IMPROVEMENTS IN BRACES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Evans, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BRACES."
Sealed the 10th May 1867, and dated the 17th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Evans at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
November 1866.
I, ISAAC EVANS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BRACES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in a novel mode of connecting together the parts
of a pair of braces so as to admit of more uniform play or action of those parts;
with this view the shoulder straps or bands which pass over the shoulders at
their hinder ends are connected by a link strap pivotted by eyelets or studs
or in any other similar manner to such hinder ends and again to the back
end pieces by which they are buttoned to the trousers, so that all these parts
work in a swivel action upon the rivets or eyelets which form their centres.
The front end pieces are in like manner pivotted to the fore end of each
shoulder strap or to the buckle part.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isaac Evans in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC EVANS,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her Heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Isaac Evans, Her special license that I, the said Isaac Evans, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac
Evans, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make; use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man; 'an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Isaac Evans, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Evans, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in a novel mode of connecting together the parts.
of a pair of braces so as to admit of more uniform play or action of those
parts; with this view the shoulder straps or bands which pass over the 3
shoulders, at their hinder ends are connected by a link strap pivotted by
eyelets or studs, or in any other similar manner to such hinder ends and
again to the back end pieces by which they are buttoned to the trousers, so
that all these parts work in a swivel action upon the rivets or eyelets which
form their centres. The front end pieces are in like manner pivotted to the 8
fore end of each shoulder strap or to the buckle part.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in elevation the back part of a pair of braces made in
accordance with my improvements. Figure 2 being a cross section upon
the line (A, B,) of Figure 1.
Referring to these Figures (c, c,) are the shoulder straps or bands formed
of elastic or other webbing secured within leather ends which are pierced
and formed to receive stud rivets (d); (e, e,) are the back end pieces for
buttoning to the trousers, which are also received on. to the stud pins (d),
and in like manner a link strap (f) formed of leather, thin metal, or other
suitable material is pierced at either end, and the stud rivets (d) passing
through the holes so made a connection or union is formed between the
shoulder straps (c), and the rivets are secured by washers (d', d¹,) at the back.
The several parts described which receive the stud pins (d) are each first
eyeletted as shewn in Figure 3, which greatly facilitates the working of the
parts and adds to the strength and durability of the braces, but if preferred
these eyelets may be omitted, and instead of the series of eyelets one to each
part or end, one eyelet only may be employed to pass through all the parts
and the stud rivet then passed through the centre of the eyelet and secured
at the back. The stud rivet I prefer to employ will be seen in detail at
Figure 4, (1) shews the rivet stud in. front and side views, (2) is the rivet
blank or washer in similar positions, and (3) represents the stud when rivetted
or secured, the washer may be attached to the stud in any suitable manner
such as by soldering hammering or by screwing upon a slight worm upon the
pin of the stud rivet.
Figure 5 shews the application of the brace already described, and it will
be readily understood that all the parts although united are independent of
each other and work with a kind of swivel action upon the stud rivets (d)
which form their centres. This description of brace may be worn with
the shoulder straps or bands crossed without altering the action of the link
strap (), but in this case the link strap must be formed of a rigid material.
Figure 6 represents the back portion of a pair of braces similar to those
already specified, but of lighter make, and consisting entirely of leather without
webbing.
Another mode of adapting my Invention will be seen at Figure 7; in this
instance the connecting or link strap (9) is made of metal or other rigid
material, and the shoulder straps attached at either end of the same at (h, h,)

page_text: as described, while the ends or buttoning pieces work upon the one stud (i)
only.
The front end pieces of my improved braces may also be pivotted or attached
by means of stud rivets and eyelets to the fore ends of each shoulder strap,
or to the buckle part, as the case may be; to illustrate this Figure 8 shews
a portion of the fore end of a shoulder strap (k) with the buckle part (1), and
to this buckle part is attached the link piece (m) having at its either end,
the front buttoning pieces (n). By reversing the parts of Figure 7, namely
bottom to top and top to bottom, the arrangement there shewn may be
employed for the front pieces of braces, and in similar manner if the parts of
Figure 8 be reversed they will serve for the back or hinder portion of the
braces. In place of the studs named eyelets may be.employed (if preferred)
and either with or without a washer at back or front, this would act as a
pivot or centre for all the parts to work upon, but with less freedom than by
using the stud.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same may be carried into effect, I would wish it to be
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise form of the different
parts described and shewn, or to the material of which they may be made, as
these are capable of many modifications without departing from the principle
of the Invention, but what I claim as my Invention is, the connection or
attachment of the various parts of braces by means of rivetted studs and
eyelets substantially in manner herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Evans, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.