US696465A - Corset. - Google Patents

Description

Patnted Apr. I, |902.

P. J. MENAHAN.

CORSET.

(Application mad Jan. 2s, i900.)

(No Model.)

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PATRICK J. MENAIIAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CORSET..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,465, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed January 23, 1900. Serial No. 2,463. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, PATRICK J. MENAHAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

The improvement relates to that class of corsets in which the waist is less yielding than the portions above and below. I employ stiffening stays orbones extending, it may be, the Whole distance from the top to the bottom of the corset, secured, preferably, in pockets formed by lines of stitches extending up and down. These stays may perform in all respects their ordinary functions, but by my invention the curvature at the waist, as well as the liability of the several stiffeners to break at that level, is reduced. I provide reinforcing-springs in the form of flat metal blades, shorter and most advantageously wider than the before-mentioned stiffening stays or ribs. Each end spring may be previously and snugly inclosed in a wider and longer sackor case of muslim-stitched up and down each side and also across each end. In

, attaching the several parts of the corset together this sack is introduced at the proper height to reinforce the waist and is held in place by stitching through the edge at one side, or preferably through both edges of the sack at each side of the wide reinforcingspring. Vhen, as I prefer, two or more of the narrow stays are arranged close together in what is sometimes termed a battery, it is advantageous to have the stouter reinforcing-spring ofa width equal`,or nearly so, to two or more of the stays, and, in fact, equal, or nearly so, to the width of the group. In said latter case the same line of stitches which form the outer boundary of the group may be the stitches to engage the fabric at the edge of the sack, and thus hold the reinforcingspring.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying ont the invention. I

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is an elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of a corset made in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 of Fig. l. section on line 3 of Fig. l. Fig. et is an ele- Vation, partly broken away, of another portion of the corset. Fig. 5 is a view correspending with Fig. 2, but giving less details, while showing a larger portion of the corset; and Fig. G is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures wherein they appear.

A is the muslin or other fabric constituting the main body of the corset, properly gered and joined to give the required qualities, and especially the general graceful form desired.

B represents flat stays or whalebones extending up and down the whole length of the corset or so much thereof as may be desired. As show`n,they lie immediately adjacent Vto each other and are separately inclosed in pockets formed by the aid of front and rear strips O of fabric, joined together by parallel lines ofstitching D, constituting whatis sometimes termed a battery of stiffeners, all in the ordinary manner, except for the additions howto be described.

E is a shorter iiat spring, of steel, of a width, as shown, half or less than half its length and about equal to that of the whole battery, inclosed in paperF and held between two layers of muslin or other flexible material G, secured against end movement therein by a line of stitching II, extending across each end. In the man ufacture of the corset this short spring E thus inclosed is best placed between the battery of stays B and the body fabric A and is secured permanently at the proper height to fit in the quick curve at the waist. The fabric Gr constitutes an inclosed sack with an edge G extending in or near the plane of the spring. The stitching II across the upper and lower ends of the spring E insures against the displacement of the latter upward or downward, except by carrying the sack G with it. The lines of stitches D, which extend up and down the corset on each side of the battery of stays B may serve as the stitches to engage in the corresponding edges of the sack Gr, or a separate line of stitches may be put in one side or on each side, if desired.

The spring E, as shown, is thicker than the stays B; but springs of a thickness equal to or even less than that of the stays B can be Fig. 3 is a cross- IOC ' used. I esteem it preferable to have the spring E of thin steel and the stays B of thicker bone or other material. Y

The close-fitted paper envelop F and the loosely-held woven fabric G not only provide a reliable and convenient means of holding the short spring E in place, but also insure a considerable thickness of material between it and the stays B. They avoid their adhesion from any cause and allow great freedom for the slight but desirable end motion of the parts relatively to each other in consequence of movement of the wearer which involves a change of curvature at the waist.

The greater width of the short spring E is of advantage in holding the battery of stays evenly in position and avoiding irregularities and twisting. It may be advantageous and a special improvement to give a permanent set or curvature to the short springs E, although straight springs are satisfactory, the curvature -of which depending solely upon the shape of the corset or the figure of the wearer. The long stays B can have either a permanent set or curvature or acquire such by the shape ofthe corset or ligure of the wearer.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. What I have described as stays B,cxtending the whole height, may be bones or various other material, including narrow steel. The short spring E, of greater width than the stays, may be applied under a single ordinary bone or stay B; but in such cases the lines of stitches at the edges must be correspondingly modified to allow for the greater width of the spring E. The stay B may be of considerable Width,if desired, however; but whatever the width of said stay the spring E, enveloped in its sack G and secured, as described, may be but little, if any, vWider than said stay B. I propose sometimes to reinforce one or each of the front steels M N by a strip E of less length, which need not have any excess of width; but the sack G G therefor should have an excess of width, so that the same line of stitches D may perform the double function of holding the long steel in place laterally and holding the sack G with .its inclosed spring E in place both laterally andlongitudinally. The springs E, with their sacks G G to aid in holding them, can be used in connection with all or only part of the stays B in a corset. Ifdesired to use no more, a corset may contain only one such spring, which can be placed wherever preferred-as, for example, on the lap-section or right-hand portion of the corset-front.

There Vmay be a great variety of the forms, but the several parts I have shown are those for one of the simplest styles of corsets. stays B may extend at various inclinations instead of directly up and down. There may be two or more thicknesses of the body fabric A.

The sack G need not be sewed up and down before its introduction into place. It may with proper care be made to serve with the stitches I-I previously sewed across the top and bottom only of the inclosed spring E, leaving the sides to be secured by the same lines of stitches D which form the boundaries of the batteries.

I claim as my invention-- In a corset, a system of stays composed of a stiffener and reinforce individually cased and connected by their casings so as to be movable relatively to each other and provided with a layer of paper between them in addition to the cloth, so as to increase their freedom of motion, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

P. J. MENAIIAN.

Witnesses:

EsrELLA SoULT, J. B. CLAUTICE.

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