Improvements in Stiffeners for Use in the Manufacture of Ladies' Clothing and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
Improvements in Stiffeners for Use in the Manufacture of Ladies'
Clothing and the like.
We, CARL WAHLEN and PETER GEORG WAHLEN, trading as J. Wahlen, of Cöln-
Ehrenfeld, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of an improved stiffener for use in the
manufacture of ladies garments and other like purposes where such stiffeners are
required.
"
" continuous
According to our invention we form our improved stiffener in long or
lengths, which are afterwards cut into the lengths required for use, of one or two or
more slips of narrow steel or other metallic or elastic ribbon placed, if more than one,
parallelly edge to edge but preferably with a narrow space between them, and over
these we weave by well known machinery a braid or web of fine wire which may be of
brass, copper, aluminium or otherwise, in such manner that the wires cross over
from above to below and vice versa around or between the ribbons, and also form a
smoothly rounded edge or selvage and preferably so that the wires are not quite close
together but form open work between or through the spaces of which it is easy to
pass a needle and thread for the purpose of sewing the stiffener into the garment of
which it is to form part but if desired the wires may be closely woven.
Our invention also provides an improved end cap or tip (although ordinary caps
inay be used) specially adapted for such strips and for preventing the wire braiding
becoming loose or undone, which cap we form of thin sheet metal first cutting them
out of the flat sheets in the form of a quatrefoil or the like and then by means of
suitable apparatus folding each of them over and round one end of the wire
covered slips and fixing the same securely by pressure.
In some cases we may for the purpose of fixing the cap more securely punch
a hole therethrough and partly between and through the steel ribbons and insert
and fix therein an eyelet, whereby the slipping off of the tip is rendered almost
impossible.
The metal may be either polished or not as desired and its surface may be
lacquered, varnished or otherwise protected and in using these stiffeners they may
be either sewn directly into the garment without protecting covering, or they may
be wrapped in a tubular or other textile covering or the like.
Such improved stiffeners which we designate by the word "Heros" have very con-
siderable advantages over those hitherto in use by reason of their elasticity, non-
liability to breakage, ease of application and strength and permanence.
Dated the 5th day of October 1898.
CARL WAHLEN,
PETER GEORG WAHLEN.

page_text: Improvements in Stiffeners for Use in the Manufacture of Ladies'
Clothing and the like.
We, CARL WAHLEN and PETER GEORG WAHLEN, trading as J. Wahlen, of Cöln-
Ehrenfeld, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, 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:-
*Our invention relates to the manufacture of an improved stiffener for use in the
manufacture of ladies garments and other like purposes where such stiffners are
required.
According to our invention we form our improved stiffener in long or " continuous"
lengths, which are afterwards cut into the lengths required for use, of one or two or
more slips of narrow steel or other metallic or elastic ribbon or wire, placed, if more
than one, parallelly edge to edge but preferably with a narrow space between them
and over these we weave, by well-known machinery, a braid or web of fine wire which
may be of brass, copper, aluminium, or otherwise, in such manner that the wires
cross over from above to below and vice versa around or between the ribbons, and also
form a smoothly rounded edge or selvage and preferably so that the wires are not
quite close together but form open work between or through the spaces of which it
is easy to pass a needle and thread for the purpose of sewing the stiffener into the
garment of which it is to form part, but if desired the wires may be closely woven.
Our invention also provides an improved end cap or tip (although ordinary caps
may be used) specially adapted for such strips and for preventing the wire braiding
becoming loose or undone, which cap we forin of thin sheet metal first cutting them
out of the flat sheets in the form of a quatrefoil or the like and then by means of
suitable apparatus folding each of them over and round one end of the wire covered
slips and fixing the same securely by pressure.
In some cases we inay for the purpose of fixing the cap more securely punch a
hole there through and partly between and through the steel ribbons and insert
and fix therein an eyelet, whereby the slipping off of the tip is rendered almost
impossible.
The metal may be either polished or not as desired and its surface may be
lacquered, varnished or otherwise protected, and in using these stiffeners they
may be either sewn directly into the garment without protecting covering, or
they may be wrapped in a tubular or other textile covering or the like.
Such improved stiffeners which we designate by the word "Heros" have very
considerable advantages over those hitherto in use by reason of their elasticity, non-
liability to breakage, ease of application, and strength and permanence.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings
Fig. 1, represents a piece of our improved stiffener, fitted with a tip or cap.
Fig. 2, is a representation of a piece of the same with a textile fabric cover-
ing, a portion of which covering is represented as torn away in order to show its
contents.
Fig. 3, is a side view of the same and
Fig. 4, is a representation of one of the tips or caps as it is cut out of the flat sheet
metal, and before it is applied to the stiffner.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a is a slip of metallic ribbon, wire, either flattened or not, metal
threads, or the like, which we generally prefer to make of steel but which may be of
any other metal possessing sufficient elasticity. bis a covering of braided wire which
we put on by well known machinery and which may be so woven as to prevent any
movement of the metal slip within the braid and which also serves to keep the slips
of metal separated by a small space so as to render it easy to sew through between

page_text: them and which braiding also forms of itself a broad elastic ribbon wherein the
metallic slips are entered, making it stiffer and stronger, and which readily admits of
being stitched or sewn into the garment of which it is to form part through the wire
braid in the centre or at the sides, and that more easily than any article of a like
kind hitherto introduced.
When we desire to cover the wire braiding with a textile covering as shown in
Fig. 2, and marked c we prefer to use a covering made with one side of it of plain
close woven texture while the other or face side of it is preferably woven of lace like
open work so that the metallic slips and braiding are plainly to be seen through
it, and such open work, which we designate "à jour," is both ornamental and
useful inasmuch as it enables the seamstress to see where and how to place her
stitches.
The tip-cap d is a distinct improvement on those hitherto in use and one is shown
separately in Fig. 4 as it is cut out of the sheet metal and before it is bent over and
round the end of the stiffener as shown in Fig. 1, and when folded tightly by appro-
priate machinery, round the end of the stiffener, forms a very firm and secure end
and may for some purposes be further secured, although it is not generally desirable,
by an eyelet f.
Besides the great elasticity and other advantages above named our stiffeners are
very light and present great facilities for stitching for the seamstress using
them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
-
1. As a new article of manufacture the stiffener composed of one or more narrow
ribbons of spring metal covered by wire braiding substantially as described and shown
in the drawings.
2. The stiffeners formed as claimed, cut into appropriate lengths and each such
length tipped at each end with the caps or tips hereinbefore described and illustrated
in Figs. 1 and 4.
3. The stiffeners claimed in Claims 1 and 2 incased in a textile covering so
woven that one side of the slip is covered with open work rendering the internal
arrangement visible and the other side with a closely woven fabric substantially as
described.
4. Stiffeners for use in the manufacture of ladies clothing composed of parallel
slips of metallic ribbon or wire, either round or flattened, or metallic threads, of
spring temper, covered with a braiding of fine wire substantially as herein before
described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
5. The stiffeners for use in the manufacture of ladies clothing and the like
substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Deted the Seventh day of July 1800
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicants.