GB1562307A

GB1562307A - Dressing aid

Info

Publication number: GB1562307A
Application number: GB5348376A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-12-22
Filing date: 1976-12-22
Publication date: 1980-03-12

Description

(54) DRESSING AID (71) We, WALTER BROWN of 47 Kings Drive, Wrose, Bradford, BD2 1PX, and GEORGE CLAY of 23 Pullan Drive, Eccleshill, Bradford, BD2 3RW, both British subjects do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to dressing aids for facilitating the putting on of stockings or tights with the minimum of stooping or bending.

One of the difficulties experienced by old persons and some disabled persons in trying to dress themselves is that of putting on stockings or tights. The normal operation for this requires considerable stooping or bending. This invention seeks to provide an aid for facilitating this operation by reducing the need to stoop or bend.

According to the invention there is provided a dressing aid comprising a support formed or formable to provide a pair of adjoining concave surfaces suitable for location round a pair of legs, the support being arranged to be inserted from one end into the top openings of a pair of stockings, or the top opening of a pair of tights and having securing means located towards the other end of the support for securement of the top of the stocking or pair of tights and attachment means at said other end of the support for attachment of a flexible pulling means.

The dressing aid may be formed in one part from a sheet material and may be notched to retain the top of a pair of stockings or pair of tights.

In order that the invention and its various other preferred features may be understood more easily, two embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the single figure of drawing which is a perspective view of a dressing aid for tights or stockings in accordance with the invention.

The drawing shows a dressing aid 10 formed of sheet plastics material approximately 2 mm thick e.g. neoprene or polythene. The aid is flexible and in its flat form comprises two portions 11 and 12 of substantially shield or heart shape, adjoining towards the top of one side at 13. The two outer sides of the portions 11 and 12 are provided with notches or recesses 14 towards the top, that is the edge remote from the point of the shield or heart shape, and these notches or recesses are inclined downwardly as shown in the drawing. The inner sides 15 and 16 of the heart or shield shaped portions are provided with notches or recesses 17 at their top end where they merge into the joining portion 13. The notches or recesses 17 are optional features to improve the aid for use with stockings. These notches, similarly to the notches 14, are inclined downwardly as shown in the drawing.The two outer sides of the portions 11 and 12 are provided with through holes 18, just above the notches or recesses 14, for receiving looped tapes 19 which constitute pulling means. Two through holes 21 are also provided at the top end in a position slightly offset one to each side of centre.

The purpose of these holes will be described in due course.

The dressing aid is used as follows:- For putting on a pair of tights the heart or shield shaped portions 11 and 12 are flexed against their own resilience into the curved sloping shown in the drawing. The pointed ends of the portions 11 and 12 are inserted through the top entry openings of the tights and into a respective one of the legs. The legs are gathered up over the heart or shield shaped portion and the band at the top of the tights is located in the notches under the natural elastic tension of the top band. The user sits on the edge of a chair or bed and drops the aid, with the tights fitted, onto the floor whilst retaining hold of the tapes 19.The feet of the user are then inserted through the top of the tights into the legs and the tights are pulled up by means of the tapes and the top band of the tights remains in secure engagement with the notches 14. When the tights are pulled up far enough, their top band is eased out of the notches 14 and the final pulling up and positioning is completed with the hands.

For putting on a pair of stockings, the pointed or lower end of each of the heart or shield shaped portions 11 and 12 are inserted into a respective stocking opening and the stocking is gathered up thereon.

The stocking tops are pulled up over the notches 14 and 17 and located therein under the natural elastic tension of the stocking top. The aid with the stockings attached is now held by the loops and can be- dropped onto the ground. The foot is inserted into the stocking and the aid is pulled up by means of the tapes and the stocking top remains in secure engagement with the notches. When the stockings have been pulled up they are relased by easing the stocking tops out of the notches and the aid is withdrawn from the stocking tops and which are secured to suspenders in the normal manner.

The holes 21 can be employed for attachment of additional tapes similar to 19.

However, the aid can be divided into two single stocking aids by cutting along a line x-x extending between the holes 21. In this case a separate tape similar to 19 can be attached at the hole 21 of each portion 11 or 12 and the portion can be inserted into a single stocking and used in a manner similar to that described for two stockings.

The two portions can be rejoined by tying together by means of tape.

It will be seen that the edges at the entry to the notches of each of the embodiments are rounded to avoid snagging of the stockings or tights. Sharp edges are avoided throughout the construction.

Instead of employing notches 14/17 to secure the top of the tights or stockings any other form of securing means can be employed provided that it is not inclined to snag the stockings e.g. a spring loaded clamp. Other forms of flexible pulling means than the tapes 19 can be employed e.g. cords or wires and these can be attached by means other than through holes.

A single tape or cord can be routed through both holes 18, and if required alsa through the two holes 21, and its two ends are then tied together to form a pulling means. The dressing aid may be formed of other materials than plastics e.g. sheet metal and need not be flexible. In the case of non flexible types of material the aid can be preshaped to the curved shape shown in the drawing to wrap partly round the legs of a user.

The aids need not comprise heart or shield shaped portions but are preferably tapered in a direction away from the top end at which the flexible pulling means can be attached so as to facilitate entry into the stocking, or leg of the tights.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A dressing aid comprising a support formed or formable to provide a pair of adjoining concave surfaces suitable for location round a pair of legs, the support being arranged to be inserted from one end into the top openings of a pair of stockings, or the top opening of a pair of tights and having securing means located towards the other end of the support for securement of the top of the stocking or pair of tights and attachment means at said other end of the support for attachment of a flexible pulling means.

2. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the support is formed in one part from a sheet material.

3. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the sheet material is a plastics material.

4. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the support is substantially of the shape of two shields or hearts adjoined in side by side disposition the points or base of the shields or hearts constituting said one end of the support for insertion into the top opening of a pair of tights or the top openings of a pair of stockings with each point entering a respective one of the legs of the tights or stockings.

5. A dressing aid as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the support of sheet form is provided with notches or recesses in opposite outer edges towards said other end which notches or recesses are arranged to receive the top of the tights or stockings and resist removal of the support from the stockings or tights upon pulling in an axial direction extending between said one and said other ends of the support.

6. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 5 when appended to Claim 4 wherein the portions of heart or shield shape are each provided with notches or recesses disposed towards said other end of the support which notches or recesses are arranged to receive the top of the stockings and resist removal of the support from the stockings upon pulling in an axial direction extending between said one and said other ends of the support.

7. A dressing aid as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the attachment means comprises a pair of holes for receiving the flexible pulling means retentively therein.

8. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 7,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a chair or bed and drops the aid, with the tights fitted, onto the floor whilst retaining hold of the tapes 19. The feet of the user are then inserted through the top of the tights into the legs and the tights are pulled up by means of the tapes and the top band of the tights remains in secure engagement with the notches 14. When the tights are pulled up far enough, their top band is eased out of the notches 14 and the final pulling up and positioning is completed with the hands. For putting on a pair of stockings, the pointed or lower end of each of the heart or shield shaped portions 11 and 12 are inserted into a respective stocking opening and the stocking is gathered up thereon. The stocking tops are pulled up over the notches 14 and 17 and located therein under the natural elastic tension of the stocking top. The aid with the stockings attached is now held by the loops and can be- dropped onto the ground. The foot is inserted into the stocking and the aid is pulled up by means of the tapes and the stocking top remains in secure engagement with the notches. When the stockings have been pulled up they are relased by easing the stocking tops out of the notches and the aid is withdrawn from the stocking tops and which are secured to suspenders in the normal manner. The holes 21 can be employed for attachment of additional tapes similar to 19. However, the aid can be divided into two single stocking aids by cutting along a line x-x extending between the holes 21. In this case a separate tape similar to 19 can be attached at the hole 21 of each portion 11 or 12 and the portion can be inserted into a single stocking and used in a manner similar to that described for two stockings. The two portions can be rejoined by tying together by means of tape. It will be seen that the edges at the entry to the notches of each of the embodiments are rounded to avoid snagging of the stockings or tights. Sharp edges are avoided throughout the construction. Instead of employing notches 14/17 to secure the top of the tights or stockings any other form of securing means can be employed provided that it is not inclined to snag the stockings e.g. a spring loaded clamp. Other forms of flexible pulling means than the tapes 19 can be employed e.g. cords or wires and these can be attached by means other than through holes. A single tape or cord can be routed through both holes 18, and if required alsa through the two holes 21, and its two ends are then tied together to form a pulling means. The dressing aid may be formed of other materials than plastics e.g. sheet metal and need not be flexible. In the case of non flexible types of material the aid can be preshaped to the curved shape shown in the drawing to wrap partly round the legs of a user. The aids need not comprise heart or shield shaped portions but are preferably tapered in a direction away from the top end at which the flexible pulling means can be attached so as to facilitate entry into the stocking, or leg of the tights. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A dressing aid comprising a support formed or formable to provide a pair of adjoining concave surfaces suitable for location round a pair of legs, the support being arranged to be inserted from one end into the top openings of a pair of stockings, or the top opening of a pair of tights and having securing means located towards the other end of the support for securement of the top of the stocking or pair of tights and attachment means at said other end of the support for attachment of a flexible pulling means.

8. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 7,

wherein the holes are situated adjacent opposite outer edges adjacent said other end.

9. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 8, when appended to Claim 4, comprising two additional holes situated adjacent said other end and disposed inwardly of the outer edges one to each side of centre of the aid.

10. A dressing aid as claimed in Claim 7, 8 or 9 provided with pulling means in the form of a pair of tapes or cords in secure engagement through the holes situated adjacent opposite outer edges.

11. A dressing aid substantially as described herein with reference to, or as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.