Improvements in Fastenings for Corsets and analogous purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fastenings for Corsets and analogous purposes.
I, COVINGTON HENRY LITTLETON, a citizen of the United States, residing at
No. 1723 Walnut Street, in the City of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia
and State of Pennsylvania, Doctor in Dentistry, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR CORSETS AND ANALOGOUS
PURPOSES, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statements :-
The principal object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and
durable fastening which may be sold by the yard or in lengths or sets suitable
for one garment and which is provided with hooks and adapted for application
to the side-bodies of corsets, dress waists and analogous articles for use in
connection with a lacing cord or string.
The nature and characteristic features of my invention will be more fully
understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accom-
panying drawings forming part hereof, and in which
Fig. 1, is a plan view of a short piece of fastening embodying features of my
invention, and showing a hook protruding through the fold of a braid and pro-
vided with transversely ranging shoulders engaging the interior portion of the
fold of the braid, and also showing a staple or clip inserted through the braid
and through the eyes of the hook and clinched.
Fig. 2, is a transverse section on the line -x, of Fig. 1, showing the staple or
clip inserted through the eyes of the hook and through both members of the fold of
the braid and clinched.
Fig. 3, is a like view showing the staple or clip inserted through the eyes of the
hook and through only one member of the fold of the braid and clinched.
Fig. 4, is an elevation of the staple or clip.
Fig. 5, an elevation showing the mode of application of my improved fastening
to corsets and analogous articles.
Fig. 6, is an elevation of the braid forming one of the component parts of my
improved fastening showing the same thickened at the centre thereof for sup-
porting the shoulders of the hooks, and
Fig. 7; is a transverse section of Fig. 6.
In the drawings, A is one of the hooks forming part of the improved fastening.
In the present instance this hook is constructed of a doubled wire a, having the
doubled portion thereof. bent to form a hook a', and having the shank thereof
formed by bending the free ends of the doubled wire upwards as at a³, into line
with the centre of curvature of the bill a', and then separating said wires to form
shoulders at, and then bending said wires parallel with each other as at a, and then
forming the free ends of the wires into eyes a. But the hook A, may be made
in any other preferred manner, the object being to provide square shoulders,
i.e. shoulders ranging transversely of the bill, for engaging the fold of the tape and
eyes for the reception of clips or staples so that the shoulders may support the
draft or strain upon the respective. hooks of the series and so that the staples or
clips may serve to prevent lateral displacement or turning of the respective hooks
of the series of hooks.
::
b, is a staple or clip preferably constructed by bending a piece of wire having
pointed ends, into the form shown in Fig. 4. However, other preferred forms of
staples or clips may be employed.
C, is a strip of braid, tape, or ribbon, either plain or ornamented, and of uniform
thickness throughout, Figs. 2 & 3, or thickened or made heavy at the central
pɔrtion.Cʻ, as shown in Fig. 7, either by the introduction of extra warps or in any

page_text: other manner, in order to increase the wearing qualities and to augment the
strength thereof at the points which support the shoulders of the respective
hooks without materially increasing the cost of the tape and without unduly
increasing its bulk at the edges.
In use, the bills a², of the hooks A, are inserted through the central portion of
the braid and the latter is then folded over upon itself as shown in Figs. 2 & 3, so
that the shoulders a', of the hooks A, bear upon the interior of the folded portion of
the tape C, whereupon a clip or staple 6, is inserted through the tape so that each
of the clips or staples passes through the eyes a, of a hook A, and serves to retain
it against end-play or rotary motion.
It may be remarked that the fastening device may be caused to pass through
both members of the folded tape, as indicated in Fig. 2, or if preferred, the
fastening device may be inserted through only one member of the folded tape, as
indicated in Fig. 3. In either case the braid or tape is not cut or injured because
the points of the clip or staple penetrate it by passing between its component
threads. After each clip or staple has been inserted in proper position the points
or prongs, thereof are bent back upon themselves; or, in other words are folded
in towards the centre, so that each of the hooks A, is firmly attached to the tape C,
by the contact of the shoulders with the fold and is held against end-play by a clip
or staple.
In practice, the herein above described dress stay tape may be manufactured
entirely by machinery; that is to say, the tape is folded, a series of hooks are
inserted through the fold thereof, and the clips or staples are applied by the
automatic operation of a single machine.
The preferred mode of application of my improved dress stay tape is illustrated
in Fig. 5, in which it will be seen that a tape C, is attached to each of the side-
bodies D and D' of a garment, it being understood that the hooks are so placed in
the tape C, with reference to each other as that two of the hooks are in alignment
at the top, and the remaining hooks are staggered throughout the other portions
of the garment, so that a cord e, may be attached to one of the upper hooks and
then laced into the others and drawn tight or loosened without causing the
respective side-bodies of the garment to be drawn, puckered or otherwise dis-
placed, and the garment may be tightened or loosened by the simple operation
of drawing or loosening the cord e. Moreover, in use the parts of the garment
which are under the greatest pressure will cause the slack in the string to be
taken up at such points, thus permitting the garment to expand, and affording
the wearer freedom and comfort of movement.
It will be observed that the point of the bill a', of each of the hooks is located
beyond the edge of the fold of the tape, so that the string when inserted into
place does not tend to wear or fray the edge of the folded portion of the tape.
Moreover, by this construction the bend of the bill a², lays substantially in a
plane with the upper surface of the tape so that. the hooks do not project above
the general plane of the garment and therefore do not tend to cause the outside
of the garment itself to become wrinkled or to present an uneven surface.
Another advantage of the construction is that the braid itself may be covered
with à facing of the material of the garment whereby the finish and appearance
of the garment are rendered very attractive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
my
1. A fastening for garments comprising a folded tape, a series of hooks provided
respectively with eyes, a bill, and shoulders ranging transversely of said bill; and
clips or staples, said bills being inserted through the fold of the tape, and the clips
or staples imserted through the tape and eyes of the respective hooks and clinched,
substantially as shown and described.
2. An improved manufacture consisting of a fastening for garments, such as

page_text: corsets and analogous purposes, comprising a folded tape thickened at the centre
thereof, a series of hooks provided respectively with eyes, a bill, and shoulders
ranging transversely of said bill, and clips or staples; said bills being inserted
through the thickened portion of the tape, said shoulders being in contact with the
interior of the fold, and the clips or staples being inserted through the tape and
eyes of the respective hooks and clinched, all substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
DL:
AD 1001
COVINGTON HENRY LITTLETON.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.