Improvements in or relating to Corsets and similar Garments, and to the Process and Apparatus Employed in Making the same.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Corsets and similar Garments, and
to the Process and Apparatus Employed in Making the same.
I, VICTOR SKUTEZKY, of Brünn, Austria, Manufacturer of Woollen Goods, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to corsets and similar garments made from hair, woollen, or
other suitable material, or mixtures thereof; with, or without, busks or whalebone
sewn up in the same. Such corsets or garments possess important advantages
over the corsets usually worn, inasmuch as they are made without seams, and
therefore have no parts unduly pressing against the body, unless it be where the
corset is laced or fastened. They also possess a high degree of pliability, as the
shape is moulded by mechanical means and whale-bones may be dispensed with,
while all the parts next to the body are quite soft or elastic. Furthermore, the
garments made have hygienic properties, as the inaterial absorbs perspiration, and
being porous, ventilation is promoted.
The corsets are manufactured by combing or carding the wool (or other suitable
material employed) on any suitable carding engine, in the well known manner; and
the wool fleece is taken off the cylinder of the machine by a suitable comb plate
over a curved rail and wound upon a bobbin or spool whose surface is curved
inwardly towards the centre from the two ends.
This spool consists of two parts, which are keyed to a spindle working in
bearings and from which the spool, with its spindle, is readily removeable. The
curved rail, which is fixed to a frame, is intended to stretch the wool fleece at the
central part, but not at the ends, so that the fleece is distributed evenly upon
the surface of the hollow curved spool when wound thereon.
Two rollers are hung in bearings in the frame which supports the hollow curved
spool above named. These rollers have a reversely curved surface to the spool,
being of increased diameter in the centre, and they are placed beneath the said
spool so that the fleece passes between it and the rollers under pressure.
When a
suitable layer of the fleece is wound upon the hollow curved spool it is removed,
the two parts of the spool being made to draw apart from each other for that
purpose, and the fleece is of a form somewhat resembling an hour glass but with a
regular inwardly curved shape corresponding to that of the spool. Within this
moulded fleece or body is placed a correspondingly shaped piece of linen cloth, and
the body is placed in a felting machine to be felted. The linen cloth is used to
prevent the felting of the inside of the moulded body, as linen is a material which
does not take felting. The felting machine need not be described as it is well
known in the art to which it appertains.
or
The moulded body being sufficiently felted, is placed on the "twister"
machine used for stamping or consolidating the felt, and this also need not be
described as it is well known as used in the manufacture of felt hats. Before the
moulded and felted body is placed in the "twister" it is so folded that after
repeated operations it receives the shape of the corset; it being well known that
the thicker parts receive more stamping or become more intimately connected.
The central or waste part of the felted body requires the greatest stamping, and it
is so separated, folded over, and rolled as to produce the required effect; and after
a suitable linen cloth has been placed inside to prevent an eventual felting, the
felted and rolled body is introduced through a suitably shaped opening into the
"twister" for the purpose above named.
Subsequently the hose is introduced into the usual fulling mill for the known
process of "fulling." By repeated "twistering" the body receives still greater

page_text: strength, and is then shaped on a proper form block after dipping it in hot water.
The form block is modelled to the shape and size required for the finished corset,
and is made up of parts held together by suitable bars and screws. The parts are
separated to receive the body, and then replaced, and the body is stretched and
moulded with the requisite care and after a steaming operation in an oven it is
dried and stiffened in required places with certain starch mediums such as gum-
tragacanth and carraghen-muss. These substances are applied with a brush and
the hand, and then dried; after which the moulded and felted corset body is placed
on a metal form and subjected to hydraulic pressure.
The metal form is also made up of parts, and the press clamps are adapted to
suit the shape of the metal form and finished corset. The press clamps are heated
by steam and pressed against the corset, which they enclose, and thus impart to it
the finishing form and pressure. The corset is subsequently cut into two equal
parts, and finished in the usual manner; and may receive any desired colour.
Dated this 21st day of September 1892.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Corsets and similar Garments, and
to the Process and Apparatus Employed in Making the same.
I, VICTOR SKUTEZKY, of Brünn, Austria, Manufacturer of Woollen Goods, 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 :-
My invention relates to corsets and similar garments made from hair, wool, or
other suitable material or mixtures thereof, with or without busks or whalebone
combined with the said corsets. Such corsets or garments possess important
advantages over the corsets usually worn, inasmuch as they are made without
seams, and therefore have no projecting parts unduly pressing against the body-
unless it be where the corset is laced or otherwise fastened. The corsets also
possess a high degree of pliability, as the shape is moulded by mechanical means,
and whalebones being unnecessary, all the parts next to the body are sufficiently
soft and elastic. Furthermore, as the material is porous and absorbent, the garments
have hygienic properties.
In the annexed drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan of a woolcarding or shaping machine
used in the manufacture of the corsets; Fig. 3 is a perspective representation of a
wool fleece produced by the said machine; Fig. 4 is a section through the same,
flattened;
Figs. 5 and 6 represent the same but in different folded up positions ready for
further treatment in the process of manufacture;
Fig. 7 is the elevation of a rubbing machine used in the process;
Fig. 8 is a vertical section of a built up mould or form block for shaping the
corset; Fig. 9 is a plan and Fig. 10 an elevation of the central portion of the same;
Fig. 11 is a view of the moulded corset body cut in two, and ready for the
finishing operations; and
Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional plans (longitudinal and horizontal) of the clamping
forms used to give the final pressure to the corset body.
The corsets are manufactured by first combing or carding the wool or other
suitable material employed upon a carding machine in the well known manner.
From this carding operation, the wool fleece passes over the cylinder A (Figs. 1
and 2) and is taken off the same by the comb plate B and curved rail C, and is
wound up on the bobbin or spool D as a wool fleece. The spool D is formed with
a concave surface and consists of two parts, d¹ and d² attached to a spindle a

page_text: working in bearings b, from which the spindle and spool is readily removeable. The
curved rail C is fixed at the ends d to any suitable framework, and is intended to
stretch the wool fleece at its central part but not at the ends so that the fleece
is distributed evenly upon the curved concave surface of the spool D when wound
thereon.
Two rollers E and E¹ are hung in bearings beneath the spool D, and the rollers
have convexly curved surfaces, largest in the centre and adapted to bear against
the under side of D, so that the fleece passes between it and the rollers, under
pressure. When a suitable layer of the fleece is wound upon the spool D, the
fatter is removed from its bearings, and one of the parts d or d' drawn off the
spindle and the fleece is taken off the spool, which is then replaced ready to form
another fleece. The moulded fleece or body F is then of the shape shown in
Fig. 3, and within it is placed a correspondingly shaped piece of linen cloth L
(indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and dark central line in Fig. 4), and the
body F is placed in a felting machine to be felted in the well known manner.
The linen cloth L is used to prevent the felting of the inside of the moulded
body F, as linen is a material which does not take felting. The felting machine
and process need not be described, as they are well known in the art to which
they pertain.
The moulded body F being sufficiently felted is placed in the "twister" or
machine used for stamping or consolidating the felt, and this also need not be
described, as it is well known as applied to the manufacture of felt hats. Before
the moulded and felted body F is placed in the "twister" it is so folded that
after repeated rollings or stampings it receives the shape of the corset; it being
well known that the thicker part receive the most stamping, and the loose parts of
the material become more intimately connected. The central part of the body F
requires the most stamping and is therefore folded by doubling the part a over
upon upon the central line a², shown in Fig. 3 which results in the form shown
in Fig. 5; and it is again doubled upon its central line 2 in the manner indicated
in Fig. 5; the part t laying upon the part . The parts z and in Fig. 5 also
require considerable rolling or stamping and they are folded over for that purpose
in the manner indicated by the hatching lines, and after a suitable linen cloth
has been placed between the several folds or parts to prevent their felting
together, the body F is introduced through a suitable opening into the "twister
for the purpose above indicated. The parts in Fig. 6 are also subjected to
repeated stampings and they are simply folded over and held in the required
position for that operation.
By repeated "twistering the body F becomes stronger and more compact;
and is then placed on a rubbing machine, such as is shown in Fig. 7. In this
machine the shafts e and e¹ are mounted in line to run on bearings i and i
respectively, and are driven from the shaft e² by a belt arranged to run on the
fast and loose pulleys j and j'. On the shaft e is fixed one half of a spoolf the
other half being secured to the shaft e, and both halves of the spool engaging
with each other. The shaft e is rotatable within bearing but has no end move-
ment, and it carries the overhung half spoolf but the shaft e' (with its half
spool f¹) is not only rotatable, but capable of moving endways in the bearing 21
(as shown by the arrow), to admit of a felted body F being placed on or removed
from the centrally divided spool fand f¹. By means of a screw or pin g engaging
in a groove h (or other equivalent means) the shaft e¹ is kept in the position shown
for working; the divided spool being practically one body. The object of mounting
and rotating a felted body F upon the divided spool f and f¹ is to smooth or
rub off superfluous fibres by the application of glass paper; and subsequently
the body is taken to an ordinary fulling mill for the known process of
fulling."
66
The final shape is imparted to the felted body F by means of the form block
composed of the sections G, H, J, K, and L', (shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10) after
dipping the body in hot water. The sectional form block is modelled on the

page_text: outside to the shape and size required for the finished corset, and is made of the
aforesaid parts G, H, J, K and L' secured together by nuts and screws o, upon a
metal plate, and with a handle or pintle m, at each end. The parts H and L¹
(Fig. 10) have tapered flat sides, as indicated in the section Fig. 8. The sectional
parts are separated to receive the body, then replaced and the body is stretched
and moulded with the requisite care. After a steaming operation in an oven it is
dried and stiffened in required places with certain starch mediums, such as gun-
tragacanth and carraghen-moss. These substances are applied with a brush and
the hand, and then dried; after which the moulded and felted corset body F is
placed within the metal clamping forms M and M' (Figs. 12 and 13) and subjected
to hydraulic pressure. These clamping forms M and M², shaped to the exterior of
the finished corset, are heated by steam and pressed against the corset, thus
imparting to it the finished form and pressure. The corset is subsequently
vertically cut into two equal parts, as in Fig. 11, and finished in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ;-
1. The herein described process for making a body garment or corset of wool
or similar fibrous material which comprises the stretching and winding of a carded
fleece of the said fibrous material upon a concave spool, the removal therefrom as
a moulded body and its felting upon an inside linen cloth, the rolling or stamping
of the said body in a specially folded condition, and subsequent operations by
fulling" "twistering," hot water immersion, shaping upon a form block, steaming
in an oven, drying and stiffening with starch mediums, high pressure under heat,
and finally cutting the moulded and felted body into two parts ready for finishing,
substantially as described.
66
2. In apparatus for forming a body garment or corset of wool or similar fibrous
material, a curved rail C combined with a divided concave spool D and convex
rollers E and E' substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
3. In apparatus for forming a body garment or corset of wool or similar fibrous
material, a sectional form block consisting of the parts G, H, J, K, and L,
secured together by plates and screws, substantially as and for the purpose herein
shown and described.
4. In apparatus for forming a body garment or corset of wool or similar fibrous
material, the combination of a felted body, enclosed within metal clamping forms M
and M', substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described with
reference to Figs. 12 and 13.
Dated this 13th day of Annil 1902
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.