Fireman's back brace

A fireman's back brace including a lumbar spinal support belt disposed about a user's torso by a first coacting fastening means, a straplike tensioning member pair affixed to the lumbar spinal support belt and being wrappedly secured about the user's torso using a second coacting fastening means, manual engagement loops affixed to free ends of the straplike tensioning member pair, and a releasable means for affixing the fireman's back brace to existing garmentlike firefighting equipment. The fireman's back brace is composed of flame retardant materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to back braces and fireman's appliances and 
more particularly pertains to a fireman's back brace which may be employed 
to provide support of a firefighter's back during lifting. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of back braces is known in the prior art. More specifically, back 
braces heretofore devised and utilized for providing support of a lower 
back during lifting are known to consist basically of familiar, expected 
and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of 
designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for 
the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
The present invention is directed to improving devices for a fireman's back 
brace in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically 
pleasing. 
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,947 to James et al. discloses a contour 
lumbar support comprising a belt supporting the lumbar region of the spine 
providing transverse and axial support to hard tissues thereof. The James 
et al. invention comprises an incrementally adjustable belt having a 
contoured lumbar spinal support portion and has no antistatic and flame 
retardant properties. The present invention comprises a continuously 
adjustable lumbar support belt having antistatic and flame retardant 
properties and furthermore is waterproof and susceptible to manual 
adjustment by gloved hands. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,547 to Silverstolpe et al. a belt with adjustable 
back support plate is disclosed for use by sailors providing support when 
inclined outward from a vessel, particularly a racing vessel for 
counterbalancing vessel inclination. The Silverstolpe et al. invention 
comprises a cooperating series of portions extending around crotch, waist, 
back, and over shoulders of a user and has a front located hook device and 
a back support plate. The Silverstolpe et al. invention is employed for 
use aboard a sailing vessel and is unsuited for use by active firefighters 
to reduce back stresses during lifting because of a lack of localized 
lumbar spinal support and an insusceptibility to rapid donning as required 
for all firefighting worn equipments. The present invention is designed 
for use by firefighters and has no requirement for engaging lines as used 
on shipboard. The present invention additionally is composed of flame 
retardant materials and is detachably affixed to other portions of a 
fireman's worn equipments and requires no engagement with body portions 
other than the back and waist thereby providing rapid donning along with 
other members of a firefighter's worn equipment. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,105 to Kleinman a fireman's suspenders with padding 
and fire-resistant inelastic construction is described comprising a pair 
of suspenders and a belt. wherein the suspenders pair is substantially 
inelastic and thereby insusceptible to stretching, and more particularly 
insusceptible to stretching beyond an elastic limit. There is no provision 
in the Kleinman invention for supporting the back of a user thereof. The 
present invention is not employed as suspension for any worn article and 
furthermore is devised to support the lumbar spine of a firefighter to 
mitigate hazards to a user's back during lifting. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,261 to Smith et al. a lifting belt is disclosed for 
supporting the lower fifth lumbar region of the back during lifting. The 
Smith et al. invention comprises a detachable lumbar belt and an elastic 
abdominal belt joining at a lumbar compression pad. A disadvantage in this 
prior art lies in a lack of use of fire retardant construction therein, a 
lack of provision for adjusting the support belt with gloved hands, and a 
lack of provision for rapidly donning the support belt in conjunction with 
firefighter dress ensembles. The present invention is of flame retardant 
composition and is fully adjustable using gloved hands. The present 
invention additionally is detachably affixed to a member of the 
firefighter's dress ensemble thereby permitting rapid donning of an entire 
worn equipment complement including the present invention. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,488 to Schiek Sr. discloses a support belt for the 
lumbar vertebrae. The disclosure teaches a lumbar vertebrae support belt 
encircling an abdominal region. The disclosure makes no provision for 
adjustability using heavily gloved hands. Furthermore, there are no 
provisions for flame retardancy. There is no teaching to detachably affix 
the invention to existing worn firefighter clothing. The present invention 
comprises a flame retardant belt supporting the spinal vertebrae and 
furthermore being adjustable by heavily gloved hands. The present 
invention is also detachably affixable to fireman's clothing using hook 
and loop fasteners or snap engagement. 
In this respect, the fireman's back brace according to the present 
invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs 
of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily 
developed for the purpose of providing adjustable lumbar spinal support 
for firemen. 
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for 
new and improved fireman's back brace which can be employed by an active 
firemen to limit back stress during lifting of heavy objects encountered 
in the course of firefighting operations. In this regard, the present 
invention substantially fulfills this need. 
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made 
in an attempt to improve lumbar spine support belts. No prior effort, 
however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. 
Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest 
the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and 
configured as disclosed and claimed herein. 
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and 
advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps 
and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning 
parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily 
available materials. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
lumbar spine support belts now present in the prior art, the present 
invention provides an improved fireman's back brace construction wherein 
the same can be utilized for providing lumbar spinal support for a fireman 
performing firefighting duties. As such, the general purpose of the 
present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, 
is to provide a new and improved fireman's back brace apparatus and method 
which has all the advantages of the prior art lumbar spinal support belts 
and none of the disadvantages. 
The invention is defined by the appended claims with the specific 
embodiment shown in the attached drawings. For the purpose of summarizing 
the invention, the invention may be incorporated into an inelastic 
adjustable lumbar support belt having a pair of adjustable tensioning 
straplike members affixed thereto. The lumbar support belt is adjustably 
closed upon itself using hook and loop fasteners. The tensioning straplike 
members are of elastic composition and are fastened to the lumbar support 
belt at a first end pair thereof and are detachably closed upon each other 
at a second end pair thereof. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In 
as much as the foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent 
and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed 
description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that 
the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. 
Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which 
form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated 
by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific 
methods and structures may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or 
designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the 
present invention. It should be realized by those skilled in the art that 
such equivalent methods and structures do not depart from the spirit and 
scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
fireman's back brace being of non-flammable construction and of specific 
utility to firefighting usage. 
It is therefore an additional object of the present invention to provide a 
new and improved fireman's back brace which has all the advantages of the 
prior art backbraces and lumbar spinal support belts and none of the 
disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
fireman's back brace which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved fireman's back brace which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved fireman's back brace which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such fireman's back braces economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved fireman's back brace which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved fireman's back brace detachably affixable to existing fireman's 
worn gear. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved fireman's back brace susceptible to manual adjustment under field 
conditions using heavily gloved hands. 
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved fireman's back brace of non-flammable composition. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. The foregoing has 
outlined some of the more pertinent objects of this invention. These 
objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more 
prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other 
beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in 
a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the 
disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the 
invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the 
detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope 
of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 3 thereof, a 
new and improved fireman's back brace embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
From an overview standpoint, the fireman's back brace 10 is adapted for use 
by a human firefighter and garmentlike equipment said firefighter may 
wear. See FIG. 3. The fireman's back brace 10 comprises a lumbar support 
belt 12 having a first straplike tensioning member 14 and a second 
straplike tensioning member 16 affixed thereto. Lumbar support belt 12 is 
detachably affixed to a human wearer 18 by first coacting fastener. First 
straplike tensioning member 14 is manually adjusted to provide requisite 
lumbar spinal support by grasping first pull loop 22 with hand 24 and 
stretching the first straplike tensioning member 14 across a front portion 
of human 18. Second straplike tensioning member 16 is likewise manually 
adjusted to provide requisite lumbar spinal support by grasping second 
pull loop 26 with hand 28 and stretching the second straplike tensioning 
member 16 across a front portion of human 18. First and second straplike 
tensioning members 14 and 16 are maintained at a particular tension by 
engagement of second coacting fastener 30. See FIG. 4. A third coacting 
fastener may be employed to detachably affix the fireman's back brace 10 
to garmentlike items of a fireman's equipment. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the fireman's back brace 10 
comprises a substantially inelastic enwidened lumbar support belt 12 
adjustably closed by first coacting fastener 20, first and second elastic 
straplike tensioning members 14 and 16 adjustably interconnecting by 
second coacting fastener 30, first and second pull loops 24 and 26, and a 
third coacting fastener 40. See FIG. 5. Lumbar support belt 12 is of woven 
composition and may comprise one or more layers bonded or sewn to form a 
singular unit. Lumbar support belt 12 comprises a first end portion 42, a 
central portion 44, and a second end portion 46. First end portion 42 
comprises a smoothly curving termination of a free end thereof and a pile 
portion 48 of coacting fastener 20. 
Central portion 44 engages a lumbar spinal portion of human 18 and may have 
disposed thereupon one or more lumbar engagement pads, or comprise a 
simple planar beltlike-engagement region. Central portion 44 comprises an 
enwidened section having substantially parallel or slightly curveate free 
edges and third coacting fastener 40 affixed thereon and furthermore first 
and second straplike tensioning members 14 and 16 are fastened thereto at 
first seam 50 and second seam 52. See FIGS. 6 and 7. First seam 50 and 
second seam 52 are sewn or otherwise bonded joints capable of withstanding 
forces encountered during adjustable disposition upon a human 18 wearer. 
Second end portion 46 comprises a smoothly curving termination of a free 
end thereof and a plurality of tiny hooklike members disposed in a group 
and forming a hooking portion 49 of coacting fastener 20. 
First straplike tensioning member 14 comprises a first end portion 60, a 
central portion 62, and a second end portion 64. First end portion 60 
comprises a smoothly curving free end termination and a pile portion 66 of 
coacting fastener 30. Additionally, pull loop 22 is affixed to first end 
portion 60 using sewn or bonded fastening 68. Central portion 62 comprises 
an elongated straplike portion of elastic material having substantially 
parallel free edges thereof. Second end portion 64 comprises a sewn or 
bonded seam 50 termination wherein second end portion 64 may continue past 
seam 50 to form a continuous interface portion 70 of first straplike 
tensioning member 14 and second straplike tensioning member 16. 
Second straplike tensioning member 16 comprises a first end portion 72, a 
central portion 74, and a second end portion 76. First end portion 72 
comprises a smoothly curving free end termination and a plurality of tiny 
hooklike members disposed in a group and forming a hooking portion 78 of 
coacting fastener 30. Additionally, pull loop 26 is affixed to first end 
portion 72 using sewn or bonded fastening 80. Central portion 74 comprises 
an elongated straplike portion of elastic material having substantially 
parallel free edges thereof. Second end portion 76 comprises a sewn or 
bonded seam 52 termination wherein second end portion 76 may continue past 
seam 52 to form a continuous interface portion 70 of first straplike 
tensioning member 14 and second straplike tensioning member 16. 
Third coacting fastener 40 comprises a plurality of first snaplike members 
engaging a plurality of opposing gender snaplike members affixed to outer 
wear of human 18 whereby the fireman's back brace 10 may be detachably 
affixed to fireman's worn equipment. 
In an alternate embodiment, third coacting fastener 40 comprises a section 
90 having a plurality of tiny hooklike members disposed thereon wherein 
section 90 engages a pile section fastened to an inner portion of outer 
wear of human 18. See FIG. 8. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further 
discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. In as much as 
the present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims as 
well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has 
been described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the 
preferred form has been made only by way of example and numerous changes 
in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts 
may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the 
invention.