Oct. 26, 1948. E. CARPENTER 2,452,181 SANITARY NAPKIN HOLDING MEANS Fied DeC. 19, 1945

Patented Oct. 26, 1948 2,452,181

UNITED STATES PATENT of FICE 2,452,181 SANTARY NAPKENHOLDING MEANS. Edith Carpenter, Chicago, I, Application December 19, 1945, Serial No. 635,921. Clain. (C. 2-35) 1 This invention relates to improvements in san vention in position on a wearer, part of theat itary napkin holding devices and more particu taching element and the supporting element being larly to devices and means for supporting cata shown in dotted lines. menial bandages or sanitary napkins on the body Fig. 2 is a detailed front elevational view show. of the wearer and particularly to such devices for ing the device attached to a fragment of a gar, use in conjunction with a girdle, corset, or other ment. " . . ? - ?? ? - : : " foundation garment for feminine wear whereby a Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line-3-3 of napkin can be comfortably and adequately held Fig. 2. in place whenever necessary. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my invention Heretofore catamenial bandages, or sanitary 10 showing the two supporting elements secured to napkins, have been held in position by means of fragments of a garment and a sanitary napkin at a belt which encircles the wearer's waist, having tached to the attaching members, Support members or tabs depending therefrom. Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a modified These belts proved to be conspicuous, uncomfort form of the attaching members: able and the support members tended to bunch 15 Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on, line and roll. It was also determined that such belt 6-6 of Fig. 5. type holder restricted movement and caused pres Referring in detail to the drawings, the sup Sure on the pelvic organs of the Wearer. It was porting elements, indicated' generally-by-theº nu to Overcome these and other obvious disadvan meral , preferably comprise two pieces, or arms tages that the present invention was conceived. 20 2 and 3, of flat, relatively stiff tape, strap or stiff The main objects of this invention are to pro elastic joined to form a substantial W by miter vide a novel, simple and economical sanitary ing and sewing together the connecting ends in napkin-holding means; to provide a device of this abutting relationship, as indicated by the numera character which gives the wearer perfect freedom 4, in Fig. 1. Each supporting elementis thus fiat; of motion. Without binding and With elimination 25 throughout and is substantially reinforced at the of pressure on the pelvic organs; to provide a apex of the V by means of the connecting stitch napkin-holding device which will obviate the dis ing at the mitered joint. comfort and the often deleterious effects arising To the free ends of the arms 2 and 3 are at from the use of belts which encircle the wearer's tached extending securing or fastening tabs Waist; to provide a device of this character which 30 5-6 constructed of any suitable material, such as Will provide greater flexibility of movement of tape. The tabs to be integrally secured to the the napkin relative to the supporting means garment in the position shown in the drawingsby. whereby friction and pulling are minimized and any suitable means, such as by sewing or stitching: greater comfort is obtained under all conditions The removable napkin-attaching hangers or of the Wearer's body position or movements; to 35 Connecting members, comprise a flat strap 7 made provide a holding means of the character that is of any suitable material, such as elastic, having inconspicuous and which will minimize discom a napkin-securing means 8 and 9 such as pads or forting bunching and rolling of the attaching tabs integrally secured, one to each free end of member when in use; to provide such a device the strap 7. The flat strip 7 is folded in half, as which will be comfortable to wear and will be self 40. shown, to provide a pair of depending straps adjusting in its application to the user and in the which are joined together and held in this posit. latter's movements; to provide such a device for tion by sewing a V-shaped seam fo, apex pointing the holding of such a napkin in place by means downwardly, adjacent the fold. The V-shaped which may be secured to a garment not provided Seam or crotch 0 is sewed so as to conform to especially for this purpose, as for example a foun 45. the V-shaped angle of the supporting members, dation garment or one which does not shift rela whereby both V’s have complementary angles: tively to the body like a foundation garment or In use the Supporting elements f are secured. corset, corselet or girdle; and to provide a sani Substantially to the inside of a foundation gar tary napkin holder in which the attaching means ment, one in the: front central portion thereof. will be free to shift laterally but which will re 50. (see Fig: i) and one in the rear central portion center themselves in accordance with the move "thereof by anchoring the tabs 5-6 to the gar ments of the user's body. ment, as aforesaid. The supporting elements. 2 An illustrative embodiment of this invention is are attached at spaced locations circumferentially shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: of and to the garment and on a line just below the Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the in 55 normal location of the wearer's navel with the

2,452,181 3 4. apex of the V centered with respect to the wear ends of the legs of the W thereto and are posi er's body and pointing downwardly. The napkin tioned just below the normal location of the attaching member 7 is then looped over the Sup wearer's navel with the apex of the V centered porting element f, so that the free ends of the with respect to the Wearer's body and pointing attaching members will depend from the apex of downwardly. The napkin attaching members are the V-shaped supporting elements with the W simply fiat straps of such length that when folded formed by the stitching 0 riding in the V formed double each will reach the respective fastening by mitering the arms 2-3 together. A sanitary tabs or ends of the napkin, and each end of each napkin í is secured to the padsº: 8 and 9 in the attaching member is preferably provided with a usual manner, such as by safety pins ff. 10 fastening pad. These attaching members are Since the V-shaped seam O of the attaching hung freely from the respective V supporting member will rest within the V formed by the elements by looping each attaching member over arms 2-3 of the supporting element , the at its V support so that the free ends of the attach taching member 7 will normally assume a cen ing member will depend from the apex of the V. tralized position as shown in the drawings. The 5 The ends or fastening tabs of the napkin are then positioning of the V-shaped seam 0 within the Secured to the attaching pads in the usual man V-shaped supporting elements 2-3 allows the e. flat strap 7 to swing and slide, on the arms of the The V-shaped supporting elements are pref Supporting element, in harmony with the move erably made from elastic tape resilient in the ments of the wearer's body, but when the wear 20 direction of its length. Such material, because er's body, assumes a normal erect position, the of its stiffness provides an upper edge along which V-shaped seam O of the flat strap 7 will auto the depending attaching members can readily matically slide laterally and center itself at the slide laterally to permit freedom of lateral body mitered joint of the supporting element , there bending of the wearer without pulling or dis by assuring complete comfort to the wearer. 25 placement of the napkin; and because such ma The mitered joint at the apexes of the V's being terial has lengthwise elasticity forward bending reinforced by the stitching, substantially elimi or sitting posture of the wearer's body is per nates the curling or rolling over of the support imitted without forward and backward “sawing' ing element under the downwward pulling action movement of the napkin. of the depending members. . . 30 The V construction of the supporting elements This V form of the supporting elements not also provides for automatic or self-centering of only allows greater freedom of body movement the depending attaching members when the without discomfort but also prevents any such wearer's body assumes a normal erect position. rolling over or curling of the supporting elements It is to be understood that some of the details as would cause discomfort to the Wearer, due to Set forth may be altered or omitted without de being positioned tightly against the wearer's body, parting from the Spirit of the invention as de and as would cause conspicuous bulging beneath fined by the following claim. the wearer's clothes. " . . . As will be apparent from the nature of this I clainn: invention, the device is primarily adapted for use (3 In a device of the class described, a napkin with a suitable foundation garment, such as a holding means comprising two elastic supporting corset, girdle or the like, having sufficient body to elements disposed substantially flat against the provide a stable base upon which to attach the inner Surface of a primary supporting member V-shaped supporting elements and to prevent for body wear and located respectively one at the stretching or tearing of the foundation garment. 45 front and one at the rear of the supporting mem Thus the foundation garment becomes the pri ber, means on the free ends of said element for mary Supporting member. It should be under fastening each element to the supporting mem stood, however, that the present invention is not ber, each element having the upper edge portions the combination of a napkin support with a thereof converging downwardly from the free foundation, garment, but rather resides in the 50 ends thereof to form a V, a depending elastic napkin-rattaching means per se and particularly hanger suspended centrally from each of said in the V-shaped element thereof and in the sup Supporting elements having a V-shaped seam in porting means and the V-shaped seam thereof. its upper end, the angles thereof being comple In the modified form of my invention, as mentary to the angles of the V of said support shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the supporting elements ing element whereby said hanger will readily 2-3 are constructed exactly as heretofore de Seat in Said W of the Supporting element and be scribed with reference to the preferred embodi slidable laterally on the upper edge thereof, and ment. The i napkin attaching members differ means on the free ends of said hangers to which slightly from the preferred embodiment of my the ends of a sanitary napkin may be attached. invention in that the fiat strap . 4, when doubled 60 EDITH CARPENTER. over upon itself, is merely stitched adjacent the fold as at 5 to reinforce the upper end of the REFERENCES CITED strap.f4 and form a definite means to retain the The following references are of record in the strap. 4 in folded position. The stitching or file of this patent: Sewing 5 also provides a means whereby the 65 looped strap f 4 may readily shift on the upper UNITED STATES PATENTS edges of the diagonal arms 2-3 when occasion Nurnber Name Date s arises and automatically be self-centered again 675,748 Margoris ------June 4, 1901 When the person's body assumes the normal erect 896,042 POS?? ------Aug. 11, 1908 position. ? ? 70 987,900 IMIck?inney ------Mar. 28, 1911 In use the Supporting elements are secured to 2,030,306 Llain ------Feb. 11, 1936 the foundation garment by fastening the free 2,136,250 Peck ------Nov. 8, 1938