AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Williamson, of Leighton Buzzard,
in the County of Bedford, Draper, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Williamson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th September 1874.
I, CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMSON, of Leighton Buzzard, in the County of
Bedford, Draper, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention consists in adapting and permanently fastening to the
hinder part of corsets an elastic framing covered with a woven fabric,
and which will act as a "dress improver" and will supersede the
necessity of using a bustle, which would require a separate means of
attaching or fastening the same on the body of the wearer.
:

page_text: In carrying out my Invention and adapting it to a corset which opens
behind the framing of the dress improver is constructed of three or more
whalebone, steel, or other hoops of different diameters, and connected
together at suitable distances apart by radial bars or ribs. This framing
is covered with the same kind of woven fabric as is used for the corset,
and is firmly sewn down to the body of the corset except at the central
part which is slit radially from the body so as to admit of the framing
expanding with the corset, and being more or less opened, according to
the size of the body of the wearer. The slit part of the dress improver is
provided (like the corset) with eyelet holes, so that it may be laced up
and made to fit to the body of the wearer.
filed by the said Christopher Williamson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
WILLIAMSON, of Leighton Buzzard, in the County of Bedford, Draper,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Christopher Williamson, Her
special licence that I, the said Christopher Williamson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Christopher
Williamson, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORSETS," upon the 3
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Christopher Williamson, 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.
:

page_text: 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 Christopher Williamson, 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 Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :—
My Invention consists in adapting and permanently fastening to the
hinder part of corsets an clastic framing covered with a woven fabric,
and which will act as a "dress improver" and will supersede the
necessity of using a bustle, which would require a separate means of
attaching or fastening the same on the body of the wearer.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two different forms of
elastic framing (covered with woven fabric) which will act as dress
improvers, and are adapted to the hinder part of a corset which opens
behind.
In Fig. 1 the framing of the dress improver is constructed of three or
more whalebone, steel, or other hoops a, a, a, of different diameters, and
connected together at suitable distances apart by radial tapes b, b. This
framing is covered with the same kind of woven fabric as is used for
the corset, and is firmly sewn down to the body of the corset except at
the central part c which is slit radially from the body so as to admit of
the clastic framing expanding with the corset, and being more or less
opened according to the size of body of the wearer. The slit part of
the dress improver is provided (like the corset) with eyelet holes, so
that it may be laced up, as shewn in the Drawing, and made to fit to
the body of the wearer.
At Fig. 2 I have shewn another form of elastic framing which is
attached to the hinder part of the corset as in the former instance, and
is also open at the central part c, so that it may be expanded with the
corset and laced up so as to fit the body. It will be seen however that
the elastic framing in this instance consists mainly of the vertical radial
ribs or bars & which are kept at suitable distances apart by means of the
horizontal tapes or bands a¹, a¹.

page_text: Instead of the elastic framing being permanently attached to the
corset at the sides, as at d in Fig. 1, it is open at that part and the lower
end of the framing is bent up and under, and is attached to the hinder
part of the corset by means of hooks and eyes or other temporary
fastenings, as shewn at e,. Fig. 2. There is an advantage in this arrange-
ment inasmuch as the waistbands of the under garments of the wearer
may be drawn up under the dress improver, and secured round the waist
while the outer garments will be supported by the elastic frame.
Moreover, when the corset is not in use the temporary attachments e, e,
may be unloosed, and the radial ribs 6 of the elastic framing will hang
down nearly flat, as indicated by dotted lines, and may be folded up and
placed in a drawer..
Having now described my Invention of "An Improvement in the
Manufacture of Corsets," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, adapting and permanently attaching to the hinder
part of corsets an elastic framing which is capable of expanding and
contracting with the corset, and will act as a dress improver as herein.
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Williamson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Third day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMSON. (L.S.)