United States patent 780831



=SHOULDER-BRACE AND SUPPORT.=

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,831, dated January 24, 1905: Application filed April 12,1904. Renewed December 30, 1904. Serial No. 238,874,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNIE STINTON, a sub­-ject of the King of England, residing at North Williamstown, Victoria, Australia, have in­- vented a new and useful Improvement in Shoulder-Braces and Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in shoul-der-braces and supports, and has for an object to provide a novel construction designed to support the body and assist in the carriage and supplement or replace corsets; and the invention consists in certain novel construc-tions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective front view of the invention as in use. Fig. 2 is a similar rear perspective view of the de-vice. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the improvement, and Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the pad and a portion of the main strap.

As shown, the device includes a main strap A, a back-strap B and a belt-strap C, the straps A and C being provided at their ends with the ribbons or tapes A' and C', which can be con­-veniently tied, and so form fastenings at the ends of the main and belt straps.

The back-strap B is secured at its upper end to the main strap A at the center of the latter. A loop B' is provided at the lower end of the strap B, being formed by buckling up the end of the strap by the buckle b, which may be adjusted along the body of the back-strap to vary the length of said strap to fit waists of different lengths. The belt-strap C passes through the loop B' and is made of such length as to pass around the waist and fasten at the front.

The main strap is made of sufficient length to pass forward over the shoulders, thence back beneath the arms, thence -diagonally down and across the back with the ends cross-ing each other, and thence around the body and is fastened at the front above the belt-strap and immediately below the bust. The fastening can be readily accomplished by means of the end tapes, which also permit the brace and support to be drawn to any desired degree of tautness: It will also be noticed the fastening is effected in front of the wearer, who can thus fit and adjust the device herself without any help.

The main strap A is slightly reduced in width at a where it passes under the arms and is provided at such points on its inner sides with pads E to prevent the straps from injuring the flesh.

In practice the straps may be of webbing, leather, or other suitable material, and buckles may in some 'instances be used in lieu of the tapes as fastenings; but I prefer the tapes or ribbons, as shown, because of the ease with which the user can secure and adjust the de­-vice upon the body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is­-

1. The shoulder-brace and support herein described consisting of the back-strap pro-vided at its lower end with the loop and the buckle for adjusting the same, the belt-strap passed through said loop and provided at its ends with the tapes, the main strap secured at its middle to the upper end of the back-strap and made of a length to pass thencefor­ ward over the shoulders of a wearer and thence back under the arms and across the back and forward around the body to the front and having at its ends the fastening-tapes, said main strap being reduced in width at the points where it is designed to pass beneath the arms and being provided at such points with pads all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A. shoulder-brace and support compris-ing a back-strap, a belt held at its middle to the lower end of the back-strap and provided at its ends with fastening devices and the main strap held at its middle to the upper end of the back-strap and provided at its ends with fastening devices, said main strap being made of a length to pass forwardly over the shoulders of a wearer thence back beneath the arms, thence across the back and around the body to the front substantially as set forth.

ANNIE STINTON.

"Witnesses:"Wm. BROCKET,HAROLD G. N. GYE.""