AN IMPROVED LIFE-SAVING, SWIMMING, AND BATHING GARMENT
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Crisp, of Eastbourne, in the County
of Sussex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LIFE-SAVING, SWIMMING,
AND BATHING GARMENT."
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Sealed the 5th November 1875, and dated the 25th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Crisp, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th August 1875.
I, CHARLES CRISP, of Eastbourne, in the County of Sussex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LIFE-SAVING,
SWIMMING, AND BATHING GARMENT," to be as follows :
My Invention consists in the manufacture of a life-saving, swimming,
and bathing garment in the form of a corset or stays. It is composed
of a foundation of jean or other suitable fabric cut and made up in a
similar manner to ordinary corsets or stays, the ordinary lacing at the
back being dispensed with, while the ordinary busk and busk fastenings
are replaced by ties or other suitable fastenings. Upon the outside of
this foundation I place vertical rows of corks which may be secured by

page_text: stitching them within the fabric of the corset. These corks while they
afford sufficient buoyancy to support a person in the water, accom-
modate themselves to the figure, and are therefore not uncomfortable
to the wearer.
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stitching them within the fabric of the corset. These corks while they
afford sufficient buoyancy to support a person in the water, accom-
modate themselves to the figure, and are therefore not uncomfortable
to the wearer.
The garments may be worn by men, women, or children. For women a
a few additional corks are inserted at the ordinary gussets so as to fit the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Crisp in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CRISP, of Eastbourne, in the County of Sussex, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Crisp, Her special
licence, that I, the said Charles Crisp, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Crisp, 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 "AN IMPROVED
LIFE-SAVING, SWIMMING, AND BATHING GARMENT," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Crisp, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Charles Crisp, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the manufacture of a life-saving, swimming,
and bathing garment in the form of a corset or stays. It is composed
of a foundation of jean or other suitable fabric cut and made up in a
similar manner to ordinary corsets or stays, the ordinary lacing at the
back being dispensed with, whilst the ordinary busk and busk fastenings
are replaced by ties or other suitable fastenings. Upon the outside of
this foundation I place vertical rows of corks which may be secured by
stitching them within the fabric of the corset. These corks while they
afford sufficient buoyancy to support a person in the water, accom-
modate themselves to the figure, and are therefore not uncomfortable
to the wearer.
The garments may be worn by men, women, or children. For women
a few additional corks are inserted at the ordinary gussets so as to fit the
bust.
Figure 1 is an outside view, and Figure 2 a horizontal section of a
garment made according to my Invention; Figure 3 represents the
garment on the body. a is a foundation of jean or other suitable fabric
cut and made up in a similar manner to ordinary corsets or stays, but
without the ordinary lacing at the back, and without the busk and busk
fastenings; b, b, are vertical rows of corks. These corks are secured in
place by means of an outer fabric or cover c which is attached to the
foundation or inner fabric a by stitches between the rows of corks, as
shewn. Part of this fabric is removed in Figure 1 to allow the corks
to be seen; d, d, are shoulder straps or bands to prevent the garment
slipping down the body when in use; e, e, are ties or tapes for securing
the two sides of the garment together at the front.
Figure 4 is a back view; Figure 5, a cross section; and Figure 6 a
horizontal section of a modified form of my garment which may be
preferred for men's use. The garment is composed as before of an inner
fabric a, an outer fabric c, and vertical rows of corks b, b, secured
between the two fabrics by vertical rows of stitching. Instead however
of fastening the garment at the front, and using shoulder straps to keep
it from falling, I make the front and back separately, except that they
are connected by shoulder pieces d, d. The front and back are con-

page_text: "
nected at the one side by straps or tapes f, f, which may be permanently
secured, and at the other side by free ties or tapes e, e, which are
fastened together when the garment is put on the body; g, g, are con-
tinuations of the tapes f connecting them with the tapes e; but the
tapes and e may be separate pieces if preferred.
If desired the garment may be continued in the form of a dress
with sleeves, or dress and drawers, so as to form a complete bathing
costume, the corks being of course confined to the corset or upper
part.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, manu-
facturing life-saving, swimming, and bathing garments, substantially as
herein-before described.
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CHARLES CRISP. (L.s.)