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N.PETERS' PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, 0. C.

United States Patent Office.

H. S. WESTON, OF AKRON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOLDIERS’SHOULDER-BRACES FOR KNAPSACKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,10-1, dated November 15, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. S. Weston, of Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in soldiers’ shoulder-braces for carrying knapsacks, haversacks, packs, cartridge-boxes, &amp;c.; and Thereby declare thatthe following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which—

Figure lisa perspective view of the brace. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the side opposite from Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in the two views.

My improvement relates to the manner of forming shoulder-braces for soldiers, by which their knapsacks, packs, haversacks, &amp;c., can be carried without there being any undue pressure or strain upon the back, and the shoulders are prevented from being cut or chafed, as with the straps in ordinary use.

Figs. 1 and 2 represents the brace, Fig. 1 being a view of the front and Fig. 2 of the back.

The brace consists of two metallic springs or shoulder pieces, A A, made in such a form as to fit over the shoulders, A^z being the front and A the back part of the springs, that extends down behind, with a strap, B, extending from the front round the sides and back, as represented.

The metallic springs are covered with leather, stitched round the edge, as in the figures, and the strap B passes through loops b of the leather, and there is a buckle, C, and loose end B' in front, by which the space between the shoulder-pieces A A can be adjusted to suit the size of the person using the brace.

D D, E E, and F F are loops secured to the braces, to which the knapsack, haversack, catridge-box, &amp;c., can be attached. The knapsack can be straped to the loops D D, the cartridge-box to the loops E E in front, and the canteen, haversack, &amp;c., can be suspended on the sides by attaching the ends of the strap to the loops B and F before and behind; or they can be arranged in connection with the brace in any other desired manner.

The ordinary mode of carrying the pack, knapsack, &amp;c., forms no brace or support, and they slip down more or less on the back, causing the straps holding the knapsack to pull and rub on the shoulders, cutting and galling them, and the soldier to relieve his shoulders of this pulling weight will be inclined to stoop forward, and the knapsack and pack resting and rubbing about ou the back heats and chafes it. This, together with the galling of the shoulders, proves very serious in longmarches ; but with the brace herein described these difficulties are found to be removed. The metallic spring over the shoulders form a firm brace or support, removing the pressure of the knapsack and pack from the back, and causes it to rest more on the shoulders, for the spring, extending down behind, as at A^z, supports the knapsack, preventing all undue pressure on the back, and allows the soldier to march with ease in an erect position, there being no straps pullingon the shoulders. The strap B round the body, under the arm pits, keeps the springs forming the brace down in place on the shoulders.

Thus a brace- is formed whereby a soldier can carry his knapsack, haversack, cartridgebox, canteen, &amp;c., with the greatest facility and ease, and as the haversack, canteen, &amp;c., can be suspended in a proper position on the- sides, with this brace as described, the side straps put round the neck and across the body are dispensed with, which likewise rub and chafe the neck and body.

This invention is particularly beneficial in ca-rryingthecartridge box. In theusualmode, by girding the belt closely around the body, there is great danger of causingruptures. By my improvement this difficulty is wholly removed.