US2201257A - Nursing bottle support - Google Patents

Description

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CIC. BELL NURSING BOTTLE SUPPORT Filed Feb. 3. 1939 May 2l, 1940.

Patented May 21, i940 iATENT OFFICE NURSING BOTTLE SUPPORT Charles Cox Bell, Marblehead, Mass.

Application February 3, 1939; Serial No; 254,468

Claims.

My inventionl relates to devices for supporting nursing bottles and consists, in one aspect, in an improvedV support byY means of which a nursing lil l:

bottle-may be' supported directly above the body of an infant lying on itsback.

Ordinarily the process of feedingA aninfant requires that the infant beheld in a personis lap, theperson feeding the infant using one hand to hold the'I bottle and the other arm tor'support the infant. Inasmuch as this processie` not only wearisome to the person feeding the child but is alsol undoubtedly uncomfortable for the child, there hasbeen a long-felt need for adevice which would; allowv the infant tohlie fiat on its-back and takel its food from a bottle supported in correct nurengy position. Quite often a bottle is sup-` ported on a pillow at the side ofi'. the infant, but this methodisunsa-tisfactory for the reason that the bottle rolls eff the pillow and out of reach of the infant. Furthermore, ifx the changes its position, it can no longer reach the bottle.

Various attempts have been made to devise clamps or supports tov replace the pillow in the above-mentioned method. However, these substitutes for the pillow have proved unsatisfactoryffor severa-l@ reasons. l

The supports heretofore used= have been objectionable because they require either that the baby twist itshead toJ one side in. order to. reach the bottle or that the baby be propped up: on its side. Furthermore the baby is entirely free to movewith respect` to the bottle, and it commonly happens that the infant will roll away from the bottle and not be able to reach it again.

The most important object of my invention is to provide a nursing bottle support whereby the baby can nurse while in a natural and physiologically correct position. My invention also has for its object to provide a bottle holder adapted to be arranged so that the nursing infant is loosely conned within a zone about the bottle so that the infant can choose its own gait and thus avoid colic which often results when an infant is required to hold a nipple in its mouth for extended periods of time. In such cases the infant sucks in air around the nipple in excessive quantities.

An important feature of the invention resides in a novel clamping device which may be adjusted to maintain the bottle in any predetermined position and also allows slight movement of the bottle so that it will respond to the tugs of a nursing infant.

In addition to the advantages resulting from infant r(Cl. 248-105) the attainment of the foregoing objects of my invention, its use involves ancillary advantages. For example; at present it is necessary that some person supervise'the feeding of an infant, either holding the infant and the bottleV or seeing' to it that the infant can reach thel bottle at all times when held in a clamp or other support. When my invention is used', it is only necessary to prepare the bottle, place the support over the child; and place the bottle in theA support. The infant is thenV able tof carry out the feeding program alone. Thus, a burdenedI parent is' relieved and may devote more-timeto other duties; The time saving is an important factor, since a nursing infant usually takes from 2G minutes to one half hour toV consume a bottle, and? from four to sixl bottles are generally administered eachv day.

Broadly speaking', myfinvent-ion comprises a support adapted to be disposed at thesidof? an infant, av transverse bar' secured to theV support and projecting above and acrossl` the infant, and means on the'bar for suspending a nursing bottle substantially above the babyslmouth.

These and other features of the invention will be more readily under-stood.an'diappreciatedf from the' following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of" i1- lustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig'. l?. is a plan view of! a nursing bottle'support constructed. accordingto1 my invention; and

Figi.A 21 is aview partly in. section and. parltlyf in. elevation on a line taken transversely of the device, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rubber gasket.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawing an inclined bar I0 of Wood or other suitable material is secured at both ends to a pair of identical side supports I2 and I3 which are generally triangular in shape and provided with flat bases adapted to rest on the flat surface of a bed or wherever it may be convenient to place the infant during the nursing period. As shown in Fig. 2 an infant I4 lies beneath the transverse bar I0 on a bed I6, and is covered by bed clothes I1.

'Ihe transverse bar I0 is provided with a centrally located aperture I8 having sides perpendicular tothe plane of the bar. The aperture I8 is slightly larger than the outside diameter of a standard nursing bottle. In Fig. 2 the device is shown While in use, and it Will appear that a nursingl bottle I9 is first surrounded by a rubber skirt or gasket 20 which is provided with a centrally located hole considerably smaller in diameter than the diameter of the bottle I9. After the skirt 20 is pulled over the bottle I9, the bottle is thrust through the aperture I8 until the rubber gasket l2|) engages the sides of the aperture I8 and by wedging action prevents the bottle from being drawn farther through the hole I8. The level of the milk or other substance in the bottle is indicated at 2l. The inclination of the bar III l] locates the bottle I9 in pro-per angular position convenient to the nursing child.

It will be apparent that the location of the nipple 22 is determined by the position of the rubber gasket 20 on the bottle I9. That is to say, the nipple 22 can be raised or lowered by changing the position of the gasket 20 either nearer or farther from the upper end of the bottle I9. The bottle I9 is not tightly wedged in the hole I8 but may be twisted or rotated somewhat so that it will respond naturally to the tug of the nursing child.

In addition to supporting the nursing bottle in correct nursing position, my invention renders it unnecessary for the feeding to be supervised. This is accomplished by reason of the fact that the infant is confined between the side members I2 and I3, and I have found that an infant cannot get so far away from the bottle that it cannot reach it again without assistance. Furthermore, the bottle I9 may be removed from the aperture I8 and inspected if it is desired to ascertain hoW much milk, or formula, has been consumed by the baby.

While the rubber gasket is convenient and easy to use, I also contemplate the use of any means, such as a coil spring, which will simultaneously hold the bottle frictionally and form an abutment or shoulder on the bottle larger than the diameter of the aperture in the transverse member.

It should be understood that the' chief importance of my invention `resides in the fact that the nursing bottle is supported above the infant when the latter is substantially prone. rWhile I accomplish this by means of the construction shown in the drawing, it will be apparent that there are many other Ways of supporting the bottle in correct nursing position. For example, the side members I2 and I3 might be eliminated and one end of the transverse bar I0 could be clamped to the bars of a crib. The bottle would still be supported in correct nursing position, although the device could then be conveniently used only in conjunction with a crib, whereas the feeder shown in the drawing may be used wherever there is a flat surface` for the bases of the members I2 and I3 to rest upon. In any event, it should be understood that my'invention is not limited to the precise construction shown in the drawing but may be practiced with the use of equivalent means within the scope of the apf pended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'of the'United States is:

1. A device for feeding an infant, which comprises a pair of supports arranged to be disposed at opposite sides of a prone infant, an inclined transverse member connecting the upper ends of said supports and provided with a centrally located aperture, and a fiexible gasket arranged to iit over a nursing bottle and hold it at a predetermined position in the aperture.

2. A device for feeding an infant from a bottle which comprises a bar having an aperture, means for'supporting said bar yabove and across the body of an infant, and means arranged to t over a bottle and hold it in correct nursing position in the aperture in said bar.

3. A device for feeding an infant from a nursing bottle, which comprises an apertured member, means for supporting the member above and across a prone infant, and a rubber ring provided with a central opening smaller than the diameter of a nursing bottle and which frictionally engages and holds a bottle, whereby a bottle encompassed by said ring may be inserted in the aperture of said member` and prevented from passing therethrough by the wedging action of said rubber ring.

4. A device for feeding an infant from a bottle which comprises a bar, means for supporting the bar above and across the body of an infant, said bar having an aperture, and a flexible resilient member adapted to maintain a nursing bottle in said aperture in correct nursing position.

5. A device for feeding an infant, which comprises a pair of supports arranged to be disposedat opposite sides of a prone infant, a transverse member connecting the upper ends of said sup ports and provided with a centrally located aperture, and a exible gasket arranged to fit over a knursing bottle and `hold it at a predetermined position in the aperture.

CHARLES COX BELL.

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