Improvements in Garment Supporting Belts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION;
Improvements in Garment Supporting Belts.
We, ISAAC DAVID WRIGHT, Manufacturer, residing at Sedalia, County of Pettis,
State of Missouri, U.S.A., and ALBERT FAIRES MCCLURE, Manufacturer, residing at
Pittsburg, County of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 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 :-
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Our invention relates to improvements in garment supporting belts; and it consists:
of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter shown,.
described and claimed!
Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our improved belt, showing the parts in position' :
for use. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the parts shown at the sides of Fig. 1, parts:
being broken away to economize space. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view
taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken
on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a modified form of the
belt. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective illustrating the use of the parts shown in
Fig. 1.
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Our improved belt is designed to be worn by women for supporting their :
under garments and holding their waists and skirts together, and in its construction;
we employ the web 10, which may he longer on its lower edge than on its upper edge, >
thus producing a flaring band, as indicated by the lines and 12 in Fig. 1. The
web 10 encircles the waist of the wearer outside of the corset, and the ends 13 and 14:
overlap as shown in Fig. 3. The sheet metal hook 15 is attached to the upper edge
of the end 13 and upon the inner side thereof and extends upwardly and outwardly,
and the end 16 of said look is bent downwardly outside of the end 14. The object
of the hook 15 is to holil the ends in alinement and prevent the end 13 from sagging
down. The hook is of such a size that the end 14 will readily slide between the
end 16 of the hook and the end 13 of the weh, thus forming a guide for the ends of
the web.
A strap 17, which is somewhat narrower than the web 10, has one of its ends,
attached to the end 14 of the web 10 and near the upper side thereof, and with its
free end approxiinately in a line with the end edge of the web 10. The hook 18 is
altached to the free end of the web 17. A strap 19 has one of its ends attached to
the web 10 some distance from the hook 15 and near the upper edge of said web. A :
buckle 20 operates upon the free end of the strap 19 and engages the hook 18.
The buckle 20 consists of the side-bars 21 and 22, which side-bars are rigidly
connected by the back-bar 23-and the gripping bar 24. The side-bars 21 and 22, the
back-bar 23 and the gripping har 24 are formed integral of a single piece of wire,
and the meeting ends of said wire are bent forwardly from the center of the :
gripping bar 24, thus forming the lift 25, which is in the form of a ring.
A wire ring 26 encircles the portion of the wire which connects the lift 25 with the
back bar 23 and holds the ends of the wire rigidly together. The sliding bar 27 has
its ends bent around the side bars 21 and 22, thus forming the bearings 38 and 39;
which bearings hold the sliding bar 27 in position and slide upon the side-bars 21 and 22,
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page_text: The free end of the strap 19 passes under the sliding bar 27, thence outwardly and
backwardly in front of the sliding. bar 27 and back of the gripping bar 24. The
back-bar 23 engages the hook 18. When the wearer desires to remove the belt, the
back-bar 23 may be disengaged from the hook 18. When it is desired to tighten the
When it is desired to
belt, the operator pulls upon the free end of the strap 19.
loosen the belt, the lift 25 is manually engaged and forced outwardly, thus releasing
the free end of the strap 19 and the buckle may be set at any desired position upon
said strap.
The hose supporting clips 30 are placed upon the web 10 in any desired position,
and each of said clips is constructed of a strip of sheet metal, the portion 31 of 1
which passes upwardly back of the web 10, and at the upper end of the said portion 3!
the metal is beut forwardly forming the portion 32, which engages the upper edge
of the web 10; then the portion 33 of the strip of sheet metal passes downwardly in
front of the web 10 to a point nearly on a line with the lower end of the portion 31.
The tongue 34 is formed by cutting a rectangular aperture 35 in the lower part of the
portion 33. In cutting the aperture 35 the metal is only cut on the sides and
upper end, and the tongue 34 thus formed is bent inwardly and engages the
inner side of the web 10, thus preventing said web from being removed from
the clip, or the clip being removed from the web, except by sliding laterally upon
said web 10. The lower end of the portion 31 is rolled thus forming the bearing 35:
in which the back-bar 36 of the buckle 37 operates.
.
The buckle 37 consists, in addition to the back bar 36, of the side-bars 38 and 39
and the gripping bar 40 formed. integral of a single piece of wire, the ends of which
meet approximately in the center of the bearing 35". The gripping bar 40 is
extended forwardly forming the lift 41, and the sliding bar 42 has its ends bent round
the side-bars 38 and 39, thus forming the bearings 43 and 44, which bearings slide upon
said side bars 38 and 39. The web 45 is designed to have its lower end attached to
the hose and the upper end passes upwardly behind the sliding bar 42, thence
forwardly and downwardly in front of said sliding bar and behind the gripping bar 40,
and the portion 46 of said web hangs from below the lift 41 and is manually engaged:
and drawn downwardly when it is desired to shorten the hose supporter. When it is
desired to lengthen the hose supporter, the lift 41 is manually engaged and elevated,
thus releasing the web 45. The sliding connection thus constructed between the
hose supporter and the web 10 is of especial advantage, as it allows of easy adjustment
of the parts to any desired position. The sliding hooks 47 are placed upon the
web 10.in any desired position and in any desired number.
The hooks 47 each consists of a strip of sheet metal, the central portion 48 (shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 1) of which is placed upon the inner side of the web 10. The
portion 49 is bent outwardly from the upper end of the portion 48 and engages the
upper edge of the web. The portion 50 is bent outwardly from the lower end of the
portion 48 and engages the lower edge of the web 10. The portion 51 extends
downwardly from the portion 49 outside of the web 10, and the portion 52 extends
outwardly and upwardly from the lower end of the portion 51, thus forming a hook.
The portion 53 extends upwardly from the portion 50 outside of the web 10 and the
portion 54 extends forwardly and downwardly from the upper end of the portion 53, thus
forming a hook similar in every respect to the hook formed by the portion 52, except
their positions are reversed. Loops 55 formed upon the inner face of the waist 56
engages the hooks 54 and thus hold the waist down. Similar loops.57, formed' upon
the inner face of the skirt 58 or other under garment, engage the hooks 52, thus
holding said garment up in the desired position, and at the same time forming a
sliding connection between the web 10 and the gasments thus attached to the web,
allowing of the greatest freedom of motion and the ready adjustment of the parts.
The sliding clip: 59 are placed upon the web 10 in any desired position and in any
desired number. The clips 59 each consist of a strip of sheet metal, the portion 60,
shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, being placed inside of the web 10 and extending
some distance below said web; the portion 61 extending forwardly from the upper
end of the portion 60 and engaging the upper edge of the web 10%; the portion 62

page_text: extending downwardly outside of the web 10 from said portion 61 and in alinement
with the portion 60. A rectangular aperture 63 is formed in the portion 62 and, in
forming said aperture, the metal is cut upon the sides and lower end thus forming
the tongue 64, which tongue is bent outwardly slightly and then extends downwardly
A sheet metal loop 65
in position parallel with the main part of the portion 62.
encircles the portions 60 and 62 below the lower eige of the web 10 and is slidingly
mounted. upon said portions and the free end of the tongue 64 frictionally engages
the outer face of the loop 65 to hold said loop in the desired position. The
indentations 66 are formed with a pointed punch in the lower parts of the
portions 60 and 62, thus forming teeth upon the adjacent faces of said parts. When
the sliding loop 65 is elevated relative to the portions 60 and 62, the extreme
lower ends of said portions 60 and 62 may be opened or they may be constructed in
such a way that they will open themselves, and the upper edge 67 of any desired
under garment may be inserted between said ends and whenthe sliding loop 65 is again
pressed downwardly, said undergarment 67 will be gripped between the teeth formed
by the indentations 66 and between the inner faces of the portions carrying said
indentations and will be securely held in the desired position, thus forming a sliding
connection between the web 10 and said undergarinent and allowing of the ready
adjustment of the parts.
In the modified form shown in Fig. 5, the straps 17 and 19 are omitted, and the
ends 13 and 14 are turned outwardly and back upon themselves instead of overlapping.
Each of the ends 13 and 14 are supplied with the hooks 15, and the buckle 68 is
substituted for the buckle 27 and the hook 18.
The buckle 68 consists of the side-bars 69 and 70, the gripping bars 71 and 72
rigidly connecting said side-bars, the lift 73 formed integral with the gripping bar 72,
the lift 74 formed integral with the gripping bar 71 and the sliding bars 75 and 76
having their ends bent around the side-bars 69 and 70, thus forming the
bearings 77 and 78 for the sliding, bar 75 and the bearings 79 and 80 for the
sliding bar 76.
The distinguishing feature of the buckle 68 from the other forms of buckles
shown is the employment of two sliding bars and two gripping bars and the omission
of the back-bar.. The side-bars 69 and 70, the gripping bars 71 and 72, the lift 73
and the lift 74 are formed integral of a single piece of wire, and the wire loop 81
connects the hooks 82 and 83 forined upon the ends of the wire, thus holding,said
ends securely together. The advantage derived from the use of this form of buckle
is due to the fact that either or both ends of the web may be drawn through the
buckle and by this means the location of the buckle may be changed relative to the
other parts of the belt as desired.
The buckles 37 may be stitched to the web 10, as shown in Fig. 5, and used for
any desired purpose. The hose supporting clips 30, the sliding hooks 47 and the
sliding clips 59: may be used in connection with the principal parts shown in Fig. 5,
All the principal parts
and the buttons 84 may be used, or omitted, as desired.
employed in the construction of our improved belt are self-adjustable as to position,
and a belt constructed in accordance with the principles of our invention is very
convenient and' satisfactory for the purposes described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a belt, the combination with a suitable web of the hose supporting clips 30
slidingly mounted upon the web and buckles attached to the lower ends of said
clips, substantially as specified.
2. In a belt, the buckle 37 consisting of the back-bar 36, the side bars 38 and 39
and the gripping bar 40 formed integral of a single piece of wire and said
gripping har 40 being extended forwardly thus forming the lift 41; and the
sliding bar 42 having its ends bent around the side-bars 38 and 39 thus forming the

page_text: bearings 33 and 34 which bearings slide, upon said side-bars, substantially as
specified..
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3. In a belt, the combination, with a suitable web of the hooks. 15 attached to the
upper edge of one end of the web and engaging the upper edge of the opposite end
of the web, hose supporting clips 30 slidingly mounted upon the web,
buckles attached to lower ends of said clips 30, hooks 47 slidingly mounted
upon the web, the clips 59 slidingly mounted upon the web and a buckle adjustably
connecting the ends of the web, substantially as specified.
4. In a belt, the combination with a suitable web, of a buckle consisting of
parallel side bars, the parallel gripping bars connecting corresponding ends of the
parallel side bars, the lifts projecting from the centers of said gripping bars, two
sliding bars mounted upon said side bars and operating in opposite directions towards
said gripping bars, substantially as specified.
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5. In a device of the class described, the buckle 20 consisting of the side-bars 21
and 22, the back-bar 23 and the gripping bar 24 connecting said side bars formed
of a single piece of wire, the meeting ends of said wire being bent forwardly from
the center of the gripping bar 24 and forming the lift 25, the wire ring formed of
another piece of wire encircling the connection between the back-bar 23 and the
lift 25 and holding the ends forming the lift rigidly together, and the sliding bar 27
formed of another piece of wire and having its cuds bent around the
side bars 21 and 22, thus forming the bearings 28. and 29, which bearings hold said,
sliding bar in position and slide upon the side-bars 21 and 22, substantially as
specified.
6. In a device of the class described, the hose supporting clip 30 constructed of
sheet metal and consisting of the portion 31, the portion 32 bent forwardly from the
upper end of the portion 31, the portion 33 bent downwardly from the front end of
the portion 32, the tongue 34 cut from the portion 33 and bent inwardly, the free end
of said longue projecting in the opposite direction from the free end of the portion 33,
the transversely extending bearing 35 formed by rolling the lower end of the
portion 31, and the buckle 37 having its back-bar mounted in said bearing 35ª,
substantially as specified.
7. In a device of the class described, the hook 47 formed of a strip of sheet metal:
consisting of the central portion 48, the portion 49 hent, outwardly from the upper
end of the portion 48, the portion 50 bent outwardly from the lower end of the
portion 48, the portion. 51 extending downwardly from the forward end of the 3
portion 49, the portion 52 extending outwardly and upwardly from the lower end of
the portion 51, the portion. 53 extending, upwardly from the forward end of the
portion 50 and the portion 54 extending forwardly and downwardly from the upper
end of the portion 53, substantially as specified.
8. In a device of the class described, the sliding clip 59 formed of sheet metal and 4
consisting of the portion 61, the portion: 61 extending forwardly from the upper end
of the portiou 60, the portion 62 extending downwardly, from the forward end of the.
portion 61, the tongue 64 cut from the portion 62 and bent outwardly and downwardly
and the loop 65 encircling the portions 60 and 62 and slidingly mounted upon said
portions and held in position by frictional contact with the tongue 64, substantially 4
as specified.
Dated the 7th day of lune 1007