IMPROVED STAYS OR CORSETS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HARRIOT POTTER, of 16 Hill Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Wire Worker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED STAYS
OR CORSETS to be as follows:-
The objects of my invention are:-
1st To produce stays or corsets which will allow of the free movement of the
body in every direction, by reason of the material employed in their construction
being of such a nature that it will at once "give" to the strain brought to bear
upon it by the natural play of the muscles of the body due to a movement in any
direction; and, 2nd To permit of perfect ventilation of the body through such stays
or corsets.
Ordinary stays or corsets being usually made of a stiff closely woven material
strengthened and stiffened by springs at the parts where support is most required,
they can only "bend," that is to say, the material itself will not give but only be
displaced. The close stiff nature of the material further presents the disadvantage
of preventing the proper ventilation of the body.
In order to remedy these disadvantages I make my improved stays or corsets of
flexible spring wire netting. This netting may be woven or produced in any other
suitable inanner and may be of any suitable metal or alloy, but it is preferably
made of hardened and tempered steel wire, which is coated with nickel, silver, or
other non-corrosive metal or material, or it may be japanned or otherwise protected
from rusting. If desired the net work may be magnetized.
The open net work consists preferably of wires which are simply interlaced or
connected by a single twist, so that the wires will have a certain amount of play
and be able to move freely relatively to each other, whereby the stays will more
readily adapt themselves to the form of the wearer, while at the same time they
will at once give to the movements of the body.
The edges of the stays or corsets may be bound or covered in any suitable manner
so as to present no sharp ends which might scratch the person or wear out the other
garments.
Gores may be formed in the stays to let out if desired.

page_text: Busks are fastened or secured in any suitable manner to the front edges of the
stays, and at the back eyelets or other means are provided to receive the usual
lace.
The wire netting when cut to the required size and shape may be subjected to
pressure, or otherwise moulded, so as to give the required "set" to enable it to fit
comfortably to the form, and if desired vertical stiffening springs and transverse
strengthening wires may be inserted at suitable points to suit the wearer.
My improved stays or corsets will give increased comfort in ordinary wear,
while for ladies playing lawn tennis and other games where quick movements in
any direction are necessary, the increased flexibility and perfect ventilation will be
even more advantageous.

page_text: I, HARRIOT POTTER, of 16 Hill Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Wire Worker, 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:-
The objects of my invention are:-
1st To produce stays or corsets which will allow of the free movement of the
body in every direction, by reason of the material employed in their construction
being of such a nature that it will at once "give" to the strain brought to bear
upon it by the natural play of the muscles of the body due to a movement in any
direction; and, 2nd To permit of perfect ventilation of the body through such stays
or corsets.
Ordinary stays or corsets being usually made of a stiff closely woven material
strengthened and stiffened by springs at the parts where support is most required,
they can only "bend," that is to say, the material itself will not give but only be
displaced. The close stiff nature of the material further presents the disadvantage
of preventing the proper ventilation of the body.
In order to remedy these disadvantages I make my improved stays or corsets of
flexible spring wire netting. This netting may be woven or produced in any other
suitable manner and may be of any suitable metal or alloy, but it is preferably
made of hardened and tempered steel wire, which is coated with nickel, silver, or
other non-corrosive metal or material, or it may be japanned or otherwise protected
from rusting. If desired the net work may be magnetized.
The open net work consists preferably of wires which are simply interlaced or
connected by a single twist, so that the wires will have a certain amount of play
and be able to move freely relatively to each other, whereby the stays will more
readily adapt themselves to the form of the wearer, while at the same time they
will at once give to the movements of the body.
The edges of the stays or corsets may be bound or covered in any suitable manner
so as to present no sharp ends which might scratch the person or wear out the other
garments.
Gores may be formed in the stays to let out if desired.
Busks are fastened or secured in any suitable manner to the front edges of the
stays, and at the back eyelets or other means are provided to receive the usual
lace.
33
The wire netting when cut to the required size and shape may be subjected to
pressure, or otherwise moulded, so as to give the required
" set to enable it to
fit comfortably to the form, and if desired vertical stiffening springs and transverse
strengthening wires may be inserted at suitable points to suit the wearer.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a pair
of stays constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 a rear elevation of part of
same; and, Fig. 3 an enlarged detail view showing the kind of wire net work
which I prefer to use,

page_text: A represents the wire net work moulded so as to fit comfortably to the form, and
to the front edges of which the busks B, B' are secured as shown in Fig. 1, while
the rear edges are provided with eyelets C to receive the usual lace as shown in
Fig. 2. The top and bottom edges are bound by a strip of leather or other suitable
material D, so as to cover the sharp ends of the wire.
In the detail view represented in Fig. 3, it will be seen that the wires of this
construction of net work can move relatively to each other, as such wires are only
interlaced or connected by a single twist, and consequently stays made of such
net work will give more readily to movements of the body, and adapt themselves
more easily to the form of the wearer.
Those portions of the stays which require to give in a vertical direction are
preferably made by arranging the net work so that the wires forming same run
horizontally, whereby they will be able to move vertically in relation to each other,
while the portions of the stays required to give in a horizontal direction have the
net work arranged so that the wires forming same run vertically, whereby they will
be able to move horizontally in relation to each other. Such an arrangement is
shown in Fig. 1, where the parts A¹ of the stays, which cover the hips when in
use, are formed with the wires of the net work running horizontally, while in the
remaining portion of the stays the wires run vertically.
'
It will be readily understood that instead of making the stays wholly of wire
net work, they may be made partly of wire net work and partly of the ordinary
stiff fabric or other suitable material, the net work being inserted only at such
points as are found most desirable to allow of the free movements of the body and
ensure efficient ventilation.
My improved stays or corsets will give increased comfort in ordinary wear,
while for ladies playing lawn tennis and other games where quick movements in
any direction are necessary, the increased flexibility and perfect ventilation will be
even more advantageous.
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
The use of flexible spring wire netting in the construction of stays or corsets,
substantially as specified.