IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSTLES AND STIFFENERS FOR BUSTLES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES BARNARD PHILLIPS, of the City and County of New York, in the
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of said invention for " 'IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSTLES AND
STIFFENERS FOR BUSTLES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL" to be as
follows:-
My improvements apply to that class of stiffeners or springs of bustles or other
articles of wearing apparel, which are provided with a series of parallel pockets
enclosing springs, which extend from side to side and are held in a more or less
bent condition by means of lacings which extend across and connect the edges, and
may be adjusted in tightness so as to give any desired degree of fulness to the
bustle.
.
I sew together, by hand or by any suitable machine, three coarse braids of straw,
using preferably what are known as the Davis sewing machines, and around this
aggregation of straw braids I wind a sufficiently thick envelope of cotton batting
or other unwoven fibrous material, to give an approximately smooth and even
surface.
The open pockets being made ready, a metal funnel is introduced successively in
the open end of each pocket, and one of the compound soft covered springs is thrust
into the aperture thus held open, until its end meets the further end of the
pocket. Then the funnel is changed to the next pocket and the operation
repeated.
Finally a line of stitching up and down, or, better, a binding extending up and
down and properly sewed, closos all the pockets, and on applying the lacings and
drawing the edges towards each other to the proper extent and tying the lacings,
the bustle is complete.
The envelope of cotton batting should be wound so that the fibre extends around,
rather than longitudinally of the spring.
Aly lacings are of what is known as elastic, a core of soft vulcanized rubber
covered with cotton, silk or other fibrous material braided on. The combined

page_text: effect of my springs in the body, and of the elastic lacing, gives a yielding and yet
persistent form which is easy for the wearer and highly advantageous.
I can use more than three of the braids, or two or one may serve successfully.
The cotton batting may be applied in a sufficiently thick bat wound only once
around, with a slight overlap, or it may be wound on spirally or otherwise in a
very thin layer, so that ten or other considerable numbers will be applied to produce
the desired thickness.
..
T
1004
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
Agent for the Applicant,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C.
I, JAMES BARNARD Phillips of the City and County of New York in the
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSTLES AND
STIFFENERS FOR BUSTLES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL " and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
nscertained in and by the following statement :-
My improvements apply to that class of stiffeners or springs in bustles or other
articles of wearing apparel, which are provided with a series of parallel pockets 1
inclosing springs, which extend from side to side and are held in a more or less
bent condition, by means of lacings which extend across and connect the edges, and
may be adjusted in tightness so as to give any desired degree of fullness to the
bustle I have conceived and practically wrought out important improvements in
the springs.
The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out
the invention.
I sew together by hand or by any suitable machine, three coarse braids of straw.
I can use successfully Dunstable, Milan or Canton straw. I prefer to use what
is known as the Davis sewing machine, or the Palmer straw-sewing machine. Tho
thread is preferably course and applied with only moderate tension.
Around this aggregation of straw braids, I wind, at one or more operations, a
sufficiently thick envelope of cotton batting or other unwoven fibrous material to
give an approximately smooth and even surface. The material of the bustle being
sowed together, except that one side is left open exposing all the pockets to receive
the springs, and the partially made construction being laid flat on the work table,
a metal funnel is introduced successively in the open end of each pocket, and one of
the compound soft covered springs is easily entered through the aperture thus held
open, and thrust in until its end meets the further end of the pocket. Then the
spring is cut off and taking care to have the soft envelope snugly compressed on
the straw at the entering end,, the funnel is changed to the next pocket and the
operation repeated.

page_text: Then a line of stitching up and down the side, closes all the pockets and on
applying the lacings and drawing the edges towards each other to the proper
extent, and tying the lacings, the bustle is complete.
The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.
Fig 1 is an elevation showing the inner face.
Fig 2 a vertical section slightly in perspective.
Fig 3 is a cross section of the springs, which are inserted in the pockets. It is
on a larger scale than fig 2.
"
Fig 4 is a corresponding cross section through the braid alone.
Fig 5 shows a modification in which only a single strand of straw braid is
employed.
Fig 6 is a section through the metal funnel, which I introduce in the several
pockets successively, to facilitate the introduction of my peculiar bat-covered
springs.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A, B, C are three braids of Dunstable straw one upon the other, the middle one
being preferably the widest.
D is the line of confining stitches, and E, the envelope of cotton batting. The
latter is wound so that the fibre extends around rather than longitudinally of the
spring.
G is the exterior of the bustle. It is formed of two or other number of pieces
of silesia or other suitable fabric, cut and applied together so as to give the desired
swell in the vertical line. G¹, is the corresponding inner fabric. These are joined
by lines of stitching g, extending from side to side. I place two lines of stitching g
near together. They define, the narrow portions of the fabric of the bustle, which
are not distended by the springs. The wider spaces g¹ form pockets extending
continuously across from one side of the bustle to the other.
H is the lacing, rove through eyelets, J, in narrow pieces of fabric I, which
extend up and down on each edge of the bustle and are secured by a line of
stitching i.
In applying the parts together, when the lines of stitching g are produced and
the binding 1' is secured on one side, the spaces between the two fabrics G, G¹, are
ready to serve as pockets, being opened at the unsewed side. M M is the funnel,
the rounded flange M' lying outside, and the body M lying within the mouth of the
pocket, when in position for use. After my compound spring has been inserted
and cut off at the proper length in each pocket, the binding I' is sewed on the
opposite edge, thus closing the pockets g¹. A lacing H will usually be inserted
and secured with the proper tension after the other portions of the work are
completed.
My lacings H are of what is known as elastic, a core of soft vulcanized rubber
covered with cotton, silk, or other fibrous material braided on. The combined
effect of my springs A, B, C, D, E, in the body of G G¹ and of the elastic lacing H,
gives a yielding and yet persistent form which is easy for the wearer and highly
advantageous.
I can use more than three of the braids, or two may serve successfully. The
cotton batting may be applied in a sufficiently thick bat, wound only once around
with a slight overlap, or it may be wound on spirally or otherwise in a very thin
layer so that ten, or other considerable number will be applied to produce the
desired thickness. The thickness of the cotton may be varied. Other material
than cotton, as coarse wool, may serve. I prefer cotton, as my experiments indicate
that it maintains its position in the act of inserting the springs and serves well in
insuring a smoothly rounded appearance in the several distended pockets when the
construction is complete and ready for use. The covering may serve with some
success, largely intermingled with shoddy. A single straw braid made of proper
size and of a round or approximately round form, may serve with some success,
instead of the three shown. Fig 5 is a cross section of one of the springs made in
that manner by a single braid with a bat of fibro wound on as a covering in the

page_text: same manner as it is. wound on in what I esteem the preferable form (shown in
figures 2 and 3.)
I believe that other straw than Dunstable, Milan, or Canton may be used.
Mixtures of different straws may be used without serious disadvantage.
It will be readily understood that the bending of the bustle after the pockets are
filled, tends to contract and wrinkle those faces of the pockets which are presented
on the inner side of the bustle, next to the person, but the exterior is eminently
smooth and faultless in appearance.
I claim as my Iuvention:
"
1st As a new article of manufacture, a spring or stiffener for wearing apparel,
consisting of straw braids one upon the other, the braids being bound together and
enveloped in a covering of unwoven fibrous material, substantially as set forth.
2nd In combination with a bustle, a spring consisting of straw braids, one upon
the other, the braids being united by stitches D and enveloped in a covering of
cotton batting, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 29th day or October 185T.
Witnesses:
WILLIAM CLARK DEY.
THOMAS DREW STETSON.
JAMES BERNARD PHILLIPS.