Improvements in Supporting Belts or Girdles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supporting Belts or Girdles.
A communication by A. WAGNER, of Osterfeld, in the Empire of Germany,
Royal Forester.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Bank Street,
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to a supporting girdle which has great advantages over all
other devices hitherto employed for supporting articles of clothing, such, for instance,
as trouser supports, body belts, etcetera.
These advantages consist both in the hitherto unattainable comfort in wear and
in the firm support of the articles of clothing, as well as in the peculiar construction
of the girdle, from a sanitary point of view, so that the pressure exerted on the soft
parts of the abdomen, more particularly noticeable in the body belts hitherto
employed, is dispensed with.
This improved girdle is in fact constructed in such a way that it does not
compress the abdomen tightly, as do the body belts hitherto employed, but it rests
comfortably on the hip bones without exerting any pressure on the soft parts
of the abdomen. It rests securely on the hip bones in consequence of its peculiar
shape.
It is secured against slipping off towards the back by a light loose band passing
over the abdomen. Great advantages accrue, especially to workmen, from this
method of support.
The free movement of the upper part of their bodies is no longer hampered as has
hitherto been the case when braces passing over the shoulders have been employed,
on the contrary, this improved girdle allows an entirely free movement of the whole
upper body, without becoming in any way inconvenient, or necessitating any fear of
the trousers coming down.
Again, as regards body belts, this improved support girdle also affords essential
advantages. The former must, in fact, be drawn very tight round the body if they
are to yield a sure support and retention of. the clothing. This causes, not only
much inconvenience, but also has actually a deleterious effect by compressing the
soft parts of the abdomen.
As opposed to this, this improved supporting girdle does not in the least impede
the expansion of the body, such as takes place when eating or drinking. As
already stated, it does not fit tight round the body but remains, owing to its
peculiar form, resting on the hip bones, which are well suited to support a
considerable pressure without deleterious effects resulting therefrom.
The removal of pressure from the abdomen is, however, not only very agreeable
but also, from a sanitary point of view, is of the highest importance.
A further advantage results from the improved support girdle in its applicability
for supporting ladies' skirts.
This improved girdle affords a convenient support as well as a sure nieans of
holding up articles of clothing, more particularly in the case of national dresses,
such as peasants' garments, with which no corsets are worn and the skirts are
fastened firmly round the waist, and thus it avoids, at the same time, the tight
lacing in of the body.
Finally, as a further advantage of the new girdle, it may also be mentioned that,
by means of the same, corsets may be very considerably improved. If this improved

page_text: girdle be employed as a waist band in corsets, the hitherto necessary but very
deleterious tight lacing may be dispensed with, without thereby affecting the
gracefulness of the figure. An extremely important advantage is herein contained,
especially for pregnant women, to whom much relief is afforded by the use of
corsets provided with one of these improved girdles, as the corset only needs to be
laced very loosely, or even not at all, in front over the body.
This improved girdle consists essentially of the peculiarly curved supporting
girdle, being the girdle proper, and of the band, the parts of the girdle, which will
form the points of support, being bent or curved underneath to a concave form.
The girdle, which is made of any suitable flexible or springy material, such, for
instance, as steel, brass, white metal, aluminium, horu, or the like, rests, when in
use, exclusively round the lower parts of the hips, and with its two ends both
suitably shaped to the form of the hip bones, on the upper ends of the hip bones.
Loops are formed on the ends, which serve for receiving the thin, very elastic band
made of metal, leather, or the like.
The band rests round the body without any pressure, and may at any time be
easily adjusted by means of a suitable fastening device, such, for instance, as a strap
lock, buckle, or the like.
Thus, as already stated, the girdle proper is firmly retained on the hips only by
means of its peculiar shape, so that the whole pressure which is exerted by the
trousers is transferred to the hips, which can easily bear the same.
In order to make it fit more comfortably and conveniently, the ends of the
support girdle may be padded with leather, wool, felt, or the like.
Fixed or
adjustable hooks of any suitable construction, as well as loops, strings, etcetera, may
be employed for attaching the trousers to the girdle.
The support girdle hereinbefore described may be employed in corsets, either
with or without the band, and it is indeed immaterial whether the girdle be worn
over the corset, or be sewn into the same. Straps may be arranged at suitable
points of the girdle for carrying daggers, side arms, provision bags, etcetera, and
thereby the leather belt, which compresses the abdomen, or the carrying straps
which contract the chest, are dispensed with.
Dated this 4th day of March 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supporting Belts or Girdles.
A communication by ADOLF WAGNER, of Osterfeld, in the Empire
of Germany, Royal Forester.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer 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 a supporting girdle which has great advantages over
all other devices hitherto employed for supporting articles of clothing, such, for
instance, as trousers supports, body belts, etcetera.
These advantages consist both in the hitherto unattainable comfort in wear and
in the firm support of the articles of clothing, as well as in the peculiar construction
of the girdle, from a sanitary point of view, so that the pressure exerted on the soft
parts of the abdomen, more particularly noticeable in the body belts hitherto
employed, is dispensed with.
This improved girdle is in fact constructed in such a way that it does not

page_text: compress the abdomen tightly, as do the body belts hitherto employed, but it
rests comfortably on the hip bones without exerting any pressure on the soft parts
of the abdomen. It rests securely on the hip bones in consequence of its peculiar
shape.
It is secured against slipping off towards the back by a light loose band passing
over the abdomen. Great advantages accrue, especially to workmen, from this
method of support.
The free movement of the upper part of their bodies is no longer hampered as
has hitherto been the case when braces passing over the shoulders have been
employed, on the contrary, this improved girdle allows an entirely free movement
of the whole upper body, without becoming in any way inconvenient, or
necessitating any fear of the trousers coming down.
Again, as regards body belts, this improved support girdle also affords essential
advantages. The former must, in fact, be drawn very tight round the body if
they are to yield a sure support and retention of the clothing. This causes, not only
much inconvenience, but also has actually a deleterious effect by compressing the
soft parts of the abdomen.
As opposed to this, this improved supporting girdle does not in the least impede
the expansion of the body, such as takes place when eating or drinking. As already
stated, it does not fit tight round the body but remains, owing to its peculiar form,
resting on the hip bones, which are well suited to support a considerable pressure
without deleterious effects resulting therefrom.
The removal of pressure from the abdomen is, however, not only very agreeable
but also, from a sanitary point of view, is of the highest importance.
A. further advantage results from the improved support girdle in its applicability
for supporting ladies' skirts.
This improved girdle affords a convenient support as well as a sure means of
holding up articles of clothing, more particularly in the case of national dresses,
such as peasants' garments, with which no corsets are worn and the skirts are
fastened firmly round the waist, and thus it avoids, at the same time, the tight
lacing in of the body.
Finally, as a further advantage of the new girdle, it may also be mentioned that,
by means of the same, corsets may be very considerably improved. If this improved
girdle be employed as a waist band in corsets, the hitherto necessary but very
deleterious tight lacing may be dispensed with, without thereby affecting the
gracefulness of the figure. An extremely important advantage is herein contained,
especially for pregnant women, to whom much relief is afforded by the use of corsets
provided with one of these improved girdles, as the corset only needs to be laced
very loosely, or even not at all, in front over the body.
On the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 shows an elevation of the improved girdle,
Figure 2 a rear view of the same,
Figure 3, a front view of the same,
Figure 4 a side view of the same.
Figure 5 is a view of its application when worn by a man.
Figure 6 shows its application to a corset.
As shown on the accompanying drawing this improved girdle consists essentially
of the peculiarly curved supporting girdle A, being the girdle proper, and of the
band B, the parts of the girdle, which will form the points of support, being bent
or curved underneath to a concave form. The girdle A, which is made of any
suitable flexible or springy material, such, for instance, as steel, brass, white metal,
aluminium, horn or the like, rests, when in use, exclusively round the lower part of
the back, and with its two ends C, both suitably shaped to the form of the hip
bones, on the upper ends of the hip bones.
Loops D are formed on the ends C, which serve for receiving the thin, very
elastic band B made of metal, leather or the like.
The band B rests loosely round the body without any pressure, and may at any

page_text: time be easily adjusted by means of a suitable fastening device F, such, for instance,
as a strap lock, buckle, or the like.
G is the upper
part of the trousers, to which a hook H is attached, by which they are supported
on the part C of the girdle.
Figure 5 shows the method of fastening the girdle to trousers.
Thus, as already stated, the girdle proper, A, is firmly retained on the hips only
by means of its peculiar shape, so that the whole pressure which is exerted by the
trousers is transferred to the hips, which can easily bear the same.
In order to make it fit more comfortably and conveniently, the ends C of the
support girdle A may be padded with leather, wool, felt or the like. Fixed or
adjustable hooks of any suitable construction, as well as loops, strings, etcetera, may
be employed for attaching the trousers to the girdle.
The support girdle hereinbefore described may be employed in corsets, either
with or without the band B, and it is indeed immaterial whether the girdle be
worn over the corset or sewn into the same. Straps may be arranged at suitable
points of the girdle for carrying daggers, side arms, provision bags, etcetera, and
thereby the leather belt, which compresses the abdomen, or the carrying straps
which contract the chest, are dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
1. An improved supporting girdle consisting of two parts which rest on the hip
bones and which are held in position by means of an elastic band passing round
the back, substantially as hercinbefore described, and shown on the accompanying
drawing.
2. An improved supporting or carrying girdle such as described in Claim 1, in
which the under parts of the two supporting parts are curved to a concave form to
fit the hip bones, substantially as described and shown.
3. A supporting girdle such as described in Claim 1, in which the connection of
the front ends is obtained by means of a strap or metal band which rests loosely
over the body, substantially as described and shown.
4. The combination of the supporting girdle such as described in Claims 1 and 2
with a corset substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 19th day of October 1892
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.