<P> In 1946, Marion Donovan used a shower curtain from her bathroom to create the "Boater", a plastic cover to be donned outside a diaper . First sold in 1949 at Saks Fifth Avenue's flagship store in New York City, patents were later issued in 1951 to Donovan, who later sold the rights to the waterproof diaper for $1 million . Donovan also designed a paper disposable diaper, but was unsuccessful in marketing it . </P> <P> In 1947, Scottish housewife Valerie Hunter Gordon started developing and making Paddi, a 2 - part system consisting of a disposable pad (made of cellulose wadding covered with cotton wool) worn inside an adjustable plastic garment with press - studs / snaps . Initially, she used old parachutes for the garment . She applied for the patent in April 1948, and it was granted for the UK in October 1949 . Initially, the big manufacturers were unable to see the commercial possibilities of disposable nappies . In 1948, Gordon made over 400 Paddis herself using her sewing machine at the kitchen table . Her husband had unsuccessfully approached several companies for help until he had a chance meeting with Sir Robert Robinson at a business dinner . In November 1949 Valerie Gordon signed a contract with Robinsons of Chesterfield who then went into full production . In 1950, Boots UK agreed to sell Paddi in all their branches . In 1951 the Paddi patent was granted for the USA and worldwide . Shortly after that, Playtex and several other large international companies tried unsuccessfully to buy out Paddi from Robinsons . Paddi was very successful for many years until the advent of' all in one' diapers . </P> <P> In Sweden, Hugo Drangel's daughter Lil Karhola Wettergren, in 1956 elaborated her father's original idea, by adding a garment (again making a 2 - part system like Paddi). However she met the same problem, with the purchasing managers, declaring they would never allow their wives to "put paper on their children ." </P> <P> After the Second World War, mothers increasingly wanted freedom from washing diapers so that they could work and travel, causing an increasing demand for disposable diapers . </P>

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