Front page & Index Current U.S. Class: 450/156. See: Reissue 6,100
Figure 1, Figure 2 Figure 3, 4 and 5

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ALEXANDER LYMAN, OF CHEAPSIDE, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THOMSON, LANGDON & CO., OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 97,418 dated November 30, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, HENRY ALEXANDER LYMAN, of Cheapside, in the city of London, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stays and Corsets; and I do hereby- declare that the following is a full, clear, and. exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which--
   Figure 1 represents one-half of my improved corset laid out flat. Fig. 2 is a front view of a complete corset. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent, respectively, the waistband, bust and hip pieces, and the gore.
   Similar lectors of reference denote corresponding parts.
   This invention relates to an improvement on the stays and corsets manufactured under the. patent of Edward Drucker, and patented in the United States on the 7th day of May, 1867, No. 64,530.
   The chief novelty of that invention consisted in obtaining the fullness required to shape the corset to the body of the wearer by the use of a waistband with curved top and bottom edges, and t0 which pieces were sewed, their contact edges being the converse of the waistband.
   This cut of corset had not merely the merit of simplicity, but it prevented the tension or strain put on the laced corset being thrown entirely on the stitching, as heretofore, and enabled the cloth forming tile waistband to receive the strain.
   In order to retain these advantages, and at the same tinte to, improve the shape of the corset, to insure greater comfort, and to adapt it to the requirements of the most fastidious taste; I modify its construction by extending the waistband at its ends to the upper and lower edges, of the corset, so that the bust and hip pieces must be put in it as gores. The strain on top and bottom is thereby removed, and a more comfortable corset produced.
   Each half of. the corset consists, mainly, of three pieces, as in the original Drucker's corset, Which pieces are: shown detached in Sheet I, and marl:ed, respectively, A, B, and C.
   The waistband or main piece A takes somewhat the form of an irregular letter H--that is to say, it has limbs extending upward and downward at the ends. The end of the frontt upward limb is forked for the purpose of receiving the gore-piece D.
   The top or bust gore-piece B is so shaped by having a long top edge as to produce a slight fullness at the part where it joins the forked limb, and the lower or hip piece C is shaped elliptic, to produce considerable fullness and to fit well over the hip.
   The forked limb of the H-shaped waistband is intended to receive a gore-piece, D, which provides for the fullness of the bosom. This gore-piece D may be increased or diminished in width, to suit busts of more or less fullness, without interfering with the cut of the other parts of the stay or corset.
   When these parts are sewed together, ribs of steel or whalebone are applied to the corset; as usual, to give it a permanent set, as shown in Fig. 2.
   The advantages of the common verticallydivided corset are by this invention combined with those of Drucker's horizontally-divided corset, greater comfort being thereby insured to the wearer.
   I am aware that a corset is in public use which consists of six pieces-namely, a ton gued front piece, a back piece, two hip-gores, and two bosom-gores, while mine consists of eight pieces-namely, two waist-pieces ,A; two bust pieces B, two hip-pieces C, two bosom-gores D, and they are different in shape, and arranged differently w ith regard to each other.
   Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent--
   A corset composed of the pieces A B C D; shaped and fitted together in the manner described.


   The above specification signed by me this 21st day of July, 1869.
HENRY A. LYMAN.
Witnesses:
FRED. WALKDEN
66 Chancery Lave, London.
S. FAULLS,
97 Cheapside, London.