IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSTLES AND PADS FOR LADIES' DRESS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd February 1875.-A communication from abroad by Amos
Washington Thomas, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
of America, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSTLES AND PADS FOR
LADIES' DRESS," a communication, to be as follows :—
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction of bustles,
and has for its object to provide a light, neat, and substantial bustle
which will close up readily when the wearer sits down, and will return
elastically to its expanded position when the wearer rises.
To the waistband of a bustle I attach two hangers or braces, their ends
proceeding by preference to the top of the said band, and being there
fastened by means of clamps. If desired these braces need not be
attached to the waistband, but may terminate below it, and be secured by

page_text: eyelets or equivalent means to the muslin back of the bustle. The lower
bow of the bustle is made of strong and elastic wire. This bow is bent
to form circles to give it elasticity, and proceeds thence to the waist band
to which its ends are fastened by clamps.
The muslin back is fastened by stitching or equivalent means to the
standards or braces, and at its other edge to the band by means of clamps.
Tapes are stitched at the edge to the muslin back and bent or folded in
the middle to turn over on the bows, to which they are secured by metal
clamps. It will thus be seen that the ends of the bows are secured to
the muslin back and to the tapes by means of clamps, and this double
fastening serves to keep the bows in their relative position, and at the
same time forms a flexible joint or hinge which permits the said bows to
fold up easily and naturally when the wearer of the bustle sits down.
A tape extends downward from the centre of the waist band, to which
it is stitched, until it meets the lower or spring bow, to which it is
fastened by clamps. This tape is also secured by clamps or equivalent
means to each of the other bows, so that when the lower bow expands
after having been compressed or flattened between the wearer's back and
the back of a chair or seat, it will carry with it said bows, restoring them
to their normal expanded position.
In a modification of this Invention, instead of causing the elasticity of
the spring bow to restore the other bows to their normal position, I
effect substantially the same result by means of a bent wire forming a
spring for all of the bows. Instead of a single curved wire located in
the middle of the bustle, two such curved wires may be employed at a
point midway between the cord and the vertical extension of the said
spring bow to which the other bows are fastened. When a single wire
spring is employed, the ends of the last-named bows may be secured to
the spring bow, but when two such springs are employed it will not be
necessary to secure the ends of said bows to the wire.
In another modification the ends of several bows are fastened to
hangers extending from the waist band, said ends being bent out of their
course and secured by metal clamps, thus giving an independent spring
to each bow. Instead of the hangers the extremities of the lower bow
may be carried up to the waist band, and the other bows fastened thereto
by means of clamps.

page_text: In another modification the ends of the bows are secured by metal
clamps to the ends of a cross tape attached to the vertical extensions of
the lower bow and forming the back of the bustle.
In another modification the bows are formed with hooked ends which
engage with the circle of the lower bow, all the bows of the bustle thus
springing from a common centre. Instead of hooked ends metallic
clamps may be employed.
In another modification the necessary spring of the bow is obtained
by securing their ends to the lower bow, and to the tape by means of
clamps.
It will be seen that the foregoing constituting one substantive principle
bustle, comprise a waist band, a lower bow or rim, and intermediate bows
attached to the latter, said bows and rim being so arranged and con-
structed as to fold up easily, and expand automatically when pressure or
impact is removed, the methods of obtaining the spring to cause
expansion being diversified, residing either in the spring or lower bow,
in each bow independently, or in a curved spring or springs (aided in
some cases by torsion as already explained) attached to the various
bows.
"
The second part of my Invention relates to the construction of bosom
forms or "pads.' The object of this part of my Invention is to con.
struct a light and mobile form which will more perfectly simulate nature
in its capacity for graceful undulatory motion, than any article of the
same class heretofore produced.
A wire is bent to form a frame embracing two circles secured by
clamps. Other wires are curved radii rising from the plane of the
frame, so as to form a hemispherical or nearly hemispherical basket
conforming to the shape of a perfect female bust. If compression be
exerted on or against this form it will yield readily, the wires sinking to
the plane of the frame and assuming a curvature more nearly concentric
with the circles than when raised. As soon as compression or impact is
withdrawn from the said wires they will rise or expand restoring the
form to its normal shape.
In a modification of this part of my Invention I use a frame having
four sides united at the corners, and curved outwardly to conform to the
shape of the body upon which they rest. Or this frame may be shaped

page_text: exactly like that formed by the aforesaid wire and made of a single piece
of wire; to avoid corners a central bow or support has an inside strip,
which rest against the body of the wearer, being nearly or quite straight
for that purpose, while the outer strip is curved to give a graceful
elevation; cross wires extend from side to side of the frame, and are bent
to conform as nearly as possible to the outline of a perfect bust; cords
extend from top to bottom of the frame, and are tied to each of the wires
to keep them a proper distance apart and from the sides.
Another modification may be employed in which the straight section
of the bow is dispensed with, substituting therefor a broad tape or
equivalent textile material extended around to pass outside the wires,
holding them in close contact with the bow. This bosom form or pad is
intended to be worn generally outside of the corset, which latter affords a
support to the breasts of the wearer. In case however the form should
be worn without or inside of a corset and be too much expanded to afford
a support to the breasts, a supplemental support may be obtained by a
cross bar and tapes; or a lining of muslin having a less expansion than
the wires may be employed for the same purpose.
In a further modification of this part of my Invention the wires run
transversely of the form, and are graduated in length so as to obtain the
desired outline and contour. The wires may be extended to form a
back.
The modifications as well as the principal construction comprise but
one substantive form composed of an outline or frame and intermediate
wires and lining, said intermediate wires being arranged according to
fancy as already described, either as curved radii or longitudinally or
transversely of the frame, in each case however forming a light wire
form easily compressible, and with elasticity sufficient to return auto-
matically to its expanded condition when impact or pressure is
withdrawn.