# United States patent 996343

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. EDWARD JOHNSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

# SHOULDER-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 27, 1911.
Application filed August l, 1908. Serial No. 446,442.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, EDWARD JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoulder-Braces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.
The purpose of my invention is to provide a shoulder brace construction which shall be simple to manufacture, accurate in fit, easy to adjust to the form of the wearer, and which shall instantly conform to the position and movements of the wearer with-out binding, although non elastic webbing may be used throughout in its manufacture.
One of the important features of my invention, consists m providing a support for the back, to which the shoulder straps are secured, to extend across the front of the shoulders. The shoulder straps or their extensions, are then passed loosely through loops secured to the back support at the sides, and then around in front of the waist, where they are secured, and where the adjusting buckles are located so that the back and shoulders may be held in upright position, and the pressure of the shoulder straps tightened or loosened by adjustment in front at the waist. Additional straps or tie strings are provided attached to the lower end of the back support, and secured around the waist to hold the lower end of the support from lifting up in bending positions of the wearer. These tie strings whose function is to hold down the brace, may be either tied separately around the waist, or looped over the waist straps, or secured thereto near the front by buckles. Another important feature of my inven-tion is that with my construction, the back support and shoulder straps may be formed with a single continuous strip of suitable nonelastic webbing, flexible stays being used to maintain the form and shape of the back support. With this construction, the brace is exceedingly light and comfortable for the wearer, at the same time that it may be perfectly fitted to the form by the wearer from in front, and by reason of the fact that the adjusting straps also form the shoulder straps, and while attached to the back support at the middle, slide loosely in loops at these points of attachment, notwithstanding the brace is tightened to fit the form snugly and tightly, and to hold back the shoulders, there is no binding of the parts, and the straps move readily through the loops to conform to the movements of the user. In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shoulder brace construction, taken from the rear when in place on the form of the wearer. Fig. 2 is a similar view, taken from the front. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the brace laid out to show the construction. Fig. 4 is a detailed view show ing one of the side loops. Fig. 5 is a cross section of one of the back stays. In forming my shoulder brace, I take a continuous strip of suitable non-elastic webbing, and laying the middle portion 1, horizontally, I form two V shaped folds 2, 2, with the two ends of the webbing crossing each other at 3, at which point I sew the webbing together, and I hold and secure the webbing in this position by four back stays 4, 4. These back stays consist of tubular webbing 5, from which strips are cut of suitable length, and rubber covered corset steels 6, are then inserted in the stays and the stays and webbing sewed together where the parts intersect, as indicated by the dotted lines 14, in Fig. 3. The lower ends of the stays are united together by sewing to a binding strip 7, the free ends of which form tie strings 8, 8, for securing the lower end of the back support around the waist. Be-fore the parts are sewed together as above described, two loops 9, 9, are sewed at the points of the V shaped folds, the ends of the webbing are then looped at 10, 10, to pass over in front of the shoulders, and the ends of the webbing are then passed through the loops 9, 9, on each side, and the extreme ends of the webbing provided with the clasps 11, 11, and adjusting buckles 12, 12, and the brace is ready for use. The shoulder brace is very easily adjusted for use. The user passes the arms through the loops to bring the portions 10, 10, in front of the shoulders as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and then bringing the ends of the webbing in front of the waist adjustment is had with the adjusting buckles 12, until the shoulders are subjected to proper tension, and the clasp 11, is then locked. The tie strings 8, 8, are also brought around in front and tied, or when desired, one of the strings may be passed over the webbing as indicated at 15, in Fig. 2, and the strings then tied, thus holding down the brace straps. It will be evident from the foregoing de- scription, fl-t the back stays secured as they are to the webbing, will form a substantial back support, but light and open, and that inasmuch as the webbing runs loosely through the loops 9, there will al- ways be sufficient tension to hold the, back support extended, -while still allowing free movement in every direction. While I have illustrated my improved shoulder brace as constructed of a single piece of webbing supported by back stays, it will be understood that of course the various portions of the webbing can be constructed of separate pieces sewed or other- wise secured together. The essential feature of the invention consists in attaching the shoulder pieces loosely to the sides of the back support, so that the webbing can slip and so that the adjust- ments for the waist will exert tension on the shoulders and the back support, both above and below the shoulder loops, and this tension will automatically adjust itself to prevent binding. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 1. In a shoulder brace, a back support comprising a plurality of symmetrically dis- posed non-elastic back stays flaring up- wardly and separating at the top to embrace the shoulder blades, means for spacing and holding the stays in fixed relation, straps secured to the upper portion of the back support and adapted to pass from the rear forwardly, me over each shoulder and thence back under the armpits and thence to the front of the waist, with a loose sliding attachment for the straps to the back sup- port after passing under the armpits where- by the shoulder blades are. drawn inwardly upon draft on the straps. 2. In a shoulder brace, a back support comprising a plurality of non-elastic back stays symmetrically spaced on either side of the medial line thereof flaring upwardly and separating at the top to embrace the shoul- der blades, with straps secured across the upper end of said stays to brace and hold the same in position, and straps secured to the upper corners of the back support and adapted to pass from the rear forwardly over the shoulders and thence rearwardly under the armpits and thence to the front of the waist, with a loose sliding attachment for the passing under blades the straps. comprising stays of the and se shoulder wise brace straps back s thence loose s armpit drawn   4. 11 comprising metric dial line the waist over t and h( support forwardly rearwardly   to the sliding support and a   the lower end of the back support wlth its ends p   front at the waist line. 5. It   comprising metric,, dial line brace a secured support forwardly rearwardly the fro the back, the, straps under     Witnesses:   traps to the back support after passer the armpits whereby the shoulder re drawn inwardly upon draft on ps.   a shoulder brace, a back support, ng a plurality of non-elastic back symmetrically spaced on either side medial line thereof flaring upwardly separating at the top to embrace the blades, with straps secured crosser the upper end of said stays to id hold the same in position, and secured to the tipper corners of the port and adapted to pass from the forwardly over the shoulders and rearwardly under the armpits and o the front of the waist line, with a ding attachment for the straps to c support after passing under the whereby the, shoulder blades are inwardly upon draft on the straps. a shoulder brace, a back support ng a plurality of back stays symmetrically spaced on either side of the methereof and flaring upwardly from t line, with straps secured crosswise upper end of said stays to brace d the same in position, and straps to the tipper corners of the back and adapted to pass from the rear ly over the shoulders and thence dly under the armpits and then front of the waist line, with a loose attachment for the straps to the back after passing under the armpits, rap for securing and spacing, apart r end of the back support wth its passing forwardly to be secured in the waist line.   a shoulder brace, a back support ng a plurality of back stays sym-ly spaced on either side of the methereof, with straps secured crosswise or the tipper end of said stays to d hold same in position, and straps to the tipper corners of the back and adapted to pass from the rear ly over the shoulders and thence dly under the armpits and thence to t of the waist, without crossing at , with q loose sliding attachment for ps to the back support after passing the armpits.   EDWARD JOHNSON.   sses:   .. F. TRONKES, ERNEST G. THOMPSON.