US185622A - Improvement in electro-vapor baths - Google Patents

Description

G. W. BROWN.

ELECTRIO VAPOR BATH.

Patented Dec. 26, 1875.

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THE GRAPHIC CUJLY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BROWN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-VAPOR BATHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,622, dated December 26, 1876; application tiled September 28, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BROWN, M. D., of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor, Electro-Vapor, and Medicated Bath; 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 it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in vapor, electro'vapor, and medicated bath apparatus; and it consists in the combination and arrangement of parts that will be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 represents the usual form of my vapor, electro-vapor, and medicated bath apparatus complete, with all the Working parts in place. Fig. 2 represents the working parts pertaining to this special application detached from the chamber. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the foot-stool alone.

A, Fig. 2, is the base of the structure, of suitable shape and size, with a metallic plate, B, resting upon and screwed to the surface, with a conducting wire, a, soldered to it, thence passing to the galvanic battery 0, which is attached to the side of the apparatus. This metallic plate, by the manner of its connection with the battery, is positive or negative, at the will of the operator. On it rests the foot-bath tub D, when a bath is administered to a person of medium stature, making it electric. For shorter persons I interpose between this foot-plate electrode B and the foot-bath tub D an adjustable foot-stool, E, which has a metallic plate on the top, bottom, and all the ends, and these several plates are each connected by a metallic wire passing to each plate, making each electrically as one. F is an adjustable seat and seat-electrode. The whole is formed of metal resting on the base A, save the circular seat itself, which is of wood. It has a screw-spindle, b, for raising or lowering the seat, and on this spindle b is aifixed a cap-plate, to which is fastened the wood seat 0, and onthe top of the wood seat is a metallic disk, d. This disk 01 has a metallic wire soldered to it, then passing through an aperture in the non-conducting wood seat to the metallic cap-plate of the screw-spindle b, to which it is soldered. From the standard of the seat-electrode a wire passes to the battery, thus completing the electric circle, and enabling the seat to be raised or lowered to any point without in the least interfering with the electric current.

Rising from the back part of the base to the neck-support H in the inside of the apparatus is a strip of board, G, some four and a half inches broad, half an inch thick, and three and seven-twelfths feet long. The edges are grooved, and a slit is cut out of the center an inch wide, and extending downward to within fifteen inches of the bottom. On this is a figured scale, 0, commencing at the top of the stool when occupyingits lowest position, and extending upward, marked in inches and halfinches. Its object is to adjust the seat-electrode, so that when a patient has once occupied the apparatus, by adjusting the stool to the same height by the scale, it will fit him without a new trial and adjustment. The grooved edge ff serves as a guide to hold the adjustable spinal electrode I in place in moving it up or down to adjust to any particular place on the spine. This adjustable spinal electrode is a metallic plate, g, with edge bent around, so as to form clasps in the grooved edge f f, with a metallic rod long enough to extend through the top of the apparatus, where it terminates in a knob which is nonelectric, and downward to the base of the spine. This rod h, at its connection with the plate g, is bent backward in such a manner that it lies in the slit back of the plate, so as not to come in contact with the spine of the patient when in use. Around this rod, at its connection with the metallic plate g, is a sliding wire, 2', looped, then bent downward, and is slid under another looped wire at the bottom of the plate 9. Its special object is to bind a wet sponge upon the metallic plate, which can be taken off, washed, and replaced for use, thereby making it electric.

H is an adjustable head-rest and head-electrode, connected to the battery through a metallic conductor. It is composed of three pieces besides the set-screws, and is capable of being raised or 10 wered,and moved forward or backward, and made positive-or negative, electric or non-electric, at the 'will of the operator. The base-plate j of this adjustable head-rest and head-electrode is screwed to the back part of the neck-support, and has an attachment, through which the rod h, passing to the spinal electrode, moves, with a set-screw. k, to hold the spinal electrode in place. This base-platej has a metallic connection with the battery, and through it the electricity is conducted to the head and spinal electrodes.

If the head-rest is not required as an electrode, l interpose between it and the head a non-conducting substance. If required as an electrode, I rest a wet sponge between the circle H and the head.

What 1 claim is- 1. In an electro-vapor apparatus, the metallic seat-stand F, to which the battery is attached, the screw-seat c, vertically adjustable therein, and having a plate, d, upon its top, whereby the seat can be raised or lowered without breaking the current, substantially as set forth.

2. The adjustable foot-stool, with metallic plates on the sides and ends, each connected by continuous metallic wire, substantially as described.

3. The back strip, with a figured scale for adjusting the seat, and grooved-edges to hold the spinal electrode in place, substantially as described.

4. The adjustable spinal electrode, with its peculiar construction for the easy removal and replacing of the sponge, in combination with the rod, with a non-conductor on the top of the same, extending upward, admitting of the raising and lowering of the electrode by the operator.

5. The head-rest H, made adjustable vertically and horizontally, and so connected with the battery as to be made positive or negative, electric or non-electric, at the will of the operator, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, in an electro-vapor-bath apparatus, of the adjustable head-rest H, vertically-adjustable spinal electrode I, electric seat F, electric foot-stool E, and base A, having a metallic covering, a, whereby electricity can be applied to all parts of the body, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of September, 1876.

GEORGE W. BROWN.

Witnesses:

MARCUS S. PARMELE, GILBERT WOODRUFF.

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