A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING HOT OR TEPID AND COLD SEA, RIVER, OR SPRING WATER PLUNGE OR SWIMMING BATHS FOR USE ON LAND OR WATER
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Henman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
February 1872.
I, CHARLES HENMAN, of No. 7, Bedford Villas, Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW AND
IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING HOT OR TEPID AND COLD SEA, RIVER, OR
SPRING WATER PLUNGE OR SWIMMING BATHS FOR USE ON LAND OR WATER," to be
as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to construct a chamber, of any form
or shape for the purpose of heating water to supply the hot or tepid
bath or baths, which may be central or otherwise, and parallel to or
concentric therewith. I construct channels, tanks, or baths of any
sufficient length, depth, and width, and formed of brick, stone, con-
crete, slate, wood, or any other suitable material, and lined with
metal, tiles, or otherwise, which channels, tanks, or baths may be
enclosed within a covered structure, or be open or partly covered and

page_text: partly open, and when the first of such baths is supplied with hot or
tepid water as aforesaid it will form the hot or tepid water plunge or
swimming bath No. 1. Upon, near to, or over an outer side of this bath
I form a platform or division of any suitable width, upon which I place
dressing boxes having doors or openings towards such bath, and on the
outer side other doors or openings towards another bath built of
materials as aforesaid, and parallel to or concentric with bath No. 1;
this second bath may be supplied with heated water as aforesaid, and
form the hot or tepid water plunge or swimming bath No. 2, or it may
be supplied with cold water and form the tonic or cold water plunge
or swimming bath No. 1. Parallel to or concentric with the outer side
of the last bath I provide a platform and dressing boxes as aforesaid,
opening upon another bath built as aforesaid and supplied with cold
water, and form the tonic or cold water plunge or swimming bath No. 2,
and by forming a succession of such channels, tanks, or baths and
platforms and dressing boxes parallel to or concentric with the first,
I continue this disposition and construction to any required extent
for the promotion of cleanliness, health, and recreation, by enabling
large numbers of bathers or swimmers with facility to pass from the
central hot or tepid baths and to enter or plunge into the contiguous
parallel or concentric cold water or tonic baths in succession, or vice
versa, and I also construct floating baths upon the same principle of
arrangement, but modified in regard to construction and materials to
suit circumstances for use on seas, rivers, and inland waters.
My Invention is a combination of one or more channels, tanks, or
baths to be supplied with hot or tepid or cold sea, river, or spring
water as before mentioned, formed upon a parallel or concentric arrange-
ment one with the other in any number, and such channels, tanks, or
baths may be of any section, and may be either circular, square,
rectangular, oval, elliptical, polygonal, or irregular on plan, and the
baths in each parallel or concentric ring may be either continuous or
broken into segments, and may be either enclosed in buildings or open
to the air, or partly enclosed and partly open.
I do not confine myself to the special details and arrangements set
forth above, but I claim the general parallel or concentric arrangement
of two or more channels, tanks, or baths in combination with platforms

page_text: or divisions and dressing boxes, or without dressing boxes, so as to
enable bathers or swimmers to use and enjoy hot, tepid or tonic sea,
river, or spring water plunge or swimming baths in succession, or vice
versa.