Improvements in Corset Stiffeners.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
DIONA
Improvements in Corset Stiffeners.
I, ENOCH JOSEPH of 225 Railton Road, Herne Hill in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to what are known as corset stiffeners, that is to
say, devices to be applied to the inside of corsets at and near the waist line for the
purpose of obviating the liability that the ordinary steels or bones of the corsets
have to break when the wearer bends the body at the waist. Corset stiffeners as
hitherto made have consisted of a series of resilient steels, blades or the like,
disposed in some cases vertically and in other cases horizontally. Experience has
shown that the vertically disposed steels do not afford sufficient protection to the
ordinary steels or bones of the corsets unless the bending movement of the wearer's
body is in line with the steels of the stiffeners while on the other hand the stiffeners
with horizontally disposed steels give practically no protection to the ordinary
steels or bones.
Now according to this invention the stiffeners are made of a series of resilient
stecls, blades or the like, arranged in an inclined position, some being inclined in
the one direction and some in the other, the two inclined sets crossing each other
at or about the middle of their length. The degree of inclination may be about at
an angle of 45 degrees, but is preferably at a somewhat less angle relatively to the
vertical. With this arrangement, no matter in what direction the wearer may
bend the body at the waist the stiffeners will always effectually protect the ordinary
steels or bones of the corsets. The steels, blades or the like of the stiffeners will
be contained in pockets formed of kid, sateen-cloth, or other like material, and
there may or may not be a connecting band extending horizontally across them at
their interlacing or crossing part. The steels, pockets or connecting band may
have eyelet holes at convenient positions to enable the stiffeners to be readily
stitched or sewn to the corsets.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1896
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
I, ENOCH JOSEPH of 225 Railton Road, Herne Hill in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller, 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 :-
This invention has reference to what are known as corset stiffeners, that is to
say, devices to be applied to the inside of corsets at and near the waist line for the
purpose of obviating the liability that the ordinary steels or bones of the corsets
have to break when the wearer bends the body at the waist. Corset stiffeners as
7

page_text: hitherto made have consisted of a series of resilient steels, blades or the like
disposed in some cases vertically and in other cases horizontally. Experience has
shown that the vertically disposed steels do not afford sufficient protection to the
ordinary steels or bones of the corsets unless the bending movement of the wearer's
body is in line with the steels of the stiffeners while on the other hand the stiffeners
with horizontally disposed steels give practically no protection to the ordinary
steels or bones.
Now according to this invention the stiffeners are made of a series of resilient
steels, blades or the like, arranged in an inclined position, some being inclined in
the one direction and some in the other, the two inclined sets crossing each other
at or about the middle of their length. The degree of inclination may be about at
an angle of 45 degrees, but is preferably at a somewhat less angle relatively to the
vertical. With this arrangement, no matter in what direction the wearer may
bend the body at the waist the stiffeners will always effectually protect the ordinary
steels or bones of the corsets. The steels, blades or the like of the stiffeners will
be contained in pockets formed of kid, sateen-cloth, or other like material, aud
there may or may not be a connecting band extending horizontally across them at
their interlacing or crossing part. The steels, pockets or connecting band may
have eyelet holes at convenicut positions to enable the stiffeners to be readily
stitched or sewn to the corsets.
The accompanying drawings will enable this invention to be fully understood.
Figure 1 is a view of the inside of a corset with a stiffener made according to
my invention attached thereto. Figure 2 is a plan or top view on a larger scale of
the stiffener detached.
The stiffener is shewn as made with 4 kid or sateen covered resilient steels or
blades a a, b, b; this number which will generally be found sufficient but more may
be employed. All these steels are inclined, the steels a a being inclined in the one
direction and the steels bb in the other direction the two inclined sets crossing each
other at or about the middle of their length. They are connected together by
eyelets cc at their crossing points and when thus connected they resemble trellis
work and can be closed up or opened out to a limited extent similarly to trellis
work. d is a horizontal band extending horizontally across the steels at their
middle crossing part and attached thereto by threads e e passed through the
middle eyelets cc and through the band d and round the outer edge of the steels.
ff are other eyelets at the ends of the steels. The stiffeners are stitched or
sewn to the corsets by threads passed through the eyelets ff and through the
band d.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a corset stiffener, two sets of resilient steels, blades, or the like inclined in
reverse directions and crossing each other at or about the middle of their length,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. The improved corset stiffener made substantially as hereinbefore described
and represented in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.