IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO CORSETS, STAYS, OR BODY BELTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alice Wardrop, of No. 4, Hanover Street, Hanover Square
in the County of Middlesex, Stay Maker, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR ADDITIONS TO CORSETS, STAYS, OR BODY BELTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alice Wardrop at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1882.
ALICE WARDROP of No. 4 Hanover Street, Hanover Square in the County of
Middlesex, IMPROVEMENTS IN, OR ADDITIONS TO CORSETS, STAYS, OR BODY
BELTS.
My Invention consists of an addition to an ordinary stay, or corset, in the form
of a semi-belt and stomach pad, which may be used either together or separate;
the object of which is to reduce the fullness of figure without undue pressure in
any particular part.
On the edge of the busks of the corsets, at the centre and lower end I attach
wide webbing, or elastic, or other suitable strapping and then again fasten the
upper to the lower strap, about four inches (according to the size of the corsets)
from the busk, I then pass the lower strap, which has power over the upper strap
(by being attached to it) through a slide, fastened at each side of the stay on the
hips, buckling or fastening the two straps in the front of the lower part of the
corset and keeping the semi-belt in its place, by dropping it under a hook or hooks
fixed in the front part of the stays.
For the stouter figures, I have a pad of tin, or other suitable material, covered
with thin leather, linen or other suitable material and at the two ends of this pad,
I attach a belt or straps. The pad is then placed under the lower front part of the
corset, being kept in its place by hooks, or other suitable fastenings, so that when
the straps are carried underneath and to both sides of the corsets and then brought
through an opening at the sides, passing through swivels, or other suitable slides,
fixed to the sides of the corsets, near the openings above mentioned, then brought
forward and buckled in front, the effect is, that as the belt is buckled or fastened
and tightened in front, the result is to compress the pad underneath the corset and
at the same time cause an even pressure outside the corset.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alice Wardrop in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th August
1882.
ALICE WARDROP of 4 Hanover Street Hanover Square in the County of
Middlesex Stay Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO CORSETS, STAYS, 5
OR BODY BELTS."
My Invention relates to improvements in corsets and consists of an addition to an
ordinary corset or stays, of a stomach pad or plate the object of which is to reduce
the fullness of figure of the wearer without undue pressure. For the better expla-
nation of my said Invention I refer to the accompanying Drawings in which the 1
like letters designate the like parts.
Figure 1 is a front view of the corset as worn.
Figure 2 is a view of the corset with the busk open..
Figure 3-is a view of the pad or plate.
In carrying my Invention into practice I provide straps of wide webbing, elastic, 1
or other suitable strapping a Figure 1 which I attach to the edges of the busk of
the corset at the lower ends and also to about the centre of the said busk on each side
thereof and then carry underneath the corset over the stomach pad or plate c herein-
after described. I bring these straps together (about four inches according to the
_size_of_the_corset from the busque) and I then pass the lower strap of the aforesaid
webbing (which has power over the upper strap-by-being-attached to it) through a
hole or slide at each side of the stays, on the hips and I buckle or fasten the two
straps in the front of the lower part of the corset and keep said straps in position
by dropping them under a hook or hooks in the front part of the stays.
For the stouter figures 1 provide a stomach pad or plate c Figs 1 & 2, made of
silver, tin or any other suitable metal and which may be covered with leather, linen,
or other suitable material. I place said pad or plate on the inside of the lower
front part of the corset as shown by the dotted lines Fig 1 where it is kept in
position by hooks, or other suitable fastenings. The webbing a Figures 1 & 2 may
be carried inside the corset and then brought through an opening at each side
thereof and passed over a swivel or other suitable slide fixed to the side of the corset
near each of said openings and then buckled in front, but I prefer to attach said
webbing to the outside of the corset as shown in Figures 1 & 2 over the aforesaid
pad or plate so that when said webbing is buckled as shown in Figure 1, it will
form a semi-belt which will evenly compress the aforesaid pad or plate to the
extent desired by the wearer and thereby reduce the fullness of tigure without undue
pressure. I do not confine myself to the particular shape of pad or plate delineated
in the accompanying Drawings as it may be varied.
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention and the means by
which the same may be carried into effect I claim. In a corset or stays the
arrangement of a stomach-pad or plate substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof 1 the said Alice Wardrop have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Eighth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.