US1022346A - Bath apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

G. G. WIGGINS.

BATH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 0, 1911.

1,022,346, Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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George G. yin/s,

COLUMBIA PLANOIJRAPH Cu" WASHINGTON. n. c.

: TE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. WIGGINS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR 0F TWO-THIRDS TO CHARLES 0. RICE AND NORMAN MACDONALD, BOTH 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

BATH APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. l/VIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bath Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bath apparatus and more particularly to vapor bath cabinets, the invention having for its primary object the provision of a device of this character, simple and durable in construction, highly efficient in operation and which may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

The invention has for a further object the provision of an apparatus of the above described character wherein the various parts are so arranged and assembled that they may be easily and quickly removed and cleansed whereby the apparatus may be maintained in a thoroughly sanitary condition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby an equal distribution of the vapor throughout the receiving chamber beneath the body supporting table may be secured.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vapor bath apparatus embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 1- is a detail horizontal section taken on the line -ll of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the vapor spreader.

Referring in detail to the drawings 5 designates the parallel longitudinal bars of a supporting frame to the ends of which the vertical legs or uprights 6 are secured which are braced by means of the bars 7 The transverse connecting bars 8 also connect the supporting legs 6 at their upper ends and are downwardly curved to support Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 9, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 664,798.

the ends of the lower section 9 of a body receiving housing. This lower section of the housing is provided at its upper edge with the flanges 10 and 11 upon the sides and ends respectively thereof which rest upon the longitudinal and end bars 5 and 8 of the frame. The longitudinal bars 5 are preferably of angle form in cross section as shown in Fig. 2 and the flanged edges of the housing section 9 are bent around the edges of the horizontal flanges of said angle bars as indicated at 12 so as to retain the housing section thereon and hold the same against vertical movement.

The upper section 13 of the housing or casing has secured to its longitudinal edges and extending the entire length thereof the depending plates 14 which fit between the side walls of the lower housing section 9 and closely engage the same. These plates direct the waters of condensation which gather upon the walls of the upper housing section 13, into the lower section 9 through which they are discharged through an outlet 15 provided in one end of said lower section. The upper housing section is centrally provided with an exhaust pipe 16 for the steam in which a sliding valve plate 17 may be arranged so that the release of the same may be regulated and the temperature of the interior of the housing varied as desired.

Upon the side walls of the lower housing section 9 and spaced from the upper edges thereof the angle bars 18 are arranged. A body supporting bed is arranged within the lower housing section and consists of a plurality of transverse bars 19 the upper edges of which are concave as indicated at 19. To these concave upper edges of the bars 19 the longitudinal slats 20 are secured, said slats being arranged in close spaced relation to provide a comfortable support for the body. The ends of the transverse bars 19 are notched or recessed as indicated at 21 to receive the horizontal flanges of the angle bars 18. One of the end walls of the upper housing section 13 is provided with an opening 22 to accommodate the neck of the patient, the head resting upon an exterior transverse support 23 which is braced by means thereof a support 28 is secured on which a cup or vessel 29 is adapted to be arranged. Thls cup or vessel contains the water and chemicals which are to be converted into vapor and discharged into the housing beneath the body supporting bed. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings an ordinary gas burner 30 is provided as the heat supplying medium, said burner being disposed centrally within the lower end of the casing of the heater beneath the vessel support 28.

To the opposite sides of the casing of the heater one of the ends of the conducting tubes 31 are attached, said tubes extending through the casing walls and having their lower portions extended over the cup or vessel 29 so that the water may be directed back into said cup. The outer ends of these conducting tubes are angularly disposed and upwardly extended to receive the lower portions of the short tubes 32 which are fixed intermediate of their ends in the bottom wall of the housing section 9. Over the upper ends of these short tubes 32 which extend within the housing the spreaders 33 are arranged. These spreaders consist of a sheet metal plate flanged at its opposite edges as indicated at 34. These flanges rest upon the bottom wall of the housing and support the intermediate portion of the plate in spaced relation thereto and above the upper ends of the tubes 32. These spreaders at their ends are entirely open so that the steam upon striking upon the spreader plates will be deflected in opposite directions longitudinally within the housing, thus effecting a substantially equal distribution of the steam or vapor throughout the interior of the housing and beneath the body supporting bed.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of use of my improved bath apparatus will be fully understood. After the patient has taken his position upon the supporting bed which is ar ranged within the lower housing section 9, the upper or cover section of the housing is then arranged upon said lower section in the manner previously described so that the body is completely inclosed. The chemical containing cup or vessel is now arranged within the heater and the burner 30 is lighted. The steam arising from said vessel passes through the conducting tubes 31 and into the housing where it is distributed beneath the body supporting bed by the spreader plates 33. This steam rises between the slats 20 of the supporting bed and contacts with the body of the patient so that the curative properties of the chemically impregnated vapor will obtain full ef feet before they escape from the exhaust or out-let pipe 16. As before stated the amount of steam or vapor to be held within the housing may be suitably regulated by simply adjusting the valve plate 17.

By means of the construction above set forth, it will be readily observed that the parts may be quickly disassembled so that the body supporting bed can be removed and thoroughly cleansed when necessary. One end of the casing of the heater 25 is of course provided with a suitable door 35 so that access may be had to the interior thereof for the removal of the vessel 29. My improved bath apparatus is also comparatively simple in construction, the parts thereof being of ordinary form so that they can be manufactured at small cost and may therefore be replaced when necessary at slight expense. The device is also extremely durable and highly efficient in practical use.

WVhile I have shown and described the preferred construct-ion and arrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the device is susceptible of considerable modification in their formand arrangement without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a frame, a housing mounted therein, a body supporting bed arranged within said housing, a heater centrally arranged beneath the housing and depending from the bottom wall thereof, vessel supports arranged within said heater, vapor conducting tubes connected at one of their ends to the heater and at their other ends to the bot tom of the housing upon opposite sides of its center, the lower portions of the ends of the tubes connected to the heater being extended inwardly to direct the waters of condensation into the vessel arranged in said heater, and means arranged within the housing for distributing the vapor beneath said body supporting bed.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a housing consisting of two sections, one of said sections being permanently mounted in the frame, plates secured to the walls of the other of said housing sections to be received between the opposed walls of the first named section and closely engaged upon the inner surfaces thereof to frict-ionally hold said sections in assembled relation, angle bars secured to the section of the housing adjacent its opposite side Walls of the first named housing section, ends. '10 a body supporting bed removably mounted In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my upon said angle bars, depending angle plates signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

secured to the bottom of the first named GEORGE G. WIGGINS. housing section, a heater secured between Witnesses:

said angle plates, and vapor conducting JOHN F. RoLAsoK,

tubes connecting said heater to the bottom GEORGE VARNUM.

(Iopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

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