Year: 1888

page_text: We, CHARLES ABRAHAM WHITE, and FRANK THOMAS PLESTER, of 62 Ockendon
Road Islington, in the County of Middlesex, "Bustle Manufacturers" do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of a dress improver, with a series of coils of wire, and is
constructed in one continuous piece of metal wire, bent or turned up into a coil, or
spiral shape spring; with a portion of the wire formed into a frame, this being
the part of the dress improver fitting to the wearer, and the other parts of the
wire turned into spiral springs, which are fitted to the lower part of the frame, the
said spiral springs holding the dress improver fully extended, and in its stationary
position.
The object of the springs on the frame being to keep the coil of wire open or apart
in the centre; and when the wearer assumes a sitting position the dress improver
closes up towards the frame; but on standing erect the springs draw the improver
open again. The portions of the coil and frame may be connected together by means
of any flexible material.
J. P. BAYLY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dress Improvers.
We, CHARLES ABRAHAM WHITE, and FRANK THOMAS PLESTER, of 62 Ockendon
Road, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, "Bustle Manufacturers" 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
Our invention consists of a dress improver with a series of coils of wire, and is
constructed in one continuous piece of hard drawn metal wire, bent or turned up
into a coil or spiral shape spring, with a portion of the wire formed into a frame;
this said frame being the portion of the dress improver which fits or seats on to
the wearer, the other remaining parts of the wire are turned into spiral springs and
fitted to the lower part of the frame, these said spiral springs giving the power
required for holding the dress improver fully extended when in its stationary
position.
The object of the springs on the frame being to keep the coil of wire which form
the ribs, open or apart in the centre, and when the wearer assumes a sitting position
the dress improver closes up towards the frame; but on standing erect, the right and
left hand springs draw the improver open.
The outer portions of the coil forming the ribs and the frame are connected together
by means of any flexible material if desirable.
If preferable the frame and springs may be of round wire, and the ribs of flat steel,
or of twin-steel.
And in order that our invention may be thoroughly understood, we now proceed
to describe the accompanying drawings thereof, reference being had to letters and
figures marked thereon.
Figure 1, represents the back elevation of the dress improver, and is constructed in
one continuous piece of wire, begining from A and ending at B.
The frame marked D, is formed by the wire starting at the point A, which is
turned over at the end to clip over the eye A¹ when formed. The wire is bent at the
base at right angles, and bent with a crank slape at F, and bent again at right angles,
and carried up to form the side of the said frame D; then turned into an eye A³,
and curved outwards at the top to fit a person's back, and formed into an eye at A¹,
passed downwards and formed into the series of coils, to form the ribs G of the dress
improver.
The wire is then formed on the right of the crank into a coil spring round the
bottom bar D of the frame, turned over the crank F, and continued into another
spring E on the left of the centre, passing outwards at the front of the frame and
finishing off at the point B.
C, C, are portions of the waist bands.
Figure 2, denotes a side elevation of figure 1.

page_text: Figure 3, is the back elevation of the dress improver constructed with ribs of flat
steel or twin-steel, and the frame, and spring of round metal wire. The wire for the
frame being turned into an eye at A, carried upwards to form the side D, with the
eyes A and A2, and the top, being turned downwards to form the other side of
the frame; it is then twisted and one set of ends of the ribs G is passed on the wire.
The eyes N, N, are bent or constructed on the bar D¹ at the base, the wire being
passed through holes in the other set of ends of the ribs G and loop A, and secured
by the loop or eye at the end B. The spring E is formed by a soparate piece of
steel wire passing over the bar L right and left as described in figure 5.
Figure 4, denotes the side view of figure 3, the dotted lines indicate the bar L, from
the frame D, into the bottom rib G..
Figure 5 represents the plan of the bar L (broken off) and in what manner_it
is fitted to be bar D', by the loop K-and the spring E passing over the bar L,
to press the bar and bottom rib G downwards to the full extension permitted by
the tape J.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
•
First: The one continuous piece of metal wire from A to B, turned up and twisted
into a series of spiral rings, ribs, frame, springs, and eyes, of any size, to form a dress
improver, to permit the ribs G to close up against the frame; when the wearer sits
down, and extend themselves by the spring power, when the wearer assumes an
erect position, substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly: The combination of the round continuous wire frame, and the flat-steel
ribs or twin-steel, to close up or extend by the springs E, E, substantially as herein
described and according to the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly We claim the bar L and loop K, with the right and left handed
springs E, E, on the bar D₁ to force open the bottom rib G from the frame,
substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of January 1889.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, W.,
Agent for the Applicants.