United States patent number:820972

UNITED STATES PATENT KATE HATCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. BATHING-CORSET.

No. 820,972. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 22, 1906. Application filed May 24, 1905. Serial No. 261,944. To all, whom it may concern:  Be it known that I, KATE HATCH, of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bathing-Corsets of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.  The object of my invention is to provide a bathing-corset which will be efficient and durable, and the particular features of my invention are pointed out in the appended claim.  In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved bathingcorset as applied to the figure of a woman. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the left onehalf of my improved bathing- corset. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pattern of the rear section of one of the halves of my im-proved corset. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the middle section of one of the halves of my improved corset, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the front section of one of the halves of my improved corset. Fig. 6 is a sectional end view of one of the halves of my corset along the lines x x of Fig. 2.  1 is my improved bathing-corset, which is divided into two halves 2 and 3. These two halves are adapted to be secured together at the back by a cord. laced through the openings 4 and at the front by buttons or clasps 5 on the one half and eyelets 6 on the other half of the front in the usual manner in which corsets are secured. The material from which my improved corset is constructed. ispreferably cotton or other fabric covered with rubber gum, which is afterward vulcanized, This fabric is cut into three sections 7, 8, and 9, and these sections are joined together by means of strips 10, which are of similar material, and the union between the strips 10 and the sections 7, 8, and 9 is made complete by vulcanizing the rubber. The strips 10 are so disposed with reference to the sections 7, 8, and 9 that pockets 12 are formed, into which are introduced metal ribs 11 for the purpose of stiffening and giving form to the corset and preventing it from collapsing, and these metal ribs are thoroughly protected from moisture and salt water, because they are entirely surrounded by waterproof material. Over the rear edge of each half of the corset is folded a strip 13, so as to leave a pocket 14, which is inclosed a stiffening-rib 15, and this strip 13 is also secured to the section 7 by vulcanizing. A strip of similar material is folded over the front edge of the corset and secured to it by the same means, so as to leave a pocket 17, into which is secured a stiffening-rib 18. The front stiffening-rib 18, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with buttons or studs 5 and the other side of the corset with eyelets 6.

The objection to bathing-corsets as heretofore constructed has been that it was impossible to provide them with stiff ening- ribs which would not be speedily destroyed by the action of water, particularly salt water, and when such corsets were not provided with stiffening-ribs it was necessary to use shoulder-straps or other appliances to prevent their collapsing. By my improvement I am enabled to supply the corset with strengthening or stiffening ribs of metal to prevent it from collapsing or sagging, and these metal ribs cannot be destroyed or injured by moisture.</P> <P>To secure the greatest degree of flexibility for the corset and also to permit of a certain amount of water circulation, the middle and back sections of the corsets-halves are preferably provided with a plurality of openings x, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.</P> <P>Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--</P> <P>A bathing-corset comprising a plurality of matching vulcanizable sections, waterproof union strips vulcanized to the contiguous edges of the corset-sections and arranged upon opposite sides of the latter to form pockets therebetween, and stiffening-ribs inclosed in said pockets. </P> <P>Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, this 22d day of May, 1905. </P> <P STYLE="text-align:right;">KATE HATCH. </P> <P>Witnesses: <BR>BERTHA A. ITTNER, <BR>E. QUINN. </P>