Improvements in or relating to Garments.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
IROIDIUNAT
SIETEICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Garments.
I, FREDERIC WILLIAM FORBES-ROSS M.D., of 147 Victoria Road, New
Brighton in the County of Chester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved garment adapted not only for
clothing infants or young people but also for the use of adults.
In
Hitherto the clothing commonly used for babies is in many cases ill adapted to
keep them properly warm under all conditions, and moreover does not prevent them
when in arms from being bared naked, behind. The consequence is that they catch
cold or develop bronchitis or other ailments which sometimes prove fatal.
carrying my invention into effect, as applied to infants' garments, the plan I prefer
is to form my improved garment somewhat in the form of a cross. The body of
this cross where the four arms or segments meet may form that portion which
covers the child's back, while the upper arm is formed with a hole for the infant's
neck, having a slit in one side to enable the neck to be slipped in without difficulty,
the said slit having means such as buttons or strings to fasten the adjacent edges
together. The two side arms fold over this and the child's chest while the lower
arm is adapted to fold through the fork between the legs and over the stomach
and chest. This lower arm may be detachable if desired so that if that portion is
wetted it can be removed and replaced by a dry one.
The mode of putting on the garment is as follows:-
The nurse takes the infant in the usual way, lays him on an unfolded garment,
and manipulates the garment in such a way as to slip the infant's neck through the
slit into the hole. She then folds the top arın down onto its chest, fastening the
slit with the strings so as to prevent the garment slipping off the neck. The two
side arms are next folded over the infant's chest and the lower arm folded up
between the legs over the stomach. The several arms are fastened together by
strings in any suitable manner, thus entirely shielding and covering the infant and
preventing it catching cold by being exposed to draughts.
In cases where even greater warmth is required I may provide at or near the
upper end of the top arm two lateral arms projecting therefrom. The result is
the same with this exception, that after the top arm has been folded down these
lateral arms are folded round the infant so as to cover its back. A pattern of this
kind is very suitable for winter wear and it practically provides three thicknesses
of material round the infant. 1 bave described these two ways in which my
invention may be carried into effect, but I do not wish to limit myself to the exact
patterns described, as having once given the idea, alterations may be made therein
without departing from the principle of the invention. Thus for example instead
of providing a slit to enable the garment to be easily slipped on to the infant's
neck, I may form it without a slit and make the material elastic so as to slip it
over the infant's head. Furthermore in most cases I prefer to make the garment
without arms but it is obvious it can be made with arms if desired.
The garment
is preferably formed of flannel though of course any other suitable material may
be used.
For the use of older children or adults, the lower arm for folding between the
fork of the legs may be entirely dispensed with if desired, or for ladies' use, this
;
:

page_text: arm or segment may be made detachable and provided or not as required with means
for absorbing the discharges at certain periods usual to women.
The following are some of the important features of the invention
-.
1. It is simple in form and of easy and perfect adjustment to the body.
2. It acts as a protection to the front of chest, to whole of spine and back
generally, as a supporting binder round the body and retains the garments next the
skin in constant apposition thereto.
3. By keeping the garments under it in constant and equable apposition to the
skin, and in the case of an infant or small child in arms in short clothes, preventing
the body of such infant or child from being exposed by the person carrying, it
serves to maintain a uniform warmth of body not hitherto obtainable by any other
form of garment yet used.
4. It is aimed at preventing as far as possible those little chills, the result of
draughts, so constantly the cause of internal congestions as croup, bronchitis,
enteritis, etcetera.
5. It is best worn over a sleeved vest or singlet of woollen material, and the
lower segment in those cases in which it is applicable, is intended to overlie the
napkin (or diaper) and pilch, both of which serve to keep the lower segment from
becoming wet or soiled.
For infants' use it is not intended in any way to take the place of the napkin or
pilch, but the lower segment is a means of keeping the garments in position over
the back and loins and preventing them from riding up.
Dated this 19th day of November 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Garments.
I, FREDERIC WILLIAM FORBES-Ross M.D. of 147, Victoria Road, New
Brighton in the County of Chester 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 has for its object an improved garment adapted not only for
clothing infants or young people but also for the use of adults.
As applied for infants' use, it is designed to obtain a constant and equable
warmth to the body and consequent protection of the vital organs of the trunk, while
at the same time maintaining the napkin and pilch in position and prevent them
dropping, or other awkward accident. Moreover it is a useful aid in poulticing.
Hitherto the clothing commonly used for infants is, in many cases, ill adapted
for keeping them properly warm under all conditions, and, moreover, there is a
marked tendency with the clothes of a young child to ride up under the arms,
thus leaving the stomach and back entirely exposed to atmospheric temperature
influences. This takes place more frequently in the house as when carrying the
infant, or when sitting with the child on the knee, or when it becomes unavoidably
uncovered during sleep. This is cftener the cause of inflammatory chill than
outdoor exposure, as out of doors the child is safely wrapped up in its carriage,
but indoors a slight temporary exposure escapes notice, and may result in a cold,
acute bronchitis, broncho-pneumonia, pleurisy, acute gastric catarrh, acute
inflammatory diarrhoea, acute congestion of the kidneys or acute infantile spinal
paralysis.
My present invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 shows the garment unfolded :

page_text: Figure the same folded;
Figure 3 the garment in actual use on an infant ;
Figure 4 a slightly modified form of garment ;
Figure 5 the same folded;
Figures 6 and 7 slight modifications.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, I form my garment somewhat in the form
of a cross.
A. is the body or central piece, forming that portion which covers the
child's back, and B, C, D and E four arms or segments, all made integral with the
body piece A. The upper arm B is formed with a hole for the infant's neck
having a slit on one side to enable the neck to he slipped in without difficulty, the
said slit having buttons a or strings to fasten the adjacent edges A and B together.
The two side arms C and D fold over the arm B on to the child's chest, while the
lower am E is adapted to fold through the fork between the legs and over the
stomach. In cases where even greater warmth is required I may provide at or near
the upper end of the top arm B two lateral arms B' projecting therefrom.
result is the same with this exception, that after the top arm B has been folded
down, these lateral armis are folded round the infant so as to cover its back.
A pattern of this kind is very suitable for winter wear. All these parts as shown
in these figures are made in one piece, but I do not consider it an essential part of
my invention that the lower arm E be integral with the body A as it may he
detachable if desired, so that if that portion is wetted, it can be removed and
replaced by a dry one, or buttons may be provided when an attachment is desired
for diaper drawers.
The mode of putting on the garment is as follows:
The
The nurse places the unfolded garment on her lap and lays the child thereon
with its back on the body or rential portion A, and in such a way as to slip the
infant's neck through the slit into the hole b. She then folds the top arm B down
over the shoulder onto the chest, and fastens the buttons a at the opposite shoulder
so as to prevent the garment slipping off the neck. The two lateral arms B'
(when provided) are then folded round the infant so as to cover its back, the sail
arms overlapping each other and fastened together or simply lying unfastened.
The two side arms C and D are next folded over the infant's chest and stomach,
overlapping each other (the same as the arms B¹) and are fastened by tying
together the strings H¹ & H' and the strings H & H. The lower arm is folded up
between the legs over the stomach to lap over the arms C and D. The several
arms can be fastened together by buttoning instead of by strings or in cases where
the rapid growth of an infant precludes the idea of providing any permanent
adjustment, by safety pins, thus entirely shielding and covering the infant and
preventing it catching cold by being exposed to draughts. It will be seen that
the arms overlapping as they do each side of the child's body there is no
possibility of any opening at the fastening through which the child is exposed to
the cold air, as is so often the case when the garment fastens in front, as the
adjacent edges in that case are liable to part company.
This garment practically provides at least three thicknesses of material round
the infant, which no gaiment hitherto has been capable of securing, namely, the
arms B, C, D and E in front which act as a chest and stomach protector and
binder, and the central portion A and arms B' behind, which form a protection to
the back, spinal cord, and cutaneous nerves. The garment is made absolutely
without sleeves, or holes in the material for the child's arms to pass through and
by means of the neck hole b and the lower arm E it is retained in position on the
infant's body and entirely prevented from being pushed or slid upward over the
stomach so that the body of the infant cannot be bared naked. For this reason
it is invaluable in sickness as a ready and perfect means of applying a jacket
poultice and maintaining its accurate adjustment. In certain cases where great
warmth is not required, the lateral arms B¹ may be dispensed with. The invention
entirely avoids the use of gathering strings which are so prejudicial especially
ound the thorax or ribs preventing breathing.

page_text: Figures 4 and 5 show a slight modification in which the same reference letters
are used as in the other figures to indicate like parts. In this case however the
arm C is longer than the arm D and folds over the chest piece B as before, only it
now goes through a long slit F at the junction of left (shorter) arm D with the
back body piece A; folds then across the back and ties by strings G¹ to string G,
while the two strings H H tie to two strings H¹ H' on outside of base of arm C at
its junction with the back body piece A. If desired I can make the back A
double by making the arm pieces C and D in one and the chest piece B and tail
piece E in another and lay them one on the other and seam them down each side
as shown in Figure 6, or I can make the garment up of separate pieces, say five
separate pieces, as shown in Figure 7.
For the use of older children or adults, the lower arm E for folding between
the fork of the legs may be entirely dispensed with if desired, or for ladies' use,
this arm or segment E may be made detachable and provided or not as required
with means for absorbing the discharges at certain periods usual to women.
The following are some of the important features of the invention :-
1. It is simple in form and of easy and perfect adjustment to the body.
2. It acts as a protection to the front of chest, to whole of spine and back
generally, as a supporting binder round the body and retains the garments next the
skin in constant apposition thereto.
3. By keeping the garments under it in constant and equable apposition to the
skin, and in the case of an infant or small child in arms in short clothes, preventing
the body of such infant or child from being exposed by the person carrying, it
serves to maintain a uniform warmth of body not hitherto obtainable by any other
form of garment yet used.
4. It is aimed at preventing as far as possible those little chills, the result of
draughts, so constantly the cause of internal congestione, as croup, bronchitis,
enteritis, etcetera.
5. It is best worn over a sleeved vest or singlet of woollen material, and the
lower segment in those cases in which it is applicable, is intended to overlic the
napkin (or diaper) and pilch, both of which serve to keep the lower segment from
becoming wet or soiled. For infants' use it is not intended in any way to take
the place of the napkin or pilch, but the lower segment is a means of keeping
the garments in position over the back and loins and preventing them from
riding up.
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. The improvement in garments, which consists in making them somewhat in
the form of a cross, the body of the cross where the four arms meet forming a
protection for the wearer's back, while the four arms or segments themselves
are folded over onto the stomach and chest and fastened by buttoning or otherwise
in any suitable manner, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A garment consisting of a body A, lateral arms C and D projecting there-
from and a top arm B having a hole for the wearer's neck, the said top arm
having lateral arms B' or not as desired, substantially as described and shown.
3. A garment characterised by a central or body piece A for covering the
wearer's back, having a neck hole b, arms or segments B, C and D, all projecting
from and made integral with the body piece, and two auxiliary arms B' projecting
laterally from the arm B, the arms B, C and D being adapted to be folded to
overlap on to the stomach and chest, and the two arms B to overlap on to the
back and fastened by buttoning or otherwise.
4. A garment consisting of a central or body piece A adapted to cover the
back, an upwardly projecting arm B having a neck hole 6 adapted to fold down
over the chest, and right and left hand overlapping arms C and D, each adapted
to fold over the chest on the arm B and fasten at the sides of the body, in

page_text: combination with the lower arm E adapted to be folded up between the legs over
the stomach.
5. The several forms of garments substantially as herein described and shown
on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of August 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.