IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BATHING;
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
VAUX, of Frederick Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Nineteenth day of September, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Christopher Vaux, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Christopher Vaux, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Christopher Vaux, my exors, adññors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
BATHING;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
Christopher Vaux, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Christopher Vaux, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following Statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
The first part of my Invention consists in making portable bathing appa-
ratus by constructing dresses of suitable waterproof fabric, which, fitting the
person loosely, allows of being filled with water, whether hot or cold, when the
person is standing, sitting, or reclining, which apparatus, in addition to
offering the advantages of portability, has the additional advantage of requiring
comparatively little water, which latter circumstance will be found of great
importance in cases where a person is required to bo put quickly into a warm
bath, as the quantity of water required to be heated will be very small.
In constructing apparatus according to my Invention I prefer to employ that
description of waterproof fabric which consists of two woven fabrics, cemented
together by means of india rubber, though other waterproof fabrics may be
used; and thus, by means of suitable waterproof fabric, I form a dress with
legs and body, and the body may or may not have sleeves, according to the
wish of the person for whom the apparatus is made. When the body of the
dress is made without sleeves, the person taking the bath will place his arms
within the body of the dress, which is to be made large enough for such
purpose, and when such is the case a flesh brush may be used; and for such
cases it will be desirable to have flesh brushes made as thin as may be, to
occupy little space, in order the apparatus or dress may not be larger than is
necessary for leaving a moderate space for water between all parts of the
person and the dress, which I recommend should not be more than from one
inch to one and a half inch, and even less will do, when it is not desired to rub
the person when bathing; and when the dress has sleeves as well as legs, then
about half an inch between the person and the dress for the water will bo
sufficient. In order to facilitate a person getting into a dress of this descrip-
tion, it will be found convenient, particularly where the dress is intended to
contain the least quantity of water possible, that there should be a gusset
formed at the upper part of the body of the dress, which, when the person is
in the dress, may be folded down on the dress, and fastened with strings or
other means. All parts of this dress are to be made of waterproof fabric, so

page_text: that when the person is in the bath, and the same is filled with water, the
person will be kept surrounded with water in all parts when standing, so that
only the head comes above the water; and when sitting or reclining, only those
parts of the person which are pressing against the seat or other supporting
surface will be uncovered with water. And it is important to remark, that I
have found that bathing apparatus thus formed retains the heat of water for a
very long time; hence, when a warm bath is resorted to, the water during a
long time will nearly retain the whole of the heat which it possessed when
introduced into the dress. A person about to take a bath by means of appa-
ratus of this description, having got into the dress, and fastened up the gusset,
will be supported by resting upon the shoulders, may then proceed to fill the
dress by pouring water into the dress at the upper part thereof, till the same
comes above the shoulders; or the person bathing may, if required, have the
aid of another person to pour in the water, and, if required, the upper part of
the dress may be made wide, and suspended to a shower bath above, so that
when the water descends from the shower bath it may enter into the bathing
dress, and fill the same. In order to draw off the water from the dress a flexible
waterproof pipe is connected to the lower parts of both legs of the dress, and
when in use may be secured by a small valve, or any other convenient mode, and
may be unfastened, when the water will flow away, and the bather may then
It will be evident from the above
allow the bathing dress to descend.
description that flexible bathing apparatus may readily be used, requiring little
water, and when out of use will pack away and occupy very little space,
allowing of its being conveyed from place to place as part of the wardrobe of
When not seriously out of health the use of the bath will not in
the act of bathing require any person to aid the bather.
the owner.
The second part of my Invention consists of constructing shower baths of
flexible waterproof fabric, so as to allow of such baths to be packed in a very
small compass.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews the section of a shower bath constructed according to
Invention; Figure 2 shews a plan of the pan or shallow vessel, made of flexible
material; Figure 3 shews a section, Figure 4 a plan of the apparatus for
containing and distributing the water into a shower; and Figure 5 shews an
under side view of this part of the apparatus, in order that the means resorted
to by me for making the perforated surface for dividing the water into streams
ectron
Invention; Figure 2 shews a plan of the pan or shallow vessel, made of flexible
material; Figure 3 shews a section, Figure 4 a plan of the apparatus for
containing and distributing the water into a shower; and Figure 5 shews an
under side view of this part of the apparatus, in order that the means resorted
to by me for making the perforated surface for dividing the water into streams
may be understood. a, a, is the ordinary curtain, which is kept distended

page_text: when in use by a hoop at top and a hoop c at bottom, as shewn. The upper
boop is suspended by cords to the upper hoop d of the apparatus for holding
the water, and this upper hoop d is supported by cords connected to the ring e,
by which, and by the aid of a cord f, the whole apparatus is raised to and
retained at a suitable height, as will readily be understood on examining
the Drawing. The apparatus g for containing the water and for dividing into
streams consists of waterproof cloth, the water being contained in the upper
compartment, as shewn, the upper compartment opening into the lower com-
partment through a valve h, which can be raised by the cord i, and at the
bottom of the lower compartment of the apparatus g is formed a perforated
bottom, which is of waterproof fabric, having numerous small holes formed
therein, the holes being bound round with metal, in the manner of eyelet holes,
as shewn, the upper and lower parts of the apparatus 9 being kept distended
by hoops d and d', which I prefer to be of whalebone, and such is the case
with respect to the hoops to the curtain. In constructing the necessary pan or
apparatus for receiving the water I form the waterproof fabric into a hollow
ring around the central portion, as shewn at j, and apply a suitable apparatus at
k, to allow of the ring j being blown and retained full of air, thus producing the
requisite pan for the bath. And I would observe, that this pan may be used
separately as a bath where the person sits and uses a sponge to apply the
water to the person, as is now very commonly practised. In using the shower
bath the quantity of water to be used is placed in the vessel g, and the appa-
ratus is then raised into a position for use; or, in place of raising the water all
at once in this manner, which were a large quantity is to be used would be
heavy, the water may by a small hand pump or syringe be pumped up into the
vessel g, using a flexible tube from the pump up into the vessel g.
I would remark, that although I have thus been particular in shewing and
describing the various details of this part of my Invention, I do not confine
myself thereto, so long as the apparatus for holding and dividing the water
into streams, and also the pan below, are made of flexible waterproof fabric.
In making the apparatus above described I prefer to use fabrics mado
waterproof by india rubber, but any sufficiently waterproof fabric may be
used.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Vaux, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
CHRIST (L.S.) VAUX.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of March, in
the year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid Christopher Vaux came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.