousers, but
remains concealed from view even when the body is bent. The elastic tapes d are
preferably made independent of the button-holes of the waistband, and one of
the said tapes is secured to the upper and lower slitted portion of the waistband,
between the nearest button-holes in the upper slitted portion and the end of the
slit b'. By this construction, the elastic tape, when stretched to its utmost tension,
relieves the strain from the button-hole and transmits it to the top of the upper
slitted portion that is, to the top of the waistband. By this construction, the
strain upon the end of the slit is relieved therefrom, and the danger of the
waistband tearing at the end of the slit is diminished; but in order to still further
diminish the danger of tearing of the waistband at the end of the slit, the latter
may, and preferably will, be made in the arc of a smaller circle than the curve of
the waistband, and while I prefer to make the slit curved, I do not desire to limit
myself in this respect.
In order to relieve the wearer from strain caused by the movement of the body
from a forward stooping position to the normal or upright position, the waistband
between the transverse rows of stitches 7 and the end rows of stitches 5, is left free,
or in other words, is not rigidly secured to the trousers, but is connected thereto by
elastic tapes or webs g, preferably grouped together in pairs as shown, the said
webs or tapes being stitched or otherwise firmly connected at their upper ends to
the waistband and at their lower ends to the trousers.
The elastic tapes or webs g are elongated when the body of the wearer is moved
from a bent forward position back to its upright or erect position, thereby relieving
the wearer from strain, which would otherwise be exerted upon the back of the
neck, for it will readily be seen that with a waistband rigidly secured to the front

page_text: •
of the trousers, when the wearer starts to straighten up his body, the trousers are
caught and held from following the body of the wearer, until the latter has been
straightened to such extent as to permit the trousers to freely follow the body of
the wearer in its upward movement. During the time the trousers are thus
prevented from freely following the upward movement of the body, the waist or
blouse of the wearer to which the band is buttoned, is placed under tension, and a
substantially severe strain comes upon the back of the neck of the wearer, owing
to the fact that the trousers or the waistband are not free to follow the movement
of the body.
By means of my improved waistband provided with the elastic webs g secured to
the waistband and to the front of the trousers, the wearer is relieved from strain,
when the body is moved upward from its bent position, for as soon as the body is
started in its upward movement, the elastics 9 are elongated, thereby permitting
the body to be moved upward without strain, until said body has reached such
upright position, as will release the trousers and permit the same to be drawn up
into their normal position by the elastics.
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. A waistband for trousers curved in the direction of its length and provided
with a longitudinal slit and secured to said trousers at its opposite ends and between
its opposite ends and the ends of the slit, substantially as described.
2. A waistband for trousers curved in the direction of its length and provided
with a curved longitudinal slit and secured to said trousers at its opposite ends and
between its opposite ends and the ends of the slit, substantially as described.
3. A waistband for trousers curved in the direction of its length and provided
with a curved longitudinal slit and having button-holes and stitched to the trousers
at its ends and lower edge and transversely between the ends of the said band and
the ends of the slit, and elastics secured to the upper and lower slitted portions of
the waistband, substantially as described.
4. The waistband herein described, it consisting of two strips of cloth curved in
the direction of their length and secured together at their edges, and provided with
a longitudinal curved slit and having button-holes and elastic tapes secured to the
upper and lower slitted portions of the waistband independent of the said button-
holes, the said elastic tape being interposed between the end of the slit and the
button-hole in the upper slitted portion adjacent to the end of the said elit, whereby
tearing of the end of the slit is obviated, substantially as described.
5. A waistband for trousers curved in the direction of its length and provided
with a longitudinal slit and secured to the trousers at its opposite ends, and between
its opposite ends and the ends of the slit, and elastics secured to the trousers and to
the portions of the band between the ends of the slit and the ends of the band,
substantially as described.
6. A waistband for trousers curved in the direction of its length and provided
with a curved longitudinal slit, and having button-holes, and stitched to the trousers
at its ends and lower edge, and transversely between the ends of the said band and
the ends of the slit, elastics secured to the upper and lower slitted portions of the
waistband, and elastics secured to the front of the trousers and to the portions of
the band between the transverse stitches and the ends of the band, substantially as
described.
Dated thie 9th day of April 1800
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.