US1200916A - Supporter. - Google Patents

Description

C. F. BENNETT.

SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25.

Patented 0ct.10,19 16.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

c. F. BENNETT.-

Patented 001. 10, 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED 11,111.25. 1914.

CHARLES F. BENNETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SHARP & SMITH, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SUPP ORTER. r

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed March 25, 1914. Serial No, 827,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in supporters and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my 1mproved device; Fig. 2 is a similar view from the back; Fig. 3 is a similar view, but showing the parts stretched to the position which they occupy in use; Fig. 4 is a view sim lar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of construction, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of a second modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, 6 is a waistband of elastic material such as 1s commonly used in devices of this character. In the preferred form of construction, the pouch is formed of two strips of material 7 and 8, sewed together bya seam 9, crossed over each other and continued upward and attached to the belt.

The parts so far enumerated are not substantially different from the corresponding parts well known, and they operate generally in the manner set forth in the decision of Sharp &, Smith vs. Physicians &. Surgeons Appliance Co, 17st Fed. Rep, 424-, and obviously can be modified as set forth therein. The present device, however, dif fers from prior devices in that the two strips 7 and 8 which, in the preferred form of construction, constitute the pouch-front, are separated at their upper ends and attached to the upper edge of the belt, or waist-band, and preferably lie inside of the same. In any event the lower edge of the waist-band is not attached to the pouch, except ng at its center, and just at the point where the two pieces 7 and 8 begin to separate. At that point, which is a point of great strain, a reinforcing piece 9 is applied and the lower edge of the belt is there attached to the pouch. This reinforcing piece 9 serves as a convenient means for applying a trademark to the device, and also, for displaying the patent marking, and since some such label must be used in any event, it is desirable to put it at this point of greatest strain where it can be utilized for reinforcmg purposes.

his device differs from its predecessors 1n several respects. Its operation is, of course, generally similar in that the parts are held in position in an elastic pouch, the sides of which are under greater tension than the center. By reason of this extra tension at the sides, one of the weak points of prior devices has been the extreme lateral strands of elastic in the pouch portion. These have tended to give way long before the rest of the device was worn out with the result that the essential operative property of lateral tension and medial fullness was lost and the structure ceased to hold the parts in the desired position. In the present device the effective elastic length of the lateral strands in the pouch portion is about three inches greater than in its "predecessors by reason of the fact that the strips are attached to the top of the belt instead of the bottom. The highest strain, therefore, is distributed over these long strands and they are more durable. This is particularly useful with reference to the strands on that side which is pulled away from the body when it is desired to remove or re-arrange the parts. In the prior devices this has necessitated stretching the elastic practically to its limit, while with the present de vice the elastic is so much longer as to suffer no material detriment from such treatment.

Any disadvantage which might be anticipated from the increased length is, in the preferred construction, offset by the fact that the belt overlies the pouch and, therefore, although the desired pouch is free to yield longitudinally, it is held tight against the body at the lower edge of the belt. These advantages are manifestly of considerable importance.

Another weak point in devices which have been in use heretofore is the belt, which, in many cases, is worn out even before the pouch. This is particularly true of that part of the belt between the pouch and the thigh circlets. In the prior devices, the

lower edge of the belt has been rendered substantially non-elastic throughout the entire width of the pouch and throughout the width of the thigh circlets. Since these parts are usually made three inches in width, twelve inches of the bottom of the belt has been inelastic and the stretch had to be taken up by the remainder thereof.

It is to be noted too, that in a device of this kind, owing to the swell of the hips, the heaviest tension is on the bottom rather than on the top of the belt. In the present device, because of the fact that the pouch is sewed only to the top of the belt, six inches of the upper edge and six inches of the lower edge only are made non-elastic, and there is therefore a much greater effective elasticity in the belt with obviously advantageous results.

Another point of considerable importance is that the pouch flares apart at its upper end and, therefore, as the belt contracts in width when put under tension, the operative and exposed part of the pouch is considerably wider than in prior devices. This flaring of the pouch is clearly shown in Fig. 3. It is believed to be a matter of considerable advantage to attach the lower edge of the belt to the pouch under the reinforcing piece 9 because otherwise, as the belt is put under tension, its lower edge tends to draw up lea"- ing an opening through which some of the parts may protrude, or which may at least pinch the parts in an uncomfortable manner.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 4, all the advantages heretofore set forth inhere, the only difference in construction being that instead of merely tacking the lower edge of the belt to the pouch underneath the reinforcing-strip 9, the two parts 7 and 8 have their adjacent edges sewed to the belt with a diagonal stitching as shown at 10, this stitching being of such a character as to permit stretching to occur along its line.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 5, the two parts of thepouch are joined together their entire length, the structure being otherwise similar to that here shown. Obviously, in this structure the flaring of the upper part of the pouch does not occur. Furthermore, the non-elastic part of the top edge of the belt is all one continuous sixinch stretch, instead oftwo separate threeinch stretches with an elastic part between. The device is not, therefore, believed to be quite as satisfactory, but it possesses most of the advantages heretofore set forth and is therefore far superior to the prior art structures.

It has the further advantage, that if desired, in this structure, the entire pouch may be made of a single piece of material, the thigh-circlets then being made separate and sewed on. Vhile this is theoretically possible with the other devices, it would involve cutting the wider front piece and, therefore, it is considered preferable to make the other devices of two separate pieces, as described in detail. With this device of Fig. 5, how ever, the question as to whether two narrow pieces sewed together, or a single wide piece, properly gored, shall be used for the pouch, is simply a matter of tailoring convenience.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of the construction herein shown, and I do not intend to limit myself thereto, except as pointed out in the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the novelty inherent in the device as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

I regard as new and Letters Patent 1. A supporter having a belt, a pouch and thigh circlets connecting the lower end of the pouch to the belt, the upper end of the pouch being attached to the upper edge of the belt, andthe lower edge of the belt being attached to the pouch at its center and being free therefrom throughout substantially the width thereof, whereby the elasticity of that part of the lower edge of the belt above the pouch is retained.

2. A supporter having a belt, a pouch and thigh circlets connecting the lower end of the pouch to the lower edge of the belt, the upper end of the pouch being attached to the upper edge of the belt and the lower edge of the belt being attached to the pouch at its center and being free therefrom throughout substantially the width thereof, whereby the elasticity of that part of the lower edge of the belt and above the pouch is retained and the amount of belt rendered inelastic by the attaching of the pouch and thigh circlets thereto is substantially equal at the upper and lower edges of the belt.

3. A supporter having a belt, a pouch and thigh circlets connecting the lower end of the pouch to the belt, the upper end of the pouch being attached to the upper edge of the belt, and the lower edge of the belt being attached to the pouch at its center and being free therefrom throughout substantially the width thereof, whereby the elasticity of that part of the lower edge of the belt above the pouch is retained, the belt lying outside of the upper part of the pouch to hold the same snug against the body.

4. A supporter having a belt, a pouch and thigh circlets connecting the lower end of the pouch to the lower edge of the belt, the upper end of the pouch being attached to the upper edge of the belt and the lower edge of the belt being attached to the pouch at its center and being free therefrom throughout substantially the width thereof, whereby the elasticity of that part of the lower edge of the belt and above the pouch is desire to secure by retained and the amount of belt rendered In testimony whereof I have hereunto set inelastic by the attaching of the pouch and my hand this 23rd day of March, 1914:.

thigh eirclets thereto is substantially equal a at the upper and lower edges of the belt, the CHARLES BENNETT belt lying outside of the upper part of the In presence of two subscribing witnesses: pouch to holdthe same snug against the A. C. FIsoHER,

body. D. C. THORSEN.

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

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