US1056876A - Bathing apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

W. E. ALLEN.

BATHING APPARATUS.

AIfPLloATIoN FILED MAY 6, 1910.

- 1,055,875, y atencea, Mar. 25, 1913.

PATENT onnicn.

WILLARD E. ALLEN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

BATI-IING' APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

y Application filed May 6, 1910. Serial No. 559,658.

To @ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, IVILLARD E. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bathing Apparatus, yof which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bathing appa* ratus, and relates particularly to bath mat-s for catching and removing the used water when taking sponge baths, shower baths, and the like, where regular bathing facilities are notl provided o-r available, of the general type comprising a body portion and an upstanding marginal rim which, when extended, forms a shallowreceptacle and when raised by its rim will collapse, thus forming a relatively deeper receptacle into which the water willsettle, thus providing for conveniently removing the same wit-hout spilling.

The object of the present invention is to provide stiff or substantially rigid handles for bath mats of this type, which will also form supports for the upturned edges of said mats when in use and which may be readily detached, thus providing for disconneet-ing the same and for compactly folding said mats into small space for convenience in packing and carrying the same; a convenient manner of packing being to wrap the detached handles in the body portion of said mats.

To this end, a bath mat of my invention comprises the various features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, in which my invention is fully illustrated-Figure l is a perspective view of a bath mat of my invention, extended and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a view thereof when raised by its handles, for the purpose of removing and emptying same; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates the body portion of the mat which is made of suitable iiexible, impervious material, preferably rubber cloth, the edges of which are turned up, interfolded and connected, preferably by stitching, to form a continuous water tight rim 2. The rim 2 is preferably reinforced and strengthened by means of suitable stiffening material attached thereto, preferably and as shown, consisting of a band 3 of strong fabric, as webbing. As shown, said band is secured to the rim by turning the upper edges of said rim 2 over the upper edge of said stiffening band and stitching them together, preferably by stitches extending through both laps of said rim and the intermediate stiifening band. I.

,desire it understood, however, that I do not desire to limit my invention to use in connection with the specific form of mat shown, which is illustrative only, my invention being readily adaptable to all forms of bath mats of this type of which I have any y knowledge.

The handles of my improved bath mat, designated by the reference numeral 4, each consist of a plurality, preferably two, connected rods or wires 41 an end of each of which is free and said free ends being adapt- I ed to be connected to the rim 2 of the mat at spaced points adjacent to the upper edge thereof, preferably by hinged connectionsso constructed and arranged that said handles may be readily connected to and disconnected from 'ysaidmats In the preferable construction shown, each of said handles 4 is formed by an integral piece of rod or wire of proper length, bent between its ends to form the connected rods or wires 41, the manner of bending said pieces of rod or wire being such that the ends thereof, that is, the connected rods or wires 41, will be in substantially the same plane so that they will lie flat upon the floor or other supporting sur face. As shown, also, said handles 4 are connected to the rim of the mat so as to turn freely by hooks 5 formed on the free ends thereof, which are adapted to engage eyelets 6 formed in said rim.

At a distance from the base of the hooks 5, about equal to the height of the holes 6 above the bottom of the mat, the rods 41 are bent so that the end sections 7 thereof will extend at angles, preferably about at right angles, to the main sections of said rods or wires 41, the manner of bending being preferably such that the hooks 5 will be turned toward the connected ends of the rods or wires 41.

With the described construction, it is obvious that when the mat is`ready for use, the handles 4 will extend inwardly toward the center of the mat, said handles being preferably of such length that the adjacent ends thereof may all be grasped with one hand, thus providing for conveniently raising and carrying the same. With the described construction, also, the weight of the handles 4 Patented Mar. 25, 1913.v

will operate` to cause the main sections of said handles to rest flat upon the bottom of the mat, thereby causing the end sections 7 thereof and with them the rim 2 at the points of connection of said handles to said rim, to assume an upright position substantially at right angles to the bottom of the mat. In this manner the handles 4 will afford convenient means for lifting and carrying the mat and will also operate to support the rim of the mat in upright or raised position when said mat is in use, in the manner desired.

As the rods or wires forming the handles 4, if resting on the bottom of the mat, may

hurt the feet of a person using the mat, said handles may, if desired, be connected to the rim of the mat in such manner that they will lie entirely outside of the mat, thus leaving the bottom thereof entirely free from obstructions. rIhis can be conveniently effected by merely reversing the handles, as indicated in dotted lines at 42 in Figs. l and 3 of the drawing. VWith the handles connected in the manner last described, it will of course be necessary to swing them inwardly when it is desired to raise the mat.

The manner of using the mat will be readily understood by persons familiar with such mats and need not therefore be described.

In folding the mat preparatory to packing the same, t-he handles 4 will first be detached, which can be conveniently done by disengaging the hooks 5 from the eyelets 6. The mat is then folded, the handles 4 being wrapped therein or packed separately.

I claim l. A bath mat of the type described, comprising handles, each comprising connected rods or wires having separated ends adapted to be connected to the rim of the mat, and said handles also comprising end sections which are bent upwardly relatively to the plane of the main sections of said handles, substantially as described.

. 2. A bath mat of the type described, comprising handles each formed by a single piece of rod or wire bent to form connected sections lying in substantially the same plane, and hooks adapted for engagement with eyelets in the rim of the mat formed atthe ends of said connected sections, the ends of said handle sections being bent upwardly relatively to the plane of the main sections thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I atliX my signature in presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 23d day of April, A. D. 1910.

WILLARD E. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

M. FRITTER, R. R. RITTER.

Gopies' of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ZPatents, Washington, D. C.

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