July 24, 1962
`
`c. J. GEIMER
`MATERNITY GARMENT
`
`3,045,678
`
`Filed Feb. 26, 1960
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`2 Sheets-Sheet 1
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`A:
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`COR/VIA J
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`INVENTOR.
`65/445 '0
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`5%;
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`Target Corporation
`EX. 1025 - Page 1
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`July 24, 1962
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`Filed Feb. 26, 1960
`
`c. J. GEIMER
`MATERNITY GARMENT
`
`3,045,678
`
`2 Sheets-Sheet 2
`
`%LlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIHIHII
`
`TE; El
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`IN VEN TOR.
`COR/YEA I06‘ J: 65/6452
`BY / ~
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`75> 1%? i
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`Target Corporation
`EX. 1025 - Page 2
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`3,045,578
`Patented July 24, 1962
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`3,045,678
`MATERNITY GARMENT
`Cornelius J. Geimer, Burr Oak, Mich., assignor to Free
`man Manufacturing Company, Sturgis, Mich., a cor
`poration of Michigan
`Filed Feb. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 11,180
`8 Claims. (Cl. 128-554)
`The present invention relates to improved maternity
`garments or girdles of the general type illustrated and
`described in my Letters Patent No. 2,854,006 of Septem
`ber 30, 1958, and No. 2,878,812 of March 24, 1959.
`The invention according to the present improvement
`provides a maternity garment of this type featuring a type
`of abdomen support by which the lower front abdomen
`zone of the wearer is ?rmly sustained from beneath by
`a front continuation of a hip encircling member of a
`known fabric having a ?rm elastic characteristic, this
`lower abdomen portion being adjoined from above by
`an improved upper abdomen supporting panel unit hav
`ing an initial built-in pocket feature providing an im
`proved and more comfortable containment of the upper
`central abdomen zone, throughout the period of the
`pregnancy in which the garment is worn.
`An object of the invention is to provide such a mater
`nity garment in which the central, upper abdomen panel
`unit is constituted by a plurality of elastic ‘fabric panels
`arranged with their lines of major elasticity in differ
`ent directions, being pieced and seamed together to pro
`vide the built-in abdomen pocket referred to above, as
`Well as to provide stretchability in directions at an acute
`angle to one another.
`More speci?cally, an object in accordance with the
`preceding paragraph is to provide a garment having a
`pocket abdomen panel unit as described in which there
`are at least two such elastic panels, and preferably three,
`including one (such as a central panel) having its major
`elasticity in the vertical direction and another adjoining
`and seamed directly to it which has its direction of major
`elasticity diverging upwardly and outwardly from the
`vertical. This affords a very desirable support for the
`abdomen as the pregnancy progresses, with a novel and
`improved bi-directional stretch of the upper panel unit
`other than at a right angle.
`A still further object is to provide a central panel unit
`for a maternity garment, as described, in which the mate
`rial of the component elastic panels, though stretchable
`in two directions, has major elasticity in one, thus enabling
`the panels to be seamed with their respective lines of
`major elasticity at an acute angle, and thus affording
`desiredly ?rm‘ support coupled with comfort as the
`abdomen enlarges.
`Another object is to provide a garment in which the
`panels in question may optionally be formed of a soft
`shirred netting which is longitudinally and laterally
`stretchable, but has major stretchability in one of these
`directions, and by reason of its shirred character is of
`substantially greater yielda-bility than the material of the
`hip encircling part of the garment; or in which the hip
`encircling and abdomen supporting parts may all be fabri
`cated of the same suitable elastic material, with lines of
`stretchability angled as described, thus combining proper
`abdomen control with desired hip control.
`Other objects and features of the invention will become
`more apparent as this description proceeds, especially
`when considered in connection with the accompanying
`drawings illustrating the invention, wherein:
`FIG. 1 is a perspective View of one embodiment of the
`improved maternity girdle, as‘ worn;
`FIGS. 2 and 3 are, respectively, front and side eleva
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`2
`tional views showing the front and side panels of the
`garment in an undistended condition of the latter, FIG.
`2 being partially broken away;
`FIG. 4 is a View in side elevation of the garment as it
`is worn; and
`FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are elevational views similar to FIGS.
`2, 3 and 4, respectively, of another embodiment of the
`invention.
`Referring ?rst to FIGS. 1 through 4, one form of the
`improved garment consists, in essence, of three different
`elastic panel units, each being longitudinally and laterally
`stretchable, although in different degree as among the
`three. These include a rear and side hip encircling panel
`unit 10 of a relatively close mesh elastic webbing of nylon,
`for example, which is stretchable in about the same de
`gree both longitudinally and laterally; a lower front panel
`unit 11 of the same material stitched to the rear and
`side panel unit 10 along susbtantially upright, laterally
`spaced seam lines 12 which in general follow the line
`of the hip bone of the wearer; and an upper front ab
`domen supporting panel unit, generally designated by the
`reference numeral 13, with which the improvements of
`the present invention primarily deal. However, it is
`to be clearly understood that structural characteristics of
`the panel unit 13, per so, are, of course, integrated in
`the garment with the characteristics of the rear, side and
`lower front panel units 10, 11.
`The upper edge of the lower front abdomen unit 11
`is mildly concave upwardly to conform generally with the
`line of the lower ‘abdomen, and is connected along a seam
`14 of this outline to the lower edge of the upper front
`panel unit 13.
`Front upright seams 12 connect the sides of the panel
`unit 13 ‘to the upper portion of the rear and side encircling
`panel ‘unit 10. The top and bottom margins of the gar
`ment are edged therearound in a more or less conventional
`way by elastic bands 15, 16, respectively, which are stretch
`able horizontally or laterally only, the bottom band 16
`having the usual garter clasps 17 suitably stitched thereto.
`The upper front albdomen panel 13 is, in the adapta
`tion thereof shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, composed of
`three panels ‘or sections, namely, a central panel 19 and
`side panels 20, 21, seamed to either upright edge thereof.
`The material of panels 19, 20 and 21 is in each case a
`suitable shirred net elastic fabric which is both longi
`tudinally and laterally stretchable, but of a greater de
`gree of elasticity or stretchability in the longiutdinall sense
`(which would be in the upright direction in FIG. 2) than
`in the lateral sense. For the purpose of further identify
`ing the longitudinality, the panels 19, 20 and 21 may be
`said to runiformly embody longitudinal zones 22 of rela
`tively loosely shirred netting, connected by more compact
`ly shirred lines or zones 23, the zones 22 and lines 23 in
`all cases being considered to extend longitudinally, in so
`fan- as the particular panel in question is concerned.
`The material of the panel unit 13, as a whole, is of a
`considerably greater degree of stretchability or elasticity,
`particularly in its longitudinal direction of major stretch
`iability, than the material of the rear and side encircling
`panel unit 10 and the lower front abdomen supporting
`panel unit 11, as in my patents identi?ed above. The
`garment as thus far constituted and described, affords a
`desirably ?rm hip control, coupled with the desiredly
`?rm lower abdomen support, the lower front panel unit
`11 in effect constituting the front connecting extension of
`corresponding upright margins or seams of the unit 10.
`In accordance with the invention as shown in FIGS. 1
`through 4, and in common with the embodiment of FIGS.
`5, 6 and 7, the central panel 19 extends upwardly through
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`8,045,678
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`the full height of panel unit 13, from its connection to
`the lower unit 11 at seam 14, to a top seamed connec
`tion to the band 15.
`Its side margins, at which it is
`stitched to the panels 20, 21 along seams 25, diverge
`upwardly and outwardly, and its component shirred zones
`22, 23 are vertical.
`1
`-
`In contrast, the material of the upper front panels 20,
`21 is pieced and seamed to the central panel 19, and to
`adjacent margins of the rear and side encircling panel unit
`10 in a manner such that the longitudinality of the shirred
`material is at an acute angle to that of the central panel
`19, being cheveron-like or herring-boned in this respect.
`Furthermore, the cutting, piecing and stitching of the
`panels 19, 20, ‘21 to one another, and to the panel units
`10, 11, is such as to afford a substantial fullness or for
`ward pocketing of panel unit 13 in an undistended con
`dition of the ‘garment, as perhaps best shown in FIG. 3
`of the drawings.
`Coupled with the arrangement of the lines of major
`elasticity of the panels 19, 2t) and 21 in acutely angular
`relationship to one another, the provision of initial, built
`in fullness in upper front abdomen supporting unit 13,
`particularly at the lower portion of the ‘latter, affords a
`highly desirable control of the abdomen during pregnancy,
`the respective zones 19, 20 and 21 of shirred elastic
`material expanding along their respective lines of major
`elasticity to insure desired comfort, along with adequate
`support.
`In further accordance with the invention, and for the
`purpose of merging the relatively strong supporting action
`of the lower front panel unit 11, with that of the milder
`support of panel unit 13, the invention contemplates the
`provision of an inner arcuate band or sling 27 of sub
`stantial width which is contoured and follows the seam
`14, which connects the sling, as well as the panel unit 13,
`to the lower front panel unit 11. It is contemplated that
`the 'band or sling 27 will be similarly secured to the panels
`19, '20 and 21 of the unit 13 along an upper arcuate
`stitched seam 28 paralleling the seam 14.
`The band or sling 27 is preferably of the same ma
`terial as the plastic panel units 10 and 11, being stretch
`able in both directions, and it is seen that it adds to
`the relatively stretchable shirred material of panel unit
`13 a degree of resistance to stretch which is desirable
`across the lower abdomen zone.
`The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS.
`5, 6 and 7 is in practically all structural respects, save in
`the matter of material, the same as or equivalent to
`the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 4. Accordingly,
`corresponding reference numerals, primed, are employed
`to designate corresponding parts, connections and rela
`tionships, and, needless to say, further discussion thereof
`will be eliminated.
`The essential difference between the two embodiments
`is in that in the form of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the material
`of the rear and side encircling panel unit 10', the lower
`front panel unit 11’, and the upper front, composite panel
`unit 13 is the same, being shown as rather closely knit
`elastic fabric, as contrasted to the loosely shirred char
`acter of panel unit 13 of the ?rst embodiment. However,
`like the latter, it is stretchable both laterally and longi
`tudinally, though more so in the longitudinal sense.
`Further, in correspondence with the ?rst embodiment,
`the material of the center panel 19' and side panels 20’,
`21’ contain the same longitudinal zones of major stretch
`ability, though the material is also stretchable to a lesser
`degree in the lateral sense; and the panels 19', 20’ and
`21' are cut and pieced together in shapes adequate to
`afford the desired forward pocketing of panel unit 13.
`An auxiliary supporting band or sling 27' is prefer
`ably employed, having the purpose ‘and action of the
`sling 27 and being similarly seamed to panels 19', 20’
`and 21' of the unit 13’.
`The embodiments of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 shows the seam
`ing of the upper front panel unit 13' to the units 10' and
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`4
`11' as being supplemented by an elastic tape 30 around
`the side and lower contour line of unit 13'. In other
`respects the two embodiments are, as indicated above,
`similar, and afford a choice to the purchasers of two
`garments basically incorporating the same essential and
`bene?cial attributes.
`’
`Although the two embodiments described above feature
`the arrangement of the front side panels 20, 21 or 20’,
`21’, with their lines of major stretchability at an acute
`angle to the vertical, an important feature of the inven
`tion, over and above such arrangement, resides in the
`bias cutting of the outer sides of the center panel 19 or
`19' at an ‘angle to the vertical, and corresponding mating
`cutting of the inner edges of the side panels. This per
`mits a full up and down stretch of the center panel,
`coupled with a combined uplift support contributed by
`the bias cut side panels. Hence, this feature should be
`regarded as a signi?cant one, regardless of the relative
`orientation as to line of major stretchability of the side
`panels in question.
`What I claim as my invention is:
`1. A maternity garment comprising a rear and side
`encircling panel unit of elastic fabric connected across
`the lower front portion of the garment by a lower ab
`domen supporting portion, and an upper front abdomen
`supporting panel unit seamed to said ?rst named unit
`and to said lower abdomen supporting portion, said upper
`panel unit comprising three panels seamed to one an
`other in side-by-side horizontal succession along a pair of
`generally upright margins, said margins diverging up
`wardly throughout substantially the entire height of said
`upper front panel unit, [the panels of said upper unit
`being of two-way stretch material but having predeter
`mined lines of major stretchability in one of the two
`directions of the stretch thereof, said panels being re
`spectively arranged with said lines in acutely angled re
`lationship to one another at said respective seamed
`margins.
`2. A maternity garment in accordance with claim 1,
`in which said panels of said upper ‘front panel unit are
`of similar elastic material, but differing from and of
`greater stretchability than that of said rear and side en
`circling panel unit.
`3. A maternity garment in accordance with claim 1,
`in which said panels of said upper front panel unit are
`of similar elastic material similar to that of said rear
`and side encircling panel unit.
`‘4. A maternity garment in accordance with claim 1,
`in which said upper panel unit is formed to provide a for
`Ward looseness and pocketing thereof as compared with the
`remainder of the garment in an unstretched condition of
`the latter.
`5. A maternity garment comprising a rear and side en
`circling panel unit of elastic fabric connected across the
`lower front portion of the garment by a lower abdomen
`supporting portion, and an upper front abdomen sup
`porting panel unit seamed to said ?rst named unit and to
`said lower abdomen supporting portion, said upper panel
`unit comprising three panels seamed to one another along
`generally upright margins, the panels of said upper unit
`being of two-way stretch material but having predeter
`mined lines of major stretchability in one of the two di
`rections of the stretch thereof, and being respectively
`arranged with said lines in acutely angled relationship to
`- one another, said three panels including ‘a center panel
`having its lines of major stretchability substantially ver
`tical, and panels at either side of said center panel having
`their corresponding lines of major stretchability at acute
`upwardly and outwardly diverging angles to those of said
`center panel.
`6. A maternity garment in accordance with claim 5,
`in which said panels of said upper front panel unit are
`of similar elastic material, but differing from and of
`greater stretchability than that of said rear and side
`encircling panel unit.
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`5
`7. A maternity garment in ‘accordance with claim 5,
`in which said panels of said upper front panel unit are
`of similar elastic material similar to that of said rear
`and side encircling panel unit.
`8. A maternity garment in ‘accordance with claim -5,
`in which said upper panel unit is rlformed to provide a
`forward looseness and pocketing thereof as compared
`with the remainder of the garment in an unstretched con
`dition of the latter.
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`3,045,678
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`References ?ted in the ?le of this patent
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`Ford _________________ __ May 9, 1950
`Collini ______________ __ ‘Feb. 19, 1952
`Diogene ______________ __ Feb. 28, 1956
`Geimer ______________ __ Sept. 30, 1958
`Scheinberg ____________ __ Aug. 4, 1959
`Blatt ________________ __ Oct, 11, 1960
`
`2,506,826
`2,586,614
`2,736,029
`2,854,006
`2,897,823
`2,955,598
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`Target Corporation
`EX. 1025 - Page 5
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