Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

[Canton Zouave]

Y'all,

As some of you may or may not know, Oliver F. Winchester originally was a merchant and shirt manufacturer before acquiring interest in the Volcanic Repating Arms Company and the birth of the Winchester Rifle.

In 1847/8 (i have seen tow dates so far) he patented a shirt pattern and manufacturing process. In partnership with John M. Davies, they formed the "Winchester and Davies Shirt Manufacturing Company".

I have searched over the past couple of days to no evail to find the "WINCHETER PROCESS". If anyone has run across a reference to the patent number, this seems to be the elusive number that I need to get a copy of the original patent. It seems the US Patent web site can only look up patents via patent number prior to 1975.

Please feel free to drop me a line.

[markj]

Re: Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

Well, I did find that "Winchester's Patent Shoulder Seam Shirt Manufactory" was located at 706 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia and that a c.1859 painting of the building still exists:

http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pj_display.cfm/110719

Winchester appears to have received his shirt patent about 1849 or 1850:

"The man whose name is most closely associated with producing armaments actually got his start manufacturing clothing to cover men's arms. He opened a store in Baltimore making and selling shirts (1837), before moving to New York (1847) where he took on a partner. Winchester patented a new method or manufacturing men's shirts, and opened a factory in nearby New Haven, Conn. In 1850. He invested his profits from the factory into Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, becoming principal shareholder and president by 1856."

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0772016.html

According to this site: "In 1860, B. Tyler Henry who had been the plant supervisor and head mechanic in Winchester's shirt factory became the New Haven's plant superintendent."

http://www.9thnycavalry.webeditor.com/henry_article.html

This book about the Winchester Company may provide additional details:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585743070/002-5363939-4224819?v=glance

Not precisely the answer you're looking for but the above does narrow things down a bit. If all else fails, I can probably do a patent search here at the Purdue University Engineering Library or pull the Patent Commissioner's reports submitted to Congress for the period in question.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

Mark,

It is a start. The original Winchester research that I was looking at doesnt even mention the Philadelphia plant or the other name. Of course what I have is the original name of the company when formed in the 1840's.

So...the search continues...with a few more roads added to the road map.


Also, sent you an email about the 10th Indiana.

Thanks,

[Carolann Schmitt]

Re: Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

Some additional information on Winchester and his shirt factory:

In 1860, Winchester stated that his factory in New Haven, Connecticut, produced 800 dozen shirts/week. These shirts were machine-sewn on 400 sewing machines and operators. Prior to the introduction of the sewing machine, it would take 2,000 hand sewers to produce the same amount of work. [In 1861, a study done by the Wheeler and Wilson company compared the production of four hand sewers and four sewing machine operators. The average hand sewing time for a gentleman's shirt was 14 hours, 26 minutes; for a machine sewn shirt 1 hour, 16 minutes.] Winchester stated that the wage for hand sewing at that time was $3/week; this equates to labor costs of $6000/week. The 400 machine operators received $4/week, making the labor costs $1600/week. The average cost of a factory sewing machine was $150/each. The sewing machines paid for themselves in less than 14 weeks, increased the operators pay by $1/week, and drastically reduced manufacturing costs and retail prices. Source: "Argument of [George] Gifford in Favor of the Howe Application for Extension of Patent", U.S. Patent Office, 1860.

[Drygoods]

Re: Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

Greetings,

I thought that I had a copy of the patent, and it dates much earlier than you thought. Feb. 1, 1848, #5,491. Here are the specs

Be it know that, I, O. F. WINCHESTER, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Method of Cutting and Fitting Shirts, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes them from all other things before known and of the manner of making, constructing, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which---

#1 shows a general outline of the neck and shoulders of a man and the different modes practiced in fitting a shirt: #2 is a representation of the French yoke; #3 is the improved style.

The methods of cutting shirts heretofore and at present practiced is accompanied with a disadvantage which all have more or less experienced, viz: that of pulling on the neck band. Attempts to remedy this evil have been made; by one plan a gusset is let in on the shoulder and next to the neck band, the shirt then forming a straight line from the gusset to the tip of the shoulder, the effect of which is to hang the whole weight of the shirt aided by the tension of the suspender, to the neck band. By another method, called the French yoke, the seam is made diagonal from the tip of the shoulder to the neck band which only remedies the evil in part, but this does not give the proper support, for the shoulder being a hollow curve. When the suspender is applied it bears on the hollow part of the shoulder and of necessity pulls down the shirt and draws on the neck band.

The object of my invention is to remedy this evil, and this I effect by making a curved seam on the top of and corresponding with the curve of that part of the shoulder which extends from the arm to the neck so that the shirt shall be supported on the shoulder and thereby avoid a pull on the neck band. The bosom is also curved out on each side which aids the effect produced by so cutting the shirt and also serves to make it fit better.

The ordinary mode of cutting shirts is shown in the diagram #1 by red dotted lines (a,a); in this method it will be seen there is no attempt made to fit the form, but the whole of the upper part of the shirt is suspended by the collar which is buttoned around the small part of the neck tight enough for that purpose; this produces a very unpleasant sensation and the shirt bosom is always, out of place on account of the great quantity of loose cloth upon the shoulder which allows it to drag down.

The French yoke is shown in #1 by the black dotted lines (b,b) and it is likewise represented in #2 This plan it will be perceived only partically removes the difficulty - it approaches somewhat nearer the form but still the two points of support are the tight collar around the small part of the neck and the point of the shoulder (c) at the end of the yoke the intermediate space is above the shoulder and when the suspender is brought over it is obvious a drag is produced upoin the collar downward producing a similar sensation to the other.

To obviate all these objections I cut the neck of the shirt of the yoke which I prefer to use with a curve on the shoulder making a seam on the center of the shoulder as is shown in diagram #3, and by the black lines #1, (d) by which it will be seen that I cut the parts so as to bring all the pressure upon the shoulder at the points (e) easing choke, but still fitting the neck sufficiently well. By this mode I suspend the shirt upon the shoulder and preserve a perfect fit around the neck and upper part of the bosom: to fit more perfectly I cut away the bosom on each side where it joins the yoke in the curved line (f,f) this draws back the edges of the bosom and fits it to the body.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is_
Constructing the neck of a shirt or yoke in the manner described by having a curved seam on the top of the shoulder, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth."


I hope that this helps explain one of his patents, I do not know just how many he may have done, but this is the only copy that I have. I have the drawings also, but I do not know how to scan them and put them on the page. I'm not computer savvy, sorry. At any rate, you can now look up the patent number and date and find the information. :wink_smil

Mfr,
Judith Peebles
also, pardon my typos

[Drygoods]

Re: Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

Greetings again,

WHOOPS! try patent number 5, 421 same date 2/1/1848.

The type on this patent is so tiny that I found it difficult to read the number.
Sorry for the mistake,
Judith Peebles

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Oliver Winchester Shirt Patent

Judith,


Thank You so much. That is the number I was looking for. I had started the other day in the 4600's the other day and was working my way through. I just stared with a known patent numer and date that was close and figured I would run across it. Actual number help's alot.

Thank You,