IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS, CORSETS, BODICES, AND RIDING BELTS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Charles Vine, Manager to Messieurs L. H.
"
and R. Lyons, of Cox's Court, Little Britain, in the City of London,
Manufacturers, for the Invention of. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS, CORSETS,
BODICES, AND RIDING BELTS."
Sealed the 1st May 1868, and dated the 5th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Charles Vine
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1867.
I, EDWARD CHARLES VINE, Manager to Messieurs L. H. and R. Lyons, of
Cox's Court, Little Britain, in the City of London, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS
CORSETS, BODICES, AND RIDING BELTS," to be as follows:--
Hitherto stays, corsets, bodices, and riding belts have usually been made of
material and fitted with bones extending continuously from the upper to the
lower edge, or nearly so, and thereby exerting an inconvenient, hurtful, and
The
(comparatively speaking) inflexible pressure on the body of the wearer.
main objections urged to the use of stays as regard 'health, ease, and comfort;
are due to this arrangement.
Now the object of my Invention is to remedy these defects, and my
improvements consist in the employment of one, two, or more bands, strips,
or pieces of elastic substance in the stay, corset, bodice, or riding belt at or
near the region of the waist, such elastic substance being attached to or

page_text: combined with the stay, so as to form a portion or portions thereof especially
or mainly in the direction of the circumference of the waist, or obliquely
thereto; or portions of such elastic substance may be placed in other
directions at the aforesaid part of the stay. The bones instead of extending
continuously from top to bottom of the stay are preferably interrupted at the
edges of circumferential elastic, that is to say, an upper set of bones extend
from the top of the stay to the top edge of the elastic, and a lower set of
bones from the lower edge of the elastic to the lower edge of the stay, there
being no bones in or through the circumferential elastic. By this arrange-
ment a resilient or yielding pressure only is exerted at the waist and on the
hips, and the prejudicial effects at present complained of are wholely obviated.
The above arrangement is according to my Invention applicable in precisely
similar manner to corsets, bodices, and riding belts. I sometimes substitute
for the elastic material a substance which in place of being of the description
usually styled elastic, is of a fabric more flexible than the main material of
the body of the stay. I sometimes pass bones or similar appliances through
<the elastic or flexible material used as above described in stays, bodices,
-corsets, and riding belts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Charles Vine in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
CHARLES VINE, Manager to Messieurs L. H. and R. Lyons, of Cox's Court,
Little Britain, in the City of London Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year. of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said, Edward Charles Vine, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Charles Vine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Charles Vine, 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
IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS, CORSETS, BODICES, AND RIDING BELTS," upon the
.

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Charles Vine, 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 pér-
formed, 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 Edward Charles Vine, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statenient thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures' marked' thereon; that is to say:-
Hitherto stays, corsets, bodices, and riding belts have usually been made
as follows: The textile material of which they have been made' has been'
fitted with bones and' such textile material, and the bones have extended'
continuously from the upper to the lower edge' or end of the' stay, corset,
bodice, or riding belt, or nearly to the end or edge thereof, thereby exerting
an inconvenient, hurtful, and' (comparatively speaking) inflexible pressure on
the body of the wearer. The main objections urged to the use of stays' as?
regard health, use, and comfort are due to this arrangement.
Now the object of my' Invention is to remedy these defects; and niy
improvements consist in the employment of one, two; dr' more bands, strips,
or picces of elastic'substance in tlie stay, corset, bodice, or riding belt at or
about the region of the waist, such elastic substance being attached to or
combined with the stay' in' such manner as to form a portion or portions
thereof, especially or mainly in the direction' or at the circumference of the-
waist, or obliquely thereto; or portions of such elastic substance may be
placed in other directions at the aforesaid part of the" stay. The bones!
instead of extending continuously from top to bottom of the stay are pre-
ferably interrupted at the edges of the circumferential elastic, that is to say,
an upper set of bones'extends' from the 'top'of the stay to the 'top edge of the
elastic, and a lower set of bones from the lower edge of the elastic to the
lower edge of the stay; there being thus no bones fitted in or passing through'
the circumferential elastic. By this arrangement' only a resilient or yielding'
pressure is exerted at the waist and on the hips, and 'the prejudicial effects of
stays at present complained of are wholly obviated. The arrangeinent' herein-
before and herein-after described as applied to' stays is according to my
Invention applicable in precisely similar manner to corsets, bodices, and
riding belts. Sometimes I substitute for the elastic material' a substance

page_text: which in place of being of the description usually described as elastic, is
composed of material more flexible than the main material of the body of
the stay. I sometimes pass bones or similar appliances through the elastic or
flexible material used as above described in stays, corsets, bodices, and
riding belts.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I proceed more fully
to explain the means of performing the same with reference to the ac-
companying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a front view of a stay, corset, or bodice constructed according
to my Invention shewn as fastene; Figure 2 is a view of the same opened.
A, A, represents the main portion of the bodice, corset, or stay. The
jean, marseilles, coutille, or other material whereof the main portion of the
stay or bodice is composed does not extend continuously from the top edge to
the bottom edge thereof, but is intercepted or cut off as shewn, in order to
admit of the introduction of intervening strips or bands B, B, composed of
elastic material. The elastic material which I recommend for the purpose is
what is commonly called "elastic webbing," and which consists of vulcanized
caoutchouc covered with cotton or silk, or other textile fabric, the elastic
cords being arranged horizontally or circumferentially, or so as to stretch in a
horizontal or circumferential direction. This elastic material is sewn or
otherwise attached at its top and bottom edges to the textile material of the
stay, and thus connects the upper portion thereof with the lower portion
thereof. The upper and lower parts A of the stay are fitted with bones
extending to the edges of the elastic portion B, B. The elastic portion or
bands B, extend from the front or busk piece C to the back piece D, in
which the eyelets and laces are placed, and it is sewn or otherwise attached to
these parts. Instead of using an elastic webbing at the part B, 1 sometimes
form that part B of a substance more flexible than the other substance or
material of the stay, as, for example, suppose the main portion A of the stay
to consist of coutille, I form the parts B of satin or other material more
flexible than coutille; or I sometimes form the main portion of the stay, that
is to say, the upper and lower portions A, A, of jean, coutille, or other ordinary
material provided with bones, while I form the portion B of the same or other
ordinary material, but without providing it with bones, the bones thus only
extending from the top of the stay to the top of the band B, and from the
bottom of the stay to the bottom of the band B, which band B being without
bones is thus more flexible than the rest of the stay.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the employment in stays

page_text: corsets, bodices, and riding belts of an elastic or flexible portion or portions,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Charles Vine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
E. EDMONDS,
Patent Office,
68, Fleet Street,
London.
EDWARD CHAS. VINE. (L.S.)