A PODOMBROSLONTRON, OR AN IMPROVED APPA- RATUS FOR EITHER SPONGE OR SHOWER BATH, AND ALL LAVATORY PURPOSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hazard, of 14, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Warming and Ventilating Engineer,
for the Invention of "A PODOMBROSLONTRON, OR AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR EITHER SPONGE OR SHOWER BATH, AND ALL LAVATORY
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 22nd September 1853, and dated the 26th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hazard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th March 1853.
I, ROBERT HAZARD, of 14, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Warming and Ventilating Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A PODOMBROSLONTRON, OR AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR EITHER SPONGE OR SHOWER BATH, AND ALL LAVATORY PUR-
POSES," to be as follows:-
A waterproof receiver, of the form shewn in Figure 1, of the an-
nexed drawing, and sufficiently large to allow of the water used by the
bather to fall within it, is made to expand by means of folding stretchers
covered with waterproof material. These stretchers are so constructed

page_text: as to allow the receiver to which they are attached, and the rest of the
apparatus, when not in use, to be folded and packed up in the portable
form shewn in Figure 3. To produce a shower bath a sufficient
quantity of water is placed in the receiver, in which also is placed the
movable platform with ascending pipe, shewn in Figure 2. This platform
consists of double force pumps, with suitable valves, and the ascending
pipe or tube terminating in a perforated rose or jet, under which rose or
jet the bather is supposed to stand. The bather then, by standing on the
platform, and lifting his feet alternately, brings the weight of his body
to bear from side to side of the platform, and thus causes, by alternate
pressure, the force pumps within the platform to act, and throw a con-
tinuous stream of water up the ascending pipe, and through the rose or
jet over the bather's head. The water thus forced up falls within the
receiver, and is employed to renew the bath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Hazard, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 26th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT HAZARD, of 14, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Warming and Ventilating Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Hazard, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Hazard, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Hazard, executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A PODOM-
BROSLONTRON, OR AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EITHER SPONGE OR SHOWER

page_text: BATH, AND ALL LAVATORY PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Hazard, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Hazard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the sheet
of drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of improvements in apparatus for sponge or shower
bath, which I denominate a podombroslontron, consists in the con-
struction of sponge baths so that they may be collapsed, either for the
purpose of portability or convenience; also in the construction of shower
baths, whereby a continuous stream or shower may be maintained at
the will of and with very slight exertion to the bather; such bath
being adapted for portability, or may be of a more permanent con-
struction.
Fig. 1, of the sheet of drawings annexed represents a portable
sponge bath or receiver for the shower in a expanded state; and
Fig. 2, shows the same collapsed. Fig. 3, represents a plan of this
bath, with part of the fabric of the article removed, shewing some of
the stretchers; and Fig. 4, shows a box to contain it when collapsed.
This bath or receiver is formed of waterproof cloth a, or some other
water-tight material cut in suitable
gores for the
purpose. The gore
pieces are connected at each of the stretchers b, b, which are indicated
by the dotted lines radiating from a diamond shaped frame c, and
are severally jointed thereto; casings are made at the junctions of the
cloth to receive the stretchers within that material. It will be observed
at the stretchers are continued radially to a certain extent, then rise
ally, and form an upright edge to the bath by sustaining the cloth
position. The diamond frame c, is jointed at d, d, in order that

page_text: it may open as at Fig. 2, to allow of the bath collapsing, which
joints d, d, serve also for the two coinciding stretchers; all the others
having separate and independent joints j,j, attached to the lower part of
this frame c; c, e, are two main side plates continued from the diamond
piece c, to the extremities of the water-tight fabric.
These plates,
Fig. 6, a plan of the
when brought together and fixed, as seen at Figs. 1, and 3, hold and
sustain the bath in an expanded position, fit for use. When collapsed,
these plates e, e, are detached and moved circumferentially in opposite
directions till the bath assumes the figure shewn at Fig. 2, when it may
be packed in the box, Fig. 4, for conveyance. Fig. 5, represents
another arrangement of portable bath, complete.
same with part of the waterproof material removed. Fig. 7, a collapsed
view of the waterproof material; and Fig. 8, a view of the box which
forms part of the bath, as also a receptacle in which to pack the water-
proof material for convenience or removal. The waterproof cloth, f.f
or other material for this purpose, I also cut into suitable gores,
uniting them so that a casing is left wherein to insert the stretchers
9, 9, 9, which to sustain the fabric. The stretchers g, g, g, are attached
and jointed to a chain or a series of links h, h; other joints i, i, are
formed in the chain between each of the stretcher joints, such double
joints allowing the chain to collapse and fold alternately in opposite
directions, as seen at Fig. 7. The stretchers and chain are entirely
covered and protected from the water by the cloth f. The case k, forms
the receptacle for the water, and the bottom of the bath on which to
support the cloth spread f, f; for this purpose it is furnished with a
number of small sockets 1, 1, 1, surrounding the lip of the box or case h.
The joint pins of i, i, project from the lower side of the chain, and fit
into the sockets 1, 7. This at the same time sustains the spread f, and
keeps the links h, h, of chain in proper position. Two rigid bars m, m,
are attached to either extremity of the waterproof material f, which are
brought together and fixed when the spread of bath is expanded; when
the parts m, m, are released, the spread may be collapsed as at Fig. 7,
in which state it may be enclosed in box as at Fig. 8. The lid of ca
is of course removed when used for the purposes of the bath.
My improvements in shower baths are represented at Figs

page_text: and 11. Fig. 9, shows in vertical section a shower bath complete, in
which the shower can be continued at pleasure without any great
quantity of water. The same water may be raised repeatedly to the
shower, which is maintained continuously at the expense of slight
exertion on the part of the bather. Fig. 10, is a plan of the apparatus
for raising the water to the shower or rose; and Fig. 11, a transverse
vertical section of the same. A, is the basin of the bath which contains
the water, and in it the apparatus shewn at Fig. 10, is placed. This
consists of a double diaphragm pump. B, B, are the chambers of the
pump, which are circular, and formed with a raised lip above the frame
plate C, which connect the chambers and other parts of appa-
ratus. D, D, are two small platforms or foot boards on which the
bather stands; these are mounted on fulera at o, o, and are controuled in
their relative position by an oscillating lever E, mounted on a fixed
fulcrum at f. Horns F, F, fixed to the footboards, D, D, have pins
which take into the slot ends of the lever E, for that purpose;
cones G, G, are mounted concentric to the pump chambers B, B,
and affixed to the foot boards D, by bolts and brackets p, p, which also
at the same time serve to attach the flexible material H, H, constituting
the diaphragms. These diaphragms are of water-tight material and of
conical form, the large end being securely fixed to the lip of the chamber
B, by an encircling strap q, in a water-tight manner. The small end of
diaphragm is inserted within the cone G, where it is fixed by a central
cone piece I, drawn up by the bolts p, p, before mentioned; suitable
openings are formed in lower part of chambers B, B, and furnished with
valves, opening inwards, which admit water, but allow of no
egress; communications 8, s, exist between the chambers B, B, and a
bonnet or valve chamber K, into which the water is discharged through
exit valves t, t. The honnet or valve chamber K, has free communica-
tion with the rising pipe I, (best seen in Fig. 10,) by which the water is
carried up to the rose or discharge orifice M. It will be readily under-
stood from this that on an alternating reciprocating motion being applied
to the foot boards D, D, a copious stream of water will be discharged
from the pump chambers into the conducting pipe L. In order that

page_text: the stream may be without intermission, I introduce an air chamber N,
in the ascending pipe. The discharge orifice being limited, the
superabundance of water forced by the pumps enters and compresses
the air in the chamber N, which, acting as a spring, always keeps the
water under an elastic compressure.
The elastic force so exerted on the water rectifies any interruption in
the flow of the water from the pumps, and thus maintains a continuous
and uniform shower so long as the action of the pumps is continued.
The footboards or platforms D, D, being placed immediately under the
rose or discharge orifice, the bather stands upright on the platforms
with the heels over the pump chambers. By rising alternately on the
toes of one foot, and depressing by the heel of the other, the weight of
the body will alternately be transposed from the one platform to the
other. This action discharges the water at the rose orifice M, as
before explained, which the bather receives on his head and shoulders.
It is obvious the action may be continued "ad libitum."
u, u, are
hooks on which to support a curtain, if required. Fig. 12, represents
a modification of this bath adapted for portability. Two collapsible
water-tight chambers v, v, are mounted on a pedestal w, which is fitted
with suitable inlet and exit valves and passages to and from the flexible
chambers. A platform a, is mounted on a fulcrum at y, either end
being attached to the flexible chambers u, v. By standing with one
foot on either end of this platform, and depressing the chambers
alternately, they will be filled and discharged, by which a stream of
water will be forced up the pipe 2, and discharged at the rose aperture
as before. This apparatus may be packed in a case, such as at Fig. 8,
which, with its spread, completes this bath. The pipe z, has screw or
other joints which, being detached, is rendered in lengths suitable for
portability and packing. Other arrangements of pump may be sub-
stituted for the above, but I have found diaphragm pumps or collapsible
chambers are well adapted for the purposes required.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which it is performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is.-

page_text: First, the arrangements of collapsible baths or shower receivers
described with reference to Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, of the annexed
drawing; and I also claim the mode of actuating diaphragm or other
pumps by the feet for the purpose of raising water to the rose of
shower baths for lavatory purposes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hazard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of Sepember,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
ROBERT HAZARD. (L.S.)
Witness, WILLIAM CLARK.