AN IMPROVED. METHOD OR APPLICATION FOR PRESERVING THE FRONTS OR EDGES OF STAYS, CORSETS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Roberts, of Blaby, in the County
of Leicester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED.
METHOD OR APPLICATION FOR PRESERVING THE FRONTS OR EDGES OF STAYS,
CORSETS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 9th December 1870, and dated the 7th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William Roberts
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th July 1870.
I, FRANCIS WILLIAM ROBERTS, of Blaby, in the County of Leicester;
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OR APPLICATION FOR PRESERVING THE FRONTS OR EDGES
OF STAYS, CORSETS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This improved method or application consists in attaching to the side
of the stay, corset, or other similar article to which studs are attached
or secured, a protecting plate, shield, disc, or washer, or equivalent, made
of thin metal, by stamping or other means, of any required shape, and
pierced with a hole large enough to pass over the bead of the stud; or

page_text: the hole may be of such size as only to enable the shank of the stud
to pass through it; in such case the plate, shield, disc, or washer would
be secured to the front or edge of the stay, corset, or other article by
riviting, at the same time as the steel and studs are attached or the
plate, shield, disc, or washer may, besides having the hole which slips
over the bead of the stud, be pierced with other holes so as to be securely
attached to the front or edge of the stay, corset, or other article by
stitching or otherwise, and when thus attached the hook or loop on the
opposite front or edge of the article will when placed on the stud press
upon such plate, shield, disc, or washer, and receive the friction of the
hook or loop and prevent the material from being worn into holes or
becoming prematurely frayed or worn off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis William Roberts in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
WILLIAM ROBERTS, of Blaby, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Francis William Roberts, Her special licence
that I, the said Francis William Roberts, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis William Roberts, 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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OR APPLICATION FOR PRESERVING THE FRONTS OR EDGES OF STAYS, CORSETS,
AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Francis William Roberts, 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

page_text: 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 Francis William Roberts, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
My Invention of an improved method or application for preserving
the fronts or edges of stays, corsets, and other similar articles, consists
in the adaptation to the spring or busk of these articles of a small
metallic or other shield or disc, which is made to surround the pin or
stud over which the eye or other fastening is placed for the purpose of
connecting the two parts of the spring or busk together. The object
intended to be effected by the application or use of this shield or disc
in the manner proposed is to prevent the eye from chafing and wearing
away the fabric with which the springs or busks of corsets, stays, and
other similar articles are covered.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents part of a covered
spring or busk of a corset showing the stud or pin 6 over which the
eye a which forms the other part of the fastening is passed, and which
eye by coming in contact with and rubbing on the covering fabric will
wear it away all round the pin or stud as shewn in the Drawing. To
prevent this I fasten on to this part of the spring or busk (by sewing or
otherwise) the shield or disc c shewn detached at Fig. 2. This shield
is provided with a hole through which the pin or stud 6 will project,
and when the eye a, Fig. 3, is passed over the stud it will be prevented
from rubbing on and wearing away the covering fabric; Fig. 3 repre-
sents the spring or busk of a corset complete with a set of the fastenings
arranged according to my Invention. It will be obvious that these
protecting shields or discs may be adapted to any article in which it may
be desired to preserve the covering fabric from undue wear by the rubbing
or chafing of the metallic eye which forms one part of the fastening.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Method or
Application for Preserving the Fronts or Edges of Stays, Corsets, and
other similar Articles," and having explained the manner of carrying

page_text: the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, the adaptation to the fronts of stays, corsets,
and other similar articles of metallic or other shields or discs for the
purpose of preventing the covering fabric from being chafed or worn as
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis William Roberts, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Second day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
FRANCIS WILLIAM ROBERTS. (L.S.)