Improved Bath for Invalids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Bath for Invalids.
I, MARGARET MARIA DOWN, of Burrow House, Ilfracombe, Devonshire,
Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved construction of baths for invalids whereby
the difficulty experienced in lowering and raising the invalid into and out of the
bath is entirely avoided.
My invention consists in making one side of the bath, whether of wood or metal,
to turn down on hinges at its lower edge, and in providing both the edge of such
hinged side and the edge of the bath with suitable appliances whereby, when the
side is turned up against the bath, it can be secured thereto in a perfectly water-
tight manner. The bath so constructed may be variously arranged for the con-
venience of the invalid, but by preference I fix the same upon a stand at such a
height from the floor, that the invalid can sit down conveniently in the head end
of the bath as in a chair, when the side is open, whereupon the lower part of the
body can be raised by the attendant and turned round into the bath.
To facilitate such turning I prefer to provide in the bottom of the bath, at the
head end, a small turntable cushioned with cork or other suitable material, so that
on the invalid sitting down upon it, it will turn round with the body, when this is
turned as described. If the bath is required to be portable, the stand may either
be provided with handles for carrying or with wheels for running it along, and in
that case I provide underneath the stand a removeable tank or receptacle, into
which the water is discharged through an opening in the bottom of the bath after
use, in order to allow of the hinged side being opened for the removal of the
invalid, which is effected in the same way as the introduction.
The bath may however be fixed in a correspondingly raised position in a bath
room, and the water be run off through a waste pipe in the usual manner.
The means employed for forming the watertight joint between the hinged side
and the bath can be variously modified.
Thus according to one arrangement, I form round the edge of the bath a groove
which is lined with asbestos, caoutchouc, or other suitable material, and on the
meeting edges of the hinged side I fix or form a projecting fillet, which fits into
the said groove, and is pressed closely into the same by suitable fastenings. The
fillet on the hinged side may also be made of elastic material. Or the fillet may
be on the bath and the groove on the hinged side.
The fastenings may be of any suitable known construction such as levers pivotted
to the ends of the bath, and having either an excentric, cam screw nut or screw,
which is turned so as to press with more or less force against the outer face of the
hinged side or against lugs projecting therefrom.
Dated this 28th day of December 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Bath for Invalids.
I, MARGARET MARIA DOWN, of Burrow House, Ilfracombe, Devonshire,
Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved construction of baths for invalids whereby
the difficulty experienced in lowering and raising the invalid into and out of the
bath is entirely avoided.
My invention consists in making one side of the bath, whether of wood or metal,
to turn down on hinges at its lower edge, and in providing both the edge of such
hinged side and the edge of the bath with suitable appliances whereby, when the
side is turned up against the bath, it can be secured thereto in a perfectly water-
tight manner. The bath so constructed may be variously arranged for the con-
venience of the invalid, but by preference I fix the same upon a stand at such a
height from the floor, that the invalid can sit down conveniently in the head end of
the bath as in a chair, when the side is open, whereupon the lower part of the body
can be raised by the attendant and turned round into the bath.
To facilitate such turning I prefer to provide in the bottom of the bath, at the
head end, a small turntable cushioned with cork or other suitable material, so
that on the invalid sitting down upon it, it will turn round with the body, when
this is turned as described. If the bath is required to be portable, the stand may
either be provided with handles for carrying it or with wheels for running it along,
and in that case I provide underneath the stand a removeable tank or receptacle,
into which the water is discharged through an opening in the bottom of the bath
after use, in order to allow of the hinged side being opened for the removal of the
invalid, which is effected in the same way as the introduction.
The bath may however be fixed in a correspondingly raised position in a bath
room, and the water be run off through a waste pipe in the usual manner.
The means employed for forming the watertight joint between the hinged side
and the bath can be variously modified.
Thus according to one arrangement, I form round the edge of the bath a groove
which is lined with asbestos, caoutchouc or other suitable material, and on the
meeting edges of the hinged side I fix or form a projecting fillet, which fits into the
said groove, and is pressed closely into the same by suitable fastenings. The fillet
on the hinged side may also be made of elastic material. Or the fillet may be on
the bath and the groove on the hinged side.
The fastenings may be of any suitable known construction such as levers pivotted
to the ends of the bath, and having either an excentric, cam, screw nut or screw,
which is turned so as to press with more or less force against the outer face of the
hinged side or against lugs projecting therefrom.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view of a bath according to my
invention with its hinged side opened to admit a patient.
Fig. 2 shews the bath with its side closed.
The bath is shewn to be mounted on a framing F which might have handles for
carrying it or might be made with wheels. Under the bath is a tank T into which
the contents of the bath can be run before opening the side to remove the patient.
On the floor of the bath is provided the disc D, which may be of cork, free to turn
when the patient is seated on it. The edges of the bath are recessed and the
edges of its hinged side have fillets which project into these recesses against
suitable packing material to make tight jointing, the closure being effected by
Screws S at each end, by turning which the hinged side is bound firmly against the
rest of the bath. The screws may work in pivotted nuts, or may be pivotted eye-
bolts with nuts working on them, so that when loosened they can be turned aside
to allow the hinged side to be folded down.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A bath having its side hinged so that it can be folded down, for admitting or
removing a patient, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.