Improvements in Elastic Busks or Stiffeners for Garments
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Elastic Busks or Stiffeners for Garments
A communication to me from abroad by Herr JULIUS GUTMANN, Manufacturer, of
Stuttgart, in the Empire of Gerinany.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in elastic steel or whalebone busks or
springs used for stiffening dress-waists, corsets bodices, petticoats or other articles of
dress and it has for its object a novel method of forming such elastic springs so that
they are not liable to fracture, as is the case with those usually employed of flat steel,
whale-bone and the like, whilst at the same time they are more flexible and elastic, as
required for the purpose of stiffening garments.
The liability to breakage of the stiffeners ordinarily employed is the natural
consequence of the unequal strain acting upon their front and back surfaces when
bent, the frequent bending rendering the material brittle and fragile.
To avoid such liability to breakage, the busks or stiffeners made according to the
present invention, are composed of one or several rows or layers of very thin and
elastic metallic wires laid upon and beside one another. By a stay thus formed the
unequal strain in bending the stay does not affect the solid body of the stay, but acts
upon each individual wire, allowing the same to bend according to its own position
within the stay. The body of the stay, being flexible in its individual constituent
parts, accordingly, will be free from liability to breakage and possessed of great
durability.
For making the compound stiffener or stay of thin metallic wires, according to this
invention different modes of uniting the wires may be employed, as for instance by
covering them by spinning or weaving upon them, or laying them between two sheets
or strips of fabrics, paper, or any other suitable material. A very satisfactory result
has been obtained by manufacturing the stays according to the following method.

page_text: The wires are made to pass through a diluted solution of glue to which a small
proportion of linseed-oil or oil-varnish has been added. . From the said solution the
wires pass between two heated rollers. Before the wires enter between the rollers,
strips of suitable fabric, or paper, are arranged above, or below, or round each
row or layer of wires. These strips are saturated with tannic acid or other suitable
tanning substance, and while the pressure of the heated rollers serves to unite the
metallic wires with the surrounding strips, the glue, under the action of the heat,
enters into combination with the tannic acid so as to form a compound insoluble in
water.
After leaving the rollers, the strips thus prepared, may be dried and then coated by
passing through a suitable solution so as to render the stay not liable to injury by the
oxydizing influence of perspiration, soap, and the like.
Such coating may consist of any suitable varnish or other substance of the
like kind.
The strips thus formed are continuous and of any convenient length, and they
are subsequently cut into pieces of the required length. Wires of the requisite
length for the finished article may however be united by the same method.
Another simple method of uniting the wires, to form the stay, consists in cutting
them into the required length and uniting their ends by means of caps. These caps
have as many holes through them as there are wires to be attached thereto, and
the interval between the several wires in the cap may be filled up by a suitable
material.
The wire forming the row or rows instead of being cut into separate lengths
corresponding with the length of the stay, may consist of one continuous length of
wire, bent backwards and forwards.
The stays thus formed according to the present invention, may be employed either
alone or they may be used to strengthen stays or stiffeners of whalebone or the
like, as ordinarily used, a stay of this latter kind being united to, or backed by a stay
of wires, as described.
It will be seen that the principal feature of the invention, consists in forming
a stay, which, instead of consisting of one single elastic strip or blade, is composed
of a number of elastic metallic wires for the purpose of enabling the unequal strain
in bending the stay, to act upon each individual wire, instead of upon the entire
body of the stay, thus affording greater elasticity and durability and avoiding
breakage.
M
1
1
1000

page_text: A communication to me froni abroad by JULIUS GUTMANN, Manufacturer, of Stuttgart,
in the Empire of Germany.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and Engineers,
of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex 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 relates to improvements in the elastic steel or whalebone busks or
springs and for stiffening dress waists, corsets, bodices, petticoats or other article of
dress, and it has for its object a novel method of forming such elastic springs so that
they are not liable to fracture, as is the case with those usually employed of flat steel,
whalebone and the like, whilst at the same time they are more flexible and elastic, as
required for the purpose of stiffening garments.
The liability to breakage of the stiffeners ordinarily employed is the natural
consequence of the unequal strain acting upon their front and back surfaces when
bent, the frequent bending rendering the material brittle and fragile.
To avoid such liability to breakage, the busks or stiffeners made according to the
present invention are composed of one or several rows or layers of very thin and
elastic metallic wires laid upon and beside one other. By a stay thus formed the
unequal strain in bending the stay does not affect the solid body of the stay, but acts
upon each individual wire, allowing the same to bend according to its particular
position within the stay.
The body of the stay being flexible in its individual constituent parts, accordingly
will be free from liability to breakage and possessed of great durability.
For making the compound stiffeners or stays of thin metallic wires, according to
my invention different modes of uniting the wires may be employed as for instance
by covering them by spinning or weaving upon them or laying them between two
A very
sheets or strips of suitable fabrics, paper, or any other suitable material.
satisfactory result has been obtained by manufacturing the stays according to the
following method. The wires are made to pass through a diluted solution of glue to
which a small proportion of linseed oil or oil varnish has been added. From the said
solution the wires pass between two heated rollers.
In the accompanying drawing which is in illustration of the invention, figures 1, 2
and 3 are front and side elevations of the improved busk or stiffener composed of two
rows or layers of steel wire a. Figure 4 represents the same bent into curves,
figure 5 is a section through the line I-II in figure 4. Figure 6 represents a similar
stay stiffener composed of three rows or layers of wire, bent into curves. Figure 7
is a section through the line III-IV in figure 6. Figure 8 is a side elevation of a
similar stiffener composed of three rows or layers of wires. Figure 9 is a front.

page_text: elevation of a stay stiffener composed of a single length of wire bent at the ends e.
In figures 5 and 7 the wires a are shewn embedded between the strips 6 of fabric or
paper, in a coating c consisting of glue with the addition of oil-varnish. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures.
Before the wires enter between the rollers already described strips of suitable
fabric or paper are arranged above, or below or round each row or layer of wires.
These strips are saturated with tannic acid or suitable tanning substance, and whilst
the pressure of the heated rollers serves to unite the metallic wires with the surrounding
strips, the glue under the action of the heat enters into combination with the tannic
acid so as to form a compound insoluble in water.
After leaving the rollers the strips thus prepared, may be dried and then coated
by passing through a suitable solution unaffected by weak alkalis or acids so as to
render the stay not liable to injury. by the oxydizing influence of perspiration, soap
and the like..
Such solution may consist of any suitable material or varnish such as india rubber,
gutta percha, collodion, albuminous varnish, or other substance of the like kind.
The strips thus formed are continuous and of any convenient length, and they are
subsequently cut into pieces of the required length. Wires of the requisite length
for the finished article may however be united by the same method.
Another simple method of uniting the wires,. to form a stay, consists in cutting
them into the required length and uniting their ends by means of caps or sleeves d as
shewn in figures 1 and 3. These caps have as many holes through them as there are
wires to be attached thereto, and the interval between the several wires in the cap
may be filled up by a suitable material c.
The wire a forming the row or rows instead of being cut into separate lengths
corresponding with the length of the stay may consist of one continuous length of
wire, bent backwards and forwards as shewn at e in figure 9.
The stays thus formed according to this invention, may be employed either alone
or they may be used, to strengthen stays or stiffeners of whale bone or the like as
ordinarily used a stay of this latter kind being united to or backed by a stay of wires
as described.
It will be seen that the principal feature of the invention consists in forming a stay,
which instead of consisting of one single elastic strip or blade, is composed of a number
of elastic metallic wires a for the purpose of enabling the unequal strain in bending
the stay to act upon each individual wire, instead of upon the entire body of the stay,
thus affording greater elasticity and durability and avoiding breakage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
laim is :-
In busks or stiffeners for stiffening corsets, bodices, dress waists, petticoats, and
other garments, one or more rows or layers of thin clastic metallic wire a, united by
covering, spinning, weaving, or embedding between strips b of fabrics or paper, with
or without an additional plastic mass c, such as tannic glue, the ends of which wires
may also be united by caps or sleeves d or by bending as shewn at e, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose described and shewn."
Dated this 21st day of December 1888.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.