US1390444A - Support for infants' bathtubs - Google Patents

Description

' S. W. JEFFS..

SUPPORT FOR INFANTS BATHTUBS.

APPLICATloN FILED JUNE 13, 1921.

1. ,390,444. Patentedsept. 13, 1921.

JIL I I Y 22 'fully hereinafter disclosed and UNITED smite SELMA w. JEFES, or, SANTA. MONICA, CALIFORNIA;

.SUPPORT FOR INFATS BATHTUBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Parent-ea sept. is, ieai.

Application Vmea June 13, 1921. serial No. 477,095.

To all w/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, SELMA W. JnFFs,a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Monica, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Infants Bathtubs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable'others skilled in the art to which is appertains to make and use the same.V

This invention relates to supports for infants bath tubs, and has for its object t'o` provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, comparatively in-Y expensive to manufacture, and more efficient in` use than those heretofore proposed.

With these and otherV objects in view, the invention consists in the novel details `of construction and combinations of parts more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichV like numerals designate like parts in all the views: n

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of a standard bath tub with the present invention in place therein;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. l, the infants tub being shown in place within the holder; t'

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional elevational view of a portion of the support,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 3, as seen fromthe left of the said figure; and

Fig.:5 is a cross sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

1 indicatesV a so called standard bath tub of any vsuitable construction provided with the sides 2 and 3 and bottom .4.V As is well known, such tubes are usually of a size to accommodate an adult person, and are not well adaptedfor the bathing of very small children and babies. rvFor this purpose there is usuallyprovided a smallertub such as 5 illustrated in Fig. 2 but when Vsuch tubs are employed the water must be placed therein from some other receptacle or else the smaller tub 5 must be placed upon the bottom 4 of the standard tub 1, which is rather inconvenient for the mother or nurse who is performing the bathing operation. Furthermore, unless the smaller tub such as 5 is placed within the larger tub `1,'quite an appreciable amount of water therefrom will inevitably be splashed out.

In order toovercome the above difficulties, I propose to provide a suitable supporting means whereby an infants bath tub such as 5 may be readily supported within the stand-v ard tub such as 1 in close proximity to the faucetsof the saidV standardA tub, whereby water may be readily introduced intoV the smaller tub, and I further A.propose to-support the said smaller tubat's'uch a height as will be most convenient to the personperforming the bathing operation.

'Io this end, I'provide a pair of transversely extending supporting members 6 and 7, each of which is made up of two parts 8 and 9. These` saidmembers 8 and 9 are suitably joinedto hinge members 10 and 11 respectively, which hinge members are pivotally lconnected together by means of the hinge pin 12, upon which there is threaded a wingor other nut 13, adapted to controll the friction between the said hinge members, all as will more Vfully appear below; n

Also secured to the said hinge members 10 and 11 are the curved supporting bars 15 and 16 which may take any desired shape to accommodate an infants tub such as 5, and which are here shown as forming'a substantial oval shape ligure when the parts are in their operative positions. The said members 15 and 16 are preferably made of solid or tubular metal and are adapted to form a `support for the flange such as 17 ofthe washer member 24, 'one face .of which, 25, is preferably rounded to co-act with the com-V panion face 26 formed upon the contact member 27 which isV adaptedto bear againstV the sideof thetub such as 3 to support the device. The said member 27 may carryV a'l rubber pad such as`28and it is provided with an enlarged opening 29 through which Vpasses the screw 21. A nut 30 engages the threads of the saidV screw member 21 and holds the partsin their assembled positions, while at the same time permittingof a relative movement between the contact member 27 and the screw 21 and washer 251., providino in effect a ball'and socket joint. j

lhe provision of such a connection between the contact member 27 and the support such as 9 permits the device to be used with all sorts of tubs, both those which have straight sides as well as those which have inclined sides, as will be readily apparent. As will also be apparent, the provision of the screw member 21 threaded into the member 9 as shown, together with its lock nut 23, permits of the support being adjusted to tubs of varying widths.

The supporting members 8 are also provided with Contact members 31 similar in all respects to the contact members 27 provided with rubber or other suitable contact pads 32 vsimilar to the pads 28. r1`he said members 31 may be joined to their respective supporting members 8 by means of ball and socket joints similar to those shown in Fig. 3 in connection with the members 27.

The manner of using the present invention will be clear from the foregoing, but may be briefly stated as follows:

When it is desired to use the smaller infants tub such as 5, the supporting device is placed within the standard tub such as 1 and the parts are so adjusted by means of the adjusting screws 21 as to cause the rubber pads 28 and 32 to contact with the sides 2 and 3 of the tub 1, as will be readily apparent. lThis adjustment is preferably accomplished with the hinges such as 11 slightly broken or open, so that when the smaller tub 5 is placed within the supporting members 15 and 16 the weight thereof will tend to close the said hinges and acting as a toggle, will force the rubber pads 28 and 32 into intimate contact with the sides of the tub 1. The device is preferably placed within the tub 1 in close proximity to the water faucets and outlet drain, and, as will be readily apparent, it may be adjusted at any height suitable to the person performing` the bathing operation.

llVhen the operation has been completed, the smaller tub may be removed from the supporting members 15 and 16 and the entire supporting apparatus readily removed from the tub 1 by merely breaking the hinges, which will permit of the supports being folded up, so that they occupy a very small space. The friction between the hinge members 10 and 11 may be readily controlled by means of the wing nuts 13 so that the parts will remain in any position in which they are placed.

1t is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and therefore 1 do not wish to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

What 1 claim is:

1. 1n a device of the class described the combination of a plurality of transverse supporting members adapted to engage the sides of a bath tub; a plurality of longitudinal members extending between said transverse members and adapted to support a smaller tub; and connections rigidly securing saidv longitudinal members to said transverse members, and pivotally connecting said transverse members together in pairs, substantially as described.

2. 1n a device of the class described the combination of a plurality of pairs of transverse supporting members, each pairbeing pivotally connected together; means Vcarried by each of said members adapted to frictionally engage the sides of a bath tub; and a longitudinal member, adapted to support a smaller tub, rigidly secured to adjacent members of each transverse pair, .substantially as described. l

8. lna device of the class describedthe combination of a plurality of pairs of transverse supporting members, each pair being pivctally connected together; cushioned means loosely carried by each of said members adapted to frictionallyv engage the sides of a bath tub; means for adjusting the length of said pairs of transverse members to accommodate different size tubs; and a longitudinal member, adapted to support a smaller tub, rigidly secured to adjacent mem bers of each transverse pair, substantially as described.

4f. 1n a device of the class described the combination of a plurality of pairs of transverse supporting members, each pair being pivotally connected together; cushioned means loosely carried by each of said .members adapted to frictionally engage the sides of a bath tub 3 means foradjusting the length of said pairsV of transverse members to accommodate different size tubs comprising a screw threaded member engaging one member of each of said pairs; and a longitudinal member, adapted to support a smaller tub, rigidly secured te adjacent members of each transverse pair, substantially as described.

1n testimony whereof 1 affix my signature.

SELMA W. JEFFS.

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