Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 26th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th `Mar., 1887.
1. WILLIAM PERCY, of Belvedere, Alnwick, in the County of Northumberland,
Draper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to bustles or dress-improvers.
One object of my said invention is to provide a hygienic bustle or dress-improver,
that is to say, one which will distribute the pressure due to the weight of the dress
over the hips of the wearer, and which will be free from the objectionable heating
effects common to many, of the bustles or dress-improvers now in use. For this
purpose, I employ a plate or frame which extends around or partially around the
waist and over the hips of the wearer, and projects backward from the body of the
wearer. This plate or frame is to be fastened around the waist by means of a string,
ribbon, strap, or the like. It is supported in any desired position by means of springs
which bear against the body of the wearer.
Another object of my said invention is to so construct the bustle or dress-improver
that it can be readily adjusted to increase or diminish the prominence given thereby
to the skirt. For this purpose I provide means whereby the said springs can be com-
pressed and kept at any desired degree of compression. By increasing or diminishing
the compression of the springs, the said plate or frame can be raised or lowered so as
to increase or diminish the inclination thereof.
The said plate or frame may consist of a triangular, or approximately triangular,
part having two extensions, to which are attached strips or pieces of ribbon or similar
material. The said extensions are so shaped that they will fit partially around the
waist of the wearer and will approximately conform to the shape of the hips. There-
fore, when the bustle or improver is secured in place by fastening it around the waist
by means of the said ribbons, it will, in supporting the dress, distribute the pressure
over the hips through the said extensions.
Suitable springs are firmly attached at each end to the plate or frame and are con-
nected by a cross-bar. A strap of any material is attached to the rear end of the frame,
and a buckle is secured to the cross-bar. The said strap is passed through and secured
in this buckle as shown. By tightening this strap, the said springs can be compressed

page_text: and the cross-bar drawn nearer to the frame, and, by slackening the said strap, the
said springs can be permitted to expand and thus move the said cross-bar further from
the frame. The bustle or dress-improver may thus be adjusted to give any desired
prominence to the skirt.
In some instances, two pieces of steel are riveted or fastened to the under side of
the plate or frame to impart the required elasticity thereto and to the extensions which
pass partly around the waist, and as a support to the plate above the springs. The
plate or frame may be used with or without a covering, but I prefer to cover it with
silk or other suitable material.
The springs hold the plate or frame out of contact with the body of the wearer, thus
preventing heating such as is experienced with many of the dress-improvers now
in use.
The plate or frame may be made of any desired shape to suit the taste or
convenience of the wearer or other circumstances. It may be of steel, iron, tin or
other suitable material, and may be either solid or of skeleton form.
The springs may be round, square, or of any other desired shape in transverse
section. They are sometimes arranged otherwise than above described for the purpose
of my invention. Moreover, other means than those above described are sometimes
used for effecting the adjustment of the said springs. The springs are, in some
instances, formed in one piece with the plate or frame.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Bustles or Dress-improvers.
I, WILLIAM PERCY, of Belvedere, Alnwick, in the County of Northumberland,
Draper 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 :-
My invention relates to bustles or dress-improvers.
One object of my said invention is to provide a hygienic bustle or dress-improver,
that is to say, one which will distribute the pressure due to the weight of the dress,
over the hips of the wearer, and which will be free from the objectionable heating
effects common to many of the bustles or dress-improvers now in use.
For this
purpose, I employ a plate or frame which extends around, or partially around, the
waist and over the hips of the wearer, and projects backward from the body of the
wearer. This plate or frame is to be fastened around the waist by means of a string,
ribbon, strap or the like. It is supported in any desired position by means of springs
which bear against the body of the wearer.
Another object of my said invention is to so construct the bustle or dress-improver
that it can be readily adjusted to increase or diminish the prominence given thereby
to the skirt. For this purpose, I provide means whereby the said springs can be
compressed and kept at any desired degree of compression. By increasing or
diminishing the compression of the springs, the said plate or frame can be raised or
lowered so as to increase or diminish the inclination thereof.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is an under side view of one form of my improved bustle or dress-improver,
some of the parts being removed.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the said bustle or dress-improver, and
Figure 3 is a front elevation thereof.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the plate or frame, which consists of a triangular, or approximately triangular,
part a¹ having two extensions a², to which are attached strips or pieces 6 of ribbon or
similar material. The extensions a are so shaped that they will fit partially around
the waist of the wearer and will approximately conform to the shape of the hips.
Therefore, when the bustle or improver is secured in place by fastening it around the
waist by means of the ribbons b, it will, in supporting the dress, distribute the pressure
over the hips through the extensions a².
c, c are the springs, of which there are two, and which are made of flat steel bent to
the required shape. These springs are firmly attached at each end to the plate or
frame a and are connected by a cross-bar d. A strap e of any suitable material is
attached to the rear end of the frame a, and a buckle e¹ is secured to the cross-bar d.
The said strap is passed through and secured in this buckle as shown. It will be seen
that, by tightening this strap, the springs c can be compressed and the cross-bar d
drawn nearer to the frame, and, by slackening the said strap, the said springs can be

page_text: permitted to expand and thus move the said cross-bar further from the frame. The
bustle or dress-improver may thus be adjusted to give any desired prominence to the
skirt. When the strap e is unfastened and the cross-bar d thus released, the springs
assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Two pieces f of steel are
rivetted or otherwise fastened to the under side of the plate or frame a to impart the
required elasticity thereto and to the extensions which pass partly around the waist,
and as a support to the plate above the springs.
I have shown the plate or frame a in Figure 1 without any covering, but I prefer
to cover it with silk or other suitable material..
The springs c hold the plate or frame a out of contact with the body of the wearer,
thus preventing heating such as is experienced with many of the dress-improvers now
in use.
The plate or frame a is shown of substantially triangular form, but the said plate or
frame may be made of any other desired shape to suit the taste or convenience of the
wearer or other circumstances. It may be of steel, iron, tin or other suitable material,
and may be either solid or of skeleton form.
The springs may be round, square or of any other desired shape in transverse section.
They are sometimes arranged otherwise than shown in the drawing, for the purpose of
my invention. Moreover, other means than those shown are sometimes used for
effecting the adjustment of the said springs. The springs are, in some instances,
formed in one piece with the plate or frame."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that I
claim-
First A bustle or dress-improver consisting essentially of a plate or frame which
extends around, or partially around, the waist and is provided with springs which bear
against the body of the wearer, for the purposes above specified.
Second-The combination, with the said plate or frame and the springs, of means
for adjusting the same as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Third The improved bustle or dress-improver constructed substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying drawing for the purposes specified.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1887.