Improvements in Stiffeners for the Collars of Wearing Apparel, to be used also as Waist Bands, and as a Lining for Ladies' Belts, and in the Method of Making the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stiffeners for the Collars of Wearing Apparel, to
be used also as Waist Bands, and as a Lining for Ladies' Belts,
and in the Method of Making the same.
I ADOLPH VORWERK of Barmen, Germany, Kleine Werthstrasse, Manu-
facturer 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 a fabric and the method of making the same and which
is used in ladies and gentlemens dresses in connection with the collars of such
dresses and coats in order to give the soft cloth forming the outside of a collar a
support and keeping it in good conical shape.
The new fabric may also be used as a substitute for ordinary or conical waist
bands and as a lining for belts worn by ladies.
The raw or unfinished material used for making the collar stiffeners consists of
a "conically woven band, which in its natural state has the conical shape, which
however is not capable of keeping this shape properly when exposed to pressure
and therefore breaks or kinks easily.
Now by my new process or method of finishing such conically woven bands
I am enabled to produce a collar stiffener which is quite stiff and therefore will
keep its natural conical shape without kinking or breaking even when exposed to
considerable strain or pressure in any direction.
On the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 shows a collar stiffener laid out flat; Figure 2 shows it rolled up or
in the state for use;
Figure 3 shows the conical reel used in the finishing process.
The conically woven band is passed through a tank or basin containing a suitable
sizing fluid, such as starch; it is then squeezed in being passed between small
conical rollers which are lined with a soft stuff to free it from the surplus of
starch and to get it equally saturated with the sizing fluid. The band so far
prepared is then made up in long open hanks and hung up in a drying room until
it is nearly dry, but not quite. It is now in a curly or wrinkled state and in its
humid condition it must be smoothed.
This is done by rolling or winding the band in a firmly stretched state upon a
conical roller-see Fig. 3-having flanges a a and b b. The flanges a a prevent
the sliding off of the band from the roller towards the narrow side of the cone.
In the case that the band should have become too dry in the drying room it must
be steamed in order to regain the soft pliable state again.
In the rolled up state the band with the conical roller is put into a drying box
where it is quickly dryed at a high temperature; the vapors thereby produced are
drawn off by a fan or other suitable exhausting apparatus.
The fabric having been thus completely dryed, is taken from the roller and is
then in a fit state for use, it is perfectly smooth and stiff so that it never will loose
its true conical shape.
In order to give it a certain polish and to smoothen it still more it may be
passed between calendering rollers pressed firmly together.
Now a modification of the said process, which however is only recommended for
small quantities, and even then is not lucrative consists in that, that instead of
rolling the bands saturated with the sizing fluid firmly upon conical rollers and.

page_text: drying them then quickly, the still humid band is put upon a heated iron table and
passed over by a heated iron as in ordinary ironing. This process however does
not give quite as satisfactory results.
I beg to call attention to the fact, that "collar stiffeners" have been made
hitherto, they were however cut out of a piece of stiffened cloth. This has not
only the disadvantage that such collar stiffeners have no natural self-edge and
therefore are liable to fringe out; they especially are not fit to be sold as a finished
marketable article and in making them they cause a great amount of waste of
material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
(1.) The process or method of finishing conically woven bands so as to give
them perfect stiffness and thourough smoothness and enabling them to keep a true
conical shape without kinking or breaking which consists:
(a.) In passing the band through a sizing fluid, drying it in open hanks to a
mild humid degree, rolling it then up in a firmly stretched state upon a
conical roller and drying it in this state quickly and at a high temperature or
(b.) In passing the band through a sizing fluid drying it in open hanks to a
mild humid degree and ironing it then quickly upon a heated iron plate or
table.
(2.) The use of suitable lengths of such bands for making collar and belt
stiffeners for ladies and gentlemens dresses.
Barmen, this 2nd day of November 1894.
ADOLPH VORWERK,
Per Karl J. Mayer,
Agent.