TH SMANG AND CORSET
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Francis Walter Joyce, of No. 3, Market
Place, Upper Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, for the In-
of it Tunna TH SMANG AND CORSET "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Francis Walter
Joyce at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th October 1874.
I, CHARLES FRANCIS WALTER JOYCE, of No. 3, Market Place
Upper Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare tho
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS AND CORSETS,"
to be as follows: :-
The object of the Invention is to give increased safety and comfort
both to mother and offspring during the state of pregnancy.
Stays and corsets as at present constructed are formed without due
regard to the state of pregnancy, and as a consequence are the cause of
great discomfort and danger arising from the undue and unnecessary

page_text: pressure exerted by them upon the part or parts of the body which at
such time it is desirable should have freedom of development. Any
undue pressure at such time preventing the proper and natural growth
of the foetus, producing its displacement, and inducing miscarriage,
premature labour, cross birth, faintings, hysteria, and other evils.
In using the present make of stays or corsets too it becomes necessary
to allow the back of them to remain partly open, and progressively to
increase that opening during the procreational development, by which
not only much discomfort is produced, but other evils arising from cold,
lumbago, and weakening of the back of the wearer.
To avoid these evils I, according to my Invention, form stays and
corsets with elastic fabric down each side of the front fastening or busk,
such elastic fabric extending from about one-third from the top, and
increasing from a width of, say, about one inch, to, say, about 3 inches
at the bottom, but these dimensions will vary with the size of the stay
or corset required, and other circumstances.
I also insert elastic fabric in the front half or portion of the hips at
each side, and I form these parts to open down at or about the middle
of them by means of eyelet holes and lacing, so as to admit of slight
variation or adjustment of the parts, and the introduction of another
or other pieces thereto adapted to the periods of increasing enlargement.
These additional hip pieces may also be formed of non-elastic material,
but in this case more frequent change of them will be rendered necessary.
At the back of or behind these opening parts I place other pieces of
fabric to prevent uneasiness to the wearer by the action of the lacing or
joining of the parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Francis Walter Joyce in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES 30
FRANCIS WALTER JOYCE, of No. 3, Market Place, Upper Holloway, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: Also in the use of the present make of stays and corsets the wearer
is obliged during pregnancy progressively to increase the opening at the
lacing down the back to admit of the necessary enlargement of the body
with increased development, and thus not only much discomfort and
weakness to the back of the wearer is produced by the withdrawal of
the covering and support afforded by the stays at such part, but other
evils are induced, such as cold, producing lumbago, and the like.
The object of my Invention is to remedy these evils; and in order
that my Invention may be better understood, I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawing proceed to describe means pursued by me in 1
carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1 shews a front view, and Figure 2 a side view of a stay
or corset arranged according to my Invention. In each of the Figures
the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, indicate the parts enclosing the front busks with the fastening a¹ 1
thereto, and which may be of the ordinary character. At the side of
each of these busks a and connecting them with the body 6 I apply
breadths of elastic fabric c, c, (indicated by the red tint) and generally I
find it most beneficial to apply such elastic fabric at these parts, so as to
commence at about one-third down these front busks, and of about one g
inch in width at the top, increasing to about three inches in width at the
bottom of these parts c. These dimensions will however vary with the
general size of the wearer, and other circumstances.
I also apply other pieces d, d, of elastic fabric (also indicated by the
red tint) in a vertical direction in openings provided for the purpose up 2
the front half or portion covering each of the hips to about the same
height as the parts c, and I form these parts of the stay or corset to open
from near the top of the stay or corset through about the middle of
these parts d, d, and I connect these parts together by eyelet holes and
lacing e, e, so as to admit of some variation or adjustment of the parts, 3
and also to admit of the introduction when desired of another or other
additional filling pieces, such as shown at fin the side view, Figure 3,
adapted to the periods of increasing enlargement.
I generally form these additional pieces with elastic material on
account of the increased ease and comfort thereby obtained. Non-elastic 3
material may however be applied at such parts, but then more frequent
changes of such pieces will be rendered necessary. In any case I

page_text: connect the parts f to the parts d, d, by lacing. I apply within these
opening parts, on those parts of them next the body, other pieces or
flaps, such as represented at 9 in the enlarged sectional ¡diagram,
Figure 4, and which pieces. or flaps are connected at one edge to one
portion of such opening, and are of size sufficient to cover that opening
and the opposite edge thereof, so as to prevent uneasiness to the wearer
by the action of lacing or the joining of the parts. These flap pieces
may also be applied to filling pieces fif desired.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement of the respective parts as
shown and described, as the same may be varied without departing from
the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I do claim. is, the
improvements in stays and corsets by the application thereto of the parts
of elastic fabric c, c, and d, d, with the facility for varying the opening
between the parts d, d, and the protection of the wearer at such openings
by flaps or pieces g, and the introduction of additional pieces thereto,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Francis Walter Joyce, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
CHARLES FRANCIS WALTER JOYCE. (L.S.)