US1716603A - Electric bath cabinet - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1929. 1 sc uj ELECTRIC BATI-I CABINET.

Fild Dec. 16, I927 2 Sheets-Sheet June 11, 1929. J, SCHWDT 1,716,603

' ELECTRIC BATH CABINET Filed Dec. 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1929.

warren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SCHMIDT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. 'IO SCHMIDT SHEET METAL WORKS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC BATH CABINET.

Application filed. December 16, 1927. Serial No. 240,521.

This invention relates to improvements in a radiant-heat bath cabinet in which individuals may expose themselves to the beneficial radiant heat waves and rays emanating from a source, such as incandescent lamps.

It has long been known that thermal baths are very beneficial and effective in the curative treatment of various diseases and ailments, and various attempts have been made to provide a radiant-heat bath cabinet of a practical design and one in which the radiant heat may be controlled to be most efficacious in its difiusion onto the body of the patient. Many of these attempts have resulted in crude and elementary constructions which have not readily adapted themselves to the use of either home or hospital.

The present invention has for an object the provision of a cabinet which, for storage purposes, may be easily collapsed into a compact form, and which, when unfolded for use, will possess that degree of rigidness and substantiality which is so essential and desirable in this type of bath cabinet.

The invention has for a further object the provision of a thermal bath cabinet of the radiant-heat type in which the radiant heat may be effectively controlled for the application of the curative to certain portions of the body, as well as one in which the controlled radiant heat may be diffused directly or indirectly against the body of the patient.

The invention has for further objects to provide an improved, extensible cabinet section having a cover portion which cooperates in a manner to accord a substantial reinforce ment to the distended cabinet section; to improve the formation of the neck opening of the cabinet for facilitating a-close fit about the neck; and to provide a. sectional source of radiant heat with independent controls for the different sections thereof whereby a plurality of heating zones are obtained which are selectively operable.

The invention further resides in the salient features of construction hereinafter described in detail and succinctly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein,

. Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the improved bath cabinet in its operative position,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section therethrough,

Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical section through the cabinet,

Fig. 4: is a longitudinal, vertical section through the cabinet,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the cabinet in its collapsed form,

Fig. 6 is a detailed plan view of the removable cover, and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the wiring circuits. 2

- Referring more in detail to theaccompanying drawings, the bath cabinet comprises a fixed or main section 1 and an extensible and foldable section 2, the former comprising a rigid back 8 having vertical side walls 4;, a top 5 and a bottom 6, the side walls, top and bottom extending forwardly from the back wall 3 and being fixed thereto whereby a boxlike, rigid section 1 is produced. The foldable and extensible section 2 of the cabinet comprises two side walls 7 and 8 which are secured to the vertical free edges of the fixed side walls 4 by hinges 9 whereby said movable side walls may be readily folded into the box-like, fixed section 1. They are prevented from swinging outwardly by the inwardly extending stops 7 and 8 which are formed by turning inwardly upon itself the free edge portion of each fixed wall, as shown in Fig. 2. One leaf of each hinge 9 is disposed beneath this turned free edge and secured, as by rivets. The other hinge leaf is fitted in an outwardly opening pocket, formed by a reverse bend in the adjacent edge of the hinged wall, and secured by other rivets. Attached to the free, vertical edge of the side wall 8, as by a hinged connection 10, is the front wall 11 which has its opposite, vertical edge portions angularly deflected and form ing wall sections 12 designed for supplementing the walls 7 and 8 and giving symmetry to the general design of the cabinet. The adjacent, vertical edges of the walls 8 and 11 are formed with reverse bends to provide opposing pockets in which the leaves of hinge 10 are secured. The opposite, vertical edge of the front wall is telescopical into a pocket 7 in the adjacent, vertical edge of side wall 7 where it may be secured as by a lock pin 12.

In its extended formation, the extensible section 2 is provided with a removable cover 13 havin a depending flange 14 around iii) three of its sides for engaging about the upper marginal portions of the walls 7, 8 and 11. The front wall 11 is preferably narrower in the width than the fixed section 1 so that the side walls 7 and 8 will converge. This provides a narrower space for the legs of the patient and the converging alls 7 and 8 deflect the heat waves inwardly into this restricted space. The inner edge of cover 18 is turned downwardly for engaging over the forward, upturned edge 16 of the fixed top 5 to interlock therewith. A pair of cleats 13 on the cover pass beneath the edge 16 to prevent upward displacement of the edge 15, while a lug 13 is disposed immediately behind the front wall 11 to strengthen the same. This construction provides a readily removable cover which is not hinged to the body of the cabinet at any point and yet is securely positionable on the cabinet when in use. A neck-closure plate 17 is hinged to the edge 15 of the cover for closing the entrance way to the neck opening 18, the latter being provided in the fixed top wall 5.

After the patient has placed his neck in the opening 18, the cover 13 may then be positioned and the closure plate 17 swung over beneath his chin so that a comparatively close or tight fit about his neck will be obtained, said closure plate having a complemental neck opening 17 therein.

A plurality of sources of radiant heat, preferably in the form of incandescent lamps, are arranged for selective operation, the sources here depicted comprising upper and lower sets 19 and individually controlled by means of the switches 19 and 20, respectively, whereby different portions of the body of the patient may be treated when desired. These upper and lower sets are arranged at the .most desired points in the cabinet, such as in each rear vertical corner of the fixed sect-ion 1 and also on the front. wall 11 adacent the free wall section 12, the latter serving as a protector for the adjacent series of lamps when in use as well as when folded since said flanged wall extends rearwardly alongside of the lamps to a more or less extent. The controls or switches 19' and 20 are depicted as being mounted on the top 5 in a position accessible both to the patient or his attendant, the closure plate 17, being swingable to an inoperative position for enlarging the neck opening to such an extent as to permit the patient to pass his arm therethrough to reach the switches. Upon closing the switch 19 the upper sets of lamps, three sets here being shown, will be turned on, and should the use of the lower sets of lamps likewise be desired, the switch 20 will be closed and vice versa.

The patient, by reason of the location of the neck opening 18 in the fixed section, will be disposed in proximity to the rear sets of lamps and therefore in order to prevent injury by the direct application of too much radiant heat, a pair of deflectors or guards 21 are hinged to the back wall 3, one deflector being positioned adjacent the left-hand sets of lamps and the other deflector being disposed adjacent the right-hand sets of lamps, these deflectors being hinged about vertical pivots so as to be swung from a position against the rear wall to a position extending at right angles therefrom, or any intermediate position such as is indicated by the dotted lines, whereby more or less of the radiant heat may be directly diffused onto the body of the patient. hen the deflectors are swung outwardly to their fullest extent the body of the patient will be protected against any direct radiation from the lamps and the concentrated light and heat rays will be confined and restricted to a forward path of movement along the sides of the cabinet until deflected inwardly by the converging walls 7 and 8, thereby creating heat eddies or currents within the cabinet and about the body of the patient.

In use, the front all 11 will be swung open to permit the patient to gain an entrance to the cabinet, and either sit therein on a stool, indicated at or otherwise dispose himself therein with his head extending above the neck opening 18. The front wall is now closed and the removable cover 13 placed upon the foldable and extensible section 2 with the rear edge 15 interlocked over the upturned edge 16 of the top. Before lowering the closure plate 17 about his neck, the patient may turn on either or both switches 19 and 20 following which said closure plate is lowered beneath his chin to provide a comparatively close fit for trapping the heat within the cabinet. T he stool or chair 22 is conveniently located on the bottom or floor 4: whereby the weight of the patient will tend to anchor the cabinet in position.

\Vhat is claimed is,

1. A bath cabinet comprising a main section having vertical side edges, side walls hinged to said vertical edges and foldable into the main section, a front wall hinged to one side wall and having an angular extension, said angular extension being foldable against the inside of said specified side wall, a cover engaging over the side walls, front wall and removably interlocked with said main section for preventing upward displacement of said cover, a source of heatcarried by the front wall, and a source of heat carried by the main section.

2. A bath cabinet comprising a box-like section having a neck opening through one edge thereof, an extensible section associated with the box-like section and including a cover one edge of which extends across the entrance Way to said neck opening, and a closure plate hinged to said cover edge for swinging about a substantially horizontal axis over the entrance way of said neck opening to reduce its size about the neck of the patient, said closure plate being operatively supported by said box-like section.

3. A bath cabinet having spaced series of radiant heat units between which a patient disnoses himself, and a deflector for each series of radiant heat units movable to a position for cutting oil the direct application of radiant heat from said units to the body of the patient, said deflectors being held against cutting off the radiant heat entirely from the cabinet whereby the patient will have an indirect application of the radiant heat to his body.

4:. A bath cabinet comprising a main section and an extensible section foldable thereinto, said main section having a fixed top wall with a neck opening extending through its free edge, a removable cover forming a top wallfor the extensible section, the rear edge of said cover engaging over said edge oi said fixed top wall and extending across the entrance way to the neck opening, a cleat carried by the cover and engageable beneath the free edge of said fixed top wall for securing the cover against upward movement, and a neck closure plate hinged to the rear edge of said cover for swinging about a substantially horizontal axis to partly extend over the neck opening of said fixed top wall to contract the size thereof.

5. A bath cabinet comprising a box-like main section, side walls hinged to the opposite side edges of said main section for swinging inwardly, stop shoulders formed on the main section for limiting the outward swinging of said side walls and operatively positioning the same, the free edge of one side wall being formed with a pocket, a closure member hinged to the free edge of the com panion wall member and having a flange part for fitting into said pocket, means securing said flange part in its pocket, and a cover engaging over the upper edges of said side walls and closure member and removably interlocking with said main section.

6. A bath cabinet comprising a main section with a neck opening in its top wall, an extensible section connected to the main section, removable cover forming a top for the extensible section, a neck closure member carried by said cover and movable thereover about a substantially horizontal axis to contract the size of its neck opening, said top wall supporting said neck closure member, and means connecting the cover to said top wall against upward displacement.

JOSEPH SCHMIDT.

Images