Improvements in Dress Stays.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Dress Stays.
A communication from LUCIAN F. Howe, of Cleveland, County of Cuyahoga,
State of Ohio, in the United States of America.
I CHARLES MARX of 30 Dickinson Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, 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 :-
" steels
"
or
"bones"
Where two steels are
Dress stays are now formed ordinarily of one or more
inserted in a suitable covering preferably of woven fabric.
used it is customary to form two independent parallel pockets therefor in the
covering.
This invention relates specifically to this form of stay and is specially intended
for those in which the covering is woven, the parallel pockets being made in the
process of weaving.
The objects of the invention are to more safely secure the "steels" in the
covering, to prevent any longitudinal movement of one "steel" on the other and
to protect and strengthen the ends of the stays and prevent the "steels" from
wearing through.
To this end the improved dress-stay consists in a plurality of "steels" enclosed
(preferably in separate pockets) in a suitable covering having U-shaped metal
guards or stirrups, which embrace the ends of the steels, passing through slits in
the covering near the ends thereof so that a portion of the covering projects beyond
the metal guard and forms a kind of cushion over the ends of the "steels," the
whole being enclosed by an end piece or cap of sateen or other suitable material
cemented thereto, and all held together by a metallic rivet or eyelet passing through
the wove end piece, the metal guard or stirrup, and the cover between the ends of
the "steels."
The manner in which this invention is to be performed or carried into practical
effect will be readily understood on reference to the sheet of drawings hereunto
annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 is a view of one end of a dress-stay made in accordance with this invention,
but without the sateen end piece.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same after the said end piece is applied.
Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2, and
as
Fig. 4 is an edge view of the metal guard or stirrup drawn to a larger scale.
Two plain "steels" are shown at a and a pocketed woven covering therefor at b.
This covering 6 is made (as shown) of a slightly greater length than the
"steels" a, and a slit is made through the covering at the ends of the steels through
which is passed a metallic guard or stirrup c of the bent or U-shape clearly shown
at Fig. 4 which is broad enough to cover the adjacent ends of both "steels"
shown at Fig. 1. Over this metal guard or stirrup c is placed a sateen or other
suitable end piece or cap d, which is placed so as to embrace the whole end of the
dress stay (preferably cemented thereto) and then fastened by an eyelet e passing
through the said end piece d, through the ends of the guard or stirrup c and
through the fabric covering b and between the "steels," and then upset or rivetted
so as to hold all firmly together, the end piece 6' of the covering projecting beyond
the metal guard or stirrup e forming a kind of protecting cushion between it and
the end piece or cap d.
The metallic guard or stirrup c holds the "steels" a from relative end wise
movement but in no ways interferes with the sewing of the stay in the garment.

page_text: I
It is held itself from movement by reason of the eyelet's engagement with it and
the woven covering, whilst the sateen end piece d covers and protects the whole.
may
here remark that wherever in the Specification I have used the word
" steels
to distinguish the stiffening element of the stay, it is to be understood as
intended to cover such element whether made of steel, bone, or other suitable
material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a dress-stay, the combination of a plurality of "steels," a pocketed
covering therefor, and a metal stirrup passing through a slit in the latter and
embracing the ends of more than one of the said "steels," and suitably secured to
such stay for the purposes set forth.
2. In a dress-stay, the combination of a plurality of "steels," a covering therefor,
a metal guard or stirrup passing through the said cover and embracing the ends of
both or all of the said "steels," and an eyelet connecting the said guard or stirrup
to such covering and passing between the said "steels" substantially as set forth.
3. In a dress stay, the combination of a plurality of "steels," a covering therefor,
a metal guard or stirrup embracing the ends of more than one of the said "steels
and passing through the said covering, whereby a portion of the said covering
projects beyond the metal guard or stirrup, and a sateen or equivalent end-piece
embracing the whole and suitably secured in place substantially as set forth.
Dated the 4th day of May 1894
"
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.