US2319352A - Vaporizing machine - Google Patents

Description

May 1943- .1. c. SMERNIS 2,319,352

VAPORIZING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jm/z/z K 5046/7245 ATTORNEYS- l l 1 i INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jam 6 fine/"72416,

My 18, 1943 J. c. SMERNIS Fonz-zine mourns Filed Feb 17 1939 NW .mw Mm, QQ

INVENTOR. John G flmarfzw, M,

ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. C. SMERNIS VAPORIZING MACHINE Flled Feb 1'7, 1939 May 18, 1943 Patented May 18, 1943 VAPORIZING MACHINE John C. Smernis, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Miss OMist Products, Inc.,

tion of Illinois Chicago, 111., a corpora- Application February 17, 1939, Serial No. 256,957 3 Claims. (Cl. 21-419) This invention relates to improvements in vaporizing machines for generating desired quantities of water vapor at suitable temperatures for use in beauty and health treatments.

The machine of this invention is particularly adapted for the generation of water vapor and conveniently applying the same to the skin of humans, such as the face and scalp, whereby it has great utility in various beneficial beauty and therapeutic treatments.

It is an object of this invention to provide a vaporizer of the type referred to, which will serve well in its intended use and which will deliver the desired quantity of water vapor at the desired temperature in a highly eflicient and effective manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vaporizer of the type described, which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and which can be movably supported from the floor so as to deliver the water vapor in a highly convenient manner for application to the patients or clients being treated.

The novelty of this invention resides primarily in the improved and simplified construction and.

arrangement of parts and adaptability for quick and inexpensive assembly and maintenance, as well as the quick accessibility of the parts for inspection. and repair.

It is a further object of this invention to provide various novel features to carry out the abovestated objects, as well as to provide certain additional advantages in use, as will more readily appear to one skilled in the art as the following description proceeds.

Various other objects not specifically enumerated are intended for this invention, all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from an understanding of the following description of one specific example of this invention which is given merely by way of illustration.

The following detailed description of the illustrated example may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevational View of a vaporizer constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional view of the vaporizer shown in Figure 1, with the supporting stand omitted.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure l is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing a longitudinal cross section of the internal mechanism of the vaporizer and also showing parts of the vaporizer housing eparated to better illustrate, as by means of the dotted lines, the manner of assembling the component parts thereof.

By referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the present invention comprises a body portion It mounted on a suitable stand or support I l. The stand comprises a plurality of supporting legs and feet 12 and a vertical upright support l3 which is preferably hollow and adapted to adjustahly receive a supporting post I 4 which can be suitably adjusted to any desired vertical height by means of the adjustable screw l5. The upright support may include a spring (not shown) in the conventional way to aid in lifting the device when adjusting the height thereof.

The upper end of the post M is provided with a horizontally extending arm 16. the other end of which is provided with a pivot of conventional design 17, which is not shown in detail. This pivot, however, serves to pivotally support a second arm l8, which is pivotally connected at its opposite end, as at l 9, to the supporting bracket and drain basin 2c. The supporting bracket and drain basin 20 is preferably constructed in the manner illustrated in Figure 2, so as to provide a receptacle 2! having a drain opening closed by a plug 22. The bracket and drain basin is also provided with internal lugs having openings adapted to receive holding screws 23 for securely mounting thereon the cylindrical body portion 24 of the vaporizer.

This body portion is preferably shaped as shown in the drawings, with an open end 25 cut on an angle to serve as a delivery means for the water vapor in a convenient manner.

The opposite end of the cylindrical body portion terminates in a vertical plane and is provided with a heading 25 and flange 2'! adapted to receive and hold the dome-shaped end member 28. Centrally of the cylindrical body member is a partition 29 secured by welding or other suitable means of fastening the same, whereby the vaporizer is divided into a housing compartment 38 for enclosing the vaporizing mechanism and a front open compartment 3! which serves as a cooling chamber and vapor-delivery The vapour-producing mechanism is best illustrated in Figure 5 and comprises a water supply and delivery means designated generally 32, and a boiler designated generally 33. The water supply device comprises a tank 34 made of metal or other suitable material, adapted to contain the desired quantity of water, and is provided with a filling neck 35 which extends upwardly through the domed housing member 28 with its upper edge tightly fitting the housing and conveniently presenting the opening for refilling the supply tank. This opening may be closed .by a suitable airtight closing .plug 36.

At the base of the supply tank is a downwardly extending water delivery tube 3! which extends a substantial distance into a constant-level auxiliary reservoir 38. This reservoir preferably comprises a metallic member permanently secured by an air-tight connection to the base of the water supply tank 32, substantially in the manner illustrated in Figure 5.

Adjacent the upper portion of the auxiliary reservoir is an air inlet 46 to which is connected the upstanding air vent pipe ll which preferably extends upwardly within the housing of the vaporizer to a point above the maximum water level in the supply tank. Secured to the auxiliary reservoir at a location below the constant water level therein, is a connecting pipe 52 which includes a valve member t3 having a control stem and manual turning means 44, the latter of which extends downwardly through a slot I61 in the casing to a point where it is readily accessible for operation, as will be observed from an inspection of the drawings.

At the opposite end of the connecting pipe 42 there is rigidly attached a boiler 45 which is preferably of cylindrical or other suitable construction and which is equipped with a, truncated conical top 'ifi. The boiler is preferably provided with a recess in its base to provide a space for intimate association with a heating element 551, which may be of any suitable construction but is preferably constructed to directly apply the heat to the base of the boiler. In the form here illustrated, the heating element fits within the recess in the bottom of the boiler and is provided with a cylindrical opening through which projects the attaching bolt rigidly secured to the base of the boiler. This bolt is threaded at its lower end and adapted to receive a heater-holding plate 52, made of metal or other suitable material, against the base of the heater by means of a holding nut The upper portion of the boiler is provided with one or more (in this illustration, two) vapor-delivery pipes which preferably extend upwardly and forwardly in the manner shown in Figure 2, and through openings 56 in the partition 29.

Although it is not necessary to the satisfactory operation of this device, it is found preferable to equip the ends of the vapor-delivery pipes with nozzles 51 which direct the vapor downwardly in a manner that will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings.

One feature of this invention'which makes for simplicity of construction and ease in assembly and maintenance is the fact that the water supply tank, auxiliary reservoir and boiler, including the heating element, are assembled as a unitary device by means of the connecting pipe 42 and valve 53 which not only form the necessary water connection to supply water to the boiler, but also provide the necessary mechanical strength to unite and support these respective parts.

As a result, this entire mechanism is mounted in the device by means of a single support at the base of the auxiliary reservoir. This support comprises a holding screw 6?) which is permanently secured to the base of the auxiliary reservoir and extends through an opening in the bottom portion of the domed housing member 28 and is clamped by means of a nut El, which tightly embraces the housing member and forces the same against a shoulder, washer or other means 62 so as to securely mount and maintain the entire assembly in fixed relation with respect to the domed housing member 28. Of course, the upper end of the inlet opening 35, by virtue of its contact with the domed member, maintains the vertical alignment of the water tank member and, accordingly, aids in the mechanical support of the unit.

It will thus be seen that the boiler, which mechanically supports and carries the vapor outlet pipes 55 as well as the heating element, is substantially entirely supported by its pipe connection 42 and the auxiliary reservoir, whereby the mounting of the water tank and reservoir in the manner described serves as the mechanical support for the entire assembly. The parts are preferably so disposed, however, that the base of the screw 5| extending from the bottom of the heater, together with its holding nut 53, may engage and rest upon the bottom inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the body of the vaporizer, and to this extent some mechanical support is supplied by this contact, if necessary.

As shown in Figure 5, the domed portion 28 of the housing is provided with an edge which is adapted to overlap the flange 21 of the cylindrical portion of the housing. These parts are preferably assembled in the manner illustrated in Figure 5, as represented by the dotted lines, and may be removed and separated so as to withdraw all of the mechanism from the cylindrical portion of the housing by merely detaching the domed portion of the housing and moving it axially away from the cylindrical portion thereof. The domed and the cylindrical portions of the housing are preferably held in assembled relation by means of screws or other suitable securing means Hi, which may be screwed through threaded aligned openings provided in any suitable number around the periphery of the overlapping portions thereof.

The water supply tank is preferably equipped with a water gauge 15, clearly illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5, which consists of horizontally disposed connecting pipes 11 and i8 and a glass tubular connecting member it. This tubular member is preferably disposed externally of the domed housing member and may be located in a groove 9%, as shown in Figure 3, adapted to accommodate the same, so that for purposes of protection and nicety of appearance it will not extend beyond the outer contour of the body of the vaporizer.

Although the electric heating element may be of any suitable type now available on the market and its exact construction is not a part of this invention, the form here illustrated comprises a disk-like member having a metallic housing I05 in which is embedded a quantity of ceramic or other non-conducting plastic material ifii, which in turn has embedded therein a suitable electrical heating coil 32. This coil may be of usual construction for heaters of this kind, having its terminals provided as at N33 for connection to an electrical conductor I04 which may extend through the housing to any convenient point where it may pass through to the outside, as illustrated in the drawings. As

- shown here, this outlet may be located at the rear of the machine and include a control switch I by which the current line I06, which is connected to a suitable source of current, may be connected and disconnected to the heating element.

The lower rear edge of the cylindrical body member is provided with a slot I07 which extends to the vertical edge thereof for accommodating the stem 44 of the control valve 43. By means of this slot, the entire unit may be moved into position during the assembly operation without interference,

The bracket and drain basin 20 preferably communicates, by means of an opening III), with the cooling compartment 3| of the vaporizer, whereby any condensation which collects on the Walls thereof may be drained into the receptacle 2| of the bracket and periodically removed by withdrawing the closing plug 22.

This device also includes a towel or coversupporting rack I I5 which may be of wire or other suitable material, slidably held in brackets 6 mounted on the inner surface of the cooling compartment whereby the rack can be withdrawn to the dotted line position, as shown in Figure 3, so as to aid in supporting a towel or cover to be used during the vapor-applying treatment. The outward movement of the rack is arrested by means of a screw or other suitable stop III.

As may be observed from Figure 3, this rack is preferably U-shaped and has similar sliding supports on opposite sides of the device.

The device is further equipped with a holding sleeve I20 extending through the top wall of the cooling compartment 3|, and which is preferably disposed on a diagonal in substantially the manner shown, whereby it may receive and frictionally hold a breathing tube I2I. The breathing tube may be of paper or other suitable material, whereby a fresh tube may be used for each treatment, and the tubes readily inserted and removed as desired.

It will be understood that the auxiliary reservoir, with the depending Water delivery tube 37, will serve as a constant-level water supply means for delivering a constant quantity of water to the boiler. It will be noted that the water level in the auxiliary reservoir is exactly the same as that required for efficient boiler operation, whereby through the instrumentality of the connecting pipe 42 and the control valve 43, the same level is maintained in the boiler so long as an adequate supply of water is available.

The closing plug 36 at the upper end of the water supply tank is air-tight, whereby no air can enter the water tank to displace the water taken therefrom except by passing under the lower lip of the depending water delivery pipe 31. This air is available from the air space in the auxiliary tank above the water level as supplied through the air vent 4|, It will thus be seen that the water supply tank, to the extent of its capacity, always maintains the desired water level in the boiler, whereby a relatively small amount of water is presented at any one time to the heating element, with the result that a very efiicient and satisfactory boiling action results.

A further feature resides in the fact that the outer chamber 3| of the body of the vaporizer supplies an adequate space for the proper cooling of the vapor to prepare the same for application to the patient or client being treated.

, prising a body member having a housing com main portion and a removrizing mechanism comprising a boiler and means for supplying water to said boiler.

2. A vaporizer of the character described, comprising a body member having a housing compartment including a movable closing member, and vaporizing mechanism assembled as a maintaining substantially a constant level of water in said boiler.

3. A vaporizer of the character described, comprising a body member having a housing com- JOHN C. SMERNIS.

Images