Year: 1886

page_text: We, ROBERT ALFRED YOUNG, and ROBERT NEILSON, of 11 and 12 Portland
Square, in the City of Bristol, Stay and Corset Manufacturers, do hereby declare .
the nature of this invention, and in what manner the saine is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
Heretofore, in certain manufactures of expanding or expansible corsets, it has
been usual to employ gussets of elastic cloth, or else a number of separate and
independent strips of elastic webbing which were stitched between the front and
back portions of the corset, but after a short time the strands of rubber composing
the elastic material became chafed at the stitched parts and soon parted, conse-
quently their desired effect was lost.
Now, the object of our Invention is to produce a corset which will obviate these
defects, and one which will give greater freedom to the movements of the body of
the wearer, and, at the same time, provide for ventilation up the sides and under
the arms of the wearer.
.In order that our Invention may be readily understood we proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1, is a
view of the corset, as it would appear in its normal condition, that is to say, when
not expanded. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shewing the corset in its expanded
condition, when on the body.
For the purposes of our Invention, each half or side of the corset is provided at
its edges, where the front portions A, meet the back portions B, with a steel rib a,
furnished with loops or eyes b, arranged equidistantly along their length, and
directly opposite to each other. These eyes are, by preference, provided with
friction rollers c, the purpose of which is hereinafter mentioned. In order to
connect the front portions A, to the back portions B, we employ a band or length
of india rubber webbing d, which we pass through the loops or eyes b, in a cross
wise or lattice wise direction as shewn, that is to say, starting from the bottom
loop or eye 1, the elastic webbing is passed through the loop or eye 2, on the
opposite steel rib, and is carried across to the loop or eye 3, on the first rib, and so
on, until the uppermost loop or eye on this first rib is reached, when the webbing.
is carried across horizontally to the uppermost eye or loop on the opposite rib, as
•

page_text: shewn in figs. 1 and 2, and is brought down, in like manner, until it reaches the
bottom loop or eye on the opposite rib, when the extremities are joined together
by stitching, or are attached by mechanical means, thus practically forming an
endless lacing of webbing. This arrangement of lacing is clearly shewn in the
detailed view fig. 3, in its partly expanded condition.
Thus it will be readily understood that, at every movement of the body in any
direction, the lacing.will expand and will afford perfect freedom to the wearer, and
as the endless lacing will work freely, and without friction, over the rollers the
corset will wear a considerable time without becoming deteriorated. Furthermore,
as the cross lacing expands spaces will be formed for ventilation.
By reason of this arrangement of laced webbing it will be easy to withdraw the
same and to substitute a fresh length of webbing should occasion arise.
A corset thus made will be found to be of great value to those playing at lawn
tennis, or at any other game, in which freedom of the body and arms is necessary
for their proper action.
Having now described the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that we claim :-
A corset having its front and back portions connected together by an endless
lacing of elastic webbing, as and for the purposes herein described, and as shewn
in the drawings.