Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar

“ By having the elastic sections in the sides of the corset, the corset can adapt itself to different forms without the use of other elastic sections or gores, and such elastic side sections, by extending the entire length of the corset, from under the arms down over the hips, allow the front and back of the corset to expand and contract from these central side points independently of each other, and more easily and freely than when a back elastic section is used. ”

“ The springs terminate at the ends of the tubes, and are secured to the thicknesses, so as to leave clear margins of unpuckered cloth outside of such springs. This is a great advantage over the construction shown in the patent before referred to, since it enables the elastic sections to be stitched into the corset on a sewing-machine, which cannot be well done when the ends of the springs are secured by the same stitching, since the needle strikes the coils of the spring, and either cuts the spring or breaks the needle. Herein also is one of the peculiar advantages over rubber cloth. ”

“ My side elastic sections are made continuous from the top to the bottom of the corset, leaving no open spaces. The covered metal springs possess great advantages over rubber cloth for this purpose other than those before mentioned. The rubber cloth is not nearly so durable, and soon wears out, and loses its elasticity, at points subjected to the most strain. The rubber cloth also has equal stiffness throughout, and cannot be regulated to have different degrees of elasticity at different points ”

“ The spring is then passed back and forth through the tubes, which are puckered at the same time. After forming one group, the spring extends down between the thicknesses to the next group, and so on, till the lowest group (or the uppermost group, as the case may be) is finished, when the spring may be cut off, if there is more than required, and will be secured by stitches passed through the thickness. The elastic section can then be placed in the corset, the plain margins being lapped with the edges of the adjoining sections, and secured by lines of machine stitching. ”

“ The bill, filed June 12, 1882, contained the usual allegations as to the issue of the patents in suit, charged that the defendant had infringed both of them in the district where the suit was brought, and prayed an injunction, and accounting, and damages. The defenses pleaded were (1) non-infringement; (2) that there is no patentable novelty in either of the alleged inventions ”