IMPROVEMENTS IN BELTS OR SUPPORTS FOR THE SPINE APPLICABLE ALSO AS SUPPORTS FOR LOADS CARRIED BY THE PERSON to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY RIVIERE of Upper Woolhampton near Reading in the County of
Berks Vice President of Saint Mary's College Upper Woolhampton aforesaid
do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELTS
OR SUPPORTS FOR THE SPINE APPLICABLE ALSO AS SUPPORTS FOR LOADS CARRIED
BY THE PERSON to be as follows:-
"
My Invention has for its object to provide a belt or support for the spine for the
use of travellers soldiers invalids or other persons requiring such support also
applicable as an assistance in carrying loads.
According to my Invention I provide a spring or springs situated in line with
the spine and with a cross spring or cross springs for giving lateral support. The
power of this combination of Springs tends towards the body and they form yielding
supports for the spine when the said combination is secured and tightened upon
the back by means of a waist belt. This appliance gives strength to the spine of
the wearer and enables him to walk long distances without fatigue and to remain
erect and moreover by an addition to the said appliance he is enabled to carry
heavy loads with ease. To this end I provide an additional spring or springs which
can be affixed to the springs before referred to and is or are so shaped or coiled that
the load will rest thereon. There are also provided bands preferably consisting of
flat, light, steel springs which are passed under the arms and partly over the chest
where they are connected to the straps or bands to which the knapsack or other
burden can be attached the said straps or bands being passed over the shoulders.
and crossed upon the chest. The whole apparatus is solidly affixed to the belt
which encircles the waist.
.
The parts of the springs that bear upon the body are preferably covered or
padded with a softer material.

page_text: I HENRY RIVIERE of Upper Woolhampton near Reading in the County of
Berks Vice President of St Mary's College Upper Woolhampton aforesaid
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELTS OR
SUPPORTS FOR THE SPINE APPLICABLE ALSO AS SUPPORTS FOR LOADS CARRIED BY
THE PERSON " and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by, the following statement
My Invention has for its object to provide a belt or support for the spine for the
use of travellers, soldiers, invalids or other persons requiring such support also
applicable as an assistance in carrying loads.
According to my Invention I provide a spring or springs situated in line with
the spine and with a cross spring or cross springs for giving lateral support. The
power of this combination of springs tends towards the body and they form yielding
supports for the spine when the said combination is secured and tightened upon
the back by means of a waist belt. This appliance gives strength to the spine of
the wearer and enables him to walk long distances without fatigue and to remain
erect and moreover by an addition to the said appliance he is enabled to carry
heavy loads with ease. To this end'I provide an additional spring or springs which
can be affixed to the springs before referred to, and is or are so, shaped, or coiled
that the load will rest thereon. There may also be provided bands preferably
consisting of flat, light steel springs which are passed under the arms and partly
over the chest where they are connected to the straps or bands to, which the
knapsack or other burden can be. attached, or instead of fixing the first mentioned
bands to the supporting apparatus they may be fixed to, the knapsack or load to
be carried. The said second mentioned straps or bands are passed over the
shoulders and may be crossed upon the chest or otherwise attached to the person.
The whole apparatus is affixed to the belt which encircles the waist.
The parts of the springs that bear upon the body are preferably covered or
padded with a softer material.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a belt for supporting the spine constructed
according to my Invention and Figure 2 is a similar view of the same belt but
provided with means for supporting a load according to my invention. A A¹ are
two short lengths of steel forming springs which are connected to the opposite ends
of another plate or blade spring B by rivets or otherwise. These springs are
arranged in a line with the spine the upper spring. Asbeing situated so as to bear
on the part of the body nearest the portion of the spine. between the shoulders, and
the lower spring A¹ to bear on the part of the body, nearest the portion of the spine
below the waist. To the lower spring A¹ and arranged transversely' thereto is
rivetted another spring plate C.so as to partially surround the loins, and to the
spring blade B is also rivetted transversely thereto a spring plate C, to the opposite
ends of which latter, leather, or other suitable straps D are attached, which, when
the apparatus is applied to the person, pass round the waist and are secured together
by a buckle d or otherwise so as to securely attach the support to the person. The
parts or springs which bear against the person are by prefence padded faced, or
covered with leather felt or other suitable material to prevent inconvenience from
the pressure of the springs.

page_text: When the apparatus is intended to assist in supporting a load such for example
as a knapsack or the like, the upper part of the spring B is made or provided with an
additional projecting part preferably in the form of a coil as shewn at E in Figure 2
or otherwise, upon which projecting part the knapsack or the like is made to bear
and thus cause its weight to be distributed, and the load to be carried with greater
ease. Spring blades F may be connected to the upper part of the spring B, which
blades are passed under the arms of the wearer and across the chest. They are
provided with buckles f for the attachment of straps in connection with the load
to be carried which straps are passed over the shoulders of the wearer and thus
afford great support. These blades F may however be dispensed with, or be attached
to the load to be carried, or the load may be provided with shoulder straps or loops
for the wearer to pass his arm through as is usual in knapsacks the weight however
in this case also being supported by the projecting part E of the spring B. The
part E may be formed in one with the spring B or it may be made separate there-
from and fixed thereto so as to be capable of removal when not required for use.
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 In belts or supports for the spine a spring blade or spring bades or the
like for adjustment in line with the spine in combination with transversely
arranged spring or springs and means for attaching the belt or support to the
person substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
Second: A belt or support for assisting persons in carrying loads the said belt
or support consisting in the combination with the arrangement claimed by the
preceding claiming clause of a projection or coil E (with or without the bands or
straps F) substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated
in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of November 1884