An Improved Stiffening Material applicable to Wearing Apparel, also applicable to Textile Fabrics Used for other purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
An Improved Stiffening Material applicable to Wearing Apparel,
also applicable to Textile Fabrics Used for other purposes.
THOMAS WILLIAM MARSTERS Manager, and MARY MARSTERS, Wife of the above
Thomas William Marsters, both of Upper Talbot Street Nottingham do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved stiffening material applicable to ladies and
childrens skirts, cloaks, capes and to other wearing apparel, also to curtains and to
textile fabrics used for other purposes; the object of the invention being the
production of a stiffener which is flexible, light, easily attached and whose stiffening
properties are obtained by means other than the size or dressing used in the production
of ordinary stiffening materials.
According to this invention the improved stiffener comprises a light and thin textile
fabric with which is incorporated, or added thereto, narrow strips, or threads of metal
cane, whalebone, whalebone substitutes or other materials having similar properties.
The textile used in the production of the stiffening material may be woven, knitted
produced on a lace machine, or by other known means, and to the fabric there is
added, applied or incorporated during its manufacture one or more strips or threads
of the materials named or having the same properties. These strips or threads may
be parallel to each other and parallel or inclined to the edges of the stiffening
material, they may cross each other, or they may be arranged in scrolls or in zig zag
lines. When the strips or threads are made of a metal which is affected by moisture
they may be coated with a suitable preparation or be covered by braiding or other
means, and the pieces of material to which the strips or threads are applied may be
shaped to suit a particular garment and the strips or threads may be applied according
to that shape.
Dated this 27th day of November 1896.
W. H. POTTER, F.S.P.A.,
Nottingham, Patent Agent."
An Improved Stiffening Material applicable to Wearing Apparel,
also applicable to Textile Fabrics Used for other purposes.
THOMAS WILLIAM MARSTERS Manager, and MARY MARSTERS, Wife of the above
Thomas William Marsters, both of Upper Talbot Street Nottingham, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved stiffening material applicable to various kinds
of wearing apparel such as skirts, dresses, capes, coats, and other articles also applicable
to textile fabrics used for ornamentation and other purposes, the object of the

page_text: invention being the production of a stiffening material which is flexible light, easily
attached, and in which the stiffening properties are obtained by means of metal strips
or threads instead of by size or dressing as is usual.
According to this invention the improved stiffening material is made of a thin and
light textile fabric, with which is incorporated during manufacture, or added after
manufacture a strip, thread, or ribbon of some suitable metal, tempered steel being
used by preference.
According to one method of making the improved stiffening material it is woven in
a loom and the metal threads are inserted during the weaving. In one particular
material there are about forty warp threads to the inch, and the loom makes about
forty picks to each inch of fabric woven. The threads used are glazed and the shuttle
thread is double. The steel threads are very thin and about one sixteenth of an inch
wide, they are about one inch apart and are locked into the fabric by the shuttle
threads every ninth pick. The number of warp threads and picks per inch may be
varied considerably from the numbers given, as may also the size and number of the
steel threads, and the number of picks between the points at which they are locked
into the fabric.
The fabric used may also be produced by a knitting machine, the metal threads in
this case being by preference added after the fabric is knitted, although they might be
introduced during the process of knitting.
The fabric may also be made on a lace machine, and the steel threads may be
incorporated during the making of the lace or added thereto afterwards.
When the metal threads are applied to the fabric after the making of the same
such threads may be inserted by a needle or sewn on the surface, and they may be
applied in parallel, inclined, curved, or other lines, this method of making the
stiffening material being particularly suitable for making stiffeners of a particular
shape.
The metal threads may be coated or braided to protect them from atmospheric
influences, and they may be of any suitable section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
A stiffening material in which the stiffening properties are obtained by metal strips,
threads or ribbons applied to a textile fabric substantially as herein described for tne
purposes specified.
DL: 10th of 1807