Garment-supporter.

Application filed December 21,1904. Serial Nc. 237,810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Harry Floyd Niles, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 5 Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Garment-Supporter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to supports,for garments, and more particularly to belt-suspenio ders for trousers. Its principal objects are to provide a concealed support for such garments as hip-trousers which will be effective, comfortable, and readily adjustable to the wearer and garment.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one em20 bodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail through one of the garment-clasps, it being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an en25 larged vertical section through one of the supporting members, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

designates a belt, of some suitable flexi30 ble material, adapted to encircle the hips of the wearer somewhat below the waist-line and having securing devices, which are here shown as comprising a hook 11 and a coacting loop 12. To adjust the length of the belt, 35 slides 13 of the ordinary slotted type may be provided. Carried by the belt are supporting members or slides 14, which in the present instance are three in number and each having slots 15 15, through which the belt 4° passes. The slides may be moved along the belt conveniently b.y means of opposite tags 16 16 attached thereto. These tags may also be applied to the slides 13 for the same purpose. At each side of the lower portion of 45 each supporting-slide is a lug 17, and in these lugs upon each slide is pivoted a lever 18, having an inner engaging end 19, which acts to lock against the slide a flexible suspending member 20, which above the lever passes 5° through a slot 21 in the slide. To enable the lever to be readily disengaged to permit movement of the suspending member, a loop 21^amay surround it between the lever and the slot 21 and have connected to it a tag 21^b, by which 55 the member and lever may be together drawn outwardly to release the former. Supported upon the slides 14 by their suspending members are carriers A A' A', which may each comprise a generally U - shaped spring 22, preferably coiled or in spiral form and hav- 60 ing its bottom portion engaged by the suspending member. Its sides extend upwardly beyond the belt, and each of these has mounted upon it means for engaging the garment, which is shown in the form of a clasp B. Each 65 of these clasps consists of a plate 23, having projecting from it transverse lugs 23^a, through which a straight end of the spring extends at 23^b and is headed above the upper lug to prevent displacement. The plates are thus piv- 70 oted upon the ends of the spring, they resting upon the upper convolutions. Each claspplate has a hooked upper extremity 24 to coact with the garment to be supported—as, for example, to extend over the band of the 75 trousers—and between the hooked end and the main portion of the plate, upon the latter, is fixed a spring-tongue 25, having at its outer side opposite the hook teeth projections 26, which may be forced into engagement 80 with the garment b.y a lever 27, fulcrumed upon the plate and operating through an opening 27^a. At each side of the pivotal connection with the spring the plates are preferably provided with slots 27^b to receive a connect- 85 ing-band 28, which may be in sections, with slotted adjusting-slides 29, so that the relation between the clasps may be readily varied. To these band-sections the upper ends of the suspending members may be attached. The rear 90 carrier A is shown as having sides symmetrically arranged with regard to a central axis, while those designated b.y the character A' have one arm substantially vertical and the other at the side toward the securing device 95 of the belt is inclined forwardly. The sides of each of the springs are preferably connected by elastic bands 30, preventing undue yield or displacement.

In use the belt is adjusted about the wearer 100 and the carriers properly positioned over the hips by means of the longitudinal movement of the slides thereon. The flexible members may then be slid up or down beneath the levers to provide for different lengths of garments 1:05 or the relation of the band to the waist. The garment-band is then fixed in the clasps by forcing the tongues into contact with its inner side by means of their levers, which in this position lie in the plate-openings. no

It will be seen that my improved supporter, save for the inconspicuous ends of the hooks,

809,074 is entirely concealed from sight and that the yield of the belt and bands, the elasticity of the springs, and the pivotal connection of the clasps with said springs enables every element 5 to perfectly adjust itself to the form and movements of the wearer.