An Improvement in Vests and other Garments
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1996
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1896-4ccepted. 2nd Jan.. 1897
ALEXANDER HARRIS VALDA, Bottans Cottage, Chestnut Road, Twickenham,
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This is an improvement on an invention entitled, An Improvement in Vests and
other Garments, for which a Patent was granted to me, No. 23,008, dated
30th November, 1893.
The object of this invention, is the forination of vests, and other garments, that
shall contain, an amount of air, not possessed by garments hitherto worn of the
same weight or material, and also having the additional quality necessary, for
regulating its thickness.
I construct my vests cr,other garments, of two, three, or more, detachable layers
of suitable net, the meshes of which, are preferably of a gauge, that shall when
three of the same size layers, are worn, one over the other, exclude from view, or
nearly so, the skin beneath them. The garment having a moderately tight fit, its
component parts, remain in order. It might also be made with its layers not
detachable.
Dated this 1st day of January 1896.
ALEXANDER HARRIS VALDA.
Improvements in Under Vests and other Garments.
1, ALEXANDER HARRIS VALDA of Bottans Cottage Chesnut Road Twickenham
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer 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 relates principally to under vests and other garments and its
object is the formation of such garments so that they may contain an amount of air
not possessed by garments as hitherto made of the same weight or material, and
having the further advantage that being made in separately usable or removable
parts their thickness and warmth may be varied.
The improved vest or other garment is made of two, three or more detachable
layers of suitable net, the meshes of which are preferably of such gauge that they
shall when three of the same size layers are worn one over the other conceal from
view or nearly so the skin beneath them. The garment is so made that when worn its
component parts remain as far as possible in the relative position required that is
to say so that the meshes of each layer do not coincide with these of the next layer
beneath it. Thus the meshes of the inner lying layers are more or less closed aud
retain air within them thus adding to the warmth of the garment without addition
of weight.

page_text: The layers may be detachable and in such case one or more may be removed
when a fighter or cooler garment is required, or if desired they may not be
detachable.
The annexed drawing illustrates as an example a vest the body part of which
is made with three layers.
Fig. 1 is a frent view thereof.
Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale of a style of knitting suitable for producing a
net of the kind desired.
Fig. 3 illustrates in cross section the three layers near the neck of the vest as
taken upon a vertical line, the three layers being however separated from one
another to illustrate more clearly the construction of each.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section through the three layers.
The said figures are of a diagrammatic or conventional nature and are designed
only to explain the principle of the invention.
A represents the innermost layer, B the intermediate layer, C the exterior
layer. These layers are all made in the same manner except as hereinafter
described, and any one of them, such as A, may be provided with closely knitted or
woven sleeves D D, or if desired the latter may be also of net similar to the body
and of a similar number of layers.
I do not confine myself to any particular method of knitting or otherwise making
the garment, but the knitting shown in Fig. 2 which, I am informed, can he carrie
out by manufacturers of knitted goods without difficulty has certain advantages
which pre-eminently adapt it for my purpose. It will be seen that the vertical
strands are so plaited together that they form a cord of an appreciable thickness
from back to front, while the horizontal strands do not cross each other between the
vertical strands but remain substantially flat one above the other and are not so
thick from back to front as the vertical strands. By this means I obtain in effect
a vertically ribbed fabric, ribbed back and front and such fabrics tend when placed
together with their strands parallel to assume a position (see Fig. 4) in which the
vertical strands of each fabric lie between the vertical strands of the next, so that
the meshes do not coincide with one another, or at least have a tendancy to lie out
of coincidence with one another in horizontal displacement.
To provide for a similar displacement vertically so that the horizontal strands
may not coincide with one another in two adjacent layers, I make in the closely
knitted part a which forms a selvidge round the neck of each layer, a row of lace
holes b but I so arrange that the lace holes are at different heights in the several
layers, thus they are highest in the rearmost layer A, and lowest in the foremost
layer C. By now arranging these lace holes at even heights as shown in Fig. 3, as
they would be when all the Inyers are laced together, the horizontal strands are
relatively displaced and thus they also are brought out of coincidence.
The garment is preferably made of a lensely spun wool.
Although I have arranged that there shall be a tendancy for the meshes not to
coincide with one another, yet in wearing such a garment it may be unequally
stretched in different places so that the meshes of the adjacent layers may not
occupy the desired relative position at all points; it is therefore desirable that
means should be supplied for their positive adjustment at different places and more
particularly down the chest where the garment may possible be worn open to the
For this purpose I arrange at the proper place upon the lowermost layer
buttons or studs to engage in the meshes of the next layer, and again on the middle
layer may arrange other buttons or studs to engage in the meshes in the
uppermost layer. These latter buttons are shown at d d d in Fig. 1. Inuer
buttons are shown at ee e. To indicate the particular meshes which it is intended
the buttons should engage they may be surrounded by a coloured thread or yarn, or
lines of coloured or other thread or yarn distinguishable from the material of the
garment may be passed across preferably vertically and horizontally as shown
at f Fig. 1 or these lines may be made by a thicker knitting or by a double rib or
stitch or by a different form of stitch to distinguish them from the others.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;
An under vest or other garment or the parts for composing the same consisting
of two three or more detachable or undetachable layers of net so made and adapted
to combine or be combined together as to retain air in the cavities of the net
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of September 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.