Improvements in or connected with Garments, and in the Method of Supporting or Securing same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 15th May. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Garments, and in the Method of
Supporting or Securing same.
I, PERCY HEARN TRUSCOTT of 251, Uxbridge Road, London, W. Gentleman, de
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in or connected with garments and in the
method of securing same, and refers more particularly to knickerbockers for young
children, although the said improvements are also applicable to trousers or the like for
elder children and men, the object being more particularly to arrange or construct
the garments in such a manner and to provide a means of securing or supporting
same as will enable young children to readily fasten and secure their garments in
position and to generally attend to themselves, which has hitherto been impossible
with the garments such as at present constructed and which are designed to be secured
in position by the ordinary braces fastened to the front and back of the aforesaid
knickerbockers or the like.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, the knickerbockers or the like,
instead of being arranged to open down the front in the usual manner, are in this case
divided for a sufficient distance at each side, the divided portions being connected or
secured together by means of buttons or other suitable fastenings, which are preferably
of simple construction, said knickerbockers or the like being then supported or
retained in position by means of a narrow band of any suitable material and of
sufficient length, which passes over the shoulders and behind the neck, the free ends
being provided with button holes or having suitable clips, catches or other fastenings,
by means of which they may be readily connected to the garment.
By this arrangement or construction of the garment and the method of supporting
same, very young children are readily enabled to attend to themselves, such for
instance as when requiring to use the water closet or the like, while the position and
arrangement of the aforesaid supporting band is extremely hygienic, tending, as it
does, to brace back the shoulders and to expand the chest.
My improved method of supporting or securing garments is also applicable to
garments for elder children and for men. In this case the usual opening down the
front may be retained, but the top or band of the trousers will have to be cut or shaped
in such a manner as to enable it to set well and follow the contour of the figure when
supported at the sides, whereas trousers or the like cut or fashioned as has hitherto
been the case, are designed to be supported at the front and back only.
Where my improved method of supporting garments is applied to trousers the usual
"bagging" at the knee is prevented, thus doing away with the need of trousers
stretchers and such like articles.
Dated this 4th down of T... 190c

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Garments, and in the Method of
Supporting or Securing same.
I, PERCY HEARN TRUSCOTT of 251, Uxbridge Road, London, W. Gentleman,
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 improvements in or connected with garments and in the
method of securing same, and refers more particularly to knickerbockers for young
children, although the said improvements are also applicable to trousers or the like for
elder children and men, and to bloomers for ladies, the object being more particularly
to arrange or construct the garment in such a manner and to provide means of
securing or supporting same, as will enable young children to readily fasten or secure
their garments in position, and to generally attend to themselves, which has hitherto
been inpossible with garments such as at present constructed.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 illustrates in front elevation the application of my invention to a pair of
children's knickerbockers.
Fig. 2 is an edge view of same taken at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the knicker-
bockers in their normal condition with the back portion or flap closed, and Fig. 3 is
a similar view showing the back portion or flap open.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts through the views.
According to my invention the knickerbockers a are divided for a sufficient distance
each side as at a', the front of the divided portions being secured to the back part
or flap b by means of a hook and eye y or other suitable fastening device, while
between the divided portions I insert a gusset g as shown (Fig. 3), the opening to the
pocket being indicated as at p.
In order to support the garment and in such a manner that no connection whatever
is made between the back part or flap 6 and the supporting device, I preferably
provide two bands or straps s the ends s¹ of which are brought over the shoulders and
secured to buttons or other suitable fastenings 61, the ends s2, s2, being passed under
the arms and brought round to the front where they are secured in a like manner to
buttons or other suitable fastenings 62, a connecting band or strap c being employed
for joining the two bands or straps s, s, together, so as to prevent them from slipping
off the shoulders, while in some cases the supporting device may merely consist of a
narrow band designed to pass around the neck, the two free ends being brought over
the shoulders and secured one to each side of the front portion of the knickerbockers,
trousers, or the like.
When a young child requires to use the water closet or it becomes necessary for
any other reason that the knickerbockers should be lowered, the hooks or other
fastenings y upon each side are detached, which allows the back part or flap b to be
lowered as shown at Fig. 3 without in any way interfering with the supporting bands
or straps.
For purposes of convenience the "flies" may be retained although it is
unnecessary for them to be arranged so as to open at the top.
By this form of construction and the simple arrangement of the back part or flap
and its securing means, it will be readily seen that young children will find but little
difficulty in attending to themselves either in lowering the trousers or in subsequently
adjusting them in position, and which is almost impossible where knickerbockers of
ordinary construction are employed in connection with the usual braces, while the
supporting means herein described efficiently fulfils its object.

page_text: Although 1 have described and illustrated my invention as applied to a pair of
knickerbockers it is obvious that it is equally applicable to trousers for men, or to
bloomers for women.
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. In knickerbockers, trousers, bloomers, and the like, the arrangement of a back
portion or flap such as b detached at each side for a sufficient distance as at a¹, a¹, and
furnished at each side with a gusset 3, substantially as herein described and shown
with reference to the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.
2. In combination with knickerbockers, trousers, bloomers, or the like such as above
claimed, the use of the supporting straps s, s¹, s2, substantially as herein described
and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes
specified.
3. The improvements in or connected with garments such as knickerbockers,
trousers, bloomers and the like, comprising the arrangement of a back part or flap b,
separated from the front f, for a sufficient distance as at a', and having at each side
a gusset such as g, said back part or flap being normally secured in position by
hooks and eyes y or other suitable fastening devices (Figs. 1 and 2), in combination
with the supporting device comprising the straps s,, with the ends s¹, s, and s², s2,
and a connecting band or strap c, substantially as herein described and shown with
reference to the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.
4. The improvements in or connected with garments and in the method of
supporting or securing same, substantially as herein described and shown and for the
purposes specified.
Dated thin 7th 1
PERCY HEARN TRUSCOTT.