Improvements in Corset Clasps.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Corset Clasps.
I, DE WITT CLINTON COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at
436, West 20th Street, in the City and County of New York, in the State of New
York, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 invention applies as usual on steels which extend up and down the front
edges of the two sides of the corset. There may be the ordinary lacings at the
back the length of which is adjusted with care to adapt the corset to the size of the
wearer.
My improved fastening may be used in the same places and in the same number
as the ordinary fasteners heretofore employed. I prefer to use the ordinary
fastenings at the top and bottom of the series, and to apply my invention at the
intermediate points, using as many as may be desired. I have in my experiments
used only two of the fasteners on a corset of ordinary length. A description of one
will serve for both or all.
Each fastener employs two plates superposed the front or outermost being elastic.
To secure the fastening, the front plate is sprung forward by the forcible entrance
of a post from the inner or back part in the ordinary manner, and the post is then
allowed to slide outward into the slot, a recess being formed in the post to engage
the slot. It moves outward until the head of the post is engaged in a hole formed
in the elastic front plate which snaps inward to hold it. To detach the fastener, it
is only required to pull outward or forward the elastic front plate, which is easily
effected by engaging the finger under a smoothly rounded end adapted for the
purpose, and the post then moves freely outward through the slot and escapes.
My fastener affords more than the usual facility for easily securing the corset
and rapidly disengaging the fastenings when the corset is to be removed. The
corset is held reliably except when intentionally detached.
My fasteners present smoothly rounded or swelled surfaces.
In what I esteem the most complete form of the invention, I slightly dome the
elastic front plate at the point where the post is thrust upward against it so that
the post can be fully received into position ready for engagement without requiring
the front plate to be lifted. After the post is thus inserted to the full extent it
may be moved forward into the slot in the back plate, and after its recess which is
in the form of a contracted neck is fairly engaged with the slot, in the back plate,
the head strikes the concave surface on the under side of the elastic front plate and
the motion of the post lifts the front plate without requiring any thrusting force to
be imparted to the post to effect this end. Thus conditioned, the further movement
of the post outward results as intimated above in presenting the head of the post
under the hole in the elastic front plate which then snaps down and locks it until
the front plate is intentionally lifted up.

page_text: The accompanying drawings form a part of this Specification and represent what
I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.
Figure 1 is a front view.
Figure 2 is a corresponding view shewing the steels partially separated.
Figure 3 is a face view of a portion detached.
Figure 4 is a section on the line x in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a face view of another portion.
Figure 6 is a section on the line y y in Figure 5.
The remaining figures are on a larger scale.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the clasp, the steels being shewn in section.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 are sections shewing the clasp in different conditions.
Figure 8 shews the paris engaged.
Figure 9 shews the parts in condition to be disengaged, and
Figure 10 shews the parts in condition for engagement.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where
they appear.
A and B are the ordinary steels which extend up and down the front, secured by
sewing or otherwise, one to each half of the corset. The right steel A carries
posts a, each having a head a' and a collar a³ with an annular recess or neck a³ of
less diameter between.
The left steel B receives rivets C which secure plates D having each a hole d.
These plates are rivetted on the back face of the steel B. The same rivets C also
confine front plates E secured on the front face of the steel B. This elastic front
plate E coincides mainly with the back plate D but extends out a little further and
presents a smoothly rounded end. At each of the outer corners of the front
plate E is a lug, marked E', E' respectively which are received in eyes D' D',
formed in the corresponding part of the back plate D. The eyes are so much
larger than the lugs that there is room for considerable play of the elastic part E
outward and inward.
Near the middle of the plate E and directly over or coincident with the hole d is
a flattish dome or concavo-convex portion e¹. A hole e² is punched or otherwise
produced in the plate E adjacent to this dome somewhat encroaching upon it, as
shewn.
To fasten the corset, the parts are brought together and the head a', is thrust
forcibly through the hole d from the back pressing against the interior of the
dome e¹, and slightly raising or pressing forward the spring-plate E. So soon as
this has risen to a small extent, the post a a¹ is free to traverse outward in the
slot d and it does so until the head a' coincides with the hole e*. When this point
is reached the spring plate E snaps down again into its original position, and now
it arrests the outward motion of the post a, a¹ and also prevents its return motion.
It reliably holds the fastening by enclosing the head a¹ within the aperture e³.
The fastening in this condition holds the post firmly locked; it will resist any force
tending to urge it in any direction.
The several fastenings are thus secured with great ease and rapidity and they
remain locked for so long a time as the wearer shall elect. When she desires to
remove the corset she inserts a finger under the smoothly rounded end of the
spring plate E, and presses the spring plate outward or forward. When the spring
plate E is pressed outward sufficiently to go out of contact with the post a a¹ the
latter is free to move outward through the slot d' and the fastening is detached.
There is sufficient play allowed the lugs within the eyes D' to allow the proper
amount of deflection of the spring plate E but so soon as the proper amount of
deflection to release the post is reached, the lugs strike the interiors of the eyes D¹
and forbid the spring plate from being deflected outward any further. The eyes
perform an important function in thus preventing the spring plate E from being
ever forced outward too far under any conditions so as to strain and permanently
distort it.
The length of the neck or contracted portion a* of the post is only a little

page_text: greater than the thickness of the rigid plate D. The collar aª performs a function
in preventing the post from moving too far upward or forward."
Modifications may be made by any good mechanic without departing from the
principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. I can fasten the spring
It is sufficient
plates E to the steel B by other means than the rivets C shown.
that the plates D and E be held with sufficient strength and so as to allow the
spring plate E to be thrown by its elasticity into the position to lock with the
head a of the post, and to allow it to be sprung outward by such force as can be
easily given by the finger or thumb to release the fastening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a corset fastener, the slotted plate D with its slot extending inward, with a
larger hole to receive the head a' of post a, in combination with such post, and with
the spring plate E having the aperture e arranged for joint operation, substantially
as herein specified.
2. In a corset fastener, the spring plate E, having the dome e¹ and the aperture e
in combination with the plate D having the aperture d and the slot d', and with the
steels A, B, and the post a, a¹, a³, a³ arranged for joint operation substantially as
herein specified.
3. In a corset fastener, the eyes D¹ D', on the plate D, receiving the lugs E¹ E*
on the elastic front plate E, in combination with such plates and with the
steels A, B, and with means as a headed post on one steel and provisions for
engaging and releasing by deflecting the spring plate outward, the eyes and lugs
being so proportioned as to allow a sufficient yielding to effect the attaching and
detaching movements while guarding the spring plate against any such deflection as
might overstrain it.
4. In a corset fastener, the post a, having a recess a between the head a' and
collar or shoulder a³ to receive the slotted plate D, in combination therewith and
with the spring plate E and the steels A, B, arranged for joint operation sub-
stantially as herein specified.
1
CL1001
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.