Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1898-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
I, HENRY ROBERT O'HARA, residing at 53, Bernard Avenue, in the City of Toronto,
in the County of York, and Province of Ontario, Canada, Stockbroker, 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of shower bath apparatus which has for the
primary feature a perforated ring adapted to be placed over the head and to rest
upon the shoulders of the bather, and to have connections with a tap or taps of a
bath, or other source of water supply.
The principal objects of my improvements are the effectual distribution of the
streams or jets of water over the whole person, irrespective of the attitude preserved
in the tub, and to facilitate adjustment of the different spraying devices streams
or jets, to suit different shapes, forms or proportions in the body of the bather.
For full comprehension of the invention reference must be had to the accom-
panying drawings forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a
perspective view of my improved shower bath apparatus, and Figure 2 an enlarged
detail view of the connections between the annular head or ring and the tap
connections.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.
A represents a tubular ring or head, which, when assembled with the other parts,
preferably forms one integral element; it is provided with a number of perfora-
tions a, a, towards its inner and lower sides, through which the water may pass in
jets or streams, so as to be distributed over the shoulders and thence to the whole
person of the bather.
This head or ring may be purely annular or cylindrical, or
may partake of oval or other. desired shape, so long as it may be conveniently
passed over the head and rest upon the shoulders of the bather.
B is another perforated pipe extending downwardly from and rigidly connected to
the rear part of the annular head so as when in use to lie contiguous to the back of the
person and to distribute the water over the back and sides, which may be done by
arranging the apertures b, b, in series, so as to project the jets or streams at different
relative angles. This extension pipe B is of any suitable length, and would have
the effect of maintaining the annular head or ring in what may be considered as
practically a horizontal plane (at right angles to said pipe connection), and prevent
the same from slipping forward, as is the case in the shower-rings now employed,
and which project the streams of water only over the chest of the bather.
At an opposite point upon the head or ring A, that is to say, at that portion which
would come in line with the front of the bather's body, I attach another perforated
pipe C, preferably of about the same length as the rear pipe B, and arrange said
pipe C to be adjustable at any angle which will enable it to adapt itself to the size
or formation of the body of the bather, the same being raised to the position shown
in dotted lines in Figure 1, previous to placing the annular head or ring A over the
bather's head, and then pressed or allowed to fall to the position indicated in strong
lines in the same figure, before turning on the water.

page_text: The joint D between this front pipe C and the head or ring A may partake of
the nature of an automatic valve which will be closed when such pipe is in the first-
named position, and which will be open when it has been allowed to assume its
second or operative position on the body of the user, although it will be understood
that this may be a plain joint, and that the pipe C may have a separate valve or tap
which may be opened and closed at will. This front pipe C will have a connection
for two taps, one for cold and one for hot water, such as is shown in Figure 2 of the
drawing, or any analogous arrangement.
I do not claim broadly in this application the employment of an annular head or
ring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A shower bath apparatus comprising water-tap connections, and a perforated
head or ring adapted to be passed over the head and to rest upon the shoulders of
the bather, said head or ring having a rigid perforated extension from the rear part
thereof, adapted to direct the streams towards the back of the user, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
2. A shower bath apparatus comprising water-tap connections, a perforated bead
or ring adapted to be passed over the head and to rest upon the shoulders of the
bather, said head or ring having a perforated pipe in communication also with said
water-tap connections, and arranged to adapt itself to the size and form and to dis-
tribute the streams of water across the front of the body of the bather, substantially
as set forth.
3. A shower bath apparatus comprising flexible water-tap connections, a
perforated head or ring adapted to be passed over the head and to rest upon the
shoulders of the bather, a rigid perforated extension from the rear part of said head
or ring adapted to maintain same in place and to direct the streams of water towards
the back, and an adjustable perforated pipe in direct connection with the water
supply and with the head or ring, and arranged to adapt itself to the size and form
and to distribute the streams of water across the front of the bather's body, all
combined and arranged substantially as set forth.
Doted the 21st day of February 1898.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.