US2294912A - Confessional - Google Patents

Description

sePt- 8, 1942. A. .1. JuRcAK 2,294,912

CONFESSIONAL Filed Oct. 14, 1958 myx" "":bhzff www Patented Sept. 8, 1942,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONFESSIONAL Andrew J. Jurcak, Houtzdale, Pa.

Application October 14, 1938, Serial No. 235,092

This invention relates to ecclesiastical furniture, and particularly to improvements in confessionals for religious use.

Confessionals are so constructed as to afford the penitent, during his interview with his confessor, the utmost privacy by shielding his identity both from his Confessor and from the members of the congregation who may be present in the church at the time of said interview. Accordingly, separate adjoining compartments are provided for the Confessor and the penitent, which compartments are very limited in area and substantially enclosed. The only direct means of communication between the penitent and his confessor is a narrow window in the partition wall which separates the compartments. This window is provided With a grating or lattice in order to permit the confessor to see the penitent without recognizing his identity.

The confessor in order to aid the penitent by his advice, must learn from the penitent all the facts of the case. On the other hand, the penitent, in order to preserve the privacy of the interview, speaks in Whispered tones. Accordingly, it becomes necessary for the Confessor to position the side of his face as near as possible to the grating of the window formed in the partition wall, so that he can hear and understand the whispering penitent, who, in order to be heard and understood, places his mouth near the opposite side of the grating.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the Confessor and the penitent are subjected to the unpleasant breath and offensive odors of each other, and are exposed to those diseases and sick; nesses which are contracted by contact with the breath, coughing and sneezing of individuals.

An important object of this invention is to provide a simple, efficient, practical and economical means whereby the aforementioned inconvenient and unsanitary conditions are eliminated.

Another object is to provide means, which, although eliminating the disadvantages of the confessional booths now in use, permit the Confessor and the penitent to see each other, and to hear and understand the lowest whispers of each.

A further object resides in the fact that the invention can be effectively and eiciently used with the confessional booths now in use, without modifying the structure of -sai-d booths.

A still further object is to accomplish the foregoing objects with means which will not distract the Confessor or the penitent, thereby preserving the purpose and effectiveness of the interview.

Other objects will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection With the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. lis a sectional View of a confessional booth, showing the application of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the same;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the invention; and,

Fig. 5 is a View of a modified form of the invention.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 6 denotes generally the confessional having the center compartment I for the Confessor and the end compartments 8 for the penitents. The center or confessors compartment is separated from each of the end or penitents compartments by the partition walls I0, and is provided with a seat II and shelves I2. The entrance to the confessors compartment 1 is provided with a door I3 secured to the front wall I4 of the confession booth, and having a grating I5 and a curtain I6. Each of the penitents copartments is provided with a shelf I1, and each entrance thereto has a curtain I8. Each of the partition walls I0 has formed there in immediately above the shelves I2 and Il the window I9 having a grating 20 through which the Confessor and penitent converse. A sliding closure ZI is provided for each window, whereby the window in one partition wall is closed while the window in the opposite wall is open. Thus,

'during the interview of the Confessor with a penitent in one end compartment, the window in the partition wall separating the other end compartment is closed to the penitent who is Waiting in said latter compartment. When the interview is concluded, the window communicating with the said one end compartment is closed by the sli-ding closure, and the window communicating with the said other end compartment is opened to the waiting penitent by sliding the closure from said window.

The foregoing described parts of the confessional 6 are conventional and are found in the confessional now employed.

In order to protect the confesser and the penitent from the breath and offensive odors of each other, and also from the germs which are spread through coughing and sneezing, a shield 22 is removably positioned on the shelf I2 between the grating 2U and the confessor. This shield comprises a pair of frames 23 and 24 and a sheet of transparent material 25 interposed therebetween.

The frames 23 and 24 have aligned openings therein, and are joined by the hinges 26. Each frame has a grating 21 which covers the opening therein, and which is secured to the outer face of the frame by strips 28, flush with said frame. The opposed faces of the frames 23 and 24 are provided with a groove 23 and a rib 30, respectively, the former being adapted to receive the latter when the frames are in closed position.

The transparent material 25 consists of a sheet of cellulose hydrate material such as Cellophane, which is substantially the same size as the shield. This sheet is held in place between the frames by the rib 29, which locks the marginal edges of the transparent sheet in the groove 30. The frames are retained in closed position by suitable fastening means 3l. Thus, the transparent sheet may be easily removed from the frames, and a clean sheet substituted therefor, as often as sanitary conditions demand. It is apparent that this sheet made of Cellophane or other cellulose hydrate material prevents the passage of unpleasant breath, obnoxious odors and germs through the grating 20 from the penitent to the Confessor, and vice When the shield is to be used in connection with the conventional confessional, the shield is removably supported on the shelf I2 thereof by the bifurcated feet 32, into which the shield removably fits.

When the shield 22 is built-in the confessional and made an integral part thereof, the shield, as shown in Fig. 5, with its frames 23 and 24, its gratings 21, and sheet of cellulose hydrate material 25, is positioned in the window i9 of each of the walls I0, separating the confessors compartment 1 from the end compartments 8. The shield is prevented by the shoulders 33 of the frame of the window I9 from 4outward movement toward the penitents compartment, but may be removed for repairs and for renewal of the transparent sheet by the inward movement toward the confessors compartment. The conventional sliding closure 2! is used with the shield for the same purpose as stated above, and the customary shelves I 2 and I1 are provided.

The preferred construction of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, and referred to in the above description, and is believed to be efficient and practicable for the intended purposes; yet realizing that changes may be resorted to, and required under varying conditions, I desire to state that it is intended that various changes may be made in the general form and arrangement of the various parts and materials from which such parts may be formed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable breath guard for church confessional windows, a pair of frames arranged in opposed abutting relation and one of said frames having a groove extending into all side faces opposing the other frame, a rib formed on side faces of the latter-named frame and entering said groove, a flexible solid membrane of sheet form positioned between said frames for closing the latter and having the marginal portions thereof clamped in the groove by the rib to prevent shifting of the membrane relative to the frames and preventing fraying of the edges of said membrane, hinges connecting said frames to permit swinging of the frames toward and from each other, and elongated supporting members having notches to receive and frictionally grip portions of the frames to permit the. frames to be firmly rested on a sill of a confessional window and to secure the frames in abutting engagement against swinging movement relative to each other.

2. In a portable breath guard, a pair of frames arranged in opposed abutting relation and one of said frames having a groove opposing the other frame, a rib formed on the latter-named frame and entering said groove, a flexible fragile solid membrane of sheet form positioned between said frames for closing the latter and clamped in the groove by the rib, hinges connecting said frames to permit swinging of the frames toward and from each other, elongated supporting members having notches to receive and frictionally grip portions of the frames to permit the frames to be firmly rested on a support and to secure the frames in abutting engagement, and screen type panels closing said frames and spaced from and arranged at opposite sides of the flexible fragile membrane to guard the latter against destruction.

' ANDREW J. JURCAK.

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