Improved Appliance for Preventing or Curing Roundness of the Shoulders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 30th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
✓ PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliance for Preventing or Curing Roundness of the
Shoulders.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR CARSON, of Albert Street, Eccles, in the County of
Lancaster, Yaru Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is designed to provide an efficient appliance or instrument to
prevent stooping or to cure or prevent roundness of the shoulders.
The appliances which have hitherto been constructed for this purpose have
usually been made of elastic webbing or elastic bands connected together by straps
of leather or the like and known as shoulder straps.
This invention consists of a frame composed of one or two bars of metal
extending the length of the back or spine and bifurcated or branching out at the
top with a branch for each shoulder the shoulder pieces being so shaped or curved
as to pass from the back over the top of the shoulders and press against the
shoulders in front each end being provided with a soft and adjustable pad.
In carrying out the invention I prefer at present to construct the appliance with
two bars of metal fastened together at the bottom by being riveted to a cross piece
or the two may be riveted direct one to the other. The rivets while being
sufficiently tight to hold the parts firmly in position may allow of a little movement
to provide for adjustment of distance between the shoulder pieces. At the upper
ends the metal bars are curved or bent outwards to form shoulder pieces.
Instead of two bars fastened together the two shoulder pieces may be formed in
one piece with the upright bar.
Each shoulder piece is bent or curved to extend from the back bone to the
shoulder and over the top of the shoulder to engage with the front of the shoulder
or shoulder bone in front.
At the end each shoulder piece is fitted with a soft pad this is preferably made
adjustable with a screw or other means so that the pressure brought to bear on the
shoulder may be increased or reduced.
The inner part consists of a disc or circular metal plate one side of which is
padded to rest upon the front of the shoulder and in the centre it is provided with
a socket or ferrule provided with an internal screw thread to receive the end of a
screwed stud.
The other part is convex on one side and concave on the other and to the convex
side the end of the shoulder piece is attached by rivets, screws or other means.
This part is also provided with an internally screwed socket to receive the other
end of the screwed stud.
The screwed stud connects the two parts together and by it the distance
between these parts and consequently the pressure exerted by them can be
adjusted.
The screwed stud may be formed with a hole into which a key may fit when it
is required to rotate it to force the two parts apart.

page_text: For adjusting the breadth of shoulders the two upright bars may be moved on
the bottom rivet as on a pivot.
The appliance is to be. made in different sizes for men, women and children.
Dated this 8th day of March 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
Improved Appliance for Preventing or Curing Roundness of the
Shoulders.
I WILLIAM ARTHUR CARSON of No 56 Albert Street, Eccles, in the County of
Lancaster Yarn Agent 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 is designed to provide an efficient appliance or instrument to
prevent stooping or to cure or prevent roundness of the shoulders.
The appliances which have hitherto been constructed for this purpose, have
usually been made of elastic webbing or elastic bands connected together by straps
of leather or the like and known as shoulder straps.
This invention consists of a frame composed of one or more bars of metal or
other sufficiently strong and elastic solid substance extending partially along the
back or spine and branching out at the upper part so that one branch shaped and
curved to the form of the body shall pass over each shoulder and press against the
shoulder in front with its extremity which may be enlarged and rounded for the
purpose and which should be provided with a pad made soft and adjustible as
hereinafter described.
In carrying out the invention I prefer to construct the appliance with two bars
of spring-steel (marked a. a. in the drawing) either riveted to one another or
connected together by a cross plate (b) to which they are severally riveted or
otherwise secured at their lower or back extremity so as to meet behind the back
of the person wearing the appliance. The rivets while being sufficiently tight to
bind the parts firmly in position will allow of a little play or movement to provide
for adjustment of distance between the parts of the appliance that go over the
shoulders. Each of the bars is at its upper part curved and shaped to the form of
the human body so that one of them shall pass over each shoulder and press with
its extremity (c), which may be enlarged for the purpose, against the shoulder in
front. For the greater comfort of persons wearing the appliance is attached to the
front extremity of each bar as shown in Figure 4 a pad with a surface of
leather, wood, ivory, or any suitable material to rest against the shoulder and this
pad is made adjustible by a screw or other means so that the pressure on the
shoulder may be increased or reduced, and for this purpose I prefer to use the
following method. Either the enlarged end of the bars or discs or plates of metal
or other solid material attached thereto (marked d Figure 4) is bored with an
internally screwed socket to receive one end of a right and left screwed stud (e)
the other end of which passes into an internally screwed socket in a corresponding
disc or plate padded to press against the shoulder. The right and left screwed
stud should contain a slot (f) and be provided with a key (g) to expand or contract
the padded ends and so increase or diminish the pressure. The size of the
appliance varies according to the proportions. and sex of the persons by whom it is
to be worn or used. The appliance when worn may be attached at its lower or
back extremity to the dress of the wearer, or to a belt or band passing round the
body to keep it in position as shown in Figure 2.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a front view of a person wearing the appliance. a a. the
frame. c. c the extremities.
Figure 2 represents a back view of the same person showing the mode by which
I prefer to attach the two bars. a a. bars of the frame. 6 cross plate.
Figure 3 represents a simple form of the appliance in which the two bars are
riveted directly to one another. a a. bars of the frame. cc. extremities.
Figure 4 represents the adjustable pads or boss to rest against the shoulders,
showing the two parts (d. d) and the right and left screwed stud (e) connecting
them. (f) slot. g. key.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an appliance or instrument to prevent stooping or to cure or prevent
roundness of the shoulders the use of one or more plates of metal or of any
sufficiently strong and elastic substance passing from the back over the shoulders
so as to maintain a backward pressure against the shoulders and prevent stooping
by means of the strength and elasticity of the material substantially as
described.
2. In an appliance or instrument to prevent stooping or to cure or prevent
roundness of the shoulders the use of adjustible pads to rest against the shoulders
substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of November 1894.