IMPROVEMENTS IN CORSETS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ellis, of the Firm of John Ellis, jun'., & Co.
of Old Market Street, Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Stay
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORSETS."
Sealed the 24th February 1863, and dated the 1st September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ellis at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st September
1862.
I, JOHN ELLIS, of the Firm of John Ellis, jun., & Co., of Old Market
Street, Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Stay Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORSETS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining a great number of narrow pieces of
linen or other "coutille," or other suitable material, each piece being cut or
shaped according to the figure and the size of the article required. Although
I prefer to make corsets, according to this Invention, from fifty separate pieces
of material, any greater or lesser number may be employed. I join several
narrow pieces of material together side by side by overlapping to such an
extent as, when two single or double rows of sewing or stitching have been

page_text: made, a space will be left along the sewn joints, forming a groove or channel,
into which a piece of whalebone or other suitablo material is inserted; and
such pieces of material may be plain or covered. Thus every sewn joint
contains a piece of elastic material and a perfectly flexible framework, composed
of bone or other material, and cloth or other fabric is produced capable of fitting
the human figure accurately and comfortably, and at the same time affording
perfect support. The end of each bone or piece of flexible material is secured
or held in its place by "buds" of silk or other thread, which form stops.
Each piece of cloth or other fabric of which the body of the corset is composed
is cut to a pattern defining its simple or compound curved or other form,
as well as its width and length, according to a geometrical development of the
figure intended to be encased or covered, and these several pieces, to the number
of fifty, more or less, are made to overlap at their joints, and are sewn together
as described. The back piece is formed of elastic webbing capable of expand-
ing to a limited extent in the girth, and should extend about half way down;
below the elastic back piece I introduce the lacing pieces by which the girth
is varied. A gore or gusset is inserted at the bottom of the back piece or below
the lacings, by which the limit of expansion of the elastic back is regulated,
and ease to the spine of the wearer is ensured. The front is, by preference,
made to open and close, and the fastening is effected in front by means of a
steel rib on each edge, sewn in the usual way; and the fasteners which I prefer
to employ consist of two reversed hooks, one at the top and the other at the
bottom which are made to take into or fasten upon studs or stud hooks or their
equivalents fixed upon the opposite steel rib; there may be a central metal
loop taking on to a hook or stud, or there may be several such. A pipe edging
may be run along the top and bottom of the corset, and it may be trimmed
or ornamented in any manner which may be preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
February 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ELLIS, of the Firm of John Ellis, jun'., & Co., of Old Market Street,
Bristol, in the County of Gloucester, Stay Manufacturer, send greeting.
8
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord S

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Ellis, Her special licence, that I, the said John Ellis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the .said
John Ellis, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CORSETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Ellis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, 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 John Ellis, 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
statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings:-
:-
This Invention consists in combining a great number of narrow pieces of linen
or other "coutille," or other suitable material, each pieco being cut or shaped
according to the figure and the size of the article required. Although I
prefer to make corsets, according to this Invention, from fifty separate pieces
of material, any greater or lesser number may be employed. I join several
narrow pieces of material together side by side by overlapping to such
an extent as, when two single or double rows of sewing or stitching have
been made a space will be left along the sewn joints, forming a groove or
channel into which a piece of whalebone or other suitable material is inserted,
and such pieces of material may be plain or covered; thus every sewn joint
contains a piece of elastic material, and a perfectly flexible framework,
composed of bone or other material and cloth or other fabric, is produced,
capable of fitting the human figure accurately and comfortably, and at the
same time affording perfect support. The end of each bone or piece of flexible
material is secured or held in its place by "buds" of silk or other thread,
which form stops. Each piece of cloth or other fabric of which the body
of the corset is composed is cut to a pattern defining its simple or compound
curved or other form, as well as its width and length, according to a geometrical
development of the figure intended to be encased or covered, and these several

page_text: pieces, to the number of fifty, more or less, are made to overlap at their joints,
and are sewn together as described. The back piece is formed of elastic webbing
capable of expanding to a limited extent in the girth, and should extend about
half way down; below the elastic back piece I introduce the lacing pieces by
which the girth is varied. A gore or gusset is inserted at the bottom of the
back piece or below the lacings, by which the limit of expansion of the clastic
back is regulated, and ease to the spino of the wearer is ensured. The front
is, by preference, made to open and close, and the fastening is effected in front
by means of a steel rib on each edge, sewn in the usual way; and the fasteners
which I prefer to employ consist of two reversed hooks, one at the top and
the other at the bottom, which are made to tako into or fasten upon studs
or stud hooks or their equivalents fixed upon the opposite steel rib; there may
bo a central metal loop taking on to a hook or stud, or there may be several
such. A pipe edging may be run along the top and bottom of the corset,
and it may be trimmed or ornamented in any manner which may be
preferred.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed I have given several views of my
improved corset, and in detail shown the manner in which I form and make
them up according to this Invention.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a corset closed, and shewing the mode of
fastening; Figure 2 a part or one-half view of the back in elevation, to the same
scale as Figure 1, and showing the gore or gusset and the elastic webbing ;
Figure 3 is a view of the interior of the corset, it being opened out the better
to exhibit its construction, and it is drawn to a reduced scale; Figure 4 is
a detached piece or portion of the corset to an enlarged scale; and Figure 5 is a
transverse section of part of Figure 4, and enlarged to twice its size. In these
two views (Figs. 4 & 5) is shown more clearly the method in which the several
pieces of material are joined or connected together side by side by overlapping
in manner herein described.
In each of the Figures 1, 2, 3, &c., a, a, are the "buds" for securing or
holding in place the ends of the bones or other flexible material; b, b, pieces
of "coutille" or other material connected together side by side and overlapping
at their joints forming a groove or channel iuto which the bones c, c, are inserted;
d, the back piece formed of clastic webbing; e, the lacing pieces by which the
girth is varied; f, the gore or gusset by which the expansion of the back
is effected; 9, 9, the two reversed hooks at the top and bottom of the front
portion of the corset taking into the studs h fixed upon the opposite steel
rib; i, the central loop or fastening taking into the stud k, the corset being
fastened by these.

page_text: Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Corsets," and
illustrated the same by several views in the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, I claim the mode or method of making corsets as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ellis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eight day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
J. ELLIS, JUN. (L.S.)