A NEW OR IMPROVED ABDOMINAL BELT
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Alfred Barlow of 6 St Paul's Churchyard in the
City of London Patent Agent and Engineer, for an invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED ABDOMINAL BELT." A communication to me from abroad by
Wilhelm Teufel of Stuttuart in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Alfred Barlow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1882.
WALTER ALFRED BARLOW of 6 St Pauls Churchyard in the city of London
Patent Agent and Engineer
"
"A NEW OR IMPROVED ABDOMINAL BELT a com-
munication to me from abroad by Wilhelm Teufel of Stuttgart in the Empire of
Germany
This invention relates to a new or improved abdominal belt and is constructed
as follows:
There is provided on the lower border of the belt two movable elastic lock-girths
which may at pleasure be adjusted looser or tighter (and which may of course also
be fastened in other ways as desired) so that in the case of the abdomen being
disproportionate the wished for pressure may be effected on each side.
In the middle of the lower border there is provided inside a suitable pad which
by means of the movable lock girths and a spring (which spring acts in a back-
ward direction) effects an equal as well as a beneficial and well supporting pressure
upon the peritoneum and the organs lying in the small pelvis and this pressure
contributes very much to the removal of certain complaints incident to persons
when enceinte. In order to secure an equal and proportionate pressure in different
positions of the body there is (and this is of great importance) on the frontside of
the pad the spring which acts in a backward direction on the pad and the elasticity
of which corresponds to a weight of about three to three and a half pounds
avoirdupois. Besides effecting an equal and proportionate pressure, the spring
removes also a considerable fault in belts hitherto in use vis the gliding up and
down of the belt by which it is rendered not only ineffective but produces an effect
contrary to that which it ought to have.

page_text: By lengthening or moving the spring to one side or the other and by bending it
more to the right or to the left as may be necessary or requisite the pressure may
be considerably increased on one or the other side of the abdomen.
Further a constant complaint of wearers of such belts (when enceinte) is the
painful friction of the belt at the back about the, loins which inconvenience is
removed by the use of steel-springs well covered attached to the hinder ends of
the belt to which both above and below two small soft buffers or pads are fastened
whereby the hinder ends of the belt are prevented from folding together and the
consequent hard pressure hitherto occasioned is avoided whilst the small buffers or
pads allow the air to circulate under the border of the belt and thus keep cool
that part of the body, and at the same time they prevent the sliding up and down
of the hinder ends of the belt by which the close adjustment of the latter is secured.
By dividing the pressure upon four points the necessary pressure according to
experience borne much better. Moreover it has been found that the back steel-
springs together with the buffers or pads give the back bone a strong and agreeable
support and by their gentle friction they remove the pain in the back inherent in
the above mentioned complaints, if not at once at least in a short time.
Further this improved belt may also be used for umbilical ruptures it being as
yet the best bandage for this purpose by fastening to it a pad suitable for umbilical
ruptures together with the above first described spring upon it which by its pro-
portionate elastic pressure and by the fast adjustment of the belt renders the
protrusion of the rupture and the sliding up and down of the pad impossible. This
pad is fastened only to one side of the belt or bandage in order that the lacing of
the latter may not be interfered with.
In applying the belt or bandage to the body the two hinder girths or bands are
put round the hips and so crossed on the back the first girth is put through a slit
in the other girth then brought in front and hooked to a button of the first spring.
In the same way the second girth is hooked in a second button and the two ends
of the elastic lock-girth are hooked in buttons which are fastened to the belt

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Walter Alfred Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th December 1882.
WALTER ALFRED BARLOW of St Pauls Churchyard in the City of London
Patent Agent and Engineer "A NEW OR IMPROVED ABDOMINAL BELT" a com-
munication to me from abroad by Wilhelm Teufel of Stuttgart in the Empire of
Germany
This Invention relates to a new or improved abdominal belt the object being to
so construct an abdominal belt that shall give sufficient pressure on the abdomen
as to effectually relieve all inconveniences dislocations and ruptures to which
certain persons at certain times are liable and subject.
In carrying out this Invention this improved belt is constructed as follows and
as shown by the accompanying sheet of drawings
There are provided on the lower border or edge of the belt movable elastic lock
girths a which may at pleasure be adjusted looser or tigliter (and which may of
course also be fastened by any convenient or well known buckle clasp button or
other attachment so that in the case of the abdomen being disproportionate the
wished for pressure inay be effected on either side.
In the middle of the lower border there is provided on the inside the pad
which by means of the movable lock girths a and a spring c (which spring acts in
a backward direction) effects an equal as well as a beneficial and well supporting
pressure upon the peritoneum and the organs lying in the small pelvis; and this
pressure contributes very much to the removal of certain complaints incident to
persons enceinte.
In order to secure an equal and proportionate pressure in
different positions of the body there is (and this is of great importance) on the
front side of the pad the spring c which acts in a backward direction on the pad b
and the elasticity of which corresponds to a weight of about one to three and a
half pounds avoirdupois. Besides effecting an equal and proportionate pressure
the spring removes also a considerable fault in belts hitherto in use vis the gliding
riding" up and down of the belt by which it is rendered not only ineffective
but produces an effect contrary to that which it ought to have.
"
By lengthening or moving the spring c to one side or the other and by bending
it more to the right or to the left as may be requisite the pressure may be exerted
considerably on one or the other side of the abdomen
Further a constant complaint of wearers of such belts (when enceinte) is the
painful friction of the belt at the back about the loins which inconvenience is
removed by the use of steel springs d well covered attached to the hinder ends of
the belt to which both above and below two small soft buffers or pads e are
fastened whereby the hinder ends of the belt are prevented from folding together
and the consequent hard pressure hitherto occasioned is avoided whilst the small
buffers or pads e allow the air to circulate under the border of the belt and the
springs and thus keep cool that part of the body and at the same time they
prevent the sliding up and down of the hinder ends of the belt by which the close
adjustment of the latter is secured. By dividing the pressure upon four points the
necessary pressure is according to experience borne much better. Moreover it has
been found that the back steel springs & together with the buffers or pads e give the
back bone a strong and agreable support and by their gentle friction they remove
the pain in the back inherent in the above mentioned complaints, if not at once
at least in a short time.
Further this improved belt may also be used for umbilical ruptures-its being
as yet the best bandage for this purpose-by fastening to it a pad b' suitable for

page_text: umbilical ruptures together with the above first described spring c¹ upon it which
by its proportionate elastic pressure and by the fast adjustment of the belt renders
the protrusion of the rupture and the sliding up and down of the pad impossible.
This pad bis fastened only to one side of the belt or bandage in order that the
lacing of the latter may not be interfered with.
In applying the belt or bandage to the body hind girths or bands f, f1 are put
round the hips and so crossed on the back The first girth f is put through a
slit in the other girth f¹ then brought in front and hooked to a button K of
the first spring c. In the same way the second girth f¹ is hooked on to a second
button K and the two ends of the elastic lock girth a are hooked in buttons m, m'
which are fastened to the belt.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention I
claim :-
Firstly. In abdominal belts the lock girth a in combination with the pad b
attached inside and spring c fastened to the outside of the pad b attached to the
belt proper as herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings
Secondly. In abdominal belts the steel springs d attached to the two hinder
ends of the belt each in combination with two soft buffers or pads e constructed
and operating as and for the purpose herein set forth and as shown by the
drawings.
Thirdly The improved abdominal belt constructed as and for the purpose herein
set forth and shown by the drawings.
Fourthly. The improved construction of abdominal belt arranged for employ-
ment as a bandage for umbilical ruptures by means of a pad b' and spring c
thereupon constructed and operating as herein described and as set forth in
reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
In Witness whereof I the said Walter Alfred Barlow have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eleventh day of December in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two