Improvements in the Manufacture of Dress Stays.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Dress Stays.
I, JOHN STUART CROTTY, of No. 102 West 84th Street, in the City of New
York, County and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 to certain new and useful improvements in the manufacture
of single and multiple corset or dress stays adapted to be readily secured to the body
of a corset or other garment.
The object of my invention is primarily to produce a multiple stay, in which the
blades arranged parallel and slightly separated from each other will be firmly held
in the casing, and in which the latter will project beyond the sides of the blades and
between the same, so that when the stay is placed between the fabrics of the corset,
it may be sewed in place by stitches passing either between the blades or on opposite
sides of the blades and through the corset fabric. Although the invention is specially
applicable to the manufacture of stays provided with two or more stiffening blades,
it may also be used to advantage in connection with stays having only a single
stiffening blade, all as will fully appear hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved stay as shown with two blades.
Figures 2, 3 and 4, are views illustrating the progressive steps in the manufacture
of the said stay.
.
Figure 5, is a plan view showing a modified form of strip used in making the
casing with thickened ends of a single blade.
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, are perspective views illustrating the progressive folding of
the casing strip of the stay, Fig. 5; and
Figure 10, is a similar view to that shown in Fig. 5, illustrating the form of strip
used for making a casing for enclosing two or more blades.
In manufacturing the stay of Figs. 1 to 4, with any suitable number of blades,
I take a single strip or sheet of fabric A, which is more than twice as long as the
length of the metallic or other suitable resilient stiffening blades a. This strip is
spread out flat upon a suitable table or support and is cemented over its entire upper
surface.
I then arrange the blades a, parallel to each other upon the upper cemented
surface of the said strip or sheet at about the centre of the same, and extending
entirely across the sheet, after which I fold over one end of the sheet onto the
blades, and I may make this fold upon the line x, so that a portion of the sheet will
extend beyond the ends of the blades, and I then fold over the other portion of the
sheet, if desired upon the line ', as illustrated in Fig. 3, and then bring the
upper flap or fold close upon the portions beneath, and place the whole within a
press and subject it to pressure until dry, when the series of blades will be cemented
in place between the opposite portions of the folded sheet, as shown in Fig. 4.
If it is desired to make stays containing two blades, I cut the sheet upon the lines y,
longitudinally to the blades and midway between two of them, or if three, four, or
more blades are to be in one casing, I cut the sheet so as to divide it into sections,
each of which will contain the requisite number of blades; but in any event the

page_text: severing of the sheet in this way will make a stay consisting of one, two or more
blades confined within the folded casing which projects beyond the sides, and is folded
over the ends or projects beyond the ends as before described and is cemented
firmly to the blade or blades, and also each section of the sheet or casing is cemented
to the opposite section wherever the two are in contact beyond the blades. As a
result the stay X, Fig. 1, consists of one or of two or more blades parallel to each
other but slightly separated, cemented firmly in place so that the casing cannot
possibly slip from the blades, and cemented together beyond the edges and ends of
the blades so as to prevent the access of moisture to the blades, and the stay thus
made may be inserted in the corset and secured by stitching at the ends or sides
or otherwise, as may be desired.
It will be seen that the above method of manufacturing involves very little
manipulation or labor, that no sewing is required, and that consequently the stays
may be made at a very slight expense while yet the blades are always held in exact
position, and if there be two or more blades in a stay, they are held in respect to
each other and to the casing.
In some instances it may be desirable to reinforce the ends of the stay to avoid
all possibility of the blade wearing through at this point, and in Figs. 5 to 10 I have
illustrated one manner of accomplishing this. Thus, as shown, I employ the strip A,
of more than double the width of the blade a, cutting two slits, diagonally from
opposite corners, as shown at the top, Fig. 5, then laying the blade upon the pasted
or cemented face of the strip, as shown in Fig. 5. After first folding down the
triangular section u, beyond the end of the blade, as shown in Fig. 6, the strip is
folded over on the line t, as shown in Fig. 7.
The projecting portion v, is then folded over onto the body, as shown in Fig. 8,
after which the triangular flap s, at the end of said portion is folded sidewise onto
the body of the casing, as shown in Fig. 9, the parts being cemented together in
this position, thereby fully enclosing the blade, leaving two flexible portions of the
casing at opposite edges of the blade with two thicknesses of material beyond each
end of the blade and four thicknesses of material adjacent to the ends.
The slits s,s', may be cut in the ends of the casing in any direction, diagonally,
as shown at the top or at the bottom, Fig. 5, or parallel with the longer edge of the
strip and along the line t, of the fold, when the strip is folded lengthwise upon
itself. Any form of strip which will leave two integral pieces at each end of the
casing, which pieces can be folded in opposite directions over the ends of the blade
is within the scope of this part of my invention.
When there are two or more blades, they are arranged upon one portion of the
material, separated to leave intervening spaces, Fig. 10, and the part u is folded in
and the other portion is folded over on the line tonto and cemented to the first, as
before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim is :
1st. A dress stay consisting of one or more blades and a casing formed of a single
continuous piece of fabric wider than the blade or blades and more than twice the
length thereof, the said casing being folded beyond the ends of the blade or blades
and down onto the same, the ends of the strip being overlapped upon one side, and
the strip having its inner faces cemented together and to the blade or blades,
substantially as described.
2nd. In a stay, the combination with one or more blades, of a casing therefor
formed of a single continuous strip of fabric of greater length and width than the
blade or blades, said strip being folded about the said blade to completely enclose it
and project beyond the ends and sides, with its inner faces cemented together and to
the blade or blades, substantially as described.
3rd. A stay consisting of one or more blades each enclosed in a folded strip

page_text: wider and longer than the blade or blades and slit at the ends forming tongues or
flaps which are folded down upon and cemented to the body forming thickened end
portions, substantially as described.
Dated the 22nd day of December 1896.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London,
For the Applicant.