Improvements in and connected with Abdominal-Belts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left. 6th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1897
Improvements in and connected with Abdominal-Belts.
I, JOHANNES SCHWARZ, of 2 Blauer Stein, Mainz, in the Grand-Duchy of Hesse,
German Empire, Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to belly-scarfs as are used for the human body, and my
improvements in such scarfs relate to certain combinations and arrangements of
parts as are fully described berinafter.
The purpose of my improvements is to make the belly-part proper of the scarf able
to be adjusted to the exact shape of the body, and I attain that object in general by
first composing the said part of elastic bars or steel-bands arranged in pairs and
adapted to be moved one along the other, and, second, connecting said pairs of elastic
bars or steel-bands movably by other similar bars or bands arranged obliquely to said
former ones, and adapted to be displaced, along the same. As to particulars I refer
to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout
the different views, and in which:
Figure 1 is a front-view of the belly-part of my improved scarf;
Figure 2 is a horizontal section in line 8-9 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a part of a slightly modified form of construction ;
Figure 4 slows again a part of a modified form of construction, and
Figures 5, 6 & 7 are some details drawn on a larger scale.
My improved belly-scarf consists of a number of elastic bars or steel-bands a
arranged about parallel to each other, and hinged all at one end to a piece of
leather b, and of a like number of similar bars or bands a arranged alternately upon
and below said former bars or bands, and hinged all at one end to a similar piecė
as b located opposite to the free ends of the said bars or bands a. The free ends of
these bars or bands (a) are provided with keepers a² through which pass the bars.or
bands a¹, and the free ends of these latter are provided with keepers a³ through
which pass the bars or bands a. I have represented this more distinctly in the
enlarged view shown in Figure 5, and it is to be seen from Figure 6, that (in some
cases) the upper and lower part of the keeper may be moved one in the direction to
the other by means of a screw at, so as to press the bar al (or a) against the bar a
(or a) and fix both bars in their respective relative positions.
Owing to the bars a being displaceable along the bars a³, and reversely, the length
of the belly-part of the whole scarf may be adjusted according to any requirement,
and to make said part adjustable also in height or breadth I have connected the pairs
of bars or bands aa by means of links d connected with each other by keepers d'.
The latter take around the pairs of bars or bands a a' in just the same manner as do
the keepers and a³; they are, however, not firmly connected with the bands or bars
but may be displaced along the same, and by doing so the system of quadrangles
formed by the links d is expanded or contracted, so that the pairs of bands a a' are
moved from or against each other, for ways of equal lengths.
The middle keeper proper of the keepers d' is represented separately in figure 7.
This keeper is provided with a screw-threaded pin d² having a nut d'; the parts of
the respective links d through which, said pin passes are furnished with small cogged

page_text: plates d d adapted to take one into the other. These plates are secured to said
parts or links, and all the links d may thus be fixed in position by the nut d² after
they have been adjusted as necessary.
It is thus to be seen that the belly-part of the scarf may be adjusted in length as
well as in height or breadth, and as to the adjustment in length I call special
attention to the fact that the upper and lower pair or pairs of the bars or
bands a a¹ may be adjusted independent of the middle one or ones, and reversely,
and I am thus enabled to determine also the concavity or convexity of the belly part
of the scarf according to the exact shape of the body.
In the form of construction shown in Figure 1 the elastic bars or steel bands a a'
serve for holding strips of fabric g. These strips are secured to said bars or bands by
means of leather-strips g¹; the latter serve at the same time for keeping the
connecting-parts (keepers) d' of the links d in a certain medium position. The strips
or fabric overlap each other in a similar manner as do the slats of a Venetian blind,
and the breadth of said strips is such that they are able to cover the spaces between
the pairs of bars or bands even if the latter have been moved away one from the
other by the links d as far as possible.
g
The strips g form the inner cover of the belly-part of the scarf, and this cover
(owing to its being composed of several parts each attached to one of the pairs
of bars or bands a a') may be adjusted in height or breadth together with (and 2
by) the said pairs themselves. As, however, the said strips cannot be adjusted
.in length, I have arranged the flaps g, which are secured to the lower side of
the leather-pieces b, and take below the ends of the strips g. Similar but
considerably smaller Haps gs are secured to the upper ends of the pieces b.
These flaps serve for concealing the places of connection of the bars or bands a and a
with the pieces b, and they are held in proper position by spring-knobs the
base-parts g of which are secured to the flaps g³, whereas the head-parts 95 are
secured to the flaps g.
In cases in which it does not matter whether or not there are some folds in
the inner cover of the belly-part of the scarf I may employ a single piece of
fabric (Figure 3) instead of several strip-like ones; and instead of using five
pairs of elastic bars or steel-bands as in Figure 3, I may make use of less or more,
for instance 7, as represented in Figure 4. In this case as well as in all other
ones I may entirely dispense with the single piece of fabric g (Figures 3 & 4) or with
the separate strips g (Figure 3), and I may provide instead thereof each of the lower 3
bars or bands or with a cover of some smooth and pliable material, so that the
whole structure resembles a kind of grate or lattice. Such forins of construction are
especially suited for the summer-season or a tropical clime.
The bands or straps that take around the waist and also the means for connecting
said bands or straps at the back, may be of any desired construction. The adjustment 4
of the pairs of bars or bands a a¹ is effected after the scarf bas been put around the
body, and has been provisionally secured to the same, and the adjustment in length as
well as in breadth (or height) is effected in such a manner, that every part of the
belly-portion of the scarf fits exactly to the respective part of the body. The relative
position of the two parts of each pair a a', and of the pairs a a¹ with regard to cach 4
other may be maintained by the screws (Figure 6) and the nut d' (Figure 7), as has
already been described. The adjustability of my improved belly-scarf is far greater
than with any similar scarf known to me, and even scarfs that are made to ineasure
do not fit as exactly as my improved one does because the adaptability of the former
is due chiefly to some elastic fabric but not to the adjustability of the structure 5
holding that fabric.

page_text: I, JOHANNES SCHWARZ, of 2 Blauer Stein, of Mainz, in the Grand-Duchy of Hesse,
German Empire, Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
iu and by the following statement:-
This invention refers to abdominal' belts as used by persons of both sexes and my
improvements in such belts relate to certain combinations and arrangements of parts
as are fully described hereinafter.
The purpose of my improvements is to make the abdominal part proper of the
belt adjustable to the exact form of the person, and I attain this object in general
by first constructing the said part of flexible bars or steel-bands arranged in pairs
and adapted to be moved one along the other, and second, connecting said pairs of
flexible bars or steel-bands movable by other similar bars or steel-bands adjustable
by other similar bars or bands arranged obliquely to said former ones, and adapted
to be displaced along the same.
To make my invention clear, I refer to the drawings left with the Provisional
Specification, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different
views, and in which:
Figure 1 is a front-view of the abdominal part of my improved belt;
Figure 2 is a horizontal section in line 8-9 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a part of a slightly modified form of construction,
Figure 4 shows again a part of a modified form of construction, and
Figure 5, 6 & 7 are some details drawn to an enlarged scale.
My improved belt consists of a number of flexible bars or steel-bands a arranged.
approximately parallel to each other, and hinged all at one end to a piece of
leather b, and of a like number of similar bars or bands a' arranged alternately
upon and below said former bars or bands, and pivoted all at one end to a similar
piece as b located opposite to the free ends of the said bars or bands a. The free
ends of these bars or bands (a) are provided with guide-pieces a² through which
the bars or bands a' slide, or are longitudinally displaced, and the free ends of these
latter are provided with guide-pieces a through which the bars or bands a pass. I
have represented this more distinctly in the enlarged view shown in Figure 5, and
it is to be seen from Figure 6, that (in some cases) the upper and lower part of the
guide-pieces may be displaced towards each other by means of a screw a¹, so as to
press the bar a (or a) against the bar a (or a¹) and fix both bars in their respective
relative positions.
Owing to the bars a being displaceable along the bars a¹, and vice versa, the
length of the abdominal part of the whole belt may be adjusted according to any
requirement, and to make said part adjustable both in height and breadth I have
connected the pairs of bars or bands are by means of links d connected with each
other by guide-pieces d¹. The latter take around the pairs of bars or bands a a¹ in
just the same manner as the guide-pieces 2 & as; they are, however, not firmly
connected with the bands or bars but may be displaced along the same, and by doing
so the system of quadrangles formed by the links d is expanded or contracted, so
that the pairs of bands a a' move towards or apart from each other in distances of
equal length.
The middle guide proper of the guide pieces d' is represented separately in
Figure 7. This guide is provided with a screw-threaded pin d² having a nut d³; the
parts of the respective links d through which said pin passes are furnished with
small cogged plates d' d' adapted to take one into the other. These plates are

page_text: secured to said parts or links, and all the links d may thus be fixed in position by
the nut d² after they have been adjusted as necessary.
It is thus apparent that the abdominal portion of the belt is adjustable as regards
length as well as height or breadth, and as to the displacement in length, my
improved belt is so constructed, that the upper and lower pair or pairs of the bars or
bands a a¹ may be adjusted independently of the middle one or ones, and in the
opposite case I am enabled to determine also the concavity or convexity of the
abdominal part of the belt corresponding, to the exact shape of the body.
In the form of construction shown in Figure 1 the flexible bars or steel-bands a a¹
support and keep in position strips of fabric g. These strips are attached to said
bars or bands by means of leather-strips g'; the latter serve at the same time for
keeping the pivoted parts d' of the links in a certain central position. The strips of
fabric g overlap each other in the same manner as the laths of a Venetian blind, and
the breadth of said strips is such that they cover the spaces between the pairs of
bars or bands even if the latter have been moved away one from the other by the
links d as far as possible.
The strips g form the inner cover of the abdominal portion of the belt, and this
cover (owing to its being composed of several parts each attached to one of the pairs
of bars or bands a a¹) may be adjusted in height or breadth together with (and by)
the said parts themselves. As, however, the said strips cannot be adjusted also
in length, I have arranged the flaps g² which are secured to the lower
side of the leather-pieces 6 and take below the ends of the strips g. Similar but
considerably smaller flaps g³ are secured to the upper ends of the pieces b. These
flaps serve for concealing the points of connection of the bars or bands a and a¹
with the pieces b, and they are held in proper position by spring-knobs
the base-parts g of which are secured to the flaps g², whereas the head-parts g5 are
secured to the flaps g³.
In cases in which it is immaterial whether or not there are folds in the inner cover
of the abdominal part of the belt I may employ a single piece of fabric g (Figure 3)
instead of several strips of material; and instead of using five pairs of flexible bars
or steel-bands as in Figure 3, I may make use of more or less, for instance 7, as
represented in Figure 4. In this case as well as in all other ones I may entirely
dispense with the single piece of fabric g (Figures 3 & 4) or with the separate
strips g (Figure 3), and I may provide instead thereof each of the lower bars or bands a
or a¹ with a cover of some smooth and pliable material, so that the whole structure
resembles a kind of grating or lattice. Such forms of construction are especially
suited for the summer-season or a tropical clime.
The bands or straps that take around the body and also the means for connecting
said bands or straps at the back may be of any desired construction. The adjust-
inent of the pairs of bars or bands a a¹ is effected after the belt has been placed
around the body, and has been provisionally secured to the same, and the adjustment
in length as well as in breadth (or height) is effected in such inanner, that every part
of the abdominal portion of the belt fits exactly to the respective parts of the body.
The relative position of the two parts of each pair a a', and of the pairs a al with
regard to each other may be maintained by the screws a' (Figure 6) and the nut da
(Figure 7), as has already been described. The adjustment of my improved
abdominal belt is far greater than with any similar helt known to me, and even belts
that are made to measure do uot fit as exactly as my improved one does because the
adaptability of the former is due chiefly to some elastic fabric and not to the
adaptability of the structure holding that fabric.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
An abdominal' belt in which the abdominal portion proper of the belt is formed by
several flexible bars or bands arranged in a meridional direction with regard to the 5
of the ablaman said hands consisting of town marahle
11 11

page_text: adjustable towards each other and securely locked in position by screw knobs or
other suitable clamping mechanism and independent of the longitudinal adjustinent
above mentioned, said bands being by means of double jointed links or levers also
adjustable as regards their distance apart, or above each other, and again in this latter
5 direction securely held by screw knobs or other suitable clamping mechanism,
substantially as described.
Darcy Lima nay of Depiction 107
JOHANNES SCHWARZ,
By Geo. Thos. Hyde,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.