Improvements in and relating to Fastenings for Corsets, Gaiters, Leggings, or like Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fastenings for Corsets, Gaiters,
Leggings, or like Articles.
I CARL ROBERT VIEHOFER of 15 Aldersgate Street in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to corsets, gaiters, leggings, and articles of a like
nature having two meeting edges, and consists of an improved fastening for the
same which shall be of simple and cheap construction, and not liable to become
unfastened accidentally, but which may be undone very easily and quickly when
desired.
I will describe my invention as applied to a corset, and in carrying it into
effect, I provide the two meeting busks with hooks or fastenings of peculiar or
special shape, made and arranged in the following manner.
I attach to one of the said busks, preferably the left one, by means of rivets or
the like, a series of small metal plates, say three or four in number, placed equi-
distantly or thereabouts, each plate being made to project slightly, and then being
bent over backwardly and again slightly forwardly, so as to bear some resemblance
on edge to the letter S.
To the other busk, in a corresponding position, I attach a similar series of small
hooked plates, but in which the hook is of the ordinary or U shape, capable of
engaging with the opposite S shaped hook, and further provided with a small
strip or tongue of metal which enters or engages with the sinall uppermost hooked
portion of the S hook, thereby preventing any possibility of the two hooks
becoming disengaged or unlinked in the ordinary way, the only method of
accomplishing this being by sliding one hook over or along the other.
It will thus be seen that in order to fasten the corset, the two busks are brought
together, and the U shaped hooks caused to overlap and engage with the S shaped
hooks, when the tongues on the former will spring into position and effectually
lock the hooks together. When it is desired to unfasten the corset, the two
meeting busks are slid along one another longitudinally, when the hooks slide apart
and become free again. To render this operation quite easy, and also to prevent
provide
the corset from becoming accidentally unfastened by motion of the body,
a special form of catch or fastening at the top end of the two meeting busks in
place of two of the hooks before mentioned. To the upper end of the busk
carrying the S shaped hooks I attach by well known means a small metal plate
having on its face a small headed stud or projection, and, opposite to this, on the
other busk, I secure another plate, having a projecting portion, slotted from below
upwardly, so as to be capable of fitting accurately over said stud or projection,
aud carrying also small pivotted lever or swivel with a recess into which said stud
or projection enters and is thereby held in the slot until said lever is raised, the
latter being spring-controlled if desired, and furnished at its free end with a cord
or string. When the corset is being fastened, the slotted plate will be lifted over
the other plate in such a way that the stud of the latter enters the slot, at the
same time pushing aside the small lever, until the recess in the latter registers
with the stud, when the lever will fall back to its place (under the action of spring)
and effectually lock the two plates together.

page_text: On pulling the cord or the like attached to the lever, the latter will first of all
be raised, thus permitting the stud to have free egress out of the slot, and con-
tinued pulling of the cord will raise the busk to which it is attached, and, by
causing the two meeting busks to slide along one another, will set free all the
fastenings simultaneously.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1895.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
Agents.
DI DUIFTIVATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fastenings for Corsets, Gaiters,
Leggings, or like Articles.
1, CARL ROBERT VIEHOFER of 15, Aldersgate Street in the City of London,
Merchant, 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:-
My present invention relates to corsets, leggings, gaiters, and articles of a like
nature having two meeting edges, and consists of an improved fastening for the
same, which is of simple and cheap construction, and not liable to become unfastened
accidentally but which may quickly and easily be undone when desired.
In order to fully explain my invention, I will describe the same as applied
to corsets, the want of suitable fastening having been for a long time felt, but
it will be understood that it is equally applicable to other articles such as those
above mentioned.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 show the meeting edges of the busks closed and open-
respectively.
Figures 3, 4 and 34, 44 show in edge view and plan respectively two of the
engaging hooks, and Figure 5 shows the same when in engagement and the busks
locked together.
Figures 6 and 7 show two different forms of safety catch or lock for preventing
accidental disengagement of the series of hooks, and
Figure 8 shows a small headed stud for use with said catch attached to one of
the busks.
The same letters of reference in the various figures indicate the same or
corresponding parts.
In carrying out my invention, I attach to one of the busks A at the open edges
of the corset a series of small metal plates B secured equidistantly thereon by
rivets C or the like, each plate B being made to project slightly and bent in such
a way, as shown by D (Figures 3 and 5) as to bear a resemblance on edge to the
letter S. To the opposite busk E, in a corresponding position, I attach a similar
series of small metal plates F hooked at H in the ordinary manner and each
provided with a small strip or tongue of metal G held between the plate and the
busk and extending into the said hock H. When the busk E is brought into
juxtaposition with the busk A, and the series of hooked plates F made to overlap
and engage with the corresponding series of hooked plates B, the small upper
extremity of the hook D springs over or forces its way behind the tongue G, and
thereby the two hooks D and H become effectually locked and can only be
disengaged easily by sliding one hook over or along the other.
To prevent the corset becoming unfastened accidentally by such sliding action,
I provide at or near the upper end (preferably) of the two meeting busks'a special
form of safety catch or lock such as shown by Figure 6 or by Figure 7.
It is formed, as shown by Figure 6, of a back and front plate J and K, stamped
or cut out of one sheet and doubled over along the line L and fixed to one of the

page_text: busks by rivets M or other equivalent means. Between these plates is secured a
stop plate N in the bend of which lies or engages a spring stop O. Upon a pivot P
is mounted a locking lever or swivel Q furnished at its upper exposed end with a
cord R. The spring O is so situated that it operates against the lever slightly
above the pivot P tending to keep it always in the position shown in Figure 6, but
with slight force the said lever can be swung back by means of said cord R. The
small stud T, Figure 8, is carried upon a plate U secured to the opposite busk, as
shown clearly by Figures 1 and 2, and fits into a double slot V in the plates J and K
(folded against one another) and held there by means of a projection Q' upon the
lever Q, so that although the said slot V can easily be slid over the stud T,
it cannot be released until the spring controlled lever is held back, say, by means
of the cord R.
The alternate form of safety catch or lock, as shown by Figure 7, consists of the
double plate J and K.as before, a spring plate W, and a spring X; but instead of
the lever Q, is a bent lever Y and a closing hook Z, the cord R being attached to
the said lever Y, so that on pulling the same, a hooked portion of the lever Y
engages with and raises a corresponding projecting end of the said hook Z
thereby permitting egress from the slot V, the spring X setting the parts in
position again.
The operation of fastening the corset is as follows. The two busks or meeting
edges being brought together the slotted plate J K is lifted over the other plate U
in such a way that the stud T of the latter enters the slot V at the same time
pushing aside the lever Q (or catch Z) until the same springs back and locks the
two plates together. At the same time the other hooks or fasteners B and F
are hooked one over the other in the usual way, and the busks are now locked
together.
On pulling the cord R, the lever Q (or catch Z) will first of all be swung aside,
thus allowing the stud T to become free of the projection Q', and continued pulling
of the cord will raise the busk to which it is attached, and by causing the two
busks A and E to slide along one another, will set free all the fastenings B and F
simultaneously.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In fastenings for corsets, gaiters, leggings, or like articles, the use of hooks
or hooked plates such as B and F so shaped and provided with a tongue such as G
as to be incapable of becoming unfastened after engagement except by a longitudinal
or sliding action substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In combination with the hooks or hooked plates claimed in Claim 1,. a safety
catch or locking device such as shown by Figures 6 and 7, consisting of a slotted
plate such as J K carrying a lever such as Qor catch such as Z controlled by
springs, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
STANLEY, POPPLEWELL & CO.,
7 & 8 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.