An Improved Flexible Stiffening for Corsets and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr.. 1899 -Accepted, 13th May,
1899
An Improved Flexible Stiffening for Corsets and the like.
I, JACOB PROSKAUER, of 12, Färberstrasse, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, Manu-
facturer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved flexible stiffening, which may be regarded
as a metallic baleen or a metallic substitute for whalebone, for corsets and the
like use.
The characteristic feature of the improved stiffening or baleem consists in its
being formed of tempered steel wires or other suitable flexible metal wires bent
into a plain or incurved parallel sided form and bound at their ends by caps and
between their ends by metal clips in the form of pincers which maintain the
wires in parallel relation, by means of which an elastic stiffening is obtained
which is as eminently suitable to the purpose stated as is the more costly natural
baleen.
On the accompanying drawings is represented, by way of example, one way of
carrying out the invention, and on these drawings:-
Fig. 1, represents a finished stiffening or baleen formed of doubled metal wires;
Fig. 2, is a transverse section on a larger scale; and
Figs. 3, and 4, show two metal wires of different forms.
In carrying out the manufacture, the wire or wires, A, of which the improved
stiffening or baleen is to be formed is or are cut of a length double that of the
required baleen and are bent into the required form. Then, say, two of such
wires, for example, as represented in Fig. 1, are provided with metal clips, a, a,
3, at points intermediate of the wire ends, and with caps, b, b, at the wire ends,
by means of a suitable machine pinching metallic bands about such parts of the
wires. The clips and the caps being secured on the wires, the improved stiffening
or baleen is finished. If the improved stiffening or baleen is required to be
straight and parallel sided, wires of the shape shown in Fig. 8, are used, and
the clips, a, a, a², are simply locked on the wires: but if the wires, A, are
required to have the indented form shown in Fig. 4, it is necessary to employ, in
order to properly lock the clips, a, a a², a pinching apparatus which, at the same
time, gives the desired shape by lateral curvature. The manufacture of the improved
stiffening or baleen remains the same even when several wires are employed m
the production thereof.
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: :―
An improved flexible stiffening or baleen substitute for corsets and the like use.
characterized by being formed of one or more metal wires, A. bent in parallel
relation and bound and held at the extremities by caps. b, and at intermediate

page_text: points by clips, a, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of April 1899:
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.