US1183971A - Bath-cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

BATH CABINET.

.l I I AllI HIIII I1 A. L. GREEH & L. WILOTH.

' APPLICATION FILED IuLY I4. I9I5.

f.- In@ UNITED sTATEs i PATENT oErcE.

ALBERT L. GREER, or nENvEit, AND LEO?y WILOTH, or WRAY, COLORADO.

BATH-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application led July 14, 1915. Serial No. 39,774.

Denver county, Colorado, and Wray, Yuma county, Colorado, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bath-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to bath cabinets, particularly to those in which patients are submitted to heating and sweating and to medicated vapors. There are quite a few of such bath cabinets on the market but they are all more or less ineliicient and uncomfortable for the patient, and are more or l less open in their operation so that the patient is sickened by inhaling burned gases or vitiated air.

The object of our invention is to produce a more sanitary and more comfortable cabinet and to provide for more rapidly, uniformly and economically heating the cabinet and for more efliciently, andv with greater comfort to the patient, introducing medicated vapors. In our arrangement everything is inclosed so that there, is no chance for escape of disagreeable odors or gases.

Our invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which# Figure 1 is an elevational view in section on a vertical, longitudinal median plane, Fig. 2 is a sectional kview onplane 2-v-2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional View on plane 3 3, Fig. 1, andFig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on plane 4-4, Fig; 3.

The cabinet body structure is in the form Y of a rectangular box 10 mounted on legs 11. At the lower end of the box sides arethe boards 12, and above these boards is a re-4 .movable tray or stretcher 13 formed of longitudinal slats 14 secured to,l cross strips 15 which rest on the boards 12 when the tray or stretcher is within the boX.` 'The upper surface of the tray is transversely concaved in order-to make it more comfortable for the patient who lies thereon. At one side of the box the section 16 above the tray is hinged as indicated inorder to be swung open, and isl held inclosed position by suitable hooks 17. 'A cover C-incloses the top of the box and is hinged thereto along one longitudinal edge, as indicated at 18, a strap 19` being .provided to hold the cover in open position. The roof 20 of the cover is preferablyv dome-shaped or convexed in order to prevent dripping of condensation on the patient and to cause the collected moisture Y,to flow downwardly along the sides of the roof and along the sides ofthe box to the collecting tray 21 forming the bottom of the box. One end of the boX has a slot 22 kfor receivingthe patients neck, and a head board 23 is hinged adjacent the lower edge of the slotl and nas .padding 24 for the patients head. A strut .25 hinged to the box end coperates with the rack 26 on the lower side of the head rest- 23 for holding `such rest in any adjusted angular position. Before the patient is placed in the cabinet this head rest can be swung upwardly against the box end to close the neck opening 22, thus to keep the cabinet closed while it is being heated. On the cover end wall 27 above the neck opening a horizontal bar 28 is suspended in suitable brackets 29 and from this bar a viexible curtain 30 is suspended and has the notch 31 for yitting about the patients neck to thoroughly seal the neck opening when the patient is within the cabinet.

Describing now the apparatus for charging heat and medicated vapor into the cabinet, a boiler structure B is mounted at one endr of the box on a cross frame 32 secured to the supporting legs11. The boiler structure shown is cylindrical and by a partition 33 is divided into upper and lower compartments of, and b.` The top`34 has the inlet opening 35 through which suitable materials, as for example sulfur, may be charged into compartment a, the opening Lbeing provided with a cap 36. We use steam for heating fthe cabinetpand for heatingthe medicinal materials and for carrying the vapors into thek cabinet. A steam pipe 37 connected kwith any suitable outside source communicates with the lower compartment b and is controlled by a valve 38. The steam enters compartment Z7 and heats the upper compartment a and they materials therein. From .compartment o piping 39 leads into the bottom ofthe cabinety below the tray or stretcher structure 13, and this piping travels back andforth in Fig. 3, andeventually leads into the compartment a with its end 39".,lea'ding. close to kthe bottom 33 of such compartment. From the upper end of compartment a a vaas. indicated net below the patient supporting stretcher, this pipe being closed at its end and having escape apertures 41.

lVhen the cabinet is to be used, the desired medicinal material is charged in the compartment av and the steam is then turned on and fills compartment b and also flows through piping 39 back and forth through the cabinet and then to the bottom of compartment a. Compartment a. is heatedl from the steam in compartment Z) and the steam blowing? into compartment a from the pipe end39, the medicinal material is agitated and commingled with the steam and carried with the hot steam into the distributing pipe 40 and through the apertures41- into the cabinet. .By opening the cover and side 16 of the cabinet the patient can be very readily placedin the cabinet and then when the cabinet is closed he will be subjected tothe heat from the steam coils and will soon freely perspire and the open pores will then be exposed to the medical vapors blown into the cabinet through apertures 41. As the boiler mechanism is entirely inclosed and as the cabinet is also thoroughly sealed around the patients neck, there is no chance for obnoxious gases n to escape into the roomto slcken the patient.

Also by having thesteam pipes pass back and forth the patient will be uniformly heated and with much greater comfort. Also to off-set the resistance of the pipe 40 and to prevent excessive heat at the patients feet, the apertures 41 gradually increase in size to thevinner end of the pipe 40, this causing a uniform distribution of hot vapor-laden steam. The semi-cylindrical roof of the cabinet will prevent drippingof condensed steam on the patient and will cause such condensed moisture to flow laterally and downwardly along the sides of the cabinet to the bottom tray 21 from whence it can escape through the vent opening 42.

' We have shown another pipe 43 extending into ythe compartment a through the bottom wall 33 thereof, and provided with a valve 44. This pipe can be used as acleaning pipe for removing the contents of the compartment a, or this pipe could be connected for receiving steam to subject the patient to only a medicated steam bath. In this event the steam valve 38 will bek closed to disconnect the steam from the heating piping 39, and the steam blowing into thebottom of compartment a through the pipe 43 would stir up the medicated contents and would carry the vapor with it to the distributingpipe 40.

It is desirable to provide means for draining the steam piping 39. After an operation the pipes cool and the steam therein will condense, and unless prevented, the water of condensation would flow into the compartment b. We, however, insert in the piping 39 adjacent compartment 'b a drainvalve fitting V and this may-'beef ordinary construction. As shown, the valve plug 50 has the diametral passageway 51 from which extends the radial drain passageway 52. Any ksuitable means, (not shown) may be provided for turning the valve plug preferably from the exterior of the cabinet. Vith the valve in the position shown in Fig. 3, the piping 39 is connected with compartment I) and steam may flow thereto. However, after an 4operation of the cabinet the valve 7,5 plug is turned clockwise degrees to disconnect the piping' from the compartment and to connect the piping with the drain outlet 52. Water accumulated in the pipes will then drain therefrom and when the steam is .J turned on any water remaining in the piping will be blown therefrom. Then, when the pipes have been cleaned the valve is rotated back to the position shown to close the drain passagewayl and to connect the piping with the compartment It is also desirable to provide a thermometer T to indicate the temperature within the cabinet. Such thermometer is preferably placed to be lobserved by the patient within the cabinet in order 90 that he may know the temperature at any time and thus be relieved from any anxiety.

Ve find that our cabinet is a great improvenient over cabinets heretofore used for the -same purpose. By using steam we can in a very few minutes uniformly and economically heat up the cabinet and treat the patient. Headaches, which often result during the use of other cabinets, are entirely eliminated as there is no chance for the air 1 5 in the room to be vitiated by the escaping gas or by consumption of the oxygen, the vapor generating apparatus being entirely inclosed and the cabinet fully sealed. By using steam we can connect any number of 15;; cabinets with a steam supply pipe and each cabinet is 'ready for instant use'by merely turning on the particular steam valve. Also by adjusting the How of steam the treatment of the patient can be controlled to a nicety. 11o By using steam for heating and boiling the medicinal materials, there is no chance for such materials becoming dry or burning. This accident frequently happens where open kettles or utensils are used for boiling the medicinal materials. Also by the arrangement of the heating pipe coils and the compensating arrangement of the vapor discharge outlets heat and vapor are applied uniformly to the patient and the bath can be taken with the greatest degreefof comfort.

We do not .of course desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation disclosedas modifications `are no doubtpossible which would still come within the scope ofy the invention, and

We claim thefollowing: 1. In a bath cabinet, the combination of an inclosure for receiving a patient, a heating `device for medicated material, a distributing 'pipe leading from said heating device to said inclosure, and a steam coil within said inclosure extending into said heating device to charge steam thereinto.

2. In a bath cabinet, the combination of an inclosure for receiving a patient, a con tainer at the exterior of the inclosure formedicinal material, a distributing pipe leading from said container into said inclosure, a steam chamber below said container having connection with a steam supply source, and a heating coil within said inclosure connected at one end with said steam chamber and extending at its other end into said container whereby steam is driven into said container to mingle with the material therein and to carry it through said distributing pipe into said inclosure.

3. In a bath cabinet, the combination of an inclosure for patients, a heating device outside the inclosure divided into an upper and a lower compartment, said upper compartment being adapted to contain material to be vaporized, a steam connection With sai-d lower compartment whereby steam is delivered to said compartment for heating the material in the upper compartment, a steam coil within the inclosure connected with said lower compartment at one end and extending at its other end into said up er compartment to charge steam thereinto or agitating the material therein and to mingle therewith, and a discharge pipe leading from the upper compartment into said inclosure through which the combined steam and vapor nds entrance into said inclosure.

Ll.' In a bath cabinet, the combination of an inclosure for receiving a patient, a heating device for medicated material, a distributing pipe leading from said heating device to said inclosure, a steam coil within said inclosure extending into said heating device, and a drain valve interposed in said steam coil Daniel of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,

Wnhingtom. c.

adapted to be adjusted to drain water of condensation from said coil.

5. In a bath cabinet, the combination of an inclosure for patients, a heating device outside the inclosure for medicated material a distributing pipe leading from the top of said heating device into said inclosure, a steam coil kwithin the inclosure having its outlet end extended into said heating device to the bottom thereof to agitate and mingle with the medicated material, and a direct steam connection with said heating device for charging steam thereinto independently of said heating coil.

6. In a bath cabinet, the combination of an inclosure for patients, a heating device outside the inclosure divided into an upper l# and a lower compartment, said upper compartment being adapted to containfmaterial to be vaporized, a steam connection with said lower compartment whereby steam isl delivered to said compartment for heating the materialv in the upper compartment, a steam coil Within the inclosure connected with said lower compartment at one end and extending at its other end into said upper compartment to charge steam thereinto for agitating the material therein and to mingle therewith, a discharge pipe leading from the upper compartment into said inclosure through which the combined steam and vapor inds entrance into said inclosure, and a direct steam connection with said heating device upper compartment for supplying steam thereto independently of said steam coil.

In witness whereof we hereunto set our hands this 30th day of June, A. D. 1915.

I Witnesses FRANK G. DOLLIS, A. G. TALBOT.

by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

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