Improvements in Corsets.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
Improvements in Corsets.
LAVESIA PAXTON CARUTHERS PACKWOOD, of Lake Maitland, Orange Co.,
Florida, U.S.A., Schoolgirl, 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 purpose of this invention is to provide a corset-waist adapted especially
for use by women engaged in athletic or physical exercises, 80 that the proper
figure of the person will be retained, at the same time allowing great freedom
and ease of movements, and in no way hindering the proper exercise of the
muscles of the trunk of the person.
This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the
claims disclose the actual scope thereof.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the corset, looking toward the rear thereof.
Figure 2 is a section of the bosom part on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the bosom or front part of the corset.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front side of the back or rear part of the
corset.
The corset has a bosom or front part A, and a back or rear part B, the latter
being provided with side straps a and shoulder straps b, all of which are adapted
to be fastened to buckles c attached to the edges of the bosom A. By these
means; the bosom and back sections may be secured in place, so as to encase
and sustain the trunk of the person, and in practice, the parts A and B should
be fitted to the figure by measurements properly taken.
When desired, the back portion B of the corset may be provided with a brace
consisting of the shoulder straps connected by hooks to the back B, and con-
nected together by the elastic web or strap b³.
The corset may be constructed of any suitable material. The back B is
widened at its upper portion to lie across the shoulders of a person, and the
bosom A is formed with various darts d, by which means the bosom may be
given the convex form shown, causing it to fit properly to the bust of the person.
The upper portion of the bosom A is widened to lie full across the bust of the
person, and the lower portion is contracted to conform to the waist thereof.
The bosom A is provided with one or more horizontally extending strips of
whalebone or other flexible material e, which strips are stitched or otherwise
secured to the inner side of the bosom A, serving to hold the same in its proper
convex form. The lower end of the bosom A is provided with buttons or other
fastening devices f which are adapted to be engaged with the skirt band to hold

page_text: the corset down in proper position. The back section B is provided with
buttons g similarly located to the buttons f and for the same purpose.
A corset thus constructed will set properly on the figure of a person, and will
serve to sustain the person in exercise, and at the same time permit the muscles
to be used without restraint. The corset will also retain the symmetrical figure
of the person, and have the same effect as the form of corset previously used,
in which tho entire trunk is encased and the movements of the muscles neces-
sarily impaired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A corset having stays of flexible material extending horizontally across a
part of the corset.
2. A corset having a bosom section and a back section, straps joining the two
sections to hold them in place, the back section having a widened upper por-
tion to lie across the shoulders of a person, and the bosom section having, a
widened upper portion to lie across the bust of the person, the lower ends of
the two section's being constructed to fit the waist, and the bosom section having
darts therein to give the section a convex form serving to fit said section over
the bust, and a strip of flexible material running transversely across the bosom
section at the widened upper portion thereof to retain the form of the same.
3. A corset having a. bosom section with a widened convexed upper portion
serving to lie across the bust of a person, and a strip of flexible material ex-
tended horizontally across said widened upper portion of the bosom section to
retain the same in its convex form.
4. A corset having a bosom section and a back section, the upper portions of
the two sections being widened to lie respectively across the bosom and back, of
the person, side straps extending between the sections to hold them in place,
shoulder straps extending above the sections to support the corset from the
shoulders of the person, and a strip of flexible material secured to the widened
upper portion of the bosom section, such material serving to hold said section
in convex form so that it may lie uniformly over the bust of the person.
5. A corset having a bosom section and a back section, straps joining the
two sections to hold them in pluce, the 'back section having a widened upper
portion to lie across the shoulders of a person, and the bosom section having a
widened upper portion to lie across the bust of the person, the lower ends of the
two sections being constructed to fit the waist, and the bosom section having
darts therein to give the section a convex form to fit said section over the bust,
a strip of flexible material running transversely across the bosom section at
the widened upper portion thereof to retain the form of the same, and a brace
consisting of straps connected to the back section and connected together by an
elastic web or strap.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1800
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.