US3177550A

US3177550A - Supporter

Info

Publication number: US3177550A
Application number: US229948A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gordon R Borgeson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-11
Filing date: 1962-10-11
Publication date: 1965-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 1982-04-13

Description

April 13, 1965 G. R. BORGESON SUPPORTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1962 FIG.3

m M A a /O 2 M M w 8 H H l i 1115 4.1, a a

4 INVENTOR.

GORDON R. BORGESON BY 2.4m rm FIG.

FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS April 13, 1965 Filed Oct. 11, 1962 FIG.5

G. R. BORGESON SUPPORTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6 FIG. 7

FIG. 8 FIG. 9

INVENTOR GORDON R. BORGESON MfM ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,177,550 Patented Apr. 13, 1965 3,177,550 SUPPORTER Gordon R. Borgeson, 1019 N. 15th St., Niles, Mich. Filed Oct. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 229,948 Claims. (Cl. 24245) The present invention relates to a supporter and more particularly to a supporter for ladies hose and similar wearing apparel.

The conventional supporter for ladies hose and the like has been in use without change for a great many years and consists basically of a U-shaped metal clip hinged to a strap of fabric on which is secured an undercut knob over which the clip is placed. The garment is attached to the supporter by disengaging the clip from the knob, placing the knob beneath or on one side of the garment and replacing the clip over the knob in the undercut portion thereof, thereby clamping the garment between the clip and knob. While this type of supporter is satisfactory in holding the garment firmly in place, it has certain inherent disadvantages, including bulkiness which often is apparent through the outergarments, necessity of using both hands in effectively and conveniently securing the garment, damage or discoloration to the garment, and injury or irritation to the skin of the wearer. Further, since the conventional type of supporter consists of several distinct parts, including a preformed metal clip, a rubber or plastic knob and a strap of fabric or the like, several distinct fabricating and assembling operations or steps are required in the production of these former supporters, thus resulting in increased cost and frequently in a structure which is easily damaged during laundering of the garment to which it is attached. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a one-piece supporter for ladies hose and other wearing apparel, which is simple in construction and operation and which can readily be attached to the garment to be supported thereby by an easy, onehanded manipulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporter of the aforesaid type which can easily be fabricated in a single, simple manufacturing operation and which can be readily attached to the supporting and supported garmentsrwithout tearing, snagging or otherwise damaging delicate cloth or fabric.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fully flexible supporter for hose and similar garments which is compact and relatively thin and flat so that it will not cause lumps or unevenness in the outer garments of the wearer and which is nonirritating and comfortable to the wearer.

A further object is to provide a durable and versatile supporter of the aforesaid type which will withstand laundering in all conventional or standard laundry appliances, without damage thereto, or to the garments to which it is attached, or to the laundering appliances.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present supporter showing it in its unfastened position;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the present supporter;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the supporter shown in the preceding figures;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical side elevational and partial cross sectional view of the supporter shown in the preceding figures, the section being taken on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2, illustrating the manner in which the supporter functions to support a garment;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of one element of the present supporter;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the element of the supporter shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a rear elevational view of the element shown in FIGURES 5 and 6;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevational view of the other principal element of the present supporter; and

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of the element shown in FIGURE 8.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to FIG- URE 1 in particular, numeral 10 designates the present supporter generally, which consists of a front element or collar 12, and a rear element or button 14, the collar being secured to a front strap 16, and the button to a rear strap 18. The two straps are joined together at the U- shaped portion indicated by numeral 20 and, as originally formed, form one continuous strap or member. A buckle, clasp or fixture, shown in broken lines at numeral 22, may be used in attaching the present supporter to a supporting garment, such as a girdle or garter belt, or the U-shaped portion 20 or the upper ends of

straps

16 and 18 may be sewed, stapled or otherwise secured to the garment directly rather than by the use of the clip or fixture 22. The various means of securing supporter 10 to the garment may be selected to meet requirements.

As illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, collar 12 slips over button 14 with the disc-shaped face 24 of the button projecting through center hole 26 of the collar. The discshaped face 24 is the same diameter as or only slightly smaller than hole 26. The collar 12 and button 14 are preferably formed integrally with

straps

16 and 18; however, the collar and button may be formed separately and joined to the end of the respective strap by cementing or any other suitable securing means. The collar is generally flat and disc-shaped with a frusto-conically shaped hole 26 extending therethrough with the larger end thereof on the rear side 30, and the smaller end on the front side 32. The front end of hole 26 is tapered slightly outwardly to prevent the adjacent collar portion from tearing, snagging or otherwise damaging the fabric held by the supporter. Strap 16 is secured to and/or formed integrally with collar 12 at the rear side thereof so that the planes of the rear surface of the collar and strap are the same, as clearly seen in FIGURES 3 and 6. The button 14 consists of the disc-shaped face 24 connected to base 34 by a neck 36, formed integrally with the discshaped face 24 and base 34, and strap 13 is connected to base 34 of the button, preferably by being formed integrally therewith at the rear side thereof so that the planes of the rear side of the button and of strap 18 are the same. Disc-shaped face 24' is provided with beveled

peripheral edges

38 and 40 to assist in engaging and dis engaging the button from collar 12, as the disc-shaped face 24 is pushed through and removed from hole 26.

The present supporter may be made from a variety of different materials, preferably of plastic; however, certain metals may be used satisfactorily. The plastics which have been found satisfactory include phenolics and derivatives, Teflon, nylon and polypropylenes. The metals include stainless steel, aluminum and aluminum alloys, copper and coppe alloys. When the supporters are made of plastic, they are preferably molded as a one-piece unit, including collar 12,

straps

16 and 18 and button 14, with the

straps

16 and 18 being continuous and lying end-to-end. The straps are folded to the position shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 after the supporter is fully formed and ready for attaching to a garment. When the collar and button are formed of metal, a suitable strap of fabric or plastic material is attached thereto by any suitable securing means such as cement, sewing or clamping.

When the supporter formed in the foregoing manner has been attached to an undergarment and is ready for 3 Y r i j c H use, the top of the stocking,;for example, is placed between collar 14 and button 12,'a nd' the collar and button pushed together with suflicient force .to press the discshaped face 24 through hole 26 with the fabric of the hose extending around the disc andthrough hole- 26,- as,

V V, s a 4 I a, button and the small end being only slightly larger than :the disc-shapedface of, said button and extending subillustrated in FIGURE,4.- Tension on. the fabric causes it to draw tightly over the button and around the edges of the collar defining hole 26, thus firmly holding the hose or other garment in place in the supporter It'is apparent that the present supportercan befreadily' clamped to'the the collar on the other, and pressing =the two together, without any, additional,manipulation'being required as in the conventional,or' standard type of. supporter. When" [the stocking is to be released from the supporter, button 14' is merely pushed with the finger or thumb from hole 26', thusre'leasingthe fabric from both the collar and the button and permitting, it to slip from the supporter.

The present button and collar elements can be used by 1. A supporter of plastic material for hose and similar" garments, comprising a button 'havinga base and'ai discshaped face with beveled peripheral edges anda cylindrical-shaped neck connectingsaid base and face, a discshaped collar having a flat outer surface and round center hole therein for receiving said face, the poition'of said collar defining said hole .bein'g'frusto-conically shiaped with thelargeiend facing said button and the small end being substantially the same' size as the-'discashap'ed vface 40 of said button and extending substantially to said outer surface, and a strap joined integrally, at one end to the rear edge ofsaidcolla v and integrally at the other end 7 to the base of said button and beingfolded upon itself. 2. A supporter of plastic material for hoseand similar garments, comprising a button having a base and a discshaped face with beveled peripheral edges and a neck connecting; said base and face, a collar having a flat outer 7 surface and around center hole therein for' receivingsaid face, the portion of said collar defining said hole being frusto-conically, shaped with 'the [large end facing said' :not supported by 1O hose by merely placing the button on one side thereof and") stantially to said outer surface, and straps joined integrally to the rear edge of said collar and integrally to the rear edge of said button and being connected to one another. .3. A supporter for hose andvsirnilar garments, comprising a button having a base and a'disc-shaped face with beveled peripheral edges and a'neck connecting said base 'and'fiace, a; collar having a flat outer surface and round hole therein for receiving said'disc-shaped face, the portion of said collar defining said hole being' frusto-conically shaped withthe large end fa cing said buttonandthe small 'end being substantially the same size as the disc shaped face of said button and extendingsubstantially to said outer surface; and supporting means therefor joined toa said, collar and to the base of said buttont 7 4; In a supportera button element having a base and w a disc-shaped face with beveled peripheral edges and a cylindrical-shaped neck connecting said base and face, a

disc-shaped collar element having a flat} outer surface and round center hole therein for receiving said button, the

portion of said collar element defining said hole being frusto-conically shaped with the large end 'fiacing' said button element and the smallend being substantially the same size as the disc-shaped face of said button element and extending substantially'tot said outer surface,; and means for attaching one of said elements to a supporting structure.

5 Ina supporter: a button element having a base and 'a disc-shaped face-with beveled peripheral edges and a cylindrical-shaped neckconnecting said base .and face,

and; a' disc-shaped collar element' havinga flat outer surface and round center hole; therein for receiving, said button, the portion of said collar element defining said hole being frusto-conically shaped with .the largeend facing said button element and the small end being substantially thesamesize as the disc-shaped face of said button element and extendingsubstantially to said outer surface; 7 a

' f References- Cited'by the E aminer UNITED STATES PATENTS" V 739,766 "9/03 'White. v f

11/42 Nash' 24-445 FOREIGN PATENTS I, STOCKINQ'Pri mary Examiner. I J. Examiner,

Claims

1. A SUPPORTER OF PLASTIC MATERIAL FOR HOSE AND SIMILAR GARMENTS, COMPRISING A BUTTON HAVING A BASE AND A DISCSHAPED FACE WITH BEVELED PERIPHERAL EDGES AND A CYLINDRICAL-SHAPED NECK CONNECTING SAID BASE AND FACE, A DISCSHAPED COLLAR HAVING A FLAT OUTER SURFACE AND ROUND CENTER HOLE THEREIN FOR RECEIVING SAID FACE, THE PORTION OF SAID COLLAR DEFINING SAID HOLE BEING FRUSTO-CONICALLY SHAPED WITH THE LARGE END FACING SAID BOTTON AND THE SMALL END BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AS THE DISC-SHAPED FACE OF SAID BUTTON AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO SAID OUTER SURFACE, AND A STRAP JOINED INTEGRALLY, AT ONE END TO THE REAR EDGE OF SAID COLLAR AND INTEGRALLY AT THE OTHER END TO THE BASE OF SAID BUTTON AND BEING FOLDED UPON ITSELF.