US555272A - Shoulder-brace and suspenders - Google Patents

Description

No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet- 1'.

T. TRAMBLAY. I SHOULDER BRAGES AND SUSPENDERS.

No. 555,272. Patented P55. 25, 1896.

622% 22224222 flax kgy (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet F. TRAMBLAY.

SHOULDER BRACES AND SUSPENDERS.

No. 555,272. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

AN DREW B GRAHAM. PHDTCUTMQWASHI NGTON. D c

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(N9 Model.)

P. TRAMBLAY SHOULDER BRACES AND SUSPENDERS.

No. 555,272. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

AN DREW B.GRMAM.PHUTO-UT11O wAsmNlrruN D C UNITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX TRAMBLAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOULDER-BRACE AND SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 555,272, dated February 25, 1896.

Application filed June 26,1895. Serial No. 554,082. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FELIX TRAMBLAY, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoulder-Braces and Suspenders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoulder-braces of that class which serve both as a means by which the wearer is given a tendency to assume and maintain an erect posture with the shoulders thrown well back, and as a suspender or garment-supporter, by means of which the trousers, skirt, or other nether garments of the wearer are suspended from the shoulders.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction in devices of the character referred to; and it consists in the matters herein set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoulder-brace and garment-supporter constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are front and rear views showing the manner of wearing the same.

In said drawings, A A designate the main shoulder-straps,and B a short transverse strap extending between the rear portions of said shoulder-strap A at about the level of the points of the shoulder-blades. The rear ends, a, of the strap A below the cross-strap B are made adjustable in length and are provided at their lower extremities with buttonholes a for attachment to the rear suspender-buttons, c, of the trousers C of the wearer. The adjustment referred to is in this instance provided by making said rear ends, a, of the straps A separate from the upper portions, 0 thereof, and connecting said lower and upper portions by metallic loops a through which the ends a are passed and ad justably secured by sliding buckles a.

The shoulder-straps A terminate in front about on a level with the rear cross-strap, B, and are provided at their extremities with metallic loops 0 through which the front straps, D, are loosely passed. The latter are provided at their lower ends with bifurcated straps D having buttonholes (Z in their extremities for attachment to the front suspender-buttons, c, of the trousers, said bifurcated straps being ad j ustably secured to the straps D by buckles d of suitable form. From the loops a the upper portions of the front straps, D, pass around beneath the arms and are sewed or otherwise fastened to the shoulder-straps A at their points of connection with the cross-strap B. Side straps, E, depend from said upper portions of the front straps, D, at points directly beneath the arms and are provided at their lower ends with buttonholes 6 for attachment to side buttons, 0 of the trousers C, or said side straps may be extended downwardly to support the stockings, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As herein shown the side straps, E, are attached to the upper portion of the front straps, D, by means of triangular metallic loops 6?, which are inserted in the front straps, D, at their desired points beneath the arms. The rear ends, (Z of the upper portions of the front straps, D, are in this case made separate from the main body portion thereof, and are passed through the loops (1 and adj ustably secured by sliding buckles (1 by means of which they may be lengthened or shortened, as desired. The depending side straps, E, are similarly connected to the loops (2 and provided with sliding buckles e by which their length may be adjusted.

As hereinbefore stated the front straps, D, pass loosely through the loops a of the shoulder-strap and are free to slide longitudinally therein to accommodate the differentpostures assumed by the wearer. In this instance and preferably such loose connection is effected by splitting the strap D longitudinally into two strips or sections (1 and providing two separate apertures a in the loop a to receive said strips d Said apertures a are arranged side by side near the lower edge of the loop, while a single upper slot or aperture, a is provided at the upper edge of said loop for the attachment of the shoulder-straps A. The strips (1 are inserted in the aperture a of the loops by splitting the strap D clear to its end and afterward stitching the extremities of the strips together, as shown at d. Obviously, 110wever, each of the straps D might be made of two entirely distinct strips stitched together at their ends and left separated at their midlatterpass around beneath the arms, and thus to prevent said straps from binding the wearer uncomfortably in the armpits, as is a common fault with a large proportion of the braces now in use. At the same time such action of the side straps does not interfere with the tendency of the front upper portions of the shoulder-straps A and front straps, D, to force back the shoulders and induce the wearer to maintain an erect position. It is not, however, intended that the action of the brace shall be very severe, but rather that it shall merely exert sufficient pressure when the shoulders are permitted to droop forward to remind the wearer of that fact.

The construction of the brace in its several details, aside from the features pointed out, may be as found suitable and convenient or customary in this class of manufactures. The requirement of elastic webbing for the several straps is, however, largely obviated by the fact of the sliding engagement of the front straps, D, with the shoulder-straps A, by reason of which the brace adjusts itself to various positions of the body without throwing an undue strain on any particular part. As herein shown, and preferably, therefore, elastic webbing is employed only to a slight extent, and in the particular instance illustrated is confined to the lower ends, a, of the shoulder-straps A and to the back strap, B.

I claim as my invention 1. A shoulder-brace comprising shoulderstraps, a back strap connecting said shoulder straps, means for securing the rear lower ends of the shoulder-straps to the garments, metal loops secured to the front ends of said shoulder straps, front straps passing loosely through said loops and secured at their rear ends to the shoulder-straps, side straps depending from the front straps at points beneath the arms and means for securing the lower ends of the side and front straps to the garments, substantially as described.

2. A shoulder-brace comprising shoulderstraps A, a back strap 13 connecting said shoulder-straps, loops a on the front ends of the shoulder-straps, apertures a in said loops, split straps D passing through said apertures and secured at their rear ends to the shoulder-straps adjacent to the back strap 13, loops d inserted in said front straps beneath the arms, depending side straps E and means for securing the lower ends of the straps to the garments, substantially as described.

3. A shoulder-brace comprising shoulderstraps A, the back strap B connecting said shoulder-straps, loops a secured to the front ends of the shoulder-straps at about the height of the back strap 13, apertures a in said loops, split front straps D passing through said apertures and secured at their rear ends to the shoulder-straps at points adjacent to the back strap B, triangular loops (1 inserted in said front straps beneath the arms, that portion of the straps behind said loops being made adjustable in length, side straps E depending from said loops, means for securing the lower ends of the straps to the garments and means for adjusting the length of the lower portions of the front and shoulder straps, substantially as described.

4. In a combined suspender and shoulderbrace, a pair of shoulderstraps joined at the back, a strap uniting the front and back portions of each shoulder-strap and extending beneath the arm, and a side strap separate from said shoulder-strap engagin g each of said uniting-straps at a point under the arm, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a combined suspender and shoulderbrace, the combination with a pair of shoulder-straps joined at the back, and straps united to the rear of each of said shoulderstraps and split attheir forward ends, of loops on the forward ends of the shoulder-straps suitably apertured for the passage of the divided portions of the split straps, the free ends of the rear shoulder-straps and of the split straps being adapted for connection with the garment of the user, substantially as de scribed.

6. In a combined suspender and shoulderbrace, the combination with a pair of shoulder-straps adapted to extend over the shoulders parallel with each other and joined at the back, means for connecting the free ends of the straps to the garment, and straps uniting the front and rear port-ions of said shoulder-straps and passing beneath the arms, of loops inserted in said uniting'straps between said shoulder-straps, and side straps depending from said loops and adapted for engagement at their free ends with the garment of the user, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of May, A. D. 1895.

FELIX TRAMBLAY.

\Vitnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, XVILLIAM R. HALL.

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