IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS, BODDICES, OR CORSETS."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas, of No. 128, Cheapside, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS, BODDICES, OR
CORSETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August 1876.
WILLIAM THOMAS, of No. 128, Cheapside, in the City of London.. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STAYS, BODDICES, OR CORSETS."
My Invention relates to the boning or stiffening of stays, boddices, or corsets in
such a manner as to provide the greatest stiffness at the lower part and greater
freedom and flexibility at the upper part of such vestments. Such boning or
stiffening is usually effected by inserting into the fabric slips of whalebone, horn,
cane, steel, and other materials, such slips being made of uniform width so that they
are of equal stiffness throughout their length. Instead of using such parallel slips
I employ slips tapering in width so as to be considerably narrower at their upper
ends than at their lower ends, and consequently the spaces of free fabric between
the slips are considerably greater at the upper part of the vestment than they are
at the lower part thereof, giving the greatest freedom and flexibility required.
When horn is employed as a stiffening material the whole or nearly the whole of
the horn-which is naturally taper can be utilised in cutting such taper slips without
the waste involved in cutting a taper horn into slips of uniform width.
When the horn is cut in such a manner that the width of the slips corresponds
to the thickness of the horn I prefer to make the slips of uniform breadth but of
tapering thickness, whereby I attain the same result of increasing flexibility
upwards and of utilising the horn without waste:

page_text: My Invention relates to the boning or stiffening of stays, bodices, or corsets in
such a manner as to provide the greatest stiffness at the lower part and greater
freedom and flexibility at the upper part of such vestments. Such boning or
stiffening is usually effected by inserting into the fabric slips of whalebone, horn,
cane, steel, and other materials, such slips boing made of uniform width so that they
are of equal stiffness throughout their length. Instead of using such parallel slips
I employ slips tapering in width so as to be considerably narrower at their upper
ends than at their lower ends, and consequently the spaces of free fabric between
the slips are considerably greater at the upper part of the vestment than they are
at the lower part thereof, giving the greatest freedom and flexibility required.
When horn is employed as the stiffening material the whole or nearly the whole of
the horn which is naturally taper can be utilised in cutting such taper strips with-
out the waste involved in cutting a taper horn into slips of uniform width.
When the horn is cut in such a manner that the width of the slips corresponds
to the thickness of the horn I prefer to make the slips of uniform breadth but of
taporing thickness, whereby I attain the same result of increasing flexibility
upwards and of utilising the horn without waste.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawing shews the front elevation of a corset con-
structed according to my before described Invention; and Fig. 2 shews one of the
taper steel slips employed.
A, A, are the ordinary steel busks, at the side of which are introduced the steel
slips B, B, tapering in width from the bottom to the top, the lower end being by
preference about four or five times greater in width than the upper end; two of
the said slips B, B, are by preference placed closely against each other and against
the busk A, as shewn, while a third one B¹ is placed so as to afford a space C of
fabric only between them, gradually increasing in width from the bottom to the top.
By this arrangement the corset is rendered comparatively stiff at the lower end as
is generally desired by the wearer and gradually increases in flexibility towards
the upper end, leaving the bosom almost entirely free of stiffness. Other tapering
slips inhy in like manner be arranged round the other parts of the corsets, or such
other parts may be boned in the usual manner.
I am aware that in stays it has been the custom to place ordinary bone slips of
parallel shape in a position inclining from the lower end of the stay to above the
middle part of the busk, which slips are usually termed "fly bones," and which are
cut obliquely at their upper ends in order that they may fit against the busk, and
I do therefore not claim such an' arrangement, neither do I claim the use of steel
busks tapering in width from the lower to the upper end, Letters Patent having
already been granted to me for such a construction; but I claim the manufacture of
stays, bodices, or corsets with stiffening slips of steel or other material tapering in
width or thickness from their lower to their upper ends, whereby the stay or corset
is rendered of gradually increasing flexibility towards the upper end, substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
L