Improvements in Suspensory Bandages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
.
[Communicated from abroad by THEODORE WILLIAM HEINEMAN, of
5418, Greenwood Avenue, and ALECK BAUER, of 3834, Wabash Avenue,
both of Chicago, United States of America.]
Improvements in Suspensory Bandages.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 has for its object the production of a suspensory pouch and its
accompanying devices for engaging it to the wearer, which shall be so constructed
that it is suspended and held in position by but a single strap which is substituted
for the two or three straps now employed, and which shall be readily engageable to
and detachable from the pouch at the will of the wearer. This invention consists
in a combination of devices and appliances hereinafter described and claimed.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a suspensory embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating a variation.
In carrying out my invention A represents a suspensory pouch of any desired
construction. Upon the lower rear or posterior edge is a loop B, while at each end
of the top piece C. is a loop as at D, D'.
E is a strap, preferably constructed of elastic material, provided on one end with
a buckle e. As will be seen, this 'strap, together with the loops through which it
passes, form the sole support for the pouch. It is of course, immaterial where the
two ends of the strap join each other but, following the strap as shown in Fig. 1,
it passes first through the loop D, thence back around the leg of the wearer as at e',
thence through the loop B, thence around the other leg, as at e³, through the
loop D', thence back around the body, as at e³, and is joined to the other end
preferably by buckling. The posterior portion of the pouch is thus held in position
by the portions ele³ of the strap, while the front of the pouch is held in position
by the portion es passing around the body.
Many advantages are gained by providing the pouch with the loops B D D₁
and supporting it by a single strap, passing loosely through the loops. For instance,
should one portion of the strap bind too tightly, the other portion will yield, thus
preventing the novice from making too tight an adjustment of any one part, and in
that way prejudice him against the use of suspensories. Should any unusual strain
be thrown on one portion by virtue of an unusual position of the wearer the strain.
will be met by all the portions of the strap co-acting.
Again, it is quickly adjusted since there is but one single buckle. By virtue of
the ready detachability the strap can be easily taken from the pouch when the
latter is to be washed. This is a great advantage, since the strap can be made of
elastic material and the latter not be spoiled by contact with the water. Again,
the strap being easily attached by the wearer, a new strap can be purchased and
attached when the old one wears out, thus prolonging the life of the suspensory
very materially. Again, there being but a single strap, another difficulty
heretofore encountered by manufacturers is obviated. That is the fact that where
two or three sustaining straps are employed, it has been necessary either to make
each one sufficiently long to fit the maximum sized person or to have the objection
raised that some one of the straps is too short.

page_text: While I have in Fig. 1 shown the straps slipping freely through each of the
loops B D D and the ends joined together at the side, yet it is obvious that for
one of the loops D D' might be substituted two buckles or their equivalents F F,
one to receive each end of the strap, as shown in Fig. 2, and I would be understood
as contemplating by my invention such a construction.
Again while I have shown the loops B D D made of metal, and while I
prefer to use this form of a loop, yet it is obvious that a cloth loop or a slot in the
top piece, or any one of many different forms of loops might be employed without
departing froin the spirit of my invention, which lies essentially in providing the
pouch with three points of engagement for a single supporting strap, at least two of
said three points enabling the strap to slip freely through them in either direction.
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 correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
-
1. The combination with a suspensory pouch of the supporting strap engaged to
the pouch at three points, at least two of the engaging devices being loops through
which the strap can move freely in either direction, substantially as described.
2. A suspensory pouch provided adjacent to its posterior edge with a loop and
provided on its upper edge with two loops one adjacent to each end, all said
loops being adapted to receive the supporting strap and allow the latter to move
freely in both directions substantially as described.
3. The combination with a suspensory pouch of a single strap for supporting the
same, said strap passing through a loop at the posterior edge, through a loop at
one end of the upper edge and suitably engaged to the other end of the upper
-edge, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of March 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.