Improvements in and connected with Electric Belts and like Appliances to be Worn Next the Skin.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electric Belts and like
Appliances to be Worn Next the Skin.
I, EDMUND SPENCER COLLICOTT, of 5, Churchfield Road, East Acton, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 an improved appliance designed to be attached to a body-
belt or other article of wearing apparel for the purpose of causing a current of
electricity to pass through a portion of the body.
According to my invention I provide the belt or other article of wearing apparel
with thin reticulated sheets or plates of aluminium or other metal which does not
injuriously affect the skin by contact. This reticulated sheet metal work is attached
to the belt at two or more parts and to each portion of the same a conducting wire
is connected, which wires pass to the poles of a suitable pocket battery so that by
making contact a current is sent through the wires, being distributed through the
part of the body with which the reticulated plates are in contact.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference to
the accompanying drawing, in which I have shewn a portion of a body belt provided
with my improvements.
a is the belt, and b, b the reticulated plates of aluminium. The edges of these
plates are, as shewn, sewn to the belt so that one surface of each of the plates is
uncovered to enable it to come into direct contact with the skin.
c, c are terminals soldered to each plate. d is the pocket battery, and e, e are
the two wires coming from the said battery d and connected to two of the terminals c, c
by means of plugs ff on the ends of the wires. In the drawing three reticulated
plates are shewn, the third plate g being connected with one of the other two by
means of a wire which passes through the material of the belt as shewn. 1, are
aluminium eyelets in the body of the belt for ventilating purposes.
My belt is applied to the body in the usual manner and connected by the wires e, e
and plugs f, to the battery d placed in any convenient pocket the circuit being
broken by a switch in the battery. When it is desired to pass a current through
the body, the battery is put into operation by its switch by which also the passage of
the current may be stopped when required.
It will be obvious that a belt having my improvements is light and serviceable
and, as my reticulated plates are made of aluminium, the skin will not be injuriously
affected as is the case with such belts as heretofore constructed.
I wish it to be understood that, although I have represented my improvements as
applied to a body belt, I can also apply them to any other article of wearing apparel
worn next the skin.
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:-
An electric body belt or like appliance to be worn next the skin having two or
more reticulated plates of aluminium or other metal which does not injuriously

page_text: affect the skin, the said plates being connected by wires to the two poles of a
pucket electric battery in the manner and for the purpose substantially as
described.
Dated the 8th day of May 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicaut.