An Improved Combination of Materials for Use in the Manu- facture of Stays, Corsets, Crinolines, Skirts, Dress Improvers
Year: 1884

page_text: An Improved Combination of Materials for Use in the Manu-
facture of Stays, Corsets, Crinolines, Skirts, Dress Improvers,
I, STEPHEN DIXON of White Hill Cottage, Blackmoor, Petersfield in the County
of Hampshire do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
COMBINATION OF MATERIALS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STAYS, CORSETS,
CRINOLINES, SKIRTS, DRESS IMPROVERS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING
APPAREL " to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in covering or embedding a fine watch spring steel or
other suitable material in vegetable parchment, either by placing the vegetable
parchment in layers on each side of the steel or other suitable stiffening material,
or winding the vegetable parchment round the steel or other suitable material and
causing it to adhere firmly thereto by coating the parchment with fine glue or any
other suitable adhesive substance or cement. After it is covered I place it under a
strong pressure in a screw or any other suitable press. I then dry it and after
rubbing it with emery cloth or emery paper, or pumice stone or any other suitable
substance or material. I next rub it with powdered French chalk, and I then take
a piece of ivory or any other suitable hard material but by preference I use ivory
and rub it for a few seconds when a polish is obtained equal or superior to the finest
bone. This compound article answers all the purposes of whalebone and is quite as
solid and as springy also it is not so liable to break and cause injury to the wearer,
or wear out the articles of dress in which it is used.
Another great and important advantage is that while answering all the purposes
of whalebone, it can be produced and sold at one eighth the price of whalebone and
in addition it will have more elasticity than ordinary bone and consequently will
be much more healthful and less brittle.
Dated t
1004

page_text: I STEPHEN DIXON of White Hill Cottage, Blackmoor, Petersfield in the County
of Hampshire do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
COMBINATION OF MATERIALS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STAYS, CORSETS,
CRINOLINES, SKIRTS, DRESS IMPROVERS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF WEARING
APPAREL" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object the production of an improved combination of
materials for use in the manufacture of stays, corsets, crinolines, skirts, dress
improvers and other articles of wearing apparel.
-I
I
I carry my Invention into practice in the following manner that is to say :-
employ or use vegetable parchment (a well known article of commerce) in which I
enclose, cover, or embed a fine watch spring steel or other suitable material (but
I generally prefer to use watch spring steel) by placing the vegetable parchment in
layers on both sides of the watch spring steel or other suitable material until I
obtain the thickness required, having previous covered the vegetable parchment on
one or both sides with fine glue or other suitable adhesive agent or I cover the
vegetable parchment with fine glue or other suitable adhesive agent and then wind
it round the aforesaid fine watch spring steel or other suitable material thus causing
the vegetable parchment to adhere firmly to the fine watch spring steel or other
suitable material. I then put the article thus manufactured or produced by the
combination of materials under a strong pressure in a screw or any other suitable
press. I then dry the same and after first rubbing it (that is the vegetable
parchment forming the exterior or outer surface of the combination article) with
emery cloth, emery paper, pumice stone or other suitable substance or material. I
finally produce a hard polish by rubbing it with a piece of ivory, or by other
analogous or suitable means and cause it to acquire a bone like appearance not
heretofore attained in any substitute for bone. It is obvious that although by
preference I use watch spring steel as the article enclosed covered or embedded in
the vegetable parchment I may substitute any other suitable stiffening material
without departing from the spirit of my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my .said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :
The employment or use of vegetable parchment in combination with fine glue or
other suitable adhesive agent and watch spring steel or any other suitable material
or substance substantially as herein before described in the manufacture or production
of an improved article for use in the manufacture of stays, corsets, crinolines,
skirts, dress improvers and other articles of wearing apparel.