IMPROVE- MENTS IN STAYS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charlotte Smith, Wife of Jabez Smith, of Bedford,
in the County of Bedford, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STAYS."
Sealed the 20th June 1862, and dated the 24th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charlotte Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on the 24th
December 1861.
I, CHARLOTTE SMITH, Wife of Jabez Smith, of Bedford, in the County of
Bedford, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to stays for adults and children, and consists in
applying to the back of stays means for adjusting the stays to the body of the
wearer after they have been fastened in frout, that is to say, means of
tightening the stays, or allowing them to expand, so as to cause them to fit
more perfectly or comfortably. Near the centre of the back of the stays I
make a vertical opening, strengthened at each edge by bones or other stiffenings,
which I prefer should extend from the top to the bottom of the stays, and
from the bottom of the stays to, say, about four inches upward, more or less,
I insert a gore, which may be of the same material as that of which the stays
are made, between the two bones or stiffenings. The upper portion of the

page_text: parts so strengthened by bones, or otherwise, I connect together by means of
a piece of material which may be of the same description as the rest of the
stays, so that there shall be a slot or opening of a length equal to about one-
third the height of the stays. To each edge of this opening I fix a strap of
any suitable material, which is made sufficiently long to extend to the front of
the stays, or nearly so. I attach the straps to the stays in such a way that
one of the straps shall pass under the other, and the end of each strap is made
capable of being secured in front to fastenings fixed to the stays in such a
manner that they may be drawn more or less tight at pleasure, and there
fixed, so as to cause the sides of the opening at the back to be drawn and held
more or less nearly together, for the purpose of adjusting the stays, as above
mentioned. The straps may be made of the same material as the other parts
of the stays, or of any other convenient material, and they may be made so as
to pass partially under the stays, and then pass through orifices, which allow
them to be brought to the outside. For putting on the stays the two straps
may be allowed to hang loose until the opening in front has been secured, the
wearer takes the ends in her hands and tightening them to the extent required,
secures each of the ends to one of the fastenings fixed on the stays. Stays
constructed with the means of adjustment described are found to afford
increased support to the wearer at the bend of the back.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Charlotte Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLOTTE
SMITH, Wife of Jabez Smith, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of fler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charlotte Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Charlotte Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charlotte
Smith, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charlotte Smith,
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 Charlotte Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My Invention relates to stays for adults and children, and consists in
applying to the back of stays means for adjusting the stays to the body of the
wearer after they have been fastened in front, that is to say, means of
tightening the stays, or allowing them to expand, so as to cause them to fit
more perfectly or comfortably. Near the centre of the back of the stay I
make a vertical opening, strengthened at each edge by bones or other
stiffenings, which I prefer should extend from the top to the bottom of the
stay, and from the bottom of the stay to, say, about four inches upward, more
or less, I insert a gore, which may be of the same material as that of which
the stay is made, between the two bones or stiffenings. The upper portion of
the parts so strengthened by bones, or otherwise, I connect together by means
of a piece of material which may be of the same description as the rest of the
stay, so that there shall be a slot or opening of a length equal to about one-
third the height of the stay. To each edge of the opening I fix a strap of any
suitable material, which is made sufficiently long to extend to the front of the
stays, or nearly so. I attach the straps to the stays in such a way that one of
the straps shall pass under the other, and the end of each strap is made
capable of being secured in front to fastenings fixed to the stays in such a
manner that they may be drawn more or less tight at pleasure, and there
fixed, so as to cause the sides of the opening at the back to be drawn and held
more or less nearly together, for the purpose of adjusting the stays, as above
mentioned. The straps may be made of the same material as the other parts
of the stays, or of any other convenient material, and they may be made so as
to pass partially under the stays, and then pass through orifices, which allow
them to be brought to the outside.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan of the outside, and

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of the inside of stays made according to my Invention;
Figure 3 is a front view of the stays.
That portion of the stay from a to 6 indicates the vertical opening; c is the
gore between the two bones or stiffenings; d is a strap connected to the flap e
sewn to the stay, as shewn at Figure 2; and f is another strap attached to the
flap 9, as shewn at Figure 1. These straps are passed through apertures to
the outside of the stay. h, h, are eyelet-holes in the straps, and i, i, are studs
over which the eyelets are passed to secure the straps. In putting on the
stays the two straps may be allowed to hang loose until the opening in front
has been secured; the wearer takes the ends in her hands and tightening
them to the extent required, secures each of the ends to one of the fastenings
fixed on the stays. Stays constructed with the means of adjustment described
are found to afford increased support to the wearer at the bend of the back.
Instead of eyelet-holes and studs for the straps, buckles or other suitable
fastenings may be adopted, as, for instance, eyelets may be inserted in the
straps, and a hook on the stay, as shown at Figure 4.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improve-
ments in Stays," making stays with the back formed as herein-before described,
and with straps for adjusting them to the body of the wearer after they have
been fastened in front, in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charlotte Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLOTTE SMITH. (L.S.)