This document describes a patent for a soap holder and applicator. The soap holder is made of a flexible material shaped like a soap cake with a slit that can be opened by squeezing to insert pieces of used soap. Part of the wall has a criss-cross lattice formation to expose the soap and allow direct contact between the soap and skin during use. When squeezed, the two halves of the holder separate to form an opening for inserting soap pieces.

1. * GB780014 (A)
Description: GB780014 (A) ? 1957-07-31
Improvements relating to a soap holder and applicator
Description of GB780014 (A)
PATENT SPECIFICATION
Inventor: GWILYM MANSELL DE MAY Date of filing Complete Specification
July 21, 1955.
Application Date July 27, 1954.
Complete Specification PublishedJuly 31, 1957.
780,014 No. 21961/54.
Index at acceptance: -Class 131, D8.
International Classification: -A47k.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements relating to.a Soap Holder and Applicator We, LIONART
LIMITED, a Company organised under the laws of Great Britain, of
Furnival House, 14-18 High Holborn, London, W.C.1, do hereby declare
the invenS tion, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us,
and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly
described in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved soap holder or a container for
receiving thin waferlike residues or end 'pieces of partly used
tablets of soap.
When a tablet of soap has been very nearly used up, the thin
wafer-like residue is very difficult to handle and frequently becomes
broken up and wasted.
The object of the present invention is to provide a soap holder in
which the residues of ends of soap tablets can be stored and
completely used up after the manner of a normal sized tablet of soap.
According to the present invention a soap holder comprises a hollow
shell of flexible material of a size and shape simulating a cake of
soap and having a slit adapted to be opened by a squeezing action to
permit of insertion of pieces of soap and in which part of the wall or
one side of the shell is of criss cross or lattice formation to expose
and permit of direct contact between the soap contents and the person

2. or object to be made soapy.
Preferably, the device is formed from polythene and is lenticular in
shape, the two convex parts or the two half shells being joined around
not more than substantially half their peripheries and being separated
but substantially in contact around the remainder of their
peripheries. When the peripheral zones, which include the points at
which the surfaces becomeseparated are squeezed together, the surfaces
gape apart to allow the insertion of pieces of soap.
If desired, the external surfaces of the device may be provided with
outwardly directed studs which enable a stimulating effect to be
obtained as the device is rubbed over the body.
[price 3s. 6d.] A soap holding device in accordance with the invention
is shown in the accompanying drawing of which:Figure 1 is a plan view
of the device; 50 Figure 2 is a section along the line II-II of Figure
1; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, similar to Figure 2, of a
modified device.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the device is 55 injection-moulded
preferably in one piece from polythene and comprises an upper convex
part 1 and a lower convex part 2, the two parts when closed together
making up a hollow shell or holder in which pieces of partly used soap
60 can be inserted.
Each part is perforated as at 3, so that when the device is placed and
rubbed between wetted palms of the hands a lather can quickly be
produced. The perforations are obtained by 65 intersecting sets of
ribs 13, 131 so as to form a criss-cross or lattice structure. 'This
lattice structure when the soap holder is in use allows of direct
contact between the soap contents and e.g. the hands of the person or
other 70 object to be soaped.
The two parts are united to one another around approximately half
their peripheries and are separated around the remainder of their
peripheries, so as to leave a slit or entrant 75 opening indicated by
4 (Figure 2) after the manner of an oyster shell. Since the two parts
are of flexible material and because of their oyster-shell-like
relationship they can readily be sprung apart, for the insertion of
soap 80 between them by applying pressure across a diameter. Thus when
serrations 5, formed in the peripheral zones which include the points
where the surfaces become separated, are squeezed towards each other
say by a finger 85 and a thumb of the hand, the two half parts or
shell will gape or increase the size of the opening.
In order to ensure that the parts spring apart against any tackiness
of soap, a transverse 90 stiffening tongue 6 is provided integral with
a webbed portion 9, the rib projecting inwardly towards the centre of
the device and having the effect of a fulcrum.
In use, it will be evident that when pieces of soap have been placed

3. in the device, it can, because of its shape, be rubbed between the
wetted palms of the hands or against the body as an ordinary cake of
soap. Due to the flexible nature of the perforated surfaces, they are
pressed inwardly towards each other allowing the generation of a
lather by contact of the wetted palms or body with the soap through
the perforations.
As can be seen from the drawings the crosssection of the ribs 13, 131
presents a substantially flat face to the interior and is rounded on
the outside so that it does not present any sharp edges to a person
using it to obtain a lather with the hands.
In a modification of this device, see Figure 3, the transverse tongue
6 is slotted as at 8 to provide two separate tongue portions 61 each
having a cut out 7 within which an elastic member can be disposed to
hold the upper and lower parts together.
Although the device described is lenticular in shape, the device could
be oval or even square. Furthermore the two surfaces need not be
convex.
It will be appreciated that the device can be made from moulding
materials other than polythene such as, for example, polyvinyl
chloride or a latex-like material.
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