An Improved Clothing and Bust Support, serving as a Corset Substitute.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1893 -Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Clothing and Bust Support, serving as a Corset
Substitute.
I, (Mrs.) JOHANNA NÜHSMANN, of 5, Theaterpromenade, Brunswick, in the
Empire of Germany, Married Woman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a suitable substitute for a corset,
avoiding the deleterious effects of the latter on the health.
The invention consists merely of bands or belts without any hard insertions
such as steel, whale-bone or the like. It serves for supporting the skirts and
under-garments from the shoulders and affords the breasts an equal support to
that afforded by a corset. It may serve for supporting the back similarly to
shoulder straps, and finally it may be combined with or extended into a body
belt or binder in order to afford support to the lower part of the body.
The straps follow as closely as possible the contour of the human frame and
are so combined with one another that a strap framework is produced adapted
to be fastened down the front on the breast according to the shape of the figure
and which has the form of a corset. The fastening itself may take place in any
suitable way.
The invention is characterised by the arrangement of two vertical straps carried
over the shoulders after the fashion of braces, which straps are connected in
front by a band across the breasts and at the back by a band across the back.
At their lower ends, back and front, the vertical straps have two straps running
round the body, like two belts, the lower one of which rests on the top of the hips
and is provided with means of attachment, such as buttons, hooks or the like,
for the skirts or lower garments. The other or upper belt which is passed round
just below the chest is intended to afford the necessary support to the_breasts.
In addition to being carried by the vertical straps the two belts are also sup-
ported by vertical straps which form the connection down the front and are held
by the cross straps which connect with the shoulder straps and by a strap which
while leaving the shoulder blades free extends from the back cross strap down
the centre of the back. The two spaces between the straps which enclose the
breasts are filled or covered with material which receives the breasts.
The straps may be made of elastic or non-elastic material or of both.
In order to avoid the necessity of making them to measure, the lengths may
be made adjustable, buckles or the like fixing devices being introduced.
If desired in special cases, for instance for purposes of warmth, the other spaces
formed by the straps may be filled or covered with suitable materials.
Dated this 7th day of March 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Clothing and Bust Support, serving as a Corset
Substitute.
I, (Mrs.) JOHANNA NUISMANN, of 5, Theaterpromenade, Brunswick, in the
Empire of Germany, Married Woman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide a suitable substitute for a corset,
avoiding the deleterious effects of the latter on the health.
The invention consists merely of bands or belts without any hard insertions
such as steel, whale-bone or the like. It serves for supporting the skirts and
under-garments from the shoulders and affords the breasts an equal support to
that afforded by a corset. It may serve for supporting the back similarly to
shoulder straps, and finally it may be combined with or extended into a body
belt or binder in order to afford support to the lower part of the body.
The straps follow as closely as possible the contour of the human frame and
are so combined with one another that a strap framework is produced adapted
to be fastened down the front on the breast at the point according to the shape
of the figure and which has the form of a corset. The fastening itself may take
place in any suitable way.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front view and Figure 2 a rear view of the apparatus,
the invention is characterised by the arrangement of two vertical straps b
carried over the shoulders after the fashion of braces, which straps are
connected in front by bands c across the breasts and at the back by a band d
across the back. At their lower ends, back and front, the vertical
straps have two straps running round the body, like two belts, the
lower one e of which rests on the top of the hips and is provided with means
of attachment, such as buttons, hooks or the like, for the skirts or lower gar-
ments. The other or upper belt f which is passed round just below the chest is
intended to afford the necessary support to the breasts. In addition to being
carried by the straps b the two belts e and f are also supported by vertical
straps which form the connection down the front and are held by the cross
straps c which connect with the shoulder straps and by a strap h which while
leaving the shoulder blades free extends from the back cross strap d down the
centre of the back. The two spaces between the straps bcg and f which enclose
the breasts are filled or covered with material which receives the breasts.
The straps may be made of elastic or non-elastic material or of both and each
set of bands is made in one piece & the bust support may be closed in front in
the manner usually employed for corsets by metal clasps or a lace.
In order to avoid the necessity of making them to measure, the lengths may
be made adjustable, buckles or the like fixing devices being introduced.
If desired in special cases, for instance for purposes of warmth, the other spaces
formed by the straps may be filled or covered with suitable materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
A clothing and bust-support of straps or bands serving as a corset substitute,
comprising two shoulder straps (b) which carry a horizontal belt (e) resting on

page_text: the hips for supporting the under-garments, and a breast girdle (f) above said
belt (e) for supporting the breasts, the spaces between the straps in front being
filled in with suitable material, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 11th day of August 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.