An Improved Abdominal Belt or Band combined with Spinal Supporting Brace.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1891—Accepted, 25th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Abdominal Belt or Band combined with Spinal
Supporting Brace.
1, WALTER HUBBARD, of 15 Claremont, Hastings, in the County of Sussex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an abdominal belt or band such as is usually worn to give
support to the abdomen, or to reduce corpulency, and to a spinal supporting brace
or braces combined with the said belt or band. "By my invention, the weight of the
belt is not only transferred in great part from the hips to the shoulders of the
wearer, but also serves to give support to the spine and tends to improve the figure
and carriage.
The front portion of the belt may be made in any known manner, but the back
portion is made of a greater width than usual-the excess being on the upper side
with an overhanging upper lapel or lappet on each back portion beginning from
the top of the line of lacing and, after providing an attachment for a buckle,
extending forward to form a shoulder strap. The two halves of the belt are laced
at the back below the lapels, and these are arranged to cross each other. The
uppermost extension on each half-intended for a shoulder strap-is to be brought
over the shoulder from the back, brought under the arm, and secured to the buckle
above mentioned. The shoulder strap may be reduced in width, and formed into a
piping, at that part coming beneath the arm and its extremity made of a piece of
Hat clastic webbing for securing to the buckle. A. part of the lapel, between the
buckle and the back lacing, is also made with a gusset of elastic webbing, to adapt
the garment to the movements of the wearer. In addition to these points of
elasticity, two vertical strips or insertions of elastic webbing are sewn in the belt,
one on each side, and each is placed about midway between the back and the front
fastenings of the garment.
The lapels thus cross each other at the back across the shoulder blades, and their
extremities fastened back under the arms, as already mentioned. When the belt is
fastened in front, any strain upon the garment has a tendency to brace the hips and
the spine together, and to give the latter and abdomen great support. It draws the
shoulders well back and gives a better carriage to the wearer, and also tends to
expand the chest.
In addition to the above, an ordinary brace or suspender may be attached to each
lapel at the back for the purpose of supporting other garments.
Dated this 11th day of October 1890.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Abdominal Belt or Band combined with Spinal
Supporting Brace.
I, WALTER HUBBARD, of 15 Claremont, Hastings, in the County of Sussex,
Gentleman, 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 relates to an abdominal belt or band such as is usually worn to give

page_text: support to the abdomen, or to reduce corpulency, and to a spinal supporting brace
or braces combined with the said belt or band. "By my invention, the weight of the
belt is not only transferred in great part from the hips to the shoulders of the
wearer, but also serves to give support to the spine and tends to improve the figure
and carriage.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front view of a belt suitable for men, and
Fig. 2 is a back view of the same, but with the shoulder straps unfastened from
the buckles, and also showing a pair of braces attached, which may be used to
support other garments.
The invention is applicable to both sexes, the front portion of the belt being
made of a suitable form and size, in any known manner; but the back portion is
made of a greater width than usual, (the excess of width being at the upper part),
with an overhanging upper lapel or lappet a on each back portion, beginning from
the top of the line of lacing 6 and, after providing for an attachment for a buckle c,
extending forward to form a shoulder strap d. The two halves of the belt are
laced at the back below the lapels a, a, (as shown by , Fig. 2), and these are
arranged to cross each other in the manner shown in the figures. The uppermost
extension or shoulder strap d, on each half, is to be brought over the shoulder from
the back and secured at its extremity e to the buckler, as indicated in Fig. 1.
The shoulder straps d, d, are reduced in width to form a rounded piping f,f, at the
part coming beneath the arm, while the extremity e of each strap is made of flat
clastic webbing where it is attached to the buckle. A part of each lapel a-between
the buckle c and top of lacing is made with a gusset g of elastic webbing, to
render the garment more adaptable to the movements of the wearer.
In addition
to these points of elasticity, two vertical strips or insertions of elastic webbing are
sewn in the belt-one on each side at each being placed about midway between
the back and the front fastenings of the garment.
The lapels thus cross each other at the back and extend across the shoulder
blades, with their extremities fastened back under the arms to the buckles c, c, as
already indicated. When the belt is fastened in front by the adjustable bands and
buckles i, i, (or in any other convenient manner), any strain upon the garment has
a tendency to brace the hips and the spine together, and to give the latter and the
abdomen great support. It draws the shoulders well back, gives a better carriage
to the wearer, and tends to develop the chest. In some cases I append an ordinary
brace or suspender j, j, to each lapel at the back, (as shown in Fig. 2), for the
purpose of supporting other garments which, from their position, also tends to
promote the above named objects. It will be understood that the shoulder strap
portion may be separately formed and connected to the lapels, if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;
1. An abdominal belt or band combined with spinal supporting brace, substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated.
2. An abdominal belt or band, adapted to fit the figure, and provided with
shoulder straps, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
3. An abdominal belt or band made in two halves, cach half being formed to
fit to the said part of the body, and having an extension at the back in a diagonal
direction to be formed into, or combined with, a shoulder strap, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. An abdominal belt or band adapted to fit the figure and provided with
extensions formed and arranged to cross each other at the back in a diagonal
direction and the extremities thereof to pass over the shoulders and fasten beneath
the arms; substantially in the manner shown and described.

page_text: 5. A combined abdominal belt and brace having elastic insertions g and h, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Dated this 19th day of June 1891.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.