IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR CORSETS, STAYS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Drucker, of No 97, Cheapside, in the City
of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOR CORSETS, STAYS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS."-A communication
from abroad by William Sparks Thomson, of the Rue de Presbourg,
Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 6th October 1866, and dated the 17th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Drucker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
July 1866.
I, EDWARD DRUCKER, of No. 97, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR CORSETS, STAYS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to a novel and simple device chiefly intended for
use on stays or corsets and other similar articles of ladies' attire, whereby the
said corsets or other articles can be quickly and easily fastened and unfastened
by the wearer without exertion or inconvenience of any kind.
The said device consists chiefly in the peculiar combination of elastic or
spring connections with hooks or catches to fasten the two sides of a corset
or other article together, which connections hold the said hooks or catches

page_text: firmly enough to prevent the accidental unfastening of the same, but which
yield to a very gentle pressure of the hand properly applied, and allow the two
sides of the corset to separate easily when required.
Each side of the corset is provided with a strip of steel, or other suitable
material of any desired form and dimensions, somewhat similar to those
ordinarily employed for like purposes. One of these strips is furnished with
books or catches which are formed and arranged to take hold when required
upon a corresponding number of studs or projections fixed in the other strip.
One of the said hooks or catches has the aperture, by which it holds the stud,
turned in the opposite direction to the corresponding openings in the other
catches, and is attached to the steel strip by a small pivot, its end being
extended beyond the said pivot and provided with a pin or stud, by preference
made to work through a slot or opening formed in the said strip on ene side
of the centre pivot. A strip of india-rubber or other elastic material is attached
at one end by a hook or other suitable connection to the under side of the
same steel strip; the other end of the said india-rubber or other material being
connected to the projecting end of the moveable hook or catch. The tension
of the india-rubber_or_other_spring is applied in such a direction and is of
such force as to hold the hooks and studs firmly together when the steel strips
are properly adjusted to fasten the corset or other article; the fixed hooks and
corresponding studs being arranged in such positions upon their respective steel
strips that the pressure of the said india-rubber or other spring acts thereon
with as much force as upon the moveable hook. The fastening of the corset
or other article is effected by first bringing the two strips of steel close together,
placing the moveable hook o catch upon its stud, and then moving the strip,
carrying the latter endwiso far enough to allow the other hooks to take hold
upon their corresponding studs. The elastic connection of the moveable hook
will allow this to be performed without difficulty, and will then draw the
whole of the hooks and studs firmly together. To disconnect the two portions
of the corset or other article, the steel strip carrying the studs is moved end-
wise till the studs taking into the fixed hooks are released therefiom. The
said strip is then only held by the moveable hook, from which it is readily
removed The corset or other article is thus fastened or unfastened with the
greatest ease and comfort to the wearer.
Though the above described arrangement of making only one of the hooks
or catches moveable is the most simple and economical in practice, yet any
1umber of the said hooks may be made moveable and provided with springs,
either of india-rubber, metal, or other material; the said springs being con
nected to the stips and hooks by any convenient method, or the whole of

page_text: the said catches may be fixed, and one or more of the studs made adjustable
and provided with india-rubber or other springs in a similar manner.
These fastenings may be advantageously used for other articles beside those
above-mentioned, and will be found particularly applicable to leggings or gaiters
and other articles of diess, both for ladies and gentlemen.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Drucker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
DRUCKER, of No. 97, Cheapside, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting
WHEREAS Лe most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ile: Letters
Patent, beaning date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Loid
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Ilerself, Hei heirs and successois, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Drucker, Пer special license that I, the said Edward
Diucker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Edward Ducker, 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 Britai
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR CORSETS, STAYS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Drucke, 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 per-
formed, 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 Edward Drucker, 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 accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification :-
The said improvements relate to a novel and simple device chiefly intended

page_text: for use on corsets, stays, and other similar articles of ladies' attire, whereby
the said corsets or other articles can be quickly and easily fastened and
unfastened by the wearer without exertion or inconvenience of any kind
The essential part of the said device consists in the peculiar combination of
elastic or spring connections with books and catches for uniting or fastening
together the two sides of a corset or other similar article, which connections
hold the said hooks and catches together firmly enough to prevent the
accidental unfastening of the same, but which yield to a very gentle pressure
of the hand properly applied and release the said hooks from their catches,
thus allowing the two sides of the corset to be easily separated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of my improved device adapted for stays or corsets
with parts in position for fastening the same; Figure 2 is a similar view of the
said device with parts in position for unfastening the stays or corset; Figuro 3
as a back or inside view of the said device, and Figure 4 is a section on the
line x, x, Figure 1. Like letters refer to the same parts in each of the
Figures.
same.
Each side of the corset is provided with strip of steel or other suitably
flexible and strong material. The said strips' are somewhat similar to those
ordinarily employed for like purposes, and may be of any desued form and
dimensions. One of these strips A is attached in the usual manner to one side
of the corset, and is furnished with hooks or claws a, which are formed and
arranged to take hold when required upon the catches or studs b, the number
of the latter corresponding to the number of the hooks a. Another hook or
claw c is attached to the strip A by preference near the lower end of the
This hook instead of being like the hooks a, livetted or other wise
igidly secured to the strip A, is fitted to turn freely upon the pivot d, which
is firmly fixed in the said strip. The hook c is arranged upon the strip A
with its aperture or mouth a¹ to take hold upon the catch or stud b¹ in the
opposite duection to that of the hooks A. The end c¹ of the hook c is extended
beyond the pivot d, and is provided with a pin or stud e, which is connected
to the spring f. This spring which may be of rubber, metal, or other suitably
elastic material is by preference placed at the back or inner side of the strip A,
and a slot g is formed in the said strip, through which slot the stud e passes to
the spring f. The said spring is by preference formed of a small india-rubber
band which is attached at one end by the hook h, or other suitable connection,
to the inuci side of the strip A, the other end being connected by a simila
hook to the stud e on the adjustable, hook c as above described
The spring

page_text: is of such strength and is so arranged that its tension will act with sufficient
force and in the proper direction to draw all the books and catches firmly
together when the parts of the device are adjusted in the position for fastening
the corset as shown in Figure 1 The fastening of the corset or other article
is effected by first bringing the two strips A, B, close together with the movable
hook cupon the stud 6; the stup B on which the latter is secured is then
moved endwise till the other studs b will drop into the fixed hooks a, the
strip B being then released the pressure of the spring f acting on the hook c
will draw the said strip downward till the hooks a and studs 6 are brought
fairly and firmly together. To unfasten the corset or other article the strip B
15 again moved endwise till the studs b which take into the fixed hooks a are
eleased from the said hooks. The spring though sufficiently strong to
prevent the hooks and catches being accidentally separated will yet allow the
necessary end wise movement of the said strip to allow the hooks a to be raised
from the catches b. The strip B is then only held to the strip A by the
movable hook c, from which it is easily released by a slight downward move-
ment, leaving the two sides of the corset entirely free to be separated. It will
thus be seen that a corset or other article provided with my improved device
can be fastened and unfastened without the slightest difficulty, fatigure, or other
discomfort to the wearer
In the arrangement of parts herein described and illustrated only one of the
hooks is adjustable, and this arrangement is the most simple and economical
in practice; but any number of the said hooks may be made adjustable and
provided in like manner with springs of india-1 ubber, metal, or other material,
the said springs being connected to the strips by any convenient means of
attachment. Instead of making either or all of the hooks adjustable the same
may be gidly attached to one of the strips, while one or more of the catches
or studs may be attached movably to the other strip, and provided with
suitable springs of rubber or other material to keep the said studs and hooks
together. In this mode of arrangement the fastening and unfastening of the
coiset is performed in the manner already described.
The said device may be used as a fastening on other articles beside those
above mentioned, and will be found superior to any other in all cases where
frequent and ready adjustment is desirable or necessary. The said device can
also be very advantageously adapted to leggings or gaiters, and other articles
of dress for ladies and gentlemen.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practise, I claim,-

page_text: First, the employment, in combination with flexible steel or other strips
A, B, hooks a, and studs b, of an adjustable hook or claw c, connected by an
india-rubber or other spring f to the strip A, and arranged in relation to the
strip B, and studs or catches fixed thereon, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Second, making all or a number of the hooks or claws on the strip A
adjustable, and providing the said hooks with spring connections, for the
purpose and substantially in the manner described.
Third, making the studs 6 or 6', or both adjustable instead of the hooks, and
providing the said studs with spring connnections for the purpose and sub-
stantially in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Drucker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.