US3196465A

US3196465A - Bath tub stools

Info

Publication number: US3196465A
Application number: US243192A
Authority: US
Inventors: Montgomery Donald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-12-03
Filing date: 1962-12-03
Publication date: 1965-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-27

Description

July 27, 1965 D. MONTGOMERY BATH TUB STOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D80. 5, 1962 :nihil July 27, 1965 D. MoNTGMr-:RY 3,196,465

BATH TUB STOOLS Filed Deo. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,196,465 BATH TUB STLS Donald Montgomery, Payne St., West Kiidonan, Winnipeg 17, Manitoba, Canada Filed Dec. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 243,192 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-185) The invention relates to a safety stool for insertion in a conventional bath tub and which permits the bather to sit comfortably on the inserted stool when taking either a spray bath or what is commonly called a sitz bath and Without fear of accident through slippage of the Istool in any direction within the tub.

A more detailed object is to provide a stool for insertion in the tub and which uses the applied weight of one seated on the stool to forcibly extend spaced, compressible lower members simultaneously into frictional contact with the side walls of the tub, said contact members being positioned and compressed with suicient intensity to prevent slippage of the stool under the applied weight of the sitter and in any direction.

A further object is to provide a stool for insertion in the tub and which embodies upper, spaced seat sections, each supported by a pair of spread, crossed legs pivotally connected together in transverse alignment at their points of crossing one another and wherein the lower portions of all legs, below the pivot points, are extended outwardly and all provided with similar, compressible cups t-o simultaneously engage the side walls of the tub upon the weight of an individual being imposed on the seat sections and with sufficient intensity to prevent slippage of the ycups in all directions.

A further object is to provide a simply constructed bath tub stool formed from relatively few parts which can be Ireadily produced and fabricated from common stock material and easily and quickly assembled and which also can be quickly extended for use or collapsed for storage purposes. Y

With the above more important objects in view and other minor objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described yreference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a plan View of the stool and as it appears in an extended position.

FIG. 2 is a face view of the :stool as it appears in operative position within a standard bath tub and showing the lower portion of a shower protecting curtain extending downwardly within the tub.

FIG. 3 is an end View of the stool as it appears in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, side view of a waterproof cushion which can be detachably secured to the upper part of the stool when desired and resting on the seat sections.

FIG. 5 is an invert plan View of a broken away portion of the cushion and showing the spring bar which appears in FIG. 4 as passing centrally across the underside of the cushion and secured thereto by straps as appearing also, in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view passing longitudinally through one of the cups and showing the end of one of the horizontal tubes entered frictionally therein.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, in the several ligures.

The stool presents an outer set of legs A and B and an inner set of legs C and D which cross one another and which are pivotally connected together at their points of intersection by transversely aligned pivot pins E and F. and the connected legs A and D are set well apart ice from those C and B for a reason which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The upper ends of all legs terminate in similar, out turned, horizontally disposed portions H and I and to which spaced, seat sections I and K are securely attached.

I now mention that the pairs of legs, as a whole, and as shown in the drawings have been made from selected lengths of stiff metallic tubing and which have been interconnected by suitable elbows G. The various tubes utilized in the forming of the outer and inner pairs of legs are herein specically indicated by applied reference numbers.

The outer legs present lower

outgoing tubes

1 and 2 connected by appropriate elbows to upgoing, slanting tubes 3 and 4 and in the same vertical planes as those 1 and 2. The upper ends of the tubes 3 and 4 are connected by elbows G to upgoing and inwardly

slanting tubes

5 and 6, it being here noticed that the upper ends of the latter tubes are well above the pivot points E and F. In a similar manner the inner pairs of legs C and D which cross those indicated as A and B present,

corresponding tubes

7, 8 and 9. It is necessary that the upper ends of the

leg tubes

5 and 6 and those 9 Support the spaced seat sections J and K which are of the kidney shape shown, and such is brought about by utilizing elbows G to connect the

tubes

5, 6 and 9 to pairs of horizontally disposed

tubes

10 and 11, 12 and 13 extending outwardly and connected through elbows by

lintervening tubes

14 and 15. According to the above it will be apparent that each pair of legs is a unit in itself, the two units being pivotally connected to one another by the pivots E and F, and each unit being held together by the seat sections which are fixed-ly secured to the tubes 10, 11 and those 12, 13.

The lowermost tubes of the stool are supplied at their outer ends with similar, compressible, friction cups L applied frictionaflly on the outer ends of the tubes. In order to prevent undue damaging of the interior of the cups, a stiff disc Lx is placed over each end of the tube (see FIG. 6) and it will be obvious from the showing, that the compressible, semi-bulbous heads L will always be equally spaced apart for contact purposes.

I now make reference to the standard bath tub and which is shown in vertical cross sectional view in FIG. 2, parts being torn away. The tub presents the usual substantially vertical side walls M with top outstanding rim MX and bottom Mb and the tub as a whole being supported by corner legs, one of which is shown at P, broken away. The side walls generally curve inwardly and downwardly to meet and support the tub bottom and such inwardly curving portions are indicated at M".

It is customary for one taking a shower bath to stand on the tub bottom and spray warm water under pressure and suitable temperature onto his body from an overhead spray nozzle. As such is well known, the nozzle is not herein shown or described. It is also common practice to use an overhead suspended curtain, the lower end of which, and indicated at Q, extends downwardly into the tub and adjacent the side walls and the purpose of which is to prevent spray water escaping onto the floor supporting the tub.

When one desires to take a shower bath and using my stool, the stool is inserted into the tub and initially spread to bring the friction cups into frictional contact with the side walls thereof, and the weight of the stool itself primarily hold it there in suspension. Such having been done, the bather then sits down on the seat sections J and K and his added body weight highly compresses the cups into contact with the side walls and with such intensity that any slippage is prevented in any direction.

The positioning of the height of the stool within the tub can be varied, but for all practical purposes, the

converse order.l Many accidents have happened in taking a standingl position'of the stoolr within theY tub will be `as shown in FIG. 2vwhere it will: be seenfthat the friction cups are of the tub start to curve inwardly, and the ign-curves give an added safety factor. Y

In using heated spray water under pr-essurerand directed v f engaged with the tub walls at'the points where the sides Y in different directions onto the body it is' quite possible for the ysprayed' water'tobulge ythe curtain outwardly above the rim of the tubfandifor snchrerason I have shown the lower endQ ofthe curtain well down within and below-the rim of the tub. f Y,

It is quite common ,'for one to take whatis commonly known as a vsitz bath and if one desires toV dof this insolid comfort, I have provided a water proof cushion R (see FIGS. 4 and'S)V that-can be detachably secured to the stool and rested on the seat sections J and K.' It can be rendered` detachable 'inany suitable way. I have shown it herein as a at spring T centrally crossing the underside of the cushion and securelyfastened thereto by cross straps T sewn or otherwise ixedlyV fastened to the cushion. 'The spring hasrits extending ends down curved and terminatingin 'hooks' Tx; *To detachably secure the cushion to the stool it-is konly vnecessary toV catchone of the hooks on the cross tube 14,V press down, and catch the otherhook on thecross tube or lthe spraybath due to thefoot slipping onrthe bottom of the tubrand such is enhanced when soapis used on the body as is quite usual, ,and inakes the bottom ofthe tubfslip-V pery as well as the feet. sibility.

I want4 nownto particularly point out that while the l pairsv of inner and outerY legs lhave each Vbeen described, as a whole, as having been 'made from length-sY of tubing interconnected by appropriate elbows,`it is distinctlyy to be understood that the elbows couldbe entirely dispensed with and each pair of inner and louter legs made fromV a single length of tubing appropriately benti'atelbow points to produce them andV using Ya stiff metal tubing for the purpose.

To store the stool it is only necessary to'ispreadV the inner and outer legs totheir contacting limitsl and if it be desired, the stool with the cushion 'secured thereto,l

My stool avoids anyfsuch pos.v

can be used alsk a seat on iioor, as Aitis obvious that the jhooked end-s ofthe spring will positively prevent the seat sections] and K from spreading. Y

What I -clairnisz y Y 1; In'a conventional bathtub wherein upgoing side walls of.V the tub have their lower portions converging inwardly and downwardly to support afhorizontallydis- Vposed-tub bottom, astool inserted,V in the tub and presenting inner andouter pairs of well Vspread legs extending transversely of the tub and'c'rossing one another and pivotally interconnected together at their points 'of crossing by sirriilar pivot pins inqhorizontalalignment and .extending centrallyandflengthwise of the tub and said pairs of legs havingtheir outermost lower endsghorizontally disposed and in frictional contact. with thelaforesaid Vinwardly. and downwardly inclining `lower, portions of f Vthe side walls, and similar, horizontally disposed, independent'and spaced seat sections extendingr lengthwise of thetub and ixedly securedato theV upper ends of the -respective vpairs of Ilegs and free-of thev said upgoing side walls, the said pivot pins being so positioned-,that upon the weight of a sitter being applied on the seat sections,

Ythe outer ends of `the legs at their pointsvof contact with the inwardly'and downwardly converging lower portions of theside walls aforesaid, Will'develop suicient out Vpressure to'prevent yslippage of the. stool under the applied weight ofthe sitter.. y Y l '.2. The device as claimed infclaimY 1 wherein the outer,

lower ends Vofall legs are provided" withsirnilar com- ,30

pressible friction cups. Y, l l

3. The device as Vclaimed in claixnl. wherein a Waterproofjcushion is supplied for detachable connection to the seatY sections .toV preventlspreading thereto, as and when dessen.l 'Y

Examiners.

Claims

1. IN A CONVENTIONAL BATH TUB WHEREIN UPGOING SIDE WALLS OF THE TUB HAVE THEIR LOWER PORTIONS CONVERGING INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO SUPPORT A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TUB BOTTOM, A STOOL INSERTED IN THE TUB AND PRESENTING INNER AND OUTER PAIRS OF WELL SPREAD LEGS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE TUB AND CROSSING ONE ANOTHER AND PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED TOGETHER AT THEIR POINTS OF CROSSING BY SIMILAR PIVOT PINS IN HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT AND EXTENDING CENTRALLY AND LENGTHWISE OF THE TUB AND SAID PAIRS OF LEGS HAVING THEIR OUTERMOST LOWER ENDS HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH THE AFORESAID INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINING LOWER PORTIONS OF THE SIDE WALLS, AND SIMILAR, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, INDEPENDENT AND SPACED SEAT SECTIONS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE TUB AND FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF THE RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF LEGS AND FREE OF THE SAID UPGOING SIDE WALLS, THE SAID PIVOT PINS BEING SO POSITIONED THAT UPON THE WEIGHT OF A SITTER BEING APPLIED ON THE SEAT SECTIONS, THE OUTER ENDS OF THE LEGS AT THEIR POINTS OF CONTACT WITH THE INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID WALLS AFORESAID, WILL DEVELOP SUFFICIENT OUT PRESSURE TO PREVENT SLIPPAGE OF THE STOOL UNDER THE APPLIED WEIGHT OF THE SITTER.