Improvements in Breast Supports or Corset Substitutes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breast Supports or Corset Substitutes.
I, HUGO SCHINDLER, of Mariaschein near Teplitz, Bohemia, in the Empire of
Austro-Hungary, Manufacturer, 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 :-
The subject of this invention is a breast support intended for use as a substitute
for corsets and adapted to improve the shape of the feminine bust by raising the
breasts and counteracting their tendency to drop and supporting them in a practi-
cally horizontal position without interfering with the circulation of the blood or
causing the liver to be crippled or other parts of the body injured as most corsets
at present are liable to do the improved breast support also affording perfect
liberty of motion to every part of the body of the wearer.
The accompanying drawings illustrate this improved breast support, Fig. 1 being
a front view and Fig. 2 a back elevation thereof.
Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications of the support.
It mainly consists of two caps a a of strong material, made to conform to the
shape of the breasts and attached by their lower edges to a belt 6 (Figs. 1 and 2).
The belt consists of two parts which on each side of the body are united by meaus
of buttons, hooks and eyes, or other fasteners d. In its central portion in front
an elastic (preferably indiarubber) piece is inserted so that the belt can yield to
the alternate expansion and contraction of the waist produced by breathing. By
means of a buckle d the length of the belt may be adjusted to fit the waist.
Bands are provided on each side of the belt, their opposite ends being connected
by means of a shackle with other wider bands & enibracing the shoulders, buckles g
enabling the length of these shoulder bands to be adjusted at will.
Each of the shoulder bands & is connected with a shackle h by means of a hori
zontal bridge underneath which it is passed whereby these bands are enabled to
yield to any strain resulting from an irregular motion of the shoulders and accom-
modate any deflection of the same from their normal position on the same level, the
pressure of the bands kon each shoulder remaining the same whatever its position
for the time being. From shackles m attached to the shoulder straps & additional
straps lead to the breast caps a a.
When it is desired to use this form of improved breast support, the buttons or
hooks on both sides of the belt (at e) are unfastened so that the wearer may get in
The breasts are then intro-
by passing her head between the shoulder straps k.
duced into the caps and the belt fastened on both sides.
To protect the hips from injury from the pressure of the tapes or strings of the
skirts a special hip protector 6's b', not unlike that of ordinary corsets, may be
provided as shown and also if necessary fitted with an elastic piece capable of
yielding to the movements produced by respiration.
Figs 3 and 4 show a modified form of breast support the construction being here
simplified and the employment of the device made still more convenient.
In this case the caps a which in the former arrangement are secured to the
belt bare replaced by a pair of stays B similar in appearance to ordinary corsets
and adapted to be fastened in front on the line xa by means of buttons, hooks and
eyes, or the like H H the latter viz. H' attached to the two parts of a strap or
band C C¹ one part of which (say C, as shown in Fig. 3) is formed wholly or partly

page_text: of elastic material. The two strap parts C.Care-attached one to each of the stay
parts B as shown in Fig. 3. These stays B may be drawn together so as to fit
the body by means of a belt A formed in two parts each of which is secured to one
of the stay parts B and which may be passed round the waist and fastened together
by means of a buckle s. A further modification of the arrangement in this case
consists in the different adjustment of the stays to the length of the bust. In the
first arrangement this adjustment is provided for at the back, being effected by
means of buckles g. In the modified form this may be done by buckles G arranged
in front in a manner similar to ordinary trousers-supporting braces. The shoulder
bands SS in this case intersect or cross each other at K (see the detailed view
Fig. 5) provision being made as shown for their movability and ready adjustment
to accommodate the movements of the shoulder, the shackle used in the first
arrangement (Fig. 2) being dispensed with. It will be seen that the arrangement
is thus considerably simplified, the shoulder bands S simply passing through the
buckles or shackles. G which also receive the braces T.
This modified form of breast support is put on in the following manner,-
T
•
The shoulder straps S movable in G, and the fastening belt A. movable ins,
being first, and once for all, adjusted to fit the body of the wearer, she has only to
pass her arms through the slings formed by the shoulder straps. These straps
are then raised on to the shoulders, and the fastening is completed at æ. By
unfastening the stays at a they may be instantaneously removed.
It will be understood that this form of breast support also may be provided
with a hip protector if necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim'is,―
1. A breast support intended for use as a substitute for corsets and charac-
terized by such an arrangement that the breasts instead of relying for their support
upon the strength of the hips as in ordinary corsets are supported from the
shoulders for which purpose two caps a (Figs. 1 and 2) are attached by their
lower edges to a belt of adjustable length comprising an elastic intermediate
piece while bands or braces and are provided for the suspension of the
supporting device from the shoulders substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
2. In a breast support as characterized in the preceding claim either of the
following arrangements of the bands or straps:
:-
a. Two double straps 7 attached to the caps a and passed through a shackle m
wherein they are adjustable so as of their own accord to accommodate
variations in the shape and position of the breasts.
b. A shoulder strap k provided with shackles or buckles in at its ends and
passed at the back through another shackle h in which it is adjustable so
as to accommodate any displacement of the shoulders, the pressure of the
straps on the shoulders at all times remaining uniform.
TE
c. A shackle or guide h for the back through which are passed adjustably and
crosswise a pair of straps of braces the opposite ends of which are
secured to a belt adapted to be fastened on each side of the body by means
of buttons hooks and eyes or the like.
3. The modification illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 in which the caps a are
replaced by a pair of stays BB arranged to be closed like ordinary corsets in
front and firmly held against the body by means of a band A while at the back
shoulder straps or braces S are passed crosswise through an ordinary guide K
the length of these shoulder straps being adjustable by means of shackles G
connecting them with the braces T.
4. In combination with the breast support a hip protector or belt for protecting
the hips from the pressure of tightly tied tapes or strings such hip protector

page_text: being also provided with an elastic intermediate piece to accommodate the various
positions of the body while constantly bearing upon it with uniform pressure.
All substantially as described and shown.
Dated this and dox of Angust 1805
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.