IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAnufacture of STAYS AND CORSETS.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Willem Van de Waal, of the Firm of M. J. Van
de Waal and Company; of Amsterdam, in the Kingdom of Holland,
but now residing at Cheapside, in the City of London, for the
Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAnufacture of STAYS AND CORSETS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Willem Van de Waal at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1872.
I, WILLEM VAN DE WAAL, of the Firm of M. J. Van de Waal and
Company, of Amsterdam, in the Kingdom of Holland, but now residing
at Cheapside, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STAYS AND CORSETS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of these improvements is to so construct busks that they
may be readily applied to stays and corsets which are worn out or other-
wise damaged in place of the old busk.
It is well known that the stay or corset invariably wears out in the
front or at that portion where the busk fits in, or that the busks break

page_text: or get out of shape, and that the, busks at present made to replace the
old ones are most inconvenient, inasmuch as the studs fixed thereon,
which have to fit into the old holes in the material of the stay or corset,
scarcely if ever correspond with them either in number or distance apart,
do not fit, and present an unsightly appearance to the stay.
By this Invention I construct entirely new busk pieces, so that instead
of as in the plan at present in use of unpicking the stitches which fasten
the old busk in position and replacing it by the new one, I cut the old
busk entirely away on both sides, and as it will be seen the busk now
described can be readily attached to the stay by sewing or attaching
thereto.
I construct the busk of the same shape as heretofore, and cover the
same with suitable material, but by my Invention I make such material
to extend about half an inch on both sides beyond the hard material of
the busk, thereby leaving an open space in which to place the old stay
or corset, and then finely sew or attach the whole together, thus forming
a strong and serviceable stay equal to new.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Willem Van de Waal in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLEM
VAN DE WAAL, of the Firm of M. J. Van de Waal and Company, of
Amsterdam, in the Kingdom of Holland, but now residing at Cheapside,
in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Willem Van de Waal, Her special
licence that I, the said Willem Van de Waal, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Van de Waal,

page_text: 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 STAYS AND CORSETS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Willem Van de Waal, 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 Willem Van de Waal, 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 and accompanying Drawing:-
The object of these improvements is to so construct busks that they
may be readily applied to stays and corsets which are worn out or other-
wise damaged in place of the old busk, or such busks may be applied to
or manufactured with new stays.
It is well known that the stay or corset invariably wears out in the
front or at that portion where the busk. fits in, or that the busk breaks
or gets out of shape, and that the busks at present made to replace the
old ones are most inconvenient, inasmuch as the studs fixed thereon,
which have to fit into the old holes in the material of the stay or corset,
scarcely if ever correspond with them either in number or distance apart,
so not fitting they present an unsightly appearance to the stay.
By this Invention I construct entirely new busk pieces, so that instead
of as in the plan at present in use of unpicking the stitches which fasten
the old busk in position and replacing it by the new one, I cut the old
busk entirely away on both sides, and as it will be seen the busk now
described can be readily attached to the stay by sewing or attaching
thereto.
I construct the busk of the same shape as heretofore, and cover the
same with suitable material, but by my Invention I make such material
to extend about half an inch on both sides beyond the hard material of

page_text: the busk, thereby leaving an open space in which to place the old stay
or corset, and then firmly sew or attach the whole together, thus forming
a strong and serviceable stay equal to new.
It is intended that busks constructed as above shall be sold separately,
so that at any time they can be easily applied to worn or broken stays or
corsets.
In order that the Invention may be more distinctly understood and
explained in detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing. The
letters of reference marked thereon correspond with the parts referred to.
The parts marked e and f shew the busk of metal or other material,
and a, b, c, d, show the material with which the busk is covered,
extending about half an inch beyond the said busk, into which open
spaces the old stays are placed after the damaged or broken busk has
been cut away; then by sewing the parts a and b and c and d together
respectively, the stays are firmly secured to my new or improved busk.
I claim as my Invention the novel application, employment, and
adaptation to stays and corsets of the peculiar construction of detached
busks, in the manner and for the purpose as herein substantially
described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Willem Van de Waal, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
B. C. SMIT,
Prinsengracht,
Amsterdam.
WILLEM VAN DE WAAL. (L.S.)