Improvements relating to Bustles or Dress-improvers.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1887.
Improvements relating to Bustles or Dress-improvers.
I, WILLIAM PERCY, of Belvedere Terrace, Alnwick, in the County of Northumber-
land, Draper 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 bustles or dress-improvers.
One object of my said invention is to provide a bustle or dress-improver which will
be light in weight and which will distribute the pressure caused by the weight of the
dress over the back or partially over the back of the wearer. For this purpose I use
a frame for the top or upper part of bustle or dress-improver, which supports or
comes against the skirt of the dress, this said frame projects backward from the body
of wearer, I also use a frame joined to this before mentioned frame or top of bustle ;
at the points of juncture they form hinges by means of coils or the like, this latter
frame hereinafter described as the under frame, will rest upon or against the body of
the wearer.
I also use a spring which supports the top frame or upper part of bustle or dress-
improver, one end of said spring is joined to this top frame or upper part of bustle,
the other end is joined to the under frame before mentioned which said frame rests
upon or against the body of the wearer, I provide means whereby this before men-
tioned spring, can be compressed or caused to curve and thereby the inclination of
top frame or upper part of bustle, increased or diminished to suit the wishes of the
wearer and for other purposes. The means provided for effecting this are as follows.
The two frames herein mentioned viz: the top or upper frame of bustle or dress-
improver and the under frame, which rests upon or against the body of the wearer ;
have straps of ribbon or the like attached to them, near or at the points where the
spring is riveted, joined to or fastened to the said two frames, one of these straps of
ribbon or the like has a buckle attached, the other strap is passed through and secured
by this buckle and thereby, the distance between the points where the two above
named straps of ribbon or the like, are joined to the two frames, is decreased or
increased. These straps of ribbon or the like may be tied together or otherwise
fastened.

page_text: The bustle or dress-improver will be fastened to or around the waist of the wearer
by means of straps, ribbons or the like.
In the accompanying drawings, one form of my improved bustle or dress-improver
is shown and there is also shown detail of coils or hinges as before named and now
inarked in drawing A. B is the frame which forms the top or upper part of bustle or
dress-improver, to which are attached K. K. straps, ribbons or the like, at or near
points A. A. These straps, ribbons or the like are for fixing the bustle or dress-improver
in place and they are fastened to, at, or around the waist of the wearer. C. is the
under frame which rests upon or against the body of the wearer.
D. is the spring.
E. & F. are the points at which the spring is riveted, joined or fastened to the top or
upper frame and to the under frame. L. is buckle fixed to sirap, ribbon or the like,
which is marked M. G. the other strap, ribbon or the like which is passed through
and secured in the buckle before mentioned. When this strap G. is passed through
the buckle L. it will be seen that the spring can be compressed as shown and the
point E. brought nearer to point F. or the said spring can be allowed to extend. By
these means the inclination of the top or upper frame is increased or diminished and
any desired extension or elevation given to that part of the skirt which rests upon or
over the bustle or dress-improver. When the spring is not compressed, it assumes a
straight line between E. and F.
H. H. H. are straps, ribbons or the like which pass from the front to the hinder
part of the top or upper frame.
I have shown the bustle or dress-improver with straps, ribbons or the like on the
top or upper frame, but I prefer to cover bustle or dress-improver or parts thereof with
satin, cotton or other suitable material.
The top or upper frame B. is shown of triangular or approximately triangular form,
but the said top or upper frame may be made of any other desired form to suit the
taste of the wearer or other circumstances. The top or upper frame and the under
frame may be of copper, steel or other suitable material, and the frames herein mentioned
may be either solid or skeleton as shown.
The spring may be round, square or any other shape in transverse section. It is
sometimes made in one piece with the frames herein mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,
First. A bustle or dress-improver which consists essentially of two frames with a
spring.
Second. With the said frames and spring means for adjusting the same as and for
the purposes above specified.
Third. The improved bustle or dress-improver substantially constructed as described
with reference to the accompanying drawing for the purposes specified.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1887.
WILLIAM PERCY.