IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS, JACKETS, MANTLES, AND GARMENTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sparks Thomson, of Cheapside, in the
City of London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS, JACKETS, MANTLES, AND
GARMENTS."
Sealed the 20th April 1869, and dated the 11th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sparks Thomson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th November 1868.
I, WILLIAM SPARKS THOMSON, of Cheapside, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS, JACKETS, MANTLES, AND OTHER
LIKE GARMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of manufacturing corsets,
jackets, mantles, and other like garments of wool, the object being
To this end
to effect an economy in both material and labour.

page_text: I employ felted cloth as it comes from the filling mill or previous to
its being stretched and finished for the market, or I manufacture
folted cloth tubes specially for the purposes of this Invention, my
object being to obtain a woollen material that will admit of being
moulded to the required shape, and which when moulded will retain the
shape it has received. The fulled cloth or partially manufactured
material I saturate with water, and in this state I apply it to the metal
mould or former, whose shape it is required to receive and retain. For
example, in manufacturing a corset I provide a hollow metal former
corresponding in shape to the female bust, and capable of being heated
by steam, and I strain over or around the former the saturated felt,
retaining it thereon (while the former is kept heated) until it has become
dry; it will then be found to have received permanently the shape of the
former or mould upon which it was strained; the corset thus made I
finish by lapping round the waist a band or cincture of any suitable
unyielding material, which will serve to prevent the felt at the waist
from yielding to internal pressure, and I apply when required bones
and a busk of steel to the corset as usual.
On the same principle I propose to form ladies' jackets, also mantles
and cloaks, the felt being strained over and dried upon a suitably shaped
heated former.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Sparks Thomson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 11th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 2
SPARKS THOMSON, of Cheapside, in the City of London, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the 3
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Hér heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Sparks Thomson, Her
special licence that I, the said William Sparks Thomson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Sparkes

page_text: Thomson, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS, JACKETS, MANTLES, AND
OTHER LIKE GARMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Sparks Thomson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly 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 William Sparks Thomson, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) -
1-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of manufacturing corsets,
jackets, mantles, and other like garments of wool, the object being to
effect an economy both of material and labour in making ladies'
garments which are intended to fit the figure of the wearer.
To this
end I employ felted cloth as it comes from the fulling mill or previous
to its being stretched and finished for the market, or I manufacture
felted cloth tubes specially for the purposes of this Invention, my object
being to obtain a woollen material that will admit of being moulded
to the required shape, and which when moulded will retain the shape it
has received. The fulled cloth or partially manufactured material I
saturate with water, and in this state I apply it to the metal mould or
former whose shape it is required to receive and retain. For exaniple,
in manufacturing a corset I provide a hollow metal former corresponding
in shape to the female bust, and capable of being heated by steam, and I
strain over or around the former the saturated felt retaining it thereon at
tension (while the former is kept heated) until it has become dry; it will
then be found to have received the shape of the former or mould upon

page_text: which it was strained; the corset thus far made I finish after the
manner shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
The corset is divided up the back as usual, and provided at the back
edges with eyelet holes to receive the lacing cord, and at the front edges
it is furnished with a steel busk having stud and eyelet fastenings. In
order to avoid the weakening of the blades a, a, which form the steel
busk, and to remove their liability to snap under pressure, occasioned by
the piercing of the blades to receive rivets for attaching the fastenings
to the busk, as is commonly practised, I attach to the blades the brass
plates or strips that carry respectively the eyelets b and the studs c by
means of clips instead of rivets. The plates or strips I make sufficiently
long to allow of their ends being bent over the edges of the blades, and
by causing the plates to embrace the blades I firmly secure the eyelets
and studs thereto. In the Drawing a portion of the woollen fabric is
shewn as cut away in front of the busk, the better to exhibit the con-
struction of the busk fastening. To the waist of the corset I apply a
band or cincture, as shewn by dots at d, d, its use being to assist in
maintaining the shape imparted to the corset; this band I secure in
place by means of stitches or otherwise; it may be made of any suitable
inelastic or unyielding woven fabric, which will serve to prevent the felt
from "giving out" at the waist to internal pressure; I also apply when
required bones and other flexible supports to the corset, as usual; these
supports I propose in some cases to make by combining steel and whale-
bone strips together, laying one upon the other, and connecting them at
their ends by means of metal eyelets or hollow rivets.
On the principle above described of moulding the garment to the
shape of the body of the wearer I propose to form ladies' jackets, also
mantles and cloaks, the felt while wet being strained over and dried upon
a suitably shaped heated former. In finishing these garments I main-
tain their shape by applying to those parts which are most liable to "give
out" when the garments are in use bands or strips of inelastic material,
as explained with relation to the corset, and I am thus enabled to utilizo
seamless felt for purposes for which it has hitherto never been applied.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Manufacture of Corsets, Jackets, Mantles, and other like
Garments," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent I claim manufacturing corsets, jackets, mantles, and other like
garments in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sparks Thomson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM SPARKS THOMSON. (L.S.)