A New or Improved Belt to be Used by Women at Periods of Menstruation, or After Confinement, or for Surgical Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Belt to be Used by Women at Periods of
Menstruation, or After Confinement, or for Surgical Purposes.
I, LAURENTINE JOUATTE, of 150 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Corset and Belt Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a belt to be used by women at periods of
menstruation and after confinement.
It may also be used by medical men and surgeons as an effective means for
easily keeping in place special dressings necessitated by operations, sores, wounds,
and the like, in the lower part of the body.
The novelty of the invention consists in the employment of tubular indiarubber
to form the body of the belt, as well as appendages by which the linen articles
used are carried."
.
The invention has for its object to allow a woman wearing it, at any time of the
day, even in full dress, to adjust and arrange the parts, and do whatever else may
be necessary, and at the same time to prevent most of the inconveniences inherent
to the different systems of belts or cords hitherto ordinarily used. Such systems,
whether in leather or in cloth, worn tight round the body, have too much stiffness,
causing thereby a continual discomfort, compression, or wounding the waist, and
great difficulty for a woman when dressed to give what alteration may be necessary
without at least partially undressing. If worn loose, they slip down the hips, and
nearly always form a ridge or wrinkle under the corset or dress, causing pain and
pressure in the abdomen, swelling of the waist, and imperfection in the appearance
of the dress.
The tubular indiarubber belt, by its special construction, instead of slipping
down the hips, has rather a tendency to rise towards the hollow of the waist; it
cannot occasion any tightness, for its pressure is very slight and gentle. It "gives"
and flattens under the clothes, and from its flexibility and little thickness, it is not
noticed, even with the best and tightest fitting corsets or stays.
Moreover it keeps perfectly in place the linen articles used, and by its great
facility of extension in front and behind, it allows the wearer, no matter how
dressed, to give without trouble or inconvenience, what attention may be
necessary.
The improved belt consists of the belt itself, and two appendages for attaching
the linen articles.
The body of the belt, and these appendages, are formed simply of vulcanized
indiarubber tubes, having an external diameter of about 8 millimêtres, and an
internal one of about 6 millimetres, the tube being slightly over 1 millimetre thick.
This thickness is necessary and sufficient to give the parts of the belt sufficient
strength for the purposes required, whilst they are capable of stretching. nearly.a
third of their length.
The body of the belt is not of any exact length, but is within about 2 or 3 centi-
mêtres of that of the waist of the wearer.
The ends of the tubular belt are finished with tabs of soft and flexible leather,
lambskin, chamois or deerskin, to carry the fastening and to form a cushion under
the latter.
1.

page_text: The fastening is most convéniently placed somewhat towards the front on the
left side.
The tubular indiarubber, appendages which carry the linen articles used have a
length of about 0.20 to 0.25 centimetres, according to the size of the waist of the
wearer; and their ends are also finished, with pieces of leather, or other material
already described, which form rings round the belt itself, the indiarubber
appendages themselves forming therefore adjustable loops to which the linen
articles are fastened, each appendage having the rings at its ends fitted round the
belt at 8 to 10 centimêtres from each other..
When the belt thus fitted is fastened round the waist of the wearer, the two
loops are situated one in front and one at the back of the body, forming two
hanging half rings.
The linen article is passed inside these loops, its ends being folded-back and
fastened, with any desired tightness, by safety pins.
The fastening is composed of either a buckle, a hook, or any suitable button;
preferably a buckle without a tongue, which lies very flat and is no inconvenience
under the clothes.
For delicate or fashionable females, who might object to the immediate contact
of the vulcanized indiarubber, the tubes may be enclosed in a very light silk or
cloth covering, or in a fabric of thin light cotton woven round them, provided of
course that the free elasticity of the tubes is not interfered with.
Moreover, all kinds of fastenings more or less ornamental, and ornamental
coverings and additions to the tubes, may be used, provided they add little or
nothing to the thickness of the belt and especially, which is essential, that they
in no way interfere with the normal extension of the parts...
Dated this 9th day of June 1906
A New or Improved Belt to be Used by: Women at Periods of
Menstruation, or After Confinement, or for Surgical Purposes.
I, LAURENTINE JOUATTE, of 150, Rue de Rivoli, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Corset and Belt Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, and accompanying
drawing, that is to say:
The present invention relates to a belt to be used by women at periods of
menstruation and after confinement.
·
It may also be used by medical men and surgeons as an effective means for
easily keeping, in place, special dressings necessitated by operations, sores, wounds,
and the like, in the lower part of the body.
;
The novelty of the, invention consists in the employment of tubular indiarubber.
to form the body of the belt, as well as appendages by which the linen articles used
are carried.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention.
The invention has for its object to allow a woman wearing it, at any time of the.
day, even in full dress, to adjust and arrange the parte, and do whatever else may.
be necessary, and at the same time to prevent most of the inconveniences inherent
to the different systems of belts or cords hitherto ordinarily used. Such systems,
whether in leather or in cloth, worn tight round the body, have too much stiffness,
13

page_text: causing thereby a continual discomfort, compression, or wounding the waist, and
great difficulty for a woman when dressed to give what alteration may be necessary;
without at least partially undressing. If worn loose, they slip down the hips, and'
nearly always form a ridge or wrinkle under the corset or dress, causing pain and
pressure in the abdomen, swelling of the waist, and imperfection in the appearance:
of the dress.
The tubular indiarubber belt, by its special construction, instead of slipping
down the hips, has rather a tendency to rise towards the hollow of the waist; it
cannot occasion any tightness, for its' pressure is very slight and gentle. It "gives"
and flattens under the clothes, and from its flexibility and little thickness, it is not
noticed, even with the best and tightest fitting corsets or stays.
Moreover it keeps perfectly in place the linen articles used, and by its great
facility of extension in front and behind, it allows the wearer, no matter how
dressed, to give without trouble or inconvenience, what attention may be
necessary.
The improved belt consists of the belt itself, and two appendages for attaching
the linen articles.
The body of the belt, (C, C, C, C, C), and these appendages (A, A, A), are
formed simply of vulcanized indiarubber tubes, having an external diameter of
about 8 millimêtres, and an internal one of about 6 millimètres, the tube being
slightly over 1 millimetre thick (as shewn in section M, M). This thickness is
necessary and sufficient to give the parts of the belt sufficient strength for the
purposes required, whilst they are capable of stretching nearly a third of their
length.
The body of the belt (C, C, C, C, C) is not of any exact length, but is within
about 2 or 3 centimètres of that of the waist of the wearer.
The ends of the tubular belt are finished with tabs of soft and flexible leather,
lambskin, chamois or deerskin, to carry the fastening at P and to form a cushiou
under the latter, at Pl.
The fastening is most conveniently placed somewhat towards the front on the
left side.
The tubular indiarubber appendages A, A, A, which carry the linen articles
used have a length of about 0.20 to 0.25 centimetres, according to the size of the
waist of the wearer; and their ends are also finished with pieces of leather, or
other material already described, which form rings round the belt itself, the india-
rubber appendages themselves forming therefore adjustable loops to which the
linen articles are fastened, (see B, B, B, B, and the section at N, N), each
appendage having the rings at its ends fitted round the belt at 8 to 10 centimêtres
from each other.
When the belt thus fitted is fastened round the waist of the wearer, the two
loops remain naturally situated one in front and one at the back of the body,
forming two hanging half rings.
The linen article is passed inside these loops, its ends being folded back and
fastened, with any desired tightness, by safety pins.
The fastening is composed of either a buckle, a hook, or any suitable button;
preferably the one shewn in the drawing consisting of a buckle without a tongue
(sce F and F), which lies very flat only rising about 2 millimêtres, and is no
inconvenience under the clothes.
For delicate or fashionable females, who might object to the immediate contact
of the vulcanized indiarubber, the tubes may be enclosed in a very light silk or
cloth covering (see R, R, R), or in a fabric of thin light cotton woven round them,
(see T, T, T,), provided of course that the free elasticity of the tubes is not
interfered with.
Moreover, all kinds of fastenings more or less ornamental, and ornamental
coverings and additions to the tubes, may be used, provided they add little or
nothing to the thickness of the belt and especially, which is essential,-that they
in no way interfere with the normal extension of the parts.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use of tubular indiarubber for the body of the belt, and the appendages
to it which carry the linen articles to be used, substantially in the manner and for
the purposes described and illustrated.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.