IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas, of Nos. 128 and 129, Cheapside,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS
Sealed the 30th January 1872, and dated the 29th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th November 1871.
IM.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS, of Nos. 128 and 129, Cheapside, in the City of
3 London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "
PROVEMENTS IN STAYS AND BODICES AND IN BUSKS FOR THE SAME," to be as
follows:-
In the Provisional Specification to my application for Letters Patent
dated 8th November, 1871, No. 3010, I described an improved con-
struction of stays and bodices wherein the stay or bodice was provided
with an ordinary stay busk in front, while the opening of the stay or
bodice was effected at a point between the side of the bosom and the
back.

page_text: Now according to my present improvements I form the opening of
the stay or bodice close against the side of the said busk, and for this
purpose I either form or fix on the side of the busk any suitable known
form of fastening, and I fix on the other side of the opening of the stay
or bodice a thin strip of steel provided with fastenings corresponding
to those on the busk, or I attach to the stay material at the side of the
busk a second thin piece of steel provided with the fastenings instead of
forming such fastenings on the busk itself. By these means I produce
a stay or bodice with an ordinary strong stay busk in the centre of the
body with the provision of means for opening and closing the stay or
bodice at the side of such busk instead of using a divided busk opening
in the centre of the bodice, as has been done heretofore.
My Invention consists furthermore in strengthening steel busks for
the above described stays or bodices or for any description of stays by
combining therewith one or more other pieces or plates of steel fixed
firmly to the lower end of the busk, and extending any required distance
up the same in order to render the busk of considerable strength at
the lower end and of gradually decreasing strength and consequently of
increasing pliability from the lower end towards the upper end.
In order to still further increase the pliability of the busk towards
the upper end I prefer to make the busk as also the strengthening
plates of a tapering width from the lower end upwards.
Such busks may also be employed with advantage in place of the
ordinary steels, with fastenings for bodices, in which case two such
busks are employed, each being of a width corresponding to that of the
ordinary steels and provided with the usual fastenings formed on clips
fitting over the steel plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th April 1872.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Thomas, Her
special licence, that I, the said William Thomas, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomas, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS AND BODICES AND IN BUSKS FOR THE SAME," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Thomas, 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 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 William Thomas, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:-
In the Provisional Specification to my application for Letters Patont
dated 8th November, 1871, No. 3010, I described an improved con-
struction of stays and bodices wherein the stay or bodice was provided
with an ordinary stay busk in front while the opening of the stay or
bodice was effected at a point between the side of the bosom and the
back.
Now according to my present improvement I form the opening of
the stay or bodice close against the side of the said busk, and for this
purpose I either fix on the side of the busk any suitable known form
of fastening, and I fix on the other side of the opening of the stay
or bodice a thin slip of steel provided with fastenings corresponding

page_text: eyes F, F, F, corresponding to the hooks D, D, D. The eyes F, F, F,
project through the fabric in which the slip E is enclosed.
The stay or bodice when fastened by the eyes F being engaged
on the hooks D is represented in front view in Fig. 3, on which are
marked the same letters of reference to the various parts as in
Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 represents an ordinary parallel busk, to which is applied the
same mode of opening and closing at the side of the busk.
Instead of fixing the hooks D to the busk itself, they may be fixed
to a slip of steel secured to the fabric at the edge of the busk.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
I make no claim to the form or action for fastening of the hooks and
eyes D and F, as these may be of any known construction, but I do
claim,―
First. The opening and closing of a stay or bodice at the one side of
the busk, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use for stays or bodices of a compound busk consisting
of one main plate of steel strengthened by one, two, or more plates
secured to its lower end, substantially as herein described.
Third. The combination in stays and bodices of such compound
busk with the method of fastening at its side, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM THOMAS. (L.S.)

page_text: In the Matter of Letters Patent granted to WILLIAM THOMAS, of Nos. 128
and 129, Cheapside, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STAYS AND BODICES, AND IN BUSKS FOR THE SAME," bearing
date at Westminster, the 29th day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one, No. 3222.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said William Thomas, pursuant to the Statutes in that case
made and provided.
WHEREAS Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the 29th day
of November, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did give and grant unto the said William Thomas, his executors,
administrators, and assigns, the sole privilege of making, using, exercising, and
vending the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS AND BODICES, AND IN
BUSKS FOR THE SAME," within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, for and during the term of fourteen years
thence next ensuing:
And whereas, in pursuance of a proviso in the said Letters Patent contained,
the said William Thomas did, within six calendar months next after the date of
the said Letters Patent, cause a Specification in writing, under his hand and seal,
purporting to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same was to be performed, to be duly filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office:
And whereas since the filing of the said Specification it has been found that
parts of the Invention therein described and claimed are not of such value or
importance that it is desirable to retain in respect thereof the exclusive privilege
conferred by the said Letters Patent:
And whereas moreover it is apprehended that objections might be taken to some
of the claims, on the ground that the matters claimed in them do not constitute
fit subject matters for Letters Patent, or that the matters claimed are not dis-
tinguished with sufficient precision :

page_text: And the specification, when so unscrammed, altered, and amended, will read as
follows:-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM THOMAS,
of Nos. 128 and 129, Cheapside, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent
bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the Thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Thomas, her special licence that I, the said William Thomas, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomas, 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 Kingom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSKS FOR STAYS AND BODICES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Thomas, 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 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 William Thomas, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawing and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say,-
My Invention consists in strengthening steel busks for stays or bodices by com-
bining therewith one or more other pieces or plates of steel fixed firmly to the
lower end of the busk and extending any required distance up the same in order to
render the busk of considerable strength at the lower end and of gradually
decreasing strength, and consequently of increasing pliability, from the lower end
towards the upper end.
In order to still further increase the pliability of the busk towards the upper end
I prefer to make the busk as also the strengthening plates of a tapering width from
the lower end upwards.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
T
יהT

page_text: end of which one, two, or more strengthening plates of steel, as B and C, are secured
by rivets. By preference these plates are made of tapering form, becoming narrower
towards their upper ends, where if desired they may be secured to the main
busk by means of a rivet passing through slotted holes. This form gives greater
at the upper part of the busk, and the pliability
A
pliability of the middle part of the main busk may be increased by corrugating
that part transversely. The plates however may be made parallel, or parallel or
tapering strengthening plates may be applied to a parallel busk. The main plate A
is provided with hooks D, D, D, secured to one edge of it by rivets, the hooks being
by preference so made that their bends are at a little distance beyond the edge of
the busk so as to give facility in fastening.
The stay or bodice when fastened by the eyes F being engaged on the hooks D is
represented in front view in Fig. 3, on which are marked the same letters of
reference to the various parts as in Figs. 1 and 2.
Instead of fixing the hooks D to the busk itself they may be fixed to a slip of
steel secured to the fabric at the edge of the busk.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I. make no claim to the
form or action for fastening of the hooks and eyes D and F, as these may be of any
known construction, nor do I make any claim for strengthening a busk by plates
attached to the middle thereof and extending to various lengths in each direction
from the middle, but I do claim the use for stays or bodices of a compound busk
consisting of one main plate of steel strengthened by one, two, or more plates
secured to its lower end, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM THOMAS. (L.S.)
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named William Thomas to
file in the Great Seal Patent Office, with the Specification to which the same
5 relates, the above-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration.
HARDINGE S. GIFFARD,