IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRIC BELTS OR SIMILAR APPLIANCES AND ELECTRODES OR TERMINALS THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of Clee House, Lavender Hill, Battersea, in
the County of Surrey, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRIC BELTS OR SIMILAR APPLIANCES
AND ELECTRODES OR TERMINALS THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to electric belts, pads, wristlets, socks or similar devices for
applying electricity to the human body; and to electrodes or terminals to be used
in such devices or appliances.
My said Invention mainly consists in making the said devices or appliances, or
a part or parts of the same, of woven fabric composed partly of copper or other
wire, ribbon or the like and partly of cotton or other textile material. I am thus
enabled to dispense with rigid electrodes or terminals and thereby increase the
flexibility of the belt or other appliance. In some cases I combine positive and
negative metals, such as copper and zinc, with the cotton or other material to
form the said woven fabric, which will then serve as a generator of electricity. In
other cases I combine a single metal with the said cotton or other material, in which
cases the said woven fabric is used merely as the electrode or electrodes for the
passage through the human body of a current from one or more batteries or other
generators of electricity.
In making an electric belt according to my Invention, the said woven fabric is
sometimes substituted for the cloth or similar material ordinarily employed in the
manufacture of electric belts. Or, if desired, one or more pieces of the said woven
fabric are suitably attached to the cloth, or other material of which the belt is
composed, to serve as electrodes or terminals.
I sometimes attach one or more pieces of the said woven fabric to one end of
a conductor to form a flexible electrode or pad for applying to any part of the
human body. If the said electrode or pad is required to be moistened I use smal!
pieces of sponge or other absorbent material in combination with the said woven
fabric. The said conductor is of copper wire or other suitable material and is
connected with the copper or other metal of which the said fabric is partly

page_text: composed. At the other end of this conductor I provide a fastening or device for
connecting the electrode or pad with a battery or other generator of electricity.
I prefer to use for this purpose a fastener similar to those used for necklaces or the
like. This fastener has a socket into which fits a catch consisting of a piece of
metal folded so as to form a spring and formed with a notch which will engage
with one end of the socket when the said catch is inserted therein. By employing
this fastener I ensure perfect contact and at the same time prevent the accidental
detachment of the electrode or pad from the battery or other source of electricity,
and obviate any inconvenience arising therefrom.
Dand thin den of Tune 1884

page_text: I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of Clee House, Lavender Hill, Battersea, in
the County of Surrey, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRIC BELTS OR SIMILAR APPLIANCES,
AND ELECTRODES OR TERMINALS THEREFOR" and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:—
ог
My Invention relates to electric belts, pads, wristlets, socks, or similar devices
appliances for facilitating the application of electricity to the human body, and to
electrodes or terminals to be used for such devices or appliances.
My said Invention mainly consists in making the said devices or appliances, or
a part or parts of the same, of a peculiar woven fabric composed partly of copper
or other metal wire or ribbon, and partly of cotton or other fibrous materials such as
are ordinarily used in the manufacture of textile fabrics. This fabric has the
advantage of extreme flexibility combined with a degree of conductivity heretofore
only attainable with rigid metal pieces, that is to say, the cotton or other fibrous
material imparts to the entire belt or other article a flexibility which renders the
same capable of very convenient and comfortable application to any part of the
body, while the wire or other metal interwoven with the said fibrous material
provides for the distribution of the electric current throughout the entire extent of
the fabric. In some cases, in the formation of the said fabric, I combine with the
cotton or other fibrous material two metals, such as copper and zinc, one of which
is electro-positive to the other. The fabric will then serve as a generator of
electricity, as the perspiration of the body, when the said fabric is in contact
therewith, will set up galvanic action between the two metals. In other cases
1 combine a single metal with the cotton or other fibrous material, in which case
the said woven fabric is used merely as an electrode or electrodes for the passage of
a current from one or more batteries or other generators of electricity.
In making an electric belt according to my Invention I sometimes use the said
woven fabric in place of the cloth or similar material ordinarily employed in the
manufacture of such belts. In other cases I attach one or more pieces of the said
woven fabric in any suitable manner to the cloth or other material of which the
belt is composed, so that the said pieces will serve as the electrodes or terminals
through which the current has access to the body of the wearer.
I sometimes modify my Invention by attaching one or more pieces of the said
woven fabric to one end of a conductor to form a flexible electrode or pad which
may be applied to any part of the body. If the said electrode or pad is required
to be moistened, I use a piece or pieces of sponge, felt or other absorbent material
in combination with the said woven fabric. For this purpose I prefer to make the
electrode or pad with a backing of cloth or other material, and to place the
moistened sponge or other absorbent material between the same and the said woven
fabric so that the moisture will oozo through the latter. The said conductor is
made of copper wire or other suitable material, and one end thereof is connected
with the copper or other metal of which the said fabric is partly composed.
I attach to the other end of this conductor a device for connecting the said
conductor with the terminal of a battery or other generator of electricity. I prefer
to use, for this purpose, a fastener similar to the snaps ordinarily used for necklaces
or the like; this fastener has a socket into which fits a catch consisting of a piece
of metal folded so as to form a spring and formed with a notch which will
engage

page_text: with one end of the socket when the said catch is inserted therein. The said
socket is attached to the battery and the spring to the conductor, or vice versa.
I sometimes use this device in combination with an electric belt or similar
appliance for the purpose of connecting the same with a battery or other source of
electricity.
By employing this device I ensure perfect contact, and at the same time prevent
the accidental detachment of the electric belt or similar appliance from the battery
or other source of electricity.
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
First. The improvements relating to woven fabrics consisting partly of flexible
material such as cotton or the like and partly of wire or other material which is
a good conductor of electricity, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. The above described improvements relating to electric belts, pads,
wristlets, socks or similar appliances, made wholly or partially of woven fabric
consisting partly of metal and partly of other material, and with or without
suitable ineans for connection with a generator of electricity, substantially as, and
for the purposes, specified.
Dated this 7th day of August 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.