US1030224A - Convertible suspensory and supporter. - Google Patents

Description

A. BAUER CONVERTIBLE SUSPENSORY AND SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APRJG, 1908.

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

b NQN COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D4 c.

A. BAUER.

CONVERTIBLE SUSPENSORY AND SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 190B.

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COnWASHlNGTON. D. c

ITE STATES PATENT onsion.

ALECK BAUER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BAUER & BLACK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE SUSPENSORY ANI) SUPPORTER.

1&30224.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1908. Serial No. 427,313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEoK BAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Convertible Suspensories and Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

Suspensories and supporters have heretofore been largely used as articles of mens attire, the former to suspend the scrotum leaving the penis exposed and free, and the latter to confine these parts closely to the body and principally used by actors and athletes. These suspensories and supporters have not been convertible, the one into the other, and so far as I am aware could not be used one for the other. The supporter is more particularly used by actors when on the stage and by athletes when engaged in athletic work, but because it holds the parts tightly against the body and in a more or less inaccessible manner it is not used much in a general way except by a few. The suspensory is more commonly used than the supporter and this is largely due to the fact that it does not confine the penis. But the suspensory does not answer the purpose of a supporter and does not support the parts in the manner desired by and most beneficial to those who engage in athletic sports and exercise and those who are on their feet a large part of the time.

It is my object, therefore, to provide a convertible suspensory and supporter which can be used as a suspensory with the penis exposed in the usual manner for ordinary wear and readily changed to a supporter with the penis and scrotum tightly confined against the body whenever desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide the article with bands for securing it in place and which will stretch the bandage tightly to hold it substantially flat against the body. And a further object of the invention is to secure the bandage in place by a body band which encircles the waist and by two leg bands which encircle the legs and are connected with the bandage.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as it appears in actual use and by simply indicating the outline of the wearer in broken lines.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a front View showing the article worn as a suspensory. Fig. 2 is also a front view but showing the article worn as a supporter. Fig. 3 is a rear view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 7 is the bandage, 8 is the body band and 9, 9, are the leg bands. The bandage is made of a suitable material, preferably a knitted fabric, and is sewed to a top strip 10, preferably of woven fabric. The body band is made of elastic webbing or other suitable material, and its ends are sewed to the ends of the strip 10. The leg bands are preferably made of the same material as the body band and they can be conveniently made of a single strip folded upon itself and sewed to the lower portion of the bandage at 11 with its ends sewed to the bandage at 12 between the strip 10 and the lower end of the bandage. The bandage is provided with a penis opening 13 and a flap 14L is arranged at the back of the bandage 7 to cover the penis opening, as shown in Fig. 2. This flap is preferably sewed to the strip 10 and the bandage 7 at the lower edge of the strip 10 and it is adapted to be folded up and over the front of the strip 10 and engaged with the button 15, leaving the penis opening 13 clear, as shown in Fig. 1. lVhile I prefer to connect the parts of the article by sewing and to make them of the materials specifically mentioned, they may be connected by any other suitable means and made of any other suitablematerials.

It will be readily understood that the flap is folded over the strip 10, as shown in Fig. 1, and fastened or not, as desired, when the article is to be used as a suspensory, and that the flap is dropped down into the position shown in F 2 when the article is to be used as a supporter. While it may be desirable to engage the flap with the button 15 it is not absolutely necessary to do so in order to retain the flap in its elevated position. The securing bands are elastic and the article can be readily converted from a suspensory to a supporter or from a supporter to a suspensory without removing it from the person and while it is used as a supporter the flap can be moved to clear the opening 13 and permit the penis to be thrust therethrough temporarily. The body band will hold the bandage securely Patented June 18, 1912. I

in proper position on the body of the wearer and the leg bands will stretch the bandage laterally to cause it to hold the scrotum and the penis tightly and snugly against the body and thus not only support the parts but hold them flat so that they will not be conspicuous or noticeable even when snugly fitting garments are worn. Furthermore, these leg bands will extend almost straight around the leg and as they are not connected in any way with the body band they will not pull down on the body band or the bandage but will pull the bandage taut across the front and hold up the lower end thereof. These leg bands will not chafe the wearer or slip into an uncomfortable position.

In the preferred form of the bandage, as illustrated in the drawings, I dispense entirely with the use of buckles but if it is desired the bands may be made adjustable with buckles in a familiar manner. The bandage has a fullness below the penis opening, preferably, to accommodate the scrotum and the bandage is shaped to fit the abdomen. The strip 10 constitutes, in effect, the upper part of the bandage and it is made of a material which does not stretch to maintain its shape.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a bandage provided with an opening, and means for securing the bandage in place, of a flap secured at its upper edge to said bandage and adapted to hang down' freely behind the bandage to cover the said opening, and means to secure the end of said flap to the outer side of said bandage, thereby leaving the opening exposed.

2. A combined suspensory and supporter comprising a bandage provided with an opening and'a flap secured to the bandage above the opening on the inner side of the bandage, adapted to either hang down back of the opening closing the same, or to be folded back and secured to the bandage leaving the opening clear, and means adapted to secure the flap in the said folded back position.

3. The combination with a bandage hav ing a penis opening and means for securing the bandage in place, of a flap fashioned to the bandage at the back thereof above the penis opening and adapted to hang down freely at the back of the bandage to cover said opening or'be folded forwardly over the upper edge of the bandage to leave said opening clear, and means at the free end of the flap and at the front of the bandage above the penis opening for securing the flap in folded position.

ALECK BAUER.

Witnesses:

FRED A. FALLINGER, WM. J. MCDONALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

Images