Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
I, Doctor ADELAIDE CLOTILDE JOSEPHINE VICTOIRE GACHES-BARTHELEMY,
of 61, Rue de Rome, Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a novel hygienic corset which
possesses the advantage of not compressing the chest, of allowing full liberty in
the region of the stomach and of supporting the abdominal cavity without
compressing the same.
Each side of my corset is composed of eight pieces not including the straight
pieces common to all corsets which carry the busk in front and the eyelet holes for
the laces at the back.
These eight pieces are arranged in the following manner :-The first three are
formed' of strips of fabric, the width of which gradually diminishes from top to
bottom. They are attached to the busk piece and are adapted to be placed upon
the abdominal wall which they cover from the symphysis of the pubis to a few
centimètres below the top of the sternum.
Three other parts are placed on the side above the ilium leaving at their lower
cut away edge a free space for the hip. The vertical edges of these three pieces
present at their middle a curved line, which corresponds, when the corset is applied
to the body, to the depression between the ilium and the ribs. The bottom
edges of these parts are widened out to adapt them to the contour of the hip and
their upper parts are also slightly widened to conform to the shape of the
thoracic wall.
At the back a single piece fills the whole space between the hip and the part
provided with eyelet holes. This piece is formed of two trapeziums united at the
height of the waist by forming two obtuse angles one projecting towards the front,
the other inclining backwards and more or less open according to requirements.
The part provided with eyelet holes is fixed to the backwardly inclining edges of
the last named piece.
Another piece covers the projection of the hip and the upper part of the thigh,
it is connected at its upper edge, which follows a convex curved line to four of the
intermediate pieces, its lower edge rests free and is formed with slits which allow of
the corset adapting itself to the wearer's figure.
The general form of the corset is such that if it is spread out flat without
allowing folds to form the top edge of the whole portion situated above the waist
is curved to the arc of a circle and a line continued from the back edge provided
with eyelet holes would cut the busk and form therewith an angle of about 90°.
ik 10th day of Anvil 1895.
G. F. REDFERN. & Co.,
4 South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Corsets.
I, Doctor ADELAIDE CLOTILDE JOSEPHINE VICTOIRE GACHES-BARTHELEMY,
of 61, Rue de Rome, Paris, in the Republic of France, 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 the construction of a novel hygienic corset which
possesses the advantage of not compressing the chest, of allowing perfect freedom
in the region of the stomach and of supporting the abdominal cavity without
compressing the same.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Figure 1 is a developed view of part of a corset made according to my invention
(the two parts of the corset are symmetrical with relation to the axial line X X).
Figure 2 is a side view of the corset placed in position on the body of the
wearer:
Figures 3 to 10 are views shewing the shapes or patterns of various parts of
the corset.
Each part or side of my corset is composed of eight pieces, not including the
straight pieces common to all corsets, and which carry the busk B in front and the
eyelet holes O for the laces at the back.
These eight pieces are arranged in the following manner: The first three a, b, c,
Figures 3, 4 and 5, are formed of strips of fabric the width of which diminishes
from top to bottom. They are attached, in the order in which they are figured, to
the busk piece and are designed to be placed upon the abdominal wall which they
cover from the symphysis of the pubis to a few centimetres below the bottom of
the sternum.
Three other parts d, e, f, Figures 6, 7 and 8, are designed to be placed in rotation
on the side above the ridge of the ilium, leaving a free space for the hip below
their lower edges which are cut sloping as shewn. The vertical edges of these
three pieces d, e,f present at their middle an inwardly curved line which corresponds
when the corset is applied to the body to the depression between the ilium and the
false or short ribs. The bottom edges of these parts are widened out to adapt
them to the contour of the hip, and their upper parts are also slightly widened to
conform to the shape of the thoracic wall. The piece d may be made in two parts
as in Figure 1 or in one part as in Figure 6.
At the back a single piece g, Figure 9, fills the whole space between the hip and
the part provided with eyelet holes. This piece g is formed of two trapesiums
united at the height of the waist, thereby forming two obtuse angles, one projecting
towards the front, the other inclining inwardly towards the back and more or less
open according to the corpulence of the wearer.
The part O provided with eyelet holes is fixed to the sides of the inwardly
inclining angle of the piece g.
Another piece h, shewn separately and developed at Figure 10, covers the
projection of the hip and the upper part of the thigh; it is connected at its upper
edge which follows a convex curved line to the pieces c, d, e and f, its lower edge is
free and is cut away or gored as shewniat p,p to allow it to be taken in or narrowed
to fit the wearer's figure.
My improved corset owing to its peculiar form possesses the following
advantages:-
It embraces the whole of the abdominal cavity, without compressing it, from the
symphysis of the pubis to the level of the waist and above the waist it slightly
widens to allow perfect freedom to the region of the stomach. It differs from other
corsets, which force the viscera towards the pelvis (petit bassin), as it supports the

page_text: abdominal mass and maintains the abdominal viscera in their normal position which
are the objects aimed at by iny invention.
The upper part of the corset which does not extend so far as the base of the
lungs allows full play to the false or short ribs and an unimpaired respiration is thus
completely assured.
The angle formed by the piece g at the back has for object to widen the corset
at this part and allow a free action of the spinal column; it also permits of obtaining
the absolute parallelism of the back edges of the corset when it is being applied.
The piece serves to keep the lower and front part of the corset closely applied
against the abdominal wall.
h
The general form of the corset is such that if it is spread out flat without any
folds, the top edge of the whole portion situated above the waist is curved to the
arc of a circle, as shewn by the line xxx, Figure 1, and a line continued from the
back edge 0, provided with eyelet holes, would cut the busk and form therewith an
angle of about 90°. The line e B indicates the direction the busk would take if
developed or flattened out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The manufacture and use of the improved corset composed of the various parts
herein described and illustrated cut out and secured together in the manner
set forth.
ed the 8th day of January 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.