IMPROVE. MENTS IN CORSETS AND THEIR FASTENINGS. WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent Agent, for the Invention of IMPROVE.
MENTS IN CORSETS AND THEIR FASTENINGS. WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS."-A Communication from abroad by Alponse
Cousin & Adèle Duval, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 19th April 1861, and dated the 27th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th October 1860.
I WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN CORSETS & THEIR FASTENINGS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLI-
CABLE TO OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS," to be as follows:--
This Invention relates to a new fastening applicable iostays and other articles
of dress in which laces and eyelets are dispensed with, the fastening and
unfastening being effected in a simple and easy manner. This result is
obtained by means of clasps sliding on tabs or straps fixed to the stay, and
which are connected to the stay busk either by hooks taking into holes made
in the busk, or hooking on to buttons fixed to the same.
The busk being completely independent and movable, the stay may be

page_text: used without it, in the latter case eye pieces fixed to each side of the stay are
connected either by means of double buttons, or by double eye pieces when
provided with hooks.
The tabs or straps connecting the clasp pieces with the stay or other article
slides through and doubles over a square metal hoop and is pressed upon by
the tail end of the clasp in such manner that the greater the strain the tighter
it holds.
I also place an elastic gusset in the centre of the back of the stay, which
facilitates its fitting, a petticoat hook is further fixed to the stay busk, either
by means of a rivet or by a method of attachment which permits of its being
placed at various heights. The forms & combinations of these clasp fastenings
may be various, although on the principle above described, which I apply to
all kinds of busks, stays, braces, garters, waiscoats, trousers, petticoats, waist-
belts, and other similar articles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on-the 26th
"April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of, Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence, that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CORSETS & THEIR FASTENINGS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS," a communication from abroad by Alphonse Cousin,
& Adèle Duval, of 29, Boulvart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition
(amongst others) that 1, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators;
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):―
This Invention relates to fastenings applicable to corsets, garters, belts, and
other articles. This new system of fastening is formed of a plate of any
substance having a hollow or concavity formed across it, and of a sliding piece
fitted to slide on it or pivotted in the hollow part of the plate to effect the
tightening & fixing of the fabric, ribbon or other flexible material fastened
thereby. The use of these fastenings presents great advantages in certain
applications, as for example, to corsets in which, with the employment of this
fastening, all kinds of eyelets and laces can be dispensed with, at same time
permitting of simply and easily fastening and unfastening the corset.
corset can also be made with or without a busk which may be removable
and independent of the corset. These fastenings may be applied amongst
other uses to garters, braces, waistcoats, drawers, petticoats, waist and other
belts.
The
I have represented in the annexed Drawings some of the forms of this new
fastening to illustrate its application. I have also shown it as applied to
corsets.
Fig. 1 shows a front view of part of a corset furnished with the grip or clasp
fastenings partially fixed; Fig. 2 shows a plan of the fastening with a fixed pivot
or hinge; Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of the same; Fig. 4, shows an
elevation of the button fixed to the busk intended to unite the two parts of
the fastening; Fig. 5 shows an elevation of a double button intended to
connect and fix the two parts of the fastening when a busk is not employed;
Figs. 6 & 7 show a profile and plan of the clasp fastening; Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20, show different forms of clasp fastenings
made after this system and adapted for different applications.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, the same letters of reference indicate the same parts
seen in different positions.
a, corset of ordinary form; b, tab or ribbon of any length sewn to the edge
of the corset and passing through the clasp fastening e, between the clasp like
piece and the fixed part d; these tabs are in number according to the size of

page_text: the corset; c, clasp fastening composed of a plate f, with an eyeg, in which the
button h enters, fixed to the buski; e, hook fixed by a rivet or other means to
the busk i, to tighten and draw together the two parts of the corset. the eyes
of the two parts of the fastening are engaged with the button h, which is on
the busk (or the double button Fig. 5.) and the two extremities of the tabs are
pulled at same time, thereby causing the two edges or parts of the corset to be
brought together. In Figs 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
& 20, and b,represent the two plates forming the fastening, these two plates
may be of any form or ornamental character and may be of metal, horn, bone,
or other material. The plate a carries a slot , in which is engaged a
second plate b as represented, in which slot the pivoting of the two plates
takes place to produce the fixing of the ribbon or tab, or to disengage it.
The plate b, has a buckle piece c, which serves to fix, by sewing or otherwise,
one of the extremities e of the ribbon, or a hook d¹. hooking into any kind of
buckle may be used. The extremities f & g of the plates a & b, are bent
in such way as to pinch readily the other extremity of the ribbon and
also to hold the extremities i, j, of the plates of the fastening at a certain
distance the one from the other. It will be understood that to unfasten the
ribbon or tab, it suffices to disengage the extremities of the plates i, j, one
from the other, which pivot & move around the mortice c, and so effect the
slackening of the tab or ribbon, which can then be disengaged.
As already described this system of clasp fastening can be applied to all
kinds of buckles formed of two or three parts, with or without a hook, and that
without adhering to the precise forms represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)