IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS OR CORSETS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Alfred Young and Robert Neilson, both of Bristol
in the City and County of Bristol for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
STAYS OR CORSETS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Alfred Young and
Robert Neilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
28th September 1882..
ROBERT ALFRED YOUNG and ROBERT NEILSON both of Bristol in the City and
County of Bristol " IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS OR CORSETS."
Our Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of stays and
corsets whereby we are enabled to render these articles more durable than those
heretofore made by avoiding liability of breakage of the bones, at same time
securing increased flexibility and support for the figure. To this end our Invention
consists in a novel fabric composed of a duplex system of bones and cords or other
stiffening material crossing one another at any suitable angle and secured between
superimposed layers or thicknesses of silk, Italian cloth, coutil, or other material of
which the stays or corsets are made. According to our Invention, one set of bones
is secured between the silk or other fabric composing the outer surface of the stays
and a thickness of satteen or other material, and the other set is secured between
said thickness and a lining which forms the inner surface of the stays. The material
of the stays and the intermediate thickness of satteen are first stitched so as to form
spaces or pockets for the reception of one set of the bones or cords which are then
inserted therein, and the lining to which the other set of bones is attached is.
applied and secured by stitching to the material of the stays in such manner that
the bones shall cross one another as above mentioned. It will of course be under-
stood that by the term " bones," we intend to include any stiffening material:
ordinarily used in the manufacture of stays such as whalebone, cane, cords,
wadding, &c.
The whole or a portion only of the stays may be composed of this novel fabric.
In some cases we may find it preferable to make one set of the " bones" of whale-
bone, steel or other similar imaterial, and the other set of cord or wadding to
facilitate the stitching; or we may secure each set of "bones" in pockets formed:
by two thicknesses of material, and unite the compound material at the edges and
at certain portions of the material only.
By the above construction the "bones" of the stays or corsets are rendered-
practically unbreakable owing to the mutual support afforded and the stays are not
so liable to get out of shape.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Alfred Young and Robert Neilson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th March 1883.
ROBERT ALFRED YOUNG and ROBERT NEILSON both of Bristol in the City and
County of Bristol. " IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS OR CORSETS
Our invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of stays and corsets
whereby the liability to breakage of the bones (especially at the sides) is lessened
and greater flexibility combined with better support for the figure are ensured.
To this end our invention consists of a duplex "boned "fabric composed of two
distinct superimposed sets of " bones "secured and combined by lines of stitching,
the "bones" and stitching of one set crossing those of the other at any suitable
angle, and the two sets of " bones" being secured between and separated by silk,
Italian cloth, coutil or other material.
It should be understood that by the term " bones as herein employed, we
intend to include any stiffening material. ordinarily employed in pockets or between
lines of stitching in the manufacture of stays and corsets, such as whalebone, cane,
cords, wadding &c.
We generally prefer to make the one set of "bones" of whalebone, steel or
other similar material, and the other set of cords or wadding to facilitate the
uniting of the two sets together by the stitching, which forms the pockets for the
first mentioned set of "bones." But both sets may be made of cords or one set of
cords and the other of wadding or other easily sewn stiffening material and the
two sets may be united with the same facility as in the first mentioned case.
Whichever of the above combinations is adopted the effect of the second stitching
by which the two sets are united (and which crosses the stitching forming the
pockets of the first set) is to give the outer surface of the fabric a quilted and
ornamental appearance.
:
"
Both sets of bones"
may also be composed of strips of whalebone, steel, cane
or other hard material, but in this case each set of "bones" must be secured in
pockets formed by stitching together with parallel lines of stitches, two thicknesses
of woven material (making four such thicknesses in this case instead of three as in
the other case) the two sets of "bones" being in this case united around the edges of
the enclosing fabrics beyond the ends of the "bones" and at certain portions of the
material only, that is to say, in the interval between the "bones."
In order that our invention may be more readily understood we have illustrated
it in the annexed Drawings in which. Figure 1 is a view of a corset and figure 2
represents a portion of the duplex "boned" fabric partly ripped open to show the
arrangement of the "bones" therein.
a. represents one set of " bones" secured between the silk b or other fabric com-
posing the outer or facing cloth and a piece of satteen or other woven material c,
and d, is the other set secured between c. and the inner lining e. Supposing that
the "bones" of the outer set a are composed of cord wadding or other stiffening
material that may be easily sewn across, the outer material b. and intermediate
fabric c. are first stitched together by parallel lines of stitching so spaced as to
form pockets for the reception of the set a. of "bones" which are then drawn into
them. The lininge (to which the other set of "bones" d may have been previously
attached or not) is applied and secured to the intermediate fabric c, by parallel lines
of stitching g passing through the whole compound fabric a. b. c. e, and crossing the
lines of stitching fat right angles or nearly so and so spaced us to form pockets to
hold in place the "bones" d, which are then inserted in the said pockets, if they were

page_text: not previously applied between the fabrics c. and e. before or at the time of stitching.
The "bones "d. thus cross the "bones" a. at right angles, or at any other angle such
that the two sets mutually support each other, so that they are practically rendered
unbreakable and the stays or corsets retain their shape better.
The same mode of manufacture may be adopted when both sets of " bones
made of cords or other soft material.
"
are
The compound fabric thus made is generally used at the hips or sides of the
corset in which it is usually inserted in the form of two pieces or gores united by a
seam and joined to the front and back portions of the corset which may be boned
in the ordinary way as represented in Figure 1, side steels or "bones" h being
applied over the seam uniting the two pieces or gores or not as may be required.
The compound fabric may also be used for other parts of the corset such as the
bosoms and front and in short the whole or any part of the corset may be made of
this new material.
"
As above mentioned the effect of the stitching for the one set of "bones
crossing the first stitching is to produce a quilted appearance on the outer surface b,
but we would have it understood that we make no claim to quilting or diamond
stitching a layer of wadding or padding placed between the facing cloth and lining
of the corset.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same we declare that what we claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is:
The manufacture of stays or corsets or certain parts thereof, of a duplex fabric
composed of two distinct and superimposed sets of "bones," (including cords or
other stiffeners) combined as herein specified and secured by lines of stitching, the
bones" and the stitching of the one set, lying across those of the other set,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
"
In witness whereof I the said Robert Alfred Young for myself and on behalf
of the said Robert Neilson have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty
seventh day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty three..
ROBERT. ALFRED. YOUNG (L.S.)