Improvements in Pants or Drawers and other similar Undergarments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pants or Drawers and other similar Undergarments.
I, JEREMIAH ANDERSON SCRIVEN, of 32 and 34 West 15th Street, in the City,
County and State of New York United States of America, 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:
My invention relates to pants or drawers, and has for its object to improve the
construction of nether garments, particularly pants and drawers, by providing
means for allowing for the distension and contraction of the abdomen and to
improve the mode of joining the lower part of the crotch opening.
It is well known that the waists of corpulent persons are of less circumference
than the circumference of the abdomen and hips of such persons, and hence a pair
of drawers which will fit well at the waist will be entirely too tight over the
abdomen, or if the garment properly fits the abdomen, it will be entirely too large
at the waist. The abdomen also varies in size at different times of the day or at
different periods of the person's health, and consequently it is very difficult to
produce a garment which will properly fit adipose persons.
It is likewise well known that the greatest strain on a garment is exerted at
the crotch and that it is very difficult to properly construct the crotch portion
of a garment.
These difficulties heretofore existent in garments I have obviated by my
invention.
My invention will be understood by referring to the accompanying drawing, in
which
Figure 1 represents a man wearing an undergarment embodying my invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the exterior of the crotch portion;
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the interior of the crotch portion; and
Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2.
In the drawing, A represents the rear sections of the body of the garment, and
A the front sections thereof; these sections are usually made of comparatively
inelastic woven material. B is an elastic insertion interposed between the said
rear sections of the body of the garment. C is an elastic insertion interposed
between the front and rear sections of the body of the garment, the said strips B
and C meeting in the crotch of the garment. The insertion b is shown as an
elastic gusset forming part of the insertion B and overlapping the insertion C, as
will clearly appear from an inspection of Figure 3, and does not have its longi-
tudinal edges a attached to the said insertion C, but is transversely connected
thereto by rows of stitches d along the edges of C. This elastic insertion or
gusset extends upward from the middle of the crotch E of the garment into the
front thereof and forms the connection between the front garment sections A',
the upper free edge f of the said gusset or insertion 6 forming the lower edge of
the front opening or placket F of the drawers. This front opening is shown as
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bounded by the edges D, which are shown as extending beyond the front
sections A A¹ onto the insertion b and stitched thereto by rows of stitches e e.
The insertion is shown in the present instance as a separate piece extending
from the insertion B, but it is quite obvious that this insertion 6 may be integral
with the insertion B if desired.
In order to add strength to the elastic insertion b, it may return upon itself,
and be sewed to the front edge of the section by the row of stitches d. This will
clearly appear from an inspection of Figure 4, wherein it will be observed that the
elastic insertion b is shown as sewed to the section or insertion B, by the row of
stitches d, crosses the elastic section or insertion C, and is secured to the said
section at its front edge by the row of stitches d, thence extends upward between
the sections A¹ A' into the front of the crotch, and thence returns upon itself to the
front edge of the elastic section C, to which it is secured by the row of stitches d.
The insertion 6 takes up and equalizes the strains at the lower edge of the front
opening of the garment and at the front of the upper portion of the garment,
so that instead of having an inelastic structure at these places, I have provided an
elastic structure which will yield to the motions of the body and conduce :
comfort and to the durability of the garment.
Located in the front of the garment are triangular insertions A2, which
insertions are placed on either side of the front opening F and below
the inelastic waist-band A", so that the garment will fit snugly around the
waist, but will allow the abdomen to distend so as to fit the said abdomen at all
periods of its distension. These elastic pieces are shown as of a general triangular
shape and as having their ribs g running diagonally to the waist-piece or waist-
band A³. The insertions, however, may be of any suitable form and of suitable
elastic material.
I would have it understood that the method of making the crotch may be
applied to ordinary drawers in the absence of the insertions A2, or the inser-
tions A may be let into ordinary drawers; in other words, that the two branches
I my invention may be used separately, that is to say, I may construct drawers of
any desired pattern with the elastic abdomen portion, or omit the elastic abdomen
portion from drawers provided with my improved crotch.
of
I would also have it understood that where I refer to portions of the garment as
inelastic I do not mean to thereby limit myself absolutely to inelastic material, but
wish to be understood as setting forth and claiming material less elastic than the
elastic portions of the garment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a pair of drawers, the combination with inelastic sections, of an elastic
insertion interposed between two of the sections and located in the crotch of
the garment and having a gusset b extending upward from the crotch of the sai!
garment to the front opening or placket F of the said garment, the upper edge
of the said insertion forming the lower edge of the said front opening and bands
or edges D bounding the said front opening F and, having their lower ends lapping
upon and secured to the said gusset b, whereby a strongly made elastic crotch and
front opening is provided.
2. An undergarment containing elastic insertions B C meeting at an angle and
overlapping each other in the crotch of the garment, the edges a a of the over-
lapping portion of section B being disconnected from the overlapped portion C,
an elastic insertion or gusset 6 extending upward from the middle of the crotch
of the garment to the lower part of the front opening of the garment and secured
thereto and forming the lower edge thereof, substantially as described.
3. A pair of drawers comprising in its structure an inelastic waist-piece, a
divided front, inelastic leg portions, and a plurality of elastic insertions let into
the front of the unner part of the said drawers on either side of the division in
the front below the waist-piece of the drawers and adapted to cover the abdomen

page_text: of a wearer so as to snugly fit the said abdomen at different periods of its
distension.
4. A pair of drawers comprising in its structure an inelastic waist-piece, an
inelastic divided front portion, and a plurality of insertions of elastic ribbed-fabric
let into the upper portion of the inelastic front of the drawers, below the, waist-
piece one on each side of the division and having their ribs running diagonally
with respect to the waist-piece, the said elastic insertions being adapted to cover
the abdomen of a wearer so as to snugly fit the same during different periods of its
distension.
5. In a pair of drawers, the combination of inelastic front and rear sections, an
inelastic waist-piece and a divided front and a plurality of insertions of elastic
fabric of a triangular shape let into the upper portions of the front sections of
the drawers below the waist-niece and on either side of the division in the front,
substantially as described.
6. An undergarment having an elastic insertion extending upward from the
crotch to the lower part of the front opening of the garment.
7. An undergarment having the elastic tongue f and the elastic insertions A*.
8. An undergarment substantially as here in shown and described.
Dated this 28th day of September 1897
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.