Apparatus for Lengthening and Shortening Braces, Belts, Straps, and similar objects.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Lengthening and Shortening Braces, Belts, Straps,
and similar objects.
We, MAXIMILIAN ROST, Manufacturer, of Dresden-Neustadt and JOHANNES
PAUL ORTMANN, Truss Maker, of Zittau, both in the Kingdom of Saxony, 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 has for its object, to provide a good device for regulating the
length of trousers' braces, belts, and straps, without the use of buckles."
The device consists chiefly of a specially formed system of loops, which admits
of easy adjustment, but prevents the accidental lengthening or shortening of the
belt or brace during wear, because any longitudinal pull on the same serves to
tighten the loops.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front view of such a device, as applied to braces or carrying-straps.
Fig. 2 is a back view corresponding to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents such a device, as applied to braces, the loop string serving at
the same time to form the button eyelets.
Fig. 5 shows the same in side elevation.
The ends of the braces b (Figs. 1-3) are armed with pieces a of leather, and the
latter contain holes, through which a string c is passed in such a manner, as to
form two loops, (hereafter called connecting or supporting loops) on which the
eyelet pieces (Figs. 1 and 2) can be easily shifted, while the two ends of the
string c are connected with each other by a ferrule or sleeve e.
The regulation of the length is effected by first drawing out the loops ff'
(hereafter called adjusting loops) into the position indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted
lines, by which operation the united ends of the string c are shortened in proportion
to the length to which the loops fflare drawn out and lengthened. If now the
eyelets dd are pulled in the direction of the arrows, the strings carrying the
eyelets, and consequently also the braces, are lengthened in proportion as
the loops ff had been drawn out.
If it is desired, to shorten the brace, the loops ff' are again drawn into the
position indicated by dotted lines, after which the extremity e of the coupled
strings c is drawn in the direction of arrows g, Fig. 1, until the loops ff1 lie flat on
the leather plate a of the brace. The length is thus shortened by the same amount,
as the loops ff' had been previously drawn out. After the adjustment, the
extremity of the string is introduced into a recess or eyelet formed at the lower
end of the leather piece a, Figs. 1 and 3.
Fig. 3 shows how the supporting loops of the string c may be utilized as eyelets
for the buttons, the said strings being provided with slides k, by means of which
the eyelets or loops i, i, may be widened or narrowed, so as to dispense with special
eyelet pieces d.
The modification represented by Figs. 4 and 5 is applicable to belts, straps and
similar objects. This form of our invention differs from those described above by
the fact, that the connecting loops are not free and provided with eyelets, but pass
through a counter plate fixed to one end m of the belt, while the other end n
carries the adjusting loops (ƒƒ¹).
The two connecting loops c, e may be placed parallel to each other and to the
centre line of the belt, as shown by Fig. 4, or they may converge symmetrically
towards the centre line of the belt, or have any other convenient position.
As shown by Fig. 2, the different parts of the string are entwined or interwoven

page_text: at the back of the piece a, in order to increase the friction, and prevent the
accidental shifting when in use. The greater the tension between the part b on
the one hand, and the parts did on the other hand; the greater will be the friction
of the different loops at the back of the piece a and also that between the string
and the piece a where the string passes through the perforations.
C
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. A device for varying the length of braces, straps, belts and similar objects,
consisting of a perforated cap a or extremity of strap, and a string e drawn through
the holes of the said cap or extremity in such a manner, as to form two adjusting
loops ff and two long connecting loops serving to connect the strap with the
counterpart, while the two ends are united by means of a ferrule or coupling e, and
that by tightening or dissolving the adjusting loops ff the connecting loops are
lengthened, if at the same time the united ends e are left to themselves, and that
the said connecting loops will become shorter if the united ends e are drawn out,
the different parts of the cords being moreover interwoven or entwined in such
a manner, that after the adjusting loops f¹ have been dissolved or drawn flat, the
friction between different parts of the cord will prevent its accidental shifting,
substantially as described and illustrated by the drawings.
.
2. A brace or carrying strap provided with a lengthening and shortening device
as specified above, and with the additional feature, that the connecting loops pass
through eyelet pieces d d, Figs. 1 and 2, or are adapted to form button hole eyelets
in the manner illustrated by Fig. 3.
3. A belt or similar object provided with a lengthening and shortening device as
specified above, and with a perforated counterpart fixed to or formed on the
opposite extremity of the belt, and serving to hold the connecting loops of the
string in the manner illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5.
Dated this 30th day of December 1891.
M. ROST.
J. P. ORTMANN.
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.