US3996A - Joel h - Google Patents

Description

sTArEsinrnn'r omnes.

JoEL n. Ross, or New YORK, N. Y.

VAPOR-BATH.

, specification ef Lettere Patent No. 3,996, dated Aprii 16, 1845.

To all whomy it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOEL-H. Ross,.of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Giving Hot-Air and Vapor Baths, and thatthe ollowingis `a full and exact description of the construc- Ationand.operation thereof, which I call at hot-air and vapor bathing apparatus,

1o 1 L contain the combustible fluid to be used,

This apparatusconsists of a fountain to with a` burner att-ached at which the fluid isto burn; a boilr to contain the waterby which the steam is tosbe generated; alframe` Vwhich is to be placed around the patient to receive the bath, and a pipe vto conduct the `fixzapor and hot air from the boiler to the frame. i

Figure of the drawings represents a perspective View ofthe fountain withthe burner attached, and Fig. Ll, isa sectional drawing of the `fountain.

B is a cylindricalifessel about four inches in length, and three inches in diameter.

The interior lof the vessel B -is divided into two apartments or chambers by the horizontal partition p so that the lower chamber is about three `quarters of an inch in depth;

the upper chamber communicates with the lower chamber by means oli' the tube Q say half an inch in diameter, which extends -from the upper chamberthroughxthe partition p kand dipspinto the lower chamber about half -an inch.Y

C is small horizontal tube extending from the .lower chamber/to any convenient length, say eight inches where the end turns up, and on this'en'd is soldered the concave pan or burnerB with a hole `in the center corresponding with the orifice of the tube C, by which it communicates' with the said lower chamber.

f `o is a legtosupportlthepan or burner.

' j es y flower chamber. `V i e "fd is a rod made of iron or vother inet-al,

'f is a small. tube furnishing a communicatlontor the' passage ofexternal air into said passing perpendicitlarly through the cylindrical` vessel B at or near itsgcenter; this urod` is inclosed by, and works 1n a tube, made so asA not' to admit the passage of air intol 4the chambers through which it passes; a screw is out `on the lower end of this rod,

\ which Works inandlpasses through a small" metallic nut soldered Vfast to thebottom of the cylindrical if'esselB;` y, The vessel Bis supported by a metallic crosspiece, the ends ,S which are bent at right angles, so as to form the legs g-say half an inch in length; the lower end of this rod tl rests upon this 4cross piece, and is used to elevate and depress the vessel B. On the opposite sides of the Vessel B are soldered two small tubes or grooves 7, thro-ugh which pass two small vmetallic rods which are attached to and eX- tend perpendicularly from the cross-piece above described., so that. the cylindrical vessel, sliding upon and steadied by these rods, may be elevated or depressed to any required position upon said cross-piece, by means of turning the screw rod d; s is an orifice or tube through the bottom of the Vessel B, for the purpose of supplying it with alco- 4 hol. This part of my apparatus is used for heating or boiling` the water inthe boiler A, and may be made of tin, copper or any other suitable metal; the combustible to be used `is alcohol. To supply `the chambers with alcohol I invert the Yvessel B, and po-ur the alcohol through the Orilce s which passes through the tube 7 into the upper chamber above described; when this chamber is full l close the orifice s and reverse the vessel B,

placing it in the position, as represented by Fig. 2; the .alcohol will then flow back from the upper into the lower chamber through Ythe tube q, while the atmosphere will at the lsame time pass from the lower to the the upper chamber through the sametube, until the surface of the alcohol in the lower chamber has reached the lower end of the tube (j, or raised a little above it. rlhe alcohol will then remain at this` height in the lower chamber until it is all exhausted from the upper chamber, for as it isV carried off through the tube C to support the coni-` bustion, 'it will be supplied from the upper chamber through the tube Q; when it is all exhausted 'from the upper chamber, it should be again filled. The alcohol flowing through the horizontal tube C is discharged upon the Aconcave pan P through the small -hole in the center of the pan, communicating' with the orilice of the tube C, where onbeing ignited it burns.

The quantity of alcohol on the pan and consequently the extent of the surface `of the alcohol undergoing combustion, and the size of .the flame are regulated by raising or lowering the cylindrical vessel B, which is done by turning the screw rod d; if a larger llame be required the rod d must be turned so as to elevate the vessel B, when the alcohol seeking aY level, will iow out in a greater quantity upon the frame or burner P; if a less flame be required the process should be reversed, when the surplus quantity of alcohol will flow back from the pan or burner to the chamber, and the flame will be proportionably diminished, the size of the flame corresponding with the surface of the Valcohol upon the concave pan or burner; this effect may however be produced also, by raising or lowering the pan or burner l?. The pan or burner P may be a simple conconcave pan with only the small orificein the center, communicating with that of the tube C, but it is better in order to supply air and make the combustion more perfect, that the pan should be made with one or more circular openings n, n, say one inch from the center, separated at one or more points,so that the alcohol may iow around them upon the pan, the edges being turned up so as to prevent the alcohol from running through said openings. The advantage of this part of my apparatus is to produce a uniform flame of any size required by causing a continuous and uniform flow of a greater or less qantity of alcohol upon the pan or burner;

P; the quant-ity upon this concave pan regulating the extent of the surface of the alcoho-l undergoing combustion, and conse-V quently the size of the flame.

Figure l, represents the boiler with the fountain and burner, frame, and pipe attached; Fig. 3 is a sectional drawing of the boiler.

A is the boiler which consists of three parts or vessels A, o, and w, and is constructed in the following manner: Beginning with the interior w is a conical vessel or a cylinder with a conical top, about four inches from the apex to the base, and about eight inches in diameter at the base; this is placed within another vessel o, of a similar form, whose diameter is sufficient to allow a space of about three eighths of an inch between the two; these are placed with their y i. bases downward, the bottom of the vessel w,

Ais closed, the conical top of the vessel u terminates with a pipe or chimney, one and a half inches in diameter; the bottom of the vesssel o is open and extends about five and I la half inches below the bottom of the vessel w, being scalloped out in several places, so as to admit of a free circulation of air, to supply the combustion when in operation. The scallops extend up about three inches from the bottom; the edge of this scallopedushaped bottom of the vessel o, is turned out one quarter of an inch to meet and be soldered fast to another cylindrical vessel A still outside of this and with a bottom of a similar shape, and of sufficient diameter to form a space between the two of three eighths of an inch, which space is to be filled with water.

The points formed by the scallops serve as i legs to support the boiler, said'legs should be of sutlicient length to raise the bottom of the vessel w at least, tive inches above the pan in 'two apartments near the top, by means of the tube y, so that the steam, at the surface of the water, may pass from the interior of the vessel w, to the apartment between the vesssels 'v and A, from which it escapes through the steam pipe S, or the hot air pipe H as hereinafter described. The pan or burner being placed under the boiler, as represented by Fig. 1, the hot air and flame from the burning alcohol passes through the space formed between the two vessels o and fw, into the hot air pipe H, where it may be combined with the steam or vapor, as hereinafter described.

The dome cover or top of the boiler J is perforated by two pipes H and S, each, one and a half inches in diameter, and extending two or three inc-hes above the cover; H is i in the center and is a continuation of the conoidal vessel o, before described, and through which passes dry hot air; S which is an inch and a half from the hot air pipe communicates with the water apartments,

and through this escapes. pure vapor or steam. To combine the two when required, viz hot air and steam, there is a semicncular opening in the cover between the twopipesintersected in the middle by a strip one eighth of an inch wide, which converts it into two quarters of acircle h and t, as rep'- resented by Fig. 5 of the drawings, the

diameter of whose circle is about two inches. ,L

A valve z' of the form of these openings and a little larger is made to turn on apivot placed in the center of the circle, so as to close either one or the other, or a part of each asrmay be desired, so that in all cases an opening must be left for the escape of the steam, which renders it perfectly safe. This opening may be of any other form than that of a quarter of a circle, provided the Vvalve corresponds with them in form. Around these openings 7L and t is a hoop an inch wide connecting the two pipes, and is soldered fast to the top of the-boiler, which hoop has also a cover L, soldered :tast and turns it, passes andv is bent twice at right Amade steam tight, through this cover a wire, x `which is attached to the valve, and which i lan 'a partition under which the valve slides.

These openings communicate with t-he pipes Hand S, h communicating with the pipe H,

and t with the pipe S, so that by turning the valve and closing the opening t, the steam is thrown into the hot air pipe I-I, and the hot air and the steam or vapor is thus combined, and byturning the valve so as to close hot air and steam combined, the conducting pipe D should be placed upon the pipe H, when a bath of steam or vapor only is required, it should be placed upon the pipe S, and the opening h should be closed by the valve.v The boiler has also anotheropening I through the top i `of any convenientsize, through which it is supplied with water;` this when in operation should be closed by a cork. This part of my apparatus may be. made of any suitable metal, copper beingV the best. The frame RYY is for the bed of the patient, and is constructed as follows-'.lwo cylindrical tubes ELE, made of tin or other metal, one inch in diameter, and aboutV four feet and three inches long, with-one end closed and the other open; the open `end made to t into 'another tube F of the same diameter, into l which it is inserted at rightangles, so as to be 'taken apart when.desired to render it more portable. Thecro-ss or foot-'piece F is about two feet and sixinches in length. To

. this tube, which lies on both sides of the `patient,"and also below his feet, is. attached the"`conducting. pipe D at any convenient point, which conducts the steam or hot air "trom the boiler AV into said tubes E, E, F,

i and diiuses it `around the'patie'nt by means fof small perforationsor holes inY the upper jpart of the side tubes E, E, as they lie upon the bed around the patient; the foot piece has no perforations, the feet being more liable to be burned.` y To prevent the metallic .tube from burning theJpat-ient, it may be j covered with woolenlcloth, except at the upper rsurface where the perforations are situated. Three bows or hoops o, a, ce, made of iron rods of anyr convenient size, say one quarter of an inch in` diameter, whose per- Y pendicular height is about one tootl and three `inches,'stretch across over the patient, from one side. tube to the other, to which they are attached by means of small pipes or sockets 7), b, an inch or two long` and soldered fast to the tubes; the end of said bows setting into said pipesfor sockets, so as to be taken outat pleasure. These bows may be made with joints to render them more portable, and should also be connected together at the top, by means of a small rod c having holes in it through which the bows pass, and which correspond to the pipes or sockets on the side tubes, into which the ends of the bows are inserted. There may also be added, for the purpose of steadying the frame, two small, movable, Wire braces it', 7c, in the corners of the side and end tubes. This frame vis made so as to be taken apart in order to render 'it more portable. YVhen a. patient is to receive a bath, he should lie upon a bed with the frame R, covered with oil cloth, or other suitable substance to retain the steam,

placed over him, the burner is then placed under the boiler, and the conducting pipe D may be connected with either the hot air, or steamV pipe, according as the hot air alone, or the steam and hot air combined, or the steam alone is required, the quantity of each to be regulated, either by altering the size of the flame, or by turning the valve', as abo-ve described. The large amount of surface to which the water is exposed in the boiler, will cause it to boil very quickly after the flame is placed under it.

` What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the boiler A with the steam and hot air pipes S and H having the communications t and h between them regulated by the valve e', the whole being constructed and operating as above described.

I do not however intend to be understood as conning myself to the use of any particular metal, in the construction of my said apparatus, nor to the precise dimensions of the several parts thereof, as above mentioned; these may be changed according as vcircumstance-s may require.

In testimony whereof, I the said JoniJ H.

Ross hereto subscribe my name in the pres- Signed in our presence:

, Gno. Girronn,

CAMBRIDGE LIVINGSTON.

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