IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS FOR STAYS.OR CORSETS,. OR OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hartley, of the Firm of Rowley, Hartley, and
Company, of Aldermanbury, in the City of London,. for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS FOR STAYS.OR CORSETS,. OR OTHER ARTICLES
OF DRESS."
Sealed the 7th- November 1865, and dated the 9th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hartley at the
Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1865.
I, GEORGE HARTLEY, of the Firm of Rowley, Hartley, and Company, of
Aldermanbury, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS FOR STAYS OR CORSETS, OR
OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in fasteners applicable
chiefly to stays and corsets, but also to other articles of dress, parts of which
require to be fastened or attached together.
In the first example I attach to one of the edges of the busks of stays or to
the stiffeners of dresses, three or more flat metallic tubular fastenings, the top
and bottom one of each tubular piece has a nick formed, or a piece cut out of
the under side; to the other edge of the steel or garment I attach flattened
vertical hooks, their points being reversed or towards each other; thus when
it is required to fasten the garment the upper hook is merely dropped into the
tube, the bend of the hook resting on the edge of the nick. So also with
the lower one, which acts reversely by bending the busk or stiffener and

page_text: springing the hook into the tube. In the middle fastening part of the under
side of the tube is cut away, leaving a slot or space which forms a horizontal
hook, and a flattened hook (the point of which is reversed to the former)
being attached to the opposite edge, the two readily drag into each other, and
thus a complete fastening is effected.
The second example is only a modification of the first. The flattened
tubes have a nick cut out of their side, instead of underneath, as in the first
case; the hooks instead of being bent are cut out flat, and resemble in form
the bolt of an ordinary desk lock, their points being in an opposite direction
to those of the first example. The middle fastening is the same as in the
first. Thus the upper hook ascends into the tube, and the lower hook springs
downwards into the lower tube.
In the third example the upper and lower tubes have a groove or space cut
partially down their under side; the slots may be cut either at the top and
bottom edges of the tubes or on the inner edges. The opposite edge of the
steel or garment has studs attached thereto, the heads of which are let into
the tubes by means of the slots, and the stud heads are concealed within the
flat surfaces of the tubes, and thus do not injure the dress. The middle
fastening is the same as in the other examples.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hartley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HARTLEY, of the Firm of Rowley, Hartley, and Company, of Aldermanbury, in
the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Hartley, Her special licence that I, the said George Hartley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Hartley, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: FASTENERS FOR STAYS OR CORSETS, OR OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Hartley, 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 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 George Hartley, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
fasteners applicable chiefly to stays and corsets, but also to other articles of
dress, parts of which require to be fastened or attached together.
In the first example I attach to one of the edges of the busks of stays or to
the stiffeners of dresses three or more flat metallic tubular fastenings, the top
and bottom one of each tubular piece has a nick formed on or a piece cut out
of the under side; to the other edge of the steel or garment I attach flattened
vertical books, their points being reversed or towards each other; thus when
it is required to fasten the garment, the upper hook is merely dropped into
the tube, the bend of the hook resting on the edge of the nick. So also with
the lower one, which acts reversely by bending the busk or stiffener, and
springing the hook into the tube. In the middle fastening part of the under
side of the tube is cut away leaving a slot or space, which forms a horizontal
hook, and a flattened hook (the point of which is reversed to the former)
being attached to the opposite edge, the two readily drag into each other,
and thus a complete fastening is effected.
The second example is only a modification of the first. The flattened tubes
have a nick cut out of their side, instead of underneath, as in the first case;
the hooks, instead of being bent, are cut out flat, and resemble in form the
bolt of an ordinary desk lock, their points being in an opposite direction to
those of the first example; the middle fastening as in the first. Thus the
upper hook ascends into the tube, and the lower hook springs downwards
into the lower tube.
In the third example the upper and lower tubes have a groove or space
cut partially down their under side. The slots may be cut either at the top
and bottom edges of the tubes, or on the inner edges; the opposite edge of
the steel or garment has studs attached thereto, the heads of which are let

page_text: into the tubes by means of the slots, and the stud heads are concealed within
the flat surfaces of the tubes, and thus do not injure the dress. The middle
fastening is the same as in the other examples.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect,. I would remark, in conclusion,
that I do not limit myself to the precise details I have expressed, as the same
may obviously be varied or modified without in any way departing from the
principle on which my Invention is based; but what I claim and desire to
be secured to me by the berein in part recited Letters Patent are, the
"Improvements in Fasteners for Stays or Corsets, or other Articles of Dress,"
substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hartley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five..
Witness,
ALEX. M. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
GEO. HARTLEY. (LS.)