Improvements in Braces or Suspenders.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braces or Suspenders.
We, ALVA SILAS GRIMM, Medical Doctor, and AUGUSTINE MORTIMER CAMPBELL,
Gentleman, both residing at St. Marys, in the County of Pleasants and State of
West Virginia, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to braces or suspenders, and the object of the same is to
overcome the inconvenience and disadvantage of having the weight sustained by
the suspenders brought to bear on a small shoulder expanse by providing elon-
gated shoulder supports, which extend almost fully over the shoulder length, and
have the front and back suspender webs on each side adjustably connected thereto,
by flexible means, and thereby diffuse the weight sustained by the suspenders over
a greater shoulder area with comfort and healthful results.
With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction
and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter des-
cribed and claimed.
In the drawing :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved suspenders shown applied.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of portions of suspender webs showing the improved
attachment in connection therewith.
Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of a shoulder support, forming part of the
improvement and broken away to show the interior construction.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section through the device shown by Figure 3.
Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in
the several views.
The numeral 1 designates the front webs of a pair of suspenders, and 2 one of
the back webs, as shown by Figure 2. Both the front and back webs will be
supplied with the usual or any preferred form of attaching ends 3, and the front
webs 1 will have adjusting slides or buckles 4.
The ordinary continuity of the webs will be interrupted and broken by the in-
terposition of the improved attachment, which comprises a shoulder support 5,
made up of flexible material, such as fabric, and held sufficiently rigid to pre-
serve its shape by springs or analogous devices 6, enclosed therein and extending
longitudinally thereof. This shoulder support will be preferably made of a double
piece of material of suitable texture and the springs or analogous devices 6 are
enclosed within a pocket 7. The length of the support is slightly less than that
of the shoulder, and has along opposite side edges thereof, lines of eyelets 8.
The upper terminals of the interrupted back and front webs on each side, are also
supplied with transverse lines of eyelets 9, which are preferably equal in number
to those in the opposite side edges of the shoulder supports, and as clearly shown
by Figure 2. The eyelets 9, of the webs, and 8 of the supports 5, are connected
by yielding cords or laces of any preferred character, as at 10, the said laces being
alternately threaded through the eyelets in the separate parts, and it will be
observed that by this arrangement, the weight sustained by the suspender webs
is diffused over a greater shoulder area, in view of the length of the said sup-

page_text: ports 5, and also by reason of the fact that the cords or laces 10, are diverged from
the web terminals towards the eyelets of the supports, which are continued
throughout the entire length of the latter. By this means the weight which is
ordinarily concentrated by a narrow web on one small portion of the shoulder
is extended over a greater surface with more ease to the wearer and with mater-
ially increased healthful results. The supports 5 are caused to retain their shape
by the means heretofore set forth, and if desired, an adjustment of the webs could
be obtained through the medium of the cords or laces 10, which, of course, will be
changed with relation to the web terminals proportionately to the adjustment of
the webs by the ordinary means, for the reason that the supports to be effective,
should always rest upon the top of the shoulder.
The improved attachment can be applied to suspenders with very little increase
in the cost of manufacture of such devices, and the quality or structural character
of the supports and cords or laces will of course, depend upon the grade of suis-
penders. In some instances, it may be preferred to make the cords or laces
elastic, and employ them as the sole yielding means within the structural make-
up of a pair of suspenders.
It is obviously apparent that changes in the proportions, form and minor details
of construction may be resorted to without in the least departing from the prin-
ciple or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. The combination with a pair of braces or suspenders, of shoulder supports
interposed between the webs thereof.
2. The combination with a pair of braces or suspenders, of shoulder supports
interposed between the webs thereof, and means for connecting said shoulder
supports with the webs, whereby the weight sustained by the web is diffused
over a large shoulder area.
3. A pair of braces or suspenders having shoulder supports arranged at right
angles to the direction of the webs.
4. A pair of braces or suspenders having shoulder supports flexibly connected
..thereto.
5. A pair of braces or suspenders having shoulder supports with eyelets along
the side edges of the same and cords threaded through the said eyelets and con-
nected to the webs.
6. A pair of braces or suspenders comprising webs intermediately interrupted
and having the terminals supplied with eyelets, shoulder supports with eyelets
along the opposite side edges at a greater distance apart than those in the webs,
and a cord threaded through the eyelets of the supports and webs.
7. A pair of braces or suspenders comprising webs and shoulder supports flex-
ibly connected thereto and having stiffening means therein.
Dated this 21st day of December 1899
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicants.