To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, DANIEL KOPS, a 6th- citizen of the
United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city,
county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement it,
Corsets, of which the following is a specification.
The object of my present invention is to produce a light-weight
corset flexible circumferentially and vertically and possessing the
requisite strength and firmness vertically and at the waist-line and a
corset of such form as to present a smooth exterior and to carry the
bones in pockets upon the under surface and at the same time prevent
their ends protruding. In carrying out my invention I employ a
single-ply light-weight fabric of shaped connected sections and an
overlying fabric of heavier weight that is continuous around the
waist-line and that extends vertically between the top and bottom edges
at the lines of the bones, but which is absent between the same, thus
forming series of upward and downward fingers with intervening V-shaped
incisions, at which places only the light-weight fabric, is in
evidence. The fingers of the series have edges inwardly folded, the
folds being of increasing width and appreciably overlapping at the
extreme ends, which ends come adjacent to the ends of the bones and
bone-pockets, and at this place I also prefer to employ, in connection
with the bones and the strips forming the bone-pockets, double
-thickness or reinforce strips inserted between the bones and the
strips forming the bone-pockets.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation representing
one-half of a corset illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation
of the under or inner surface of a portion of said
corset. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at x x of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a
cross-section at y y of Fig.
1. Fig. 5 is a plan of four of the parts going to make
up the light-weight fabric as connected together by
sewing. Fig. 6 is a plan of the other part of the
light-weight fabric to be connected to the left-hand side of the parts
shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is s: plan of the four connected parts
shown in Fig. 5 separately. Fig. 8 is a plan of one
part of the overlying fabric as cut to shape, and Fig. 9 is a plan of
the other part of the overlying fabric; as cut to shape. Figs. 3, 4, 5,
6, 8; and 9 are shown of exaggerated size for clearness.
The single-ply light-weight fabric a is preferably formed
of the shaped parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Fig. 7 shows
the parts 2, 3, 4, and 5 separate. Fig: 5 shows the
parts 2, 3, 4, and 5 as connected at their meeting edges. These parts
and the part G are so shaped before bein ; connected by sewing that
when connected they have the form of one side or half of the
figure. The overlying or heavy fabric b composing the
surface of the corset is of two parts, one main part 7 and a part 8.
The part 7 is shown alone in Fig. 8 provided with incisions upon the
lines 9 from the upper edge toward the waist portion and with V-shaped
incisions from the lower edge up toward the waist portion and with a
portion at the left-hand that is almost separated from the other
portion, and between these portions of the main part 7 the part 8, Fig,
9, is inserted as a gore, ,and there is a. V-shaped incision in the
upper edge of this part 8.
In Figs. 8 and 9 the dotted lines 10, adjacent to the
edges of the incisions and V-shaped incisions, are the lines upon which
the portious of the fabric are folded, and it will be noticed that
these lines taper in relation to the edges of the fabric, being widest
at the top and bottom edges of the corset and of suf-ficient width that
when the parts are folded on these lines the fabric at the extreme ends
will meet or appreciably overlap, these lines of incisions forming of
the main part 7 series of upward and downward fingers. It is also
apparent that the said incisions or the spaces created by making the
incisious will be i.creased materially in the finished corset than what
is apparent from a view of Fig. 8. This is more
apparent in Fig. 1, which shows the one-half of the finished corset.
c represents the
bones, and c' the strips forming the bone-pockets, and 13 the
doublethickness or reinforce strips between the strips c' and the
fabric a at the respective ends of the bone-pockets and shown in Fig. 1
by dotted lines and in Fig. 4 in full lines.
In the manufactre of the corset the parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and
6 are preferably cut of substantially the outline illustrated and are
sewed together at their meeting edges, as shown in
part in Fig. 5, the part 6 being shown separate from the connected
parts, Fig. 5, because of the difficulty of drawing an adequate
illustration. After these parts are all connected by sewing the parts 7
and S of the fabric b, with the edges folded upon the dotted lines 10,
are laid upon and connected to the lightweight fabric a at their proper
places, the one with-reference to the other, and the parts are
permanently connected by edge and adjacent lines of sewing 11 12, which
lines of sewing connect the parts around the folded edges of the
incisions of the parts 7 and 8, t he folds on the parts 7 and 3 being
made by hand or by machinery before the parts are connected. The lines
of sewing 11 and 12 not only connect the folded edges of said parts to
the light-weight fabric, but connect the overlying fabric to the said
fabric and the overlapping parts of the folds down to place adjacent to
the extreme ends of the series of fingers.
In securing the bones the strips forming the bone-pockets
have folded edges, and three parallel adjacent lines of sewing 14 (see
Figs. 1 and 2) are employed for connecting the strip c' and holding the bones in place,
these lines of sewing at the same time passing through both the
light- weight fabric and the overlying fabric and forming additional
lines of sew ing for connecting the two fabrics together.
From Figs. 1, 2, 3 , and 4 it will be noticed that the overlying
fabric b is substantially
continuous at the waist-line to withstand strain and use and that the
portions thereof that extend upward and downward as series of fingers
come only at the places where bones are reqnired for vertical stiffness
and at which places the said series of fingers are continuations of the
heavier overlying fabric and assist the bones and bone-pocket strips in
providing the necessary vertical stiffness and support in the corset,
while between these series of fingers the light-weight fabric is the
only fabric in evidence, the same serving to preserve the contour of
the corset and yield ing readily in the corset-form to the form of the
wearer, and it will be further noticed that the bones and bone-pockets
are on the under surface of the light-weight fabric and are not exposed
or placed upon the outer surface of the corset. Therefore the outer
surface is comparatively smooth and does not interfere with the close
fitting of the outer garments.
I do not limit myself to the number of shaped connected parts
forming the singleply light-weight fabric or to the shape of the parts
or to making the fabric coutinunus between the top and bottom edges, as
there may be an upper and lower set of shaped connected parts whose
adjacent edges follow the waist- line and come directly beneath the
continuous waist portion of the overlying heavy fabric b and are
preferably covered and strengthened by a strip or tape 15. I have
indicated in Figs. 5 and- 7 by the dotted portion lines 16 17 the division of the connected parts 2, 3, 4, ancl 5
into upper and lower sets, and these parts may be further divided to
simply fill the V-shaped gores in the heavier fabric. This latitude for
the parts composing the corset is desirable, because the central strain
is principally on the upper fabric, while the upper and lower strains
are upon the lightweight fabric or under parts.
I do not limit myself to the number of bones or bone-pockets employed
or to the number of lines of sewing used in connecting the same to the
fabric. I also do not limit myself to the use of the reinforce-strips
13, as it may develop that the inwardly-folded parts of the series of
fingers, together with the other adjacent portions of fabric, will
provide ample stiffness and strength at the ends of and over the bones.
I claim as my invention--
1. A corset comprising a substantial fabric continuous around
the waist-line with intervening gore-incisions and having a series of
upward and a series of downward fingers above and below the continuous
waist-line, the bases of the upward and downward fingers being opposite
at the waist-line, and a fabric extended across and back of and filling
the gore-apertnres and secured to the back of the fingers, and
stiffeners applied to opposite fingers and the intervening portion of
the waist-line.
2. A corset comprising a substantial fabric continuous around
the waist-line with intervening gore-incisione and having a series of
upward and a series of downward fingers above and below the continuous
waist-line, the bases of the upward and downward fin-gers being
opposite at the waist-line, so that the fingers of the series are in
line between the top and bottom edges of the corset, and a fabric
extending across and back of and filling the gore-apertures and secured
to the back of the fingers, and stiffeners applied to opposite alined
fingers and the intervening of the waist-line.
3. A corset comprising a substantial fabric continuous around
the waist-line with intervening gore-incisions and having a series of
upward and a series of downward finåers above and below the continuous
waist-line, the bases of the upward and downward fingers being opposite
at the waist-line, and a fabric extended across and back of and filling
the gore-aperturos and secured to the back of the fingers, and
bone-pocket strips and bones therein overlying and connected to the
inner surface of the fabric and extending in line with the said fingers
between the top and bottom edges of the corsets.
4. A corset comprising a single-ply fabric of shaped parts and
overlying and heavier fabric to which the same is connected and
continuous around the waist-line and having series of upward and
downward fingers above and below said continuous waist-line with
intervening V-shaped incisions, said series of
fingers having edge folded portions turned inward against the fabric
body and the parts connected by edge lines of sewing and devices
connected to said parts for stiffening the same vertically,
substantially as set forth.
5. A corset comprising a single-ply fabric of shaped parts
and overlying and heavier fabric to which the same is connected and
continuous around the waist-line and having series of upward and
downward fingers above and below said continuous waist-line with
intervening V-shaped incisions, said series of fingers
having edge folded portions turned inward against the fabric body and
the parts connected by edge lines of sewing, and adjacent bones and
bone-pocket strips overlying the inner surface of the fabric body and
in line with the series of fingers and connected to the said fabric
parts, substantially as set forth.
6. A corset, each portion of which comprises a fabric body
of shaped connected parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 forming approximately half
of said corset portion, and an overlying heavier fabric composed of a
main part 7 and a connected gore part 8, said parts having lines of
incision in from the upper and lower edges dividing the same into
series of upward and downward fingers between which the incisions are
of V shape, edge lines of sewing for connecting the parts and bones and
bone-pocket strips secured to the fabric body and the overlying fabric
upon the inner surface of the fabric body and extending vertically upon
the series of upward and downward fingers, substantially as set forth.
7. A corset, each portion of which comprises a light-eight-fabric body
of shaped connected parts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 forming approximately half
of said corset portion, and an overlying heavier fabric composed of a
main part 7 and a connected gore part 8, said parts having lines of
incision in from the upper and lower edge, dividing the same into
series of upward and downward fingers between which the incisions are
of V shape, the adjacent edges of the fabric being folded inward upon
the light-weight-fabric body, edge and parallel adjacent lines of
sewing extending all around the edges of said series of fingers for
connecting the fabric portions and holding the edge fold s in position,
the folds at the extreme ends constituting a double thickness of the
outer fabric at the ends of the series of fingers, and bones and
bonepocket strips connected to the said fabrics for stiffening the
corset, substantially as set forth.
8. A corset, each portion of which comprises a
light-weight-fabric body of shaped connected parts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
forming approximately half of said corset portion, and an overlying heavier
fabric composed of a main part 7 and a connected gore part 8, said
parts having lines of incision in from the upper and lower edges
dividing the same into series of upward and downward fingers between
which the incisions are of V
shape, the adjacent edges of the fabric being folded inward upon the
light-weight-fabric body, edge and parallel adjacent lines of sewing
extend round l around the edges of said series of fingers for connecting the fabric portions and holding the edge folds in position, the folds folds at the extreme ends constituting a double thickness of the outer fabric at the ends of the series of fingers, and pairs of bones and
bone-pocket strips overlying the same upon the inner surface of the
corset, that is, the surface of the light-weight-fabric body,
extending vertically of the corset across the waist portion and upon
the series of upward and downward fingers and connected thereto by
three parallel lines of sewing which pass through all the thicknesses
of fabric and at the same time assist in connecting the parts together
substantially as set forth.
9. A corset comprising a single-ply-fabric body of
shaped connected parts and overlyheavier heavier fabric connected
thereto and composed of a main part 7 and a connected gore part 8, said
parts having lines of incision in from the upper and lower edges
dividing the same into series of upward and downward fingers between
which the incisions are of V shape, said series of fingers having edge
folded portions turned inward against the fabric body, and the parts
connected by edge lines of sewing, and bones and bone-pocket strips
overlying the inner surface of the fabric body and in line with the
series of fingers and secured cured to the fabric, substantially as set forth.
10. A corset comprising a single-ply fabric of shaped
parts and an overlying and heavier fabric to which the same is connected and continuous around the waist-line to provide for the central and circumferential strain, and having therein
series of upward and downward fingers above and below said continuous waist-line between
which are intervening V-shaped incisions and the parts connected by
edge lines of sewing, and devices connected to said parts for
stiffening the said finger
finger parts vertically, the single-ply fabric between the said fingers
carrying the upper and lower circumferential strains, substantially as
specified.