US5565A - Shoulder-brace - Google Patents

Description

PUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. s

HENRY F. BRIGGS, 0F POUGI-IKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

SHOULDER-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 5,565, dated May 16, 1848; Antedated November 16, 1847.

To all whom imag concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. Barcos, of Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have made certain Improvements in the Mode of Constructing a Suspender Combining a Spinal and Shoul der Brace; and I do'hereby declare that the following is a full and eXact description.

Such is the application and arrangement of elastic straps in this brace that whatever may be the inclination of the body forward or sidewise, or the motions of the shoulders, t-heir action tends to assist the muscles to restore an upright and natural position; consequently its use will have a `tendency to preserve the symmetrical development and natural tone of all the muscles with which it acts. The weight that renders it effective, is in the pants of t-he male and skirts of the female. Thus as a suspender for the male and skirt supporter for females, it acts on physiological principles. For while the Weight of the clothing contributes to the power of the brace the brace yields to all the motions of the body without unpleasa-ntly drawing the clothes. Hence it eXerts no injurious pressure on any part of the body, nor does it circumscribe the action of any muscle or set of muscles. It has no belt around t-he waist; consequently it produces no injurious pressure upon the epigastric region or any other interference wit-h the respiratory muscles. For ordinary cases of round shoulders or contracted chests it is an efficient remedy. It is also useful in cases of spinal curvature. The point of greatest pressure is over and about the acromion process; which pressure being backward, the action of the trapezius and other muscles is thus aided, and the respiratory muscles are thus better able to raise the ribs and assist diflicult respiration. It aids the satissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles in restoring the body to an erect position when it inclines to either side and affords assistance to the splenius, compleXus, dorsal and other muscles of the back in retaining the vertebral column in a natural erect position. These various eects are produced by the peculiar arrangement and elasticity of the different parts of the brace fespecially the suspender part (see drawing E, F F, G).

To enable others to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct the back piece (see drawing letter A,) and shoulder caps B, B B B of satin jean or other suitable material, one end of the shoulder caps B B I connect to the back piece A, by means of elastic stra-ps- C C C C, spiral springs or any other substance which will produce the required elasticity and to the other end of said caps is attached a strip of cotton webbing D, D or other suitable material which is connected by means of a buckle to elastic straps E E which support the pantaloons behind and which serve in part as suspend-ers. The pantaloons are supported in front by the attachment on each side just above the hip, of straps G Gronnecting elastic straps F F FF which are attached to back piece A.

K K are wires or other suitable material, so arranged as to allow straps E E free play while it connects them with F F and G.

From the outer edge of shoulder caps B B I cut out a gore nearly half across said caps bring the outer edges of said caps together and insert a piece of elastic H, H,

about one inch long and half an inch wide,

to give freedom of action to the shoulders and upward motions of the arm and prevent disagreeable tightness under the arm, and also to cause said caps the better to iit the shoulders. Just back of these elastic pieces H, H, thin pieces of whalebone I I are inserted across the caps B B to prevent them from wrinkling.

The brace for ladies differs from that for gentlemen in the following particulars, viz: Instead of butto-nholes J J lJ J buttons are used to which the skirts are attached by means of loops.

The power of the brace can be increased or diminished at pleasure by means of buckles connected with straps G, G, D, D.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The manner of constructing the brace by combining` with the shoulder strap the straps F F and E with their loops for fastening in the manner set forth and in combinat-ion therewith the elastic piece in the shoulder strap as set forth.

HENRY F. BRIGGS Witnesses:

L. M. NORTHROP, B. M. HEEMANS.

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