An Improvement in Combined Shoulder-braces and Suspenders, partly applicable to Braces and other Articles of Dress.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
Stocking-
An Improvement in Combined Shoulder-braces and
Suspenders, partly applicable to Braces and other Articles of Dress.
ELLEN ROUSE, Spinster, no employment, address, c/o The Manager, London
& Westminster Bank, High Street, Kensington, W., do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:
My invention consists of a metal disc with 4 slots & 8 small holes by which,
combined shoulder-braces & stocking-suspenders can be firmly and easily adjusted
ita any, size.
Fig. 1, represents the disc. A the four slots through which the elastic passes.
B, the holes used to attach the metal to part of the elastic and also to the
leather disc. C, the notched leather disc.
Fig. 2, shows the disc as applied to the combined shoulder-brace & stocking-
suspender. A, the disc. B the arm-loops. C, the stocking-suspenders.
Dated this 6th day of December 1898.
An Improvement in Combined Shoulder-braces and Stocking-
Suspenders, partly applicable to Braces and other Articles of Dress.
I, ELLEN ROUSE, care of The Manager, London & Westminster Bank, High
Street, Kensington, London, W., 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 combined shoulder braces and suspenders for stockings
and other articles of dress and has for its primary object to provide a means of
supporting ladies' and childrens' stockings, undergarments, and skirts whereby to
adapt the device to fulfil the function of a shoulder brace calculated to promote
an erect carriage of the figure without causing discomfort or irksome constraint
the device being readily adjustable to suit figures of different degrees of fulness
and height, and being capable of yielding to all the movements of the body
whether in walking, cycling rowing or other active exercise. The combined
shoulder braces and suspenders are also applicable for supporting mens' drawers,
particularly when riding or hunting.
The combined suspenders and shoulder braces will be described as applied for
supporting ladies' stockings and with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein I have illustrated in Figure 1 the device as worn whilst Figures 2

page_text: and 3 shew detail face and perspective views of the means by which the crossing
point and the adjustment for length of the shoulder straps is determined.
In the case of stocking suspenders the attachments to the stocking consist of,
preferably, for each stocking, a pair of clips « such as generally used for that
purpose, attached to tabs or short divergent lengths of web connected to
a buckle e forming a common point of attachment to the main members of the
suspenders. The suspenders d and shoulder braces may consist of one con-
tinuous length of elastic webbing crossing diagonally at about the middle of
the back, passing over the shoulders in the form of loops d, and again crossing
the back horizontally the common crossing point being determined by a sort
of slip buckle device e by means whereof the adjustment for length of the
shoulder loops d¹ to suit the figure of the wearer may be effected. This device
comprises a metal disc e having two sets of slots f f, f' f', approximately at
right angles to each other and adapted to give passage to the diagonally crossed
members d d of the web which are led each through two opposite slots ƒ ƒ or f¹ f',
so that they lie across each other on the face of the disc, as shewn in a
slightly loosened form in the perspective view Figure 3. The parts of the
shoulder braces d' which pass beneath the arms and across the back horizontally
as at, cross the underface of the disc as shewn by dotted lines and are
made fast to the disc by stitches passing through holes g I. Instead however
of the elastic webbing being continuous, a piece of non-elastic webbing may, if
desired, be interposed at this part, as from to d³ for instance. The crossing
of the webs at the rear face of the disc is concealed by a covering disc of soft
leather secured to the metal disc e by the stitches passing through the holes g
and by other stitches passing through other holes g¹. The disc e acts as a slip
buckle, the mere passage of the diagonal members of the webs d through the
pairs of slots fand fi f¹, as shewn, ensuring the retention of the shoulder
loops d' at any length of adjustment that may be given to them, without the
necessity of any more positive engagement whilst enabling the adjustment of the
shoulder loops to be varied at will, the buckles c co-acting therewith in varying
the adjustment for length of the main members d.
In applying the device to the support of other garments than stockings, the
main members & would be shorter and may either terminate in tabs provided
with clips a such as above described, or be provided with button-hole tabs or
other means of attachment, according to the kind of garment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The herein described combined shoulder braces and suspenders for stockings
and other garments, consisting of a web or webs arranged to form loops such as d¹
adapted to pass round the shoulders and suspension webs such as d, for use
as described, and combined at their crossing point with a slotted disc adapted to
act as a slip buckle for determining the relative positions, and enabling the
adjustment of the relative lengths, of the various members of the device sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of September 1899.
A. M. & WM, CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.