US1653787A - Nursing nipple - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,787

J. A. SMITH NURS ING NIPPLE Filed Dec. 2 1926 IN VEN TOR Jay/w A. s/v/f/r I m ATTOR EY Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH A. SMITH, 01 ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

NURSING NIPPLE.

Application filed December 20, 1926. Serial No. 155,998.

My invention relates to an improved nursing-nipple characterized in that the nipple 1s non-collapsible and does not descend Into the neck of the nursing bottle.

5 It is a familiar fact that the ordinary nursing nipples ofcommerce possess the undesirable feature of collapsing in use due to the partial vacuum which by the sucking of the infant is created, all to the annoyance and disturbance of the infant who is generally made fretful thereby. Another evil to which the nipples now in use are subject arises after the nipple becomes extremely flexible from use so that it is thrust down the neck of 16 the nursing bottle with facility by the infant.

Both these evils do much to deprive the infant of a portion of the pleasure which generally accompanies feeding.

Many attempts have been made to solve 20 the problem presented by the evils specified and in fact many forms of nipples have been proposed and patented but none has as yet met with universal acceptance as accomplishing the sought for result.

It is an object of myinvention to provide a nursing-nipple, simple in design and effective in operation which permits the uninterrupted flow of fluid to the infant, regardless how far the nipple is pulled down over the bottle neck.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved nursing nipple having therein a bridge member which has the double function of preventing the formation of a partial vacuum and also serves to prevent the nipple top from being pushed 1nto the neck of the bottle.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a bottom view of my improved nipple showing the interior of the socket with the bridge member in place.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the nipple in inverted position showing the bridge member extending over the bead portion of the nipple.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line AA of Fig. 2 showing in a clearer fashion the relation and disposition of the brid e member within the socket of the nipple.

Fig. 4 shows my improved nipple applied to a nursing bottle, the nipple and ottle neck being shown in cross section for the sake of greater clarity.

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line BB of Fig. 4 showing the bridge member distended across the mouth of the bottle as well as the air ducts formed at the side of the bottle neck by the end of the bridge member disposed between the socket and the bottle neck.

Fig. 6 shows cross sectional view of a modification wherein the bridge has a right angular contour.

Referring to the drawing 1 designates the bead on the nursin nipple, 2, the socket which is generally 0 alesser diameter than the neck of the bottle to ensure a close fit 3 the shoulder portion of the socket, 4 the closed end or nipple proper, 5 the hole in the extremity for egress of the fluid and 6 the diagonal bridge member which extends from a point adjacent the interior of the shoulder portion to the outside of the head.

So far as the exterior of the nipple itself is concerned, the structure is unchanged. I mag take any nipple now to be found in use an equip it in the manner hereinafter suggested and achieve the desired results. By taking a narrow strip of rubber or similarly extensible material and adhering one end thereof to the interior of the wall portion of the socket 2 adjacent the shoulder 3, as shown in Fig. 3, and adhering the other end around the bead portion 1, a nipple having a bridge piece diagonally disposed therein, is

produced. The length of the strip should 1:

be sufficient to enable the strip to extend in the manner shown but it should not be stretched when applied to the nipple. When in use this bridge member is stretched across the top of the bottle, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When in place on the bottle the wall portion 7 of the socket 2 against which the head end of the bridge member 6 presses, does not hug the bottle tightly by reason of the bridge member which acts as a buffer, leaving narrow air ducts or clearances 8, 8, which extend from the mouth of the bottle to the head portion. Since the bridge member envelops the bead at its point of contact, the continuity of the air ducts is made possible. The size and ex tent of the air ducts may be varied according to the thickness and width of the bridge member. It is preferable to employ a very narrow bridge member so as not to interfere with the flow of fluid from the bottle.

The material of which the bridge member is made may be rubber or any other suitable material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the bridge member 9 is transversely disposed within the socket but instead of extending diagonally as in Fig. 3, it extends diametrically of the socket at the shoulder portion thereof, with one end continuing along the wall of the mcket and ending outside of the head portion.

All that has been said above in the description of my preferred embodiment is ofiered by way of illustration and not limitation. I do not wish to be limited to the exact structure of the preferred embodiment shown and described, or to any particular material used in the construction of parts, or to the design of parts, but desire protection as ainst any variations in structure which u 'ze the principle of my invention and fall within the purview of my invention and are within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In combination with an elastic nursing nipple having an expansible socket, an elastic bridge member disposed within and secured to the interior of said socket, said elastic bridge member extendin transversely of said socket, one end of said bridge member being secured at a oint outside the edge of said expansible soc et.

2. An elastic nursing ni ple comprisin in combination an expansi le socket, said socket having a wall adapted to yieldingly embrace a bottle neck, a bridge member secured at one end of said wallet its upper portion and extending transversely of said socket, the other end of said bridge member being secured to the outer side of said socket wall adjacent the base.

3. An elastic nursing nipple comprising an expansible socket, a body portion, a shoulder intermediate of said socket and body portion, an extensible bridge member disposed transversely within said socket, said bridge member being secured at one end to the interior of said nipple adjacent the shoulder thereof, the other end bein secured at a point outside the edge of sai expansible socket.

Signed at Fall River in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetta this 22nd day of October, 1926.

JOSEPH A. SMITH.

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