Improvements in Braces for Suspending Trousers and other Articles of Dress.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braces for Suspending Trousers and other Articles
of Dress.
I HENRY REES-PHILIPPS of No. 13 Berkeley Street Piccadilly in the County of
Middlesex Manager of Inventors' Agency Limited do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to give to the braces a wide range of elasticity near
the points of attachment instead of making the bands of the braces of elastic webbing
as usual. By giving elasticity to the parts of the braces near the points of attachment
to the trousers or article of dress the braces yield at any part or parts where by the
motion of the body more than the normal strain is put upon the braces. The yielding
of the braces thus takes place at the part or parts where extra strain is applied with-
out disturbing the braces at any other part. In making a pair of braces according
to my invention I make the two principal straps that is the straps passing over the
shoulders of the wearer preferably of flexible but inelastic material such as leather or
inelastic webbing. At the part where in ordinary braces the ends of the straps cross
one another at the back of the wearer I attach. the ends of the straps to a ring of
hardened and tempered steel wire the ends of the straps being made into loops
through which loops the said elastic ring passes. The said ring consists of about
one and a half convolutions of steel or elastic wire the coil being preferably between
two and three inches in diameter. From the description given it will be understood
that the coil through one half its circumference consists of a single single wire but
through the other half consists of double wire. Each end of the wire terminates in a
small inelastic ring to which rings the back tabs are connected respectively.
When the braces are in use the tension put upon them causes the elastic ring to
enlarge in diameter the back tabs pulling down the ends of the said ring and causing
it partially to uncoil. The amount of yielding and uncoiling of the ring depends
upon the degree of pressure put on either or both of the back tabs. In order to
prevent undue strain on the ring so as to break it or give it a permanent set as well
as to preserve its figure I place a small ring around the part of the ring where the
wire is double and two light chains cords or straps connected to the top of the ring
between the loops on the straps are connected respectively with the small rings
carrying the back tabs. By the said chains cords or straps the elastic ring is prevented
from being injuriously distorted.
The elastic ring and appliances which I have described at the back part of the
braces may be applied to the front end of the braces and the front tabs.
I have described that form of my invention which I have found to answer well in
practice and which I believe to be the best. The details of my invention may be
modified without departing from its nature. For example to give a greater range of
elasticity to the elastic ring it may have formed in it at opposite points two small or
secondary rings all the rings being formed from the same piece of steel or elastic
wire. Further the ends of the wire of which the ring is formed instead of being,
curved may be straight and situated horizontally and terminate in the tab rings
herein before referred to. Similarly the same or nearly the same effect is obtained if
the large elastic ring is dispensed with and two coils be made on opposite sides of the
point of suspension of a straight-or nearly straight steel or elastic wire.
Dated this 0th dow of Navainbow 1888
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braces for Suspending Trousers and other Articles
of Dress.
I HENRY REES-PHILIPPS of No. 13 Berkeley Street Piccadilly in the County of
Middlesex Manager of Inventors' Agency Limited 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:-.
My invention has for its object to give to the braces a wide range of elasticity near
the points of attachment instead of making the bands of the braces of elastic webbing
as usual. By giving elasticity to the parts of the braces near the points of attachment
to the trousers or article of dress the braces yield at any part or parts where by the
motion of the body more than the normal strain is put upon the braces. The yielding
of the braces thus takes place at the part or parts where extra strain is applied with-
out disturbing the braces at any other part.
In making a pair of braces according to my invention I make the two principal
straps that is the straps passing over the shoulders of the wearer preferably of flexible
but inclastic material such as leather or inelastic webbing. At the part where in
ordinary braces the ends of the straps cross one another at the back of the wearer I
attach the ends of the straps to a ring of hardened and tempered steel wire the ends
of the straps being made into loops through which loops the said elastic ring passes.
The said ring consists of about one and a half convolutions of steel or elastic wire the
coil being preferably between two and three inches in diameter. From the description
given it will be understood that the coil through one half its circumference consists
of a single wire but through the other half consists of double wire. Each end of the
wire terminates in a small inelastic ring to which rings the back tabs are connected
respectively.
When the braces are in use the tension put upon them causes the elastic ring to
enlarge in diameter the back tabs pulling down the ends of the said ring and causing
it partially to uncoil. The amount of yielding and uncoiling of the ring depends
upon the degree of pressure put on either or both of the back tabs, but by inverting
the elastic ring the pulling down of the tab loops causes the further coiling of the ring
and its consequent diminution in diameter. In order to prevent undue strain on the
ring so as to break it or give it a permanent set, as well as to preserve its figure, I
place a small ring around the part of the ring where the wire is double.
The elastic ring and appliances which I have described at the back part of the bruces
may be applied to the front end of the braces and the front tabs.
I have described that form of my invention which I have found to answer well in
practice and which I believe to be the best; the details of my invention may be
modified without departing from its nature. For example to give a greater range of
elasticity to the elastic ring it may have formed in it at opposite points two small or
secondary rings all the rings being formed from the same piece of steel or elastic
wire. Further the ends of the wire of which the ring is formed instead of being
curved may be straight and situated horizontally or in an inclined position and
terminate in the tab rings herein before referred to. Similarly the same or nearly the
same effect is obtained if the large elastic ring is dispensed with and two coils be
made on opposite sides of the point of suspension of a straight or nearly straight steel
or elastic wire.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in front elevation a pair of
braces the back and front tabs of which are connected to the two principal straps by
elastic or yielding rings according to my invention; Figure 2 represents an edge
view of the front tab elastic ring; Figure 3 represents a modified way of connecting
the back tab elastic ring to the two principal straps and Figures 4, 5, 6 represent
modifications of the tab elastic rings as hereinafter explained.

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
I will first describe the arrangement represented in Figures 1 and 2.
a a are the principal straps of the brace made preferably of leather or inelastic
webbing or other inelastic material; c: bc are the front elastic rings to which the
front tabs, of the brace are connected and d e is the back elastic ring to which the
back tabs g, g are connected the said back tab elastic ring d, e being used preferably
inverted as represented. Each of the front elastic rings b, c consists of a steel or
elastic wire coiled into about one and a half convolutions the coil through one half of
its circumference consisting of a single wire marked and through the other half of a
double wire marked c. Each end of the elastic ring terminates in a small inelastic
ring or loop to which loops the two front tabs f,fare connected the elastic
rings b, c, b, c, being connected to the buckles h, h of the brace by the ordinary lever
fastenings at i, i. k is a small ring around the double part of the elastic ring. By
means of the small ring k the clastic rings are prevented from being broken when
undue strain is put upon them.
When tension is put upon the elastic rings b, c; b, c by the pulling down of the
connecting loops by the action of the tabs f,f the elastic rings enlarge in
diameter in consequence of the uncoiling of the double part c of the wire the tabs f,f
connected to the buttons on the trousers preserving their parallelism during the
yielding of the braces at or near the points of attachment to the trousers.
The elastic back tab ring d, e is constructed similarly to the elastic front tab ring b, c
but it is used in an inverted position, that is, the double parte of the ring is upper-
most and the looped back ends of the principal straps a, a are connected to the double
parte of the ring. When tension is put on the back elastic ring d, e by the pulling
down of the back tabs g, g connected to the loops the diameter of the elastic ring
is diminished by the coiling of the double part of the ring at e upon the single part
at d. The back elastic tab ring may however be used in the same position as the
front tab rings that is with the double part of the ring downwards the back ends
of the straps a, a being secured in this case to the single part of the ring.
Instead of connecting the back ends of the principal straps a, a directly to the
back elastic tab ring the said back ends of the principal straps may be connected to a
small ring 7 as represented in Figure 3 and the said small ring / be connected through
the leather or inelastic loop m to the elastic tab ring de.
The elastic tab rings of the brace may be modified in the manner represented in
Figures 45 and 6.
In Figure 4 the elastic ring has an additional loop n at top made from the same
piece of wire as the ring. When used as a front tab ring the loop n is connected by
the lever fastening i to the buckle and when used as a back tab ring the ends of the
principal straps are connected to the said loop n.
In Figure 5 the body of the tab ring has the form represented and has made in
it at opposite points the small or secondary rings p p the ends of the wire being
straight and inclined to one another and terminating in the tab rings qq above the
body. The ends of the wire carrying the tab rings 9, 9 work in the guide and
the top of the said guide is furnished with a rings which is secured to the buckle
of the brace or the back ends of the straps secured to it when used as a back tab ring.
In the modification Figure 6 the ring is used in an inverted position the tab
rings q, q being lowest and the said ring is connected to the buckle or back ends of
the principal straps at t.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in braces for suspending trousers and other
articles of dress,"
The combination with the principal or shoulder straps of braces made preferably of
flexible but inelastic material, of steel or elastic wire tab rings constructed substan-
tially in the several ways hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying

page_text: Drawing whereby a wide range of elasticity is given to the braces near their points
of attachment to the trousers or other articles of dress without disturbing the braces
at any other point as described and illustrated.
Dated this Sixth day of August. 1889
W. T.. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.