Improvements in Trouser Straps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 20th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trouser Straps.
I FREDERIC EDWARD TAYLOR of No. 115 Newhall Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manager of Works do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference principally to trouser straps for the use of persons
riding on bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes trouser straps made according to
my invention prevent the displacement of the bottom of the trousers of the rider
which commonly occurs when no trouser straps are used while permiting of the slight
play of the trousers necessary to comfort in riding. Trouser straps made according
to my invention wear longer than ordinary trouser straps. My invention is also
applicable to trouser straps for ordinary wear.
.
I will describe my invention in connection with a trouser strap for the use of
cyclists.
I make the trouser strap elastic either throughout its whole length or at and near
its ends only. It may be made either of india rubber or india rubber webbing or of
a metallic spring or springs. When made of metal I employ a single coiled spring
preferably flattened or two of the said springs parallel to each other. Each end of
the trouser strap is provided with a fastener for connecting it to the trousers. The
fastener employed constitutes no part of my invention. That part of the strap which
when the strap is in use passes under the foot is protected from wear by having a
guard or protector on its outer or underside. This guard may be of metal leather or
other material not liable to rapid wear. It may either consist of a plate of' metal or
a covering of leather or other material connected to the strap by the ends of the strap
passing through slots at the ends of the said plate or covering or otherwise connected
thereto. Or the guard may be tubular and protect the strap both at its inner and
outer faces and at its edges. The elastic strap may be continuous and connected to
the guard only at the middle of the latter. Or the guard may be connected with the
elastic strap at the ends of the guard. Or the elastic strap need not be continuous.
The middle part of the elastic portion of the strap may be dispensed with and the strap
made up of the rigid. middle piece with elastic ends fastened to the ends of the middle
piece the said elastic ends being provided with the fasteners for connecting the strap
to the trousers.
Although trouser straps of the kind I have described are particularly suited for use
by cyclists yet they may conveniently be used without reference to riding on a bicycle
tricycle or other velocipede. Where in the latter case elasticity is not required the
strap may be made of leather or other flexible but inelastic material and the part
passing under the foot protected from wear by a guard of any of the kinds described.
Dated this 20th day of November 1889.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trouser Straps.
I FREDERIC EDWARD TAYLOR of No. 115 Newhall Street, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manager of Works do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has reference principally to trouser straps for the use of persons
riding on bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes; trouser straps made according to
my invention prevent the displacement of the bottom of the trousers of the rider

page_text: which commonly occurs when no trouser straps are used while permitting of the
slight play of the trousers necessary to comfort in riding. Trouser straps made
according to my invention wear longer than ordinary trouser straps. My invention
is also applicable to trouser straps for ordinary wear.
I will describe my invention in connection with a trouser strap for the use of
cyclists.
.
I make the trouser strap elastic either throughout its whole length or at and near
its ends only. It may be made either of india rubber or india rubber webbing or of
a metallic spring or springs. When made of metal I employ a single coiled spring
preferably flattened; or two of the said springs parallel to each other. Each end of
the trouser strap is provided with a fastener for connecting it to the trousers. The
fastener employed constitutes no part of my invention. That part of the strap which
when the strap is in use passes under the foot is protected from wear by having a
guard or protector on its outer or under side. This guard may be of metal leather or
other material not liable to rapid wear. It may either consist of a plate of metal or
a covering of leather or other material connected to the strap by the ends of the
strap passing through slots at the ends of the said plate or covering or otherwise
connected thereto. Or the guard may be tubular and protect the strap both at its
inner and outer faces and at its edges. The elastic strap may be continuous and
connected to the guard only at the middle of the latter. Or the guard may be
connected with the elastic strap at the ends of the guard. Or the elastic strap need
not be continuous. The middle part of the elastic portion of the strap may be
dispensed with and the strap made up of the rigid middle piece with elastic ends
fastened to the ends of the said middle piece the said elastic ends being provided with
the fasteners for connecting the strap to the trousers.
Although trouser straps of the kind I have described are particularly suited for
use by cyclists yet they may conveniently be used without reference to riding on a
bicycle tricycle or other velocipede.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in
plan Figure 3 in cross section partly in end elevation and Figure 4 in longitudinal
section a trouser strap for the use of cyclists and others--made-according to one
of the arrangements of my invention; Figure 5 represents the metal guard in plan
detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5..
In this arrangement a metal guard a and a continuous elastic strap 6 are used the
said strap consisting of a piece of india rubber or india rubber webbing each end of
the elastic trouser strap being provided with a fastener for connecting it to the trousers,
one of the fasteners being represented open and the other closed. The fasteners
represented consist principally of the elastic serrated arm c pressed into its fastening
position by the lever d. These fasteners constitute no part of my present invention
and fasteners of other kinds may be used for connecting the trouser strap to the
trousers. The metal guard a serves to protect the strap from wear, the said guard or
protector being situated on the outer or underside of that part of the strap which
when in use passes under the foot of the wearer. It will be seen by an examination
of the drawing that the guard a consists of a trough shaped strip of metal bent of a
slightly convex figure the continuous strap b of india rubber or india rubber webbing
lying in the trough of the guard and being connected to its middle by the cross
plate e to which it is sewn the ends of the cross plate passing through slots in the
sides of the metal guard. The ends of the metal guard are provided with cross
bars, between which bars and the turned up ends of the guard the elastic strap b
passes as it emerges from the ends of the said guard as seen in Figure 4. Those
edges of the metal guard against which the elastic strap 6 may rub when in use can
be rounded to prevent the cutting of the said strap or the said edges may be rounded
and made lower than the sides of the guard. When the elastic strap bis extended in
the act of fastening it to the trousers the said strap travels under and is guided by
the said bars f, the said strap being extended in opposite directions from the
middle part which is fixed at e to the guard.
b

page_text: Figure 6 représents in longitudinal section and Figure 7 in cross section, partly in
end elevation, a modified trouser strap constructed according to my invention. In
this trouser strap a continuous metallic spring his employed in combination with
a tubular metal guard i by which the strap is protected on its outer and inner faces
and its edges. The said continuous metallic spring his connected to the middle
of the tubular guard i by indentations at k, k or otherwise. The ends of the continuous
metallic spring are connected to tubular caps 1, 1 and the latter are provided with
clips m, m to which the fasteners c, d are connected. Two continuous metallic springs
may be used in place of the one represented. Instead of connecting the continuous
elastic strap to the middle of the guard it may be connected by its ends to the ends
of the guard and instead of using a continuous elastic strap consisting of india rubber
or india rubber webbing or of a metallic spring or springs as described and illustrated
the trouser strap may be composed of a rigid middle piece such as the guard a or
the guard i and two elastic ends fastened to the said middle piece. And instead of
making the guard of a plate of metal or a metallic tube it may be made of hard
leather or other hard and rigid material.
Figure 8 represents in longitudinal section and Figure 9 in cross section a trouser
strap constructed according to my invention in which a tubular guard or protector of
leather is used in conjunction with a continuous elastic strap of india rubber or india
rubber webbing connected by rivetting or otherwise at its middle to the middle of
the tubular leather guard or protector. In the said Figures 8 and 9, the tubular
leather guard or protector is marked n. and the continuous elastic strap is marked p.
and the fastenings at the ends of the said strap are marked q. q. The said leather
guard or protector n. is made by folding a strip of leather into a tubular form and
joining its edges by sewing or otherwise.
Still further to protect the elastic strap from wear the back of the guard or that
part which is presented to the foot when in use, may be prolonged as represented in
longitudinal section in Figure 10, where the protecting strips situated beyond the
tubular ends of the guard n are marked n² n².
When the elastic strap p. of this modification of my invention is in its contracted
state, the fastenings g. 9. attached to its ends lie upon the protecting strips n² n² and
when the elastic strap is elongated and fastened to the trousers, all or a portion beyond
the tubular guard lies against the leather strips n² n².
For the purpose of protecting the boot from being scratched or rubbed by the
serrated fastenings q. q. the said fastenings may be rivetted to protecting strips of
leather n n as represented in Figure 11. These protecting strips when the trouser
strap is in use are situated between the inside of the fastenings and the boot and
prevent the fastenings scratching or rubbing the boot.
In place of the continuous elastic straps which I have represented in connection
with the leather guards or protectors, end elastic straps may be connected to the ends
of the leather guards or protectors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I
claim as my invention of "Improvements in trouser straps."
The combination with trouser straps of a guard or protector of metal or leather or
other rigid non-metallic material for protecting that part of the trouser strap which
when in use passes under the foot, whether the strap which is connected to the trousers
and to the guard or protector consists of a continuous piece of india rubber or india
rubber webbing or of a metallic spring or springs or of metallic or non-metallic
elastic ends connected to the ends of the guard or protector substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 14th day of August 1890.
FREDERIC EDWARD TAYLOR.