IMPROVEMENTS IN STAY BLADES OR STAY FASTENER
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City
of Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAY BLADES OR
STAY FASTENER." A communication from abroad by Mrs. Therese Franz, of
Berlin, in the German Empire.
Sealed the 5th December 1879, and dated the 27th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th August 1879.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City of Westminster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STAY BLADES OR STAY FASTENER." (A communication from
abroad by Mrs. Therese Franz, of Berlin, in the German Empire.)
This Invention refers to a new arrangement of the two blades in stays, which
connected with each other by means of suitable hooks are used for the fastening
together of the stay. According to this Invention the blades instead of being
made, as is usual, each of one rigid piece, each consists of three parts connected
with each other by joints, and the two compound blades thus formed are fastened
together in such a manner that the stay may be loosened or widened at any time
without inconvenience to the wearer and without disarranging or opening the
dress, whilst the stay may be tightened again in an equally casy manner.
The
inconvenient and unhealthy pressure on the stomach often occasioned through
wearing stays of the ordinary kind is thus entirely avoided, whilst the construction
of the blades is firm and durable, and they can be used for any stay without
altering its shape.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative Drawings,-
Figure 1 shews the blades closed, and Figure 2 represents the blades partly
opened for the purpose of widening the stays.
The blades consist each of the three parts A, B, and C, connected with each
other by joints E and F. The part B carries the book G, whilst the corresponding
part B is provided with an eye H. If the hook G catches the eye H, as shewn in
Figure 1, the stay is tightened as with ordinary rigid blades; the wearer wishing

page_text: now to have the stay widened has but to pass a finger between two buttons of her
dress and to lift the hook G out of the eye H, whereupon the parts B and C will
turn in the joints E and F, the blades then assume the position shewn in
Figure 2; the stay being thus at once widened four to six centimetres, according to
requirement, and any pressure upon the stomach removed.
To again completely tighten the stays the hook G is pressed down in the same
manner by means of the finger and is fastened to the eye. In order to prevent the
missing of the hook by the finger, in case the former has been thrown back too far
at the opening of the blade, the end K of the hook is provided with a hole L to
which a thin cord is fastened, the latter can always be easily caught, thus
facilitating the drawing down of the hook and the tightening of the stays.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th.
February 1880.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City of Westminster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STAY BLADES OR STAY FASTENER." (A communication from
abroad by Mrs. Therese Franz, of Berlin, in the German Empire).
This Invention refers to a new arrangement of the two blades in stays, which
connected with each other by means of suitable hooks are used for the fastening
together of the stay.
According to this Invention instead of the blades being made, as is usual, each of
one rigid piece, each consists of three parts connected with each other by joints,
and the two compound blades thus formed are fastened together in such a manner
that the stay may be loosened or widened at any time (four to six* centimetres)
without inconvenience to the wearer, and without disarranging or opening the
dress, whilst the stay may be tightened again in an equally easy. manner.
The inconvenient and unhealthy pressure on the stomach often occasioned through
wearing stays of the ordinary kind is thus entirely avoided, whilst the construction
of the blades is firm and durable, and they can be used for any stay without
altering its shape.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative Drawings,--
Fig. 1 shews the blades closed, and Fig. 2 represents the blades partly opened
for the purpose of widening the stays. The blades consist each of the three parts
A, B, and C, connected with each other by joints E, F. The part B carries the
hook G, whilst the corresponding part B¹ is provided with an eye H. If the
hook G catches the eye H, as shewn in Fig. 1, the stay is tightened as with ordinary
rigid blades. The wearer wishing now to have the stay widened has but to pass
a finger between two buttons of her dress, and to lift the hook G out of the eye H,
whereupon the parts B and C will turn in the joints E and F, the blades then
assume the position shewn in Fig. 2, the stay being thus at once widened four to
six centimetres, according to requirement, and any pressure upon the stomach
removed.
To again completely tighten the stays the hook G is pressed down in the same
manner by means of the finger, and is fastened to the eye. In order to prevent the
missing of the hook by the finger, in case the former has been thrown back too far
at the opening of the blade, the end K of the hook is provided with a hole L to
which a thin cord is fastened, the latter can always be easily caught, thus
facilitating the drawing down of the hook and the tightening of the stays.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of carrying
it into practical effect as communicated to me as aforesaid, I hereby declare that
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me
under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is :-
1. The arrangement of stay blades or of a stay fastener consisting of two com-
pound bars of steel or other metal, whale-bone, wood, or the like, each composed of
three or more parts connected together by joints, and combined in such a manner
that they are easily opened or closed by the lifting or pressing down of a hook or
of any other suitable contrivance, producing thus a widening or tightening of the
stay, substantially as described.
2. The peculiar combination of parts shewn in the accompanying Drawings and

page_text: hereinabove described, by means of which, a stay may be widened or tightened
again over the stomach or other part of the body of the wearer without necessitating
the opening of the dress.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. LLOYD WISE. (L.S.)