IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Caleb. Bedells, of Leicester, for-the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Caleb Bedells at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st July 1862.
I, CALEB BEDELLS, of Leicester; do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
braces. For these purposes loop formed fabrics such as are produced in
knitting and warp machinery are used, and in making a pair of braces it is
preferred that the two braces of which the pair is composed should be cut
out in one piece connected together at that part which comes to the back of
Each of the parts to form a brace is of such width as to.
admit of its being folded and cemented together. Button holes are made in
the hinder ends of the braces by cutting slits at the places where the button
holes are required, and turning inward and folding over the edges of such slits,
so that when the two parts are cemented together the folded edges will come
together and be cemented one on the other, and thus a good and sound-button
hole will be produced. Each brace of a pair of braces thus constructed will bo

page_text: composed of two thicknesses of the looped fabric; and the part which connects
the two pieces together will also be composed of two thicknesses. The cement
used should be flexible and elastic, and I prefer to employ india-rubber cement
for the purpose, and such cement may be spread all over the parts which are
to be folded, or the cement may be applied only at intervals, leaving other
intervals uncoated, so that the folded parts may not be water and air-proof
throughout, but only at intervals. In like manner are brace ends produced
of double-looped fabrics, and where desired they have button or other holes
formed through them in the manner above explained. In some cases at the
ends of the braces and also where the two parts of a pair of braces are con-
nected strengthening pieces of inelastic fabric are introduced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Caleb Bedells in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CALEB
BEDELLS, of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Iler reign, did, for IIerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Caleb Bedells, Her special licence that 1, the said Caleb
Bedells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Caleb Bedells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Caleb Bedells, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Caleb Bedells, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by the following.
statement thereof, that is to say:-'
This Invention has for its object: improvements in the manufacture of
braces. For these purposes loop formed fabrics, such as are produced in knitting
and warp machinery, are used, and in making a pair of braces it is preferred
that the two braces of which the pair is to be composed should be cut.out:in
one piece connected together at that part which comes to the back of the wearer:
Each of the parts to form. a brace is of such width as to admit of. its being
folded and cemented together. Button holes arė: made in the. hinder: ends
of the braces by. cutting slits at the places where the button holes are required;
and turning inward and folding over the edges of such slits, so that when. the
two parts are cemented together. the folded edges will come. together. and
be cemented one on the other, and thus a good and sound button hole, will be
produced. Each brace of a pair of braces thus constructed will be composed of
two thicknesses of the looped fabric, and the part which connects the two..
pieces together will also be composed of two thicknesses.. The cement usod
should be flexible and elastic, and I prefer to employ india-rubber cement for
the purpose, and such cement may be spread all over.the parts which are to
be folded, or the cement may be applied: only ats intervals, leaving other
intervals uncoated, so that the folded: parts may not be water. and air proof
throughout; but only at intervals. In like manner .are. brace ends. produced
of double loop fabrics, and where desired they have button or other. holes.formed
through them in the manner above explained. In some cases at the ends of
the braces and also where the two parts of a pair of braces are connected,
strengthening pieces of inelastic fabric are introduced..
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
In order to make a pair of braces I take two pieces of looped fabric, such
as is made in warp and knitting machines; each piece is to be somewhat
longer and somewhat wider than the. two parts of a finished pair of braces.
The additional width and length is to be equal to the quantities required to
be turned in at the edges. Each of these two pieces is cut longitudinally in
the middle to such an extent as to leave only a small quantity uncut, so that
the two parts of which a pair of braces is formed may, when completed, bo
connected together at that part of a pair of braces which comes to the back
of the wearer.. Where button holes are to be made at or near the ends suitable
slits are to be cut near such ends. The outer edges of the two pieces of
fabric are then to be folded over and cemented, and such is to bo the case with
regard to the edges of the button holes. Cement is to be applied to the

page_text: surfaces of the two pieces of fabric which are to come together; this is best
done by means of a printing, block with raised printing surfaces at numerous
small intervals so that the cement may when printed on the fabric only occupy
part of the whole of the surfaces which are to be cemented together. whilst
other parts of the surfaces are left uncoated with the cement. The edges
where they are turned down are by preference to be coated all over wherò such
turned down edges are to come together, and this is the case not only in regard
to the outer edges of the two pieces of fabric, but also in respect to the edges
of the button holes where they are turned over.. By these means the edges
will in all cases consist of four thicknesses of the looped fabric employed
cemented together by india-rubber cement or other suitablo flexible elastic
cement, whilst at the other parts of a pair of braces there will be only two
thicknesses of looped fabric. It is preferred to introduce a piécó of strong
canvas or other woven fabric at the ends where button holes are produced:
When desired strips or threads of india-rubber or of vulcanized india-rubber
may be introduced at intervals longitudinally and from end to end of the
two parts of which a pair of braces is composed.
; I would remark that I make no claim to the cementing two fabrics together,
whether the fabrics be cemented all over or at intervals; neither do I claim
to introduce strips or threads of india-rubber or of vulcanized india-rubber
between two fabrics cemented together, but what I claim is the manufacture
of elastic braces by means of looped fabrics cemented together as herein
described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Caleb Bedells, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CALEB
EB BEBELLS. (2.5.)