The Manufacture of a New Seamless Elastic Corset.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of a New Seamless Elastic Corset.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London, l'atent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me
by The Ste. Baehr et Cic., of 66, Rue de la Chaussee d'Antin, Paris, and Eugene
Mehl, of Bar le Duc (Meuse), in the Republic of France, Corset Manufacturers),
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a corset from a single piece of
an elastic specially woven fabric which allows the corset to stretch easily so as
to conform to all the movements of the body.
In manufacturing the corset I employ the loom now used for the manufacture
of seamless corsets, the construction of the said loom not being altered but the
arrangement thereof being adapted for carrying out the invention. The new
corset contains a number of rubber threads woven in the body of the fabric and
interposed between the ordinary warp threads. These threads are designed,
during the process of weaving, to be put in tension in such a manner that the
ordinary warp threads cannot hinder the stretching of the finished fabric.
The necessary tension is obtained by means of suitably determined counter-
weights furnished with pulleys over which pass the rubber threads arranged
similarly to the ordinary warp threads and coming from the bobbin frame.
The rubber thread which I advantageously employ is whipped about with
two layers of cotton, the first layer being formed of a single helically wound
thread and the second by three other threads crossing the first.
The warp threads are also connected to the weft threads in such a manner as
to securely tie the elastic threads in the fabric and at the same time to allow the
said fabric to stretch where necessary.
In carrying out the invention the ordinary warp threads or the rubber threads
are wound
upon bobbins at the back of the loom, which is of ordinary construc-
tion. The threads are stretched in the usual manner, but the rubber threads
after having passed under the counterweight pulleys, the weights of which are
suitably determined according to the degree of flexibility or stiffness it is desired
io give the fabric, pass over rods and form a separate layer which unites with
the layer of ordinary threads to pass through the loops in the heddles and
through the reed, the position of each thread with respect to the others being
determined by the draught of the fabric to be manufactured.
This division of the warp threads into two layers has only for its object to
facilitate the draught and the starting of the process.
The loom which may be of the type known as the "Bar le Duc loom" is
provided, as usual, with two cards one of which is the draught card, that is to
say, the card for producing the texture of the fabric and the other of which is
017
は
CU...

page_text: the card designed to securely hold a certain number of the warp threads as
required for forming the gussets for the hips and bust.
One of the lifting wires of the Jacquard is designed to effect the movement
of the second series of cards, the said wire being itself operated by the first and
effecting the movement of the cards at predetermined intervals. The weaving
process is carried out in the usual manner, the shuttle being operated by hand
by the weaver who beats up each weft by means of the batten; the fabric passes
under a suitable gripping device which holds it during each operation. This
device is raised, after the shuttle has been thrown a few times, either for advanc-
ing the fabric woven or for straightening it after the formation of a gusset.
The two cards are both mounted on the batten formed of two pivoted levers
operated by two rods which are symmetrically placed on the right and left hand
sides of the loom and are actuated by pulleys or the like mounted upon the
shaft or spindle which carries the pulley round which passes the cord or band
operated by the weaver through the medium of the treadle for raising the comber
board of the Jacquard apparatus.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me
by The Ste. Baehr et Cie., of 66, Rue de la Chaussee d'Antin, Paris, and Eugene
Mehl, of Bar le Duc (Meuse), in the Republic of France, Corset Manufacturers),
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 manufacture of a corset from a single piece of
an elastic specially woven fabric which allows the corset to stretch easily so as
to conform to all the movements of the body.
In manufacturing the corset I employ the loom now used for the manufacture
of seamless corsets, the construction of the said loom not being altered but the
arrangement thereof being adapted for carrying out the invention. The new
corset contains a number of rubber threads woven in the body of the fabric and
interposed between the ordinary warp threads. These threads are designed,
during the process of weaving, to be put in tension in such a manner that the
ordinary warp threads cannot hinder the stretching of the finished fabric.
The necessary tension is obtained by means of suitably chosen counter-
weights furnished with pulleys over which pass the rubber threads arranged
similarly to the ordinary warp threads and coming from the bobbin frame.
The rubber thread which I advantageously employ is whipped about with
two layers of cotton, the first layer being formed of a single helically wound
thread and the second of three other threads crossing the first.
The warp threads are also connected to the weft threads in such a manner as
to securely tie the elastic threads in the fabric and at the same time to allow the
said fabric to stretch where necessary.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings:
Figure is a longitudinal section of a loom adapted for the manufacture of
the improved seamless elastic corsets:
Figures 2 and 3 are views drawn to an exaggerated scale of the two faces
of a piece of fabric employed in the manufacture of the corsets; and
Figures 4 and 5 are similar views of two other types of fabric employed.
In carrying out the invention the ordinary warp threads or the rubber threads
are wound upon bobbins A at the back of the loom, which is of ordinary con-
struction. The ordinary threads are stretched in the usual manner, but the
rubber threads after having passed under the counterweight pulleys B, the
weights of which are suitably determined according to the degree of flexibility
or stiffness it is desired to give the fabric, pass over rods a and form a separate
layer C which unites with the layer D of ordinary threads to pass through the
loops in the heddles and through the reed, the position of each thread with
respect to the others being determined by the draught of the fabric to be manu-
factured.
This division of the warp threads into two layers has for its object merely
to facilitate the draught and the starting of the loom.
The loom, which may be of the type known as the "Bar le Duc loom," is
provided, as usual, with two cards one E of which is the draught card, that is to
say, the card for producing the texture of the fabric and the other F of which is
the card designed to securely hold a certain number of the warp threads, as
required, for forming the gussets for the hips and bust. One of the lifting
wires of the Jacquard apparatus G is designed to effect the movement of the
second series of cards, the said wire being itself operated by the first and
effecting the movement of the cards at predetermined intervals.
The weaving process is carried out in the usual manner, the shuttle being
operated by hand by the weaver who beats up each weft by means of the reed H;
the fabric passes under a suitable gripping device I which holds it during each
operation. This device I is raised, after the shuttle has been thrown a few times,
either for advancing the fabric woven or for straightening it after the formation
of a gusset.
The two cards E and F are mounted on the frame K formed of two levers
pivoted at and operated by two rods M which are symmetrically placed on the
right and left hand sides of the loom and are actuated by pulleys N or the like
mounted upon the shaft or spindle O which carries the pulley P round which
passes the cord or band Q operated by the weaver through the medium of the
treadle R for raising the comber board S of the Jacquard apparatus.
Figures 2 and 3 are views of the two faces of one type of fabric which I employ
for the manufacture of the extensible corset, the said views indicating clearly the
interlacing of the ordinary warp. threads c and the rubber threads d with the
weft threads e.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of two other draughts which I employ in manu-
facturing the seamless corset. The rubber, weft and warp threads are indicated,
as in the other figures, by the letters d, c. and e respectively.
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:-
1. The manufacture of a new seamless elastic corset in a loom, substantially
in the manner herein before described and illustrated.
2. In the manufacture of seamless elastic corsets the employment of rubber
warp threads whipped about with one or more layers, for giving elasticity to
the corsets, substantially as hereinbefore described."
3. In the manufacture of seamless elastic corsets the described method of
connecting the warp with the weft threads, the draught of the fabric being varied
as required.

page_text: 4. As a new article of manufacture, corsets made in the manner herein before
described.
Dated the 31st day of May 1898.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.