A Portable Shower Bath Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
WILLIAM HENRY SLADE, 89 Kingsdown Parade, Bristol, Agent for Cycles, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I make a circular ring of tubing, of brass or any other suitable metal, with an inlet
for water.
On one side of this ring, I drill a number of small holes to allow water to
pass through, precisely the same, as the gas holes of the ring burner of an ordinary
gas stove. I afterwards attach, by union or otherwise, to the inlet of this ring, a
suitable length of india rubber, or any other flexible tubing-at the other end of
the said tubing, I have another union or suitable tap, for connecting with the water
supply tap of the bath, thereby forming a shower or douche bath.
The connection thus formed, the ring should be passed over the head of the
bather, with the holes downwards, the water can then be turned on at will, and a
perfect shower bath is the result,-and this can be taken without wetting the head
to which so many bathers object.
Dated this Ninth day of May 1896.
WILLIAM HENRY SLADE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Portable Shower Bath Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SLADE, of 89 Kingsdown Parade, Bristol, in the County
of Gloucester, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and iu what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus by means of which a shower bath can be
obtained from any ordinary water service tap, or from any source containing a
sufficient head of water.
The apparatus comprises an endless or coiled, looped or other tube perforated on
its under side and having an inlet on to which is secured a length of india-rubber
or other flexible tubing, the other end of which is secured to the tap or other source
of supply.
Preferably the rubber or other tubing is detachably secured to the perforated
tube and to the tap or other source of supply so that the parts can be readily
detached and packed into a small space when not in use and can when required be
readily fitted together and connected to the nozzle of any ordinary tap or other
source of supply. The apparatus is then well adapted for the use of cyclists,
athletes and travellers generally, but may of course be used for ordinary domestic
purposes.

page_text: Fig. 1 is an underside view of the perforated tube, in this case an endless tube,
and fittings;
Fig. 2 shews a modified form of the rubber or other tubing adaptel to be fitted
to the hot and cold water taps of a bath or other supply so as to obtain a tempered
-shower; and
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the perforated tube and fittings showing the direction
of the shower.
The perforations a in the underside of the tube A are made on an angle so that
the water issuing from the perforations converges towards the centre as shown in
Fig. 3.
In the example shown in the drawings the inlet a¹ of the perforated tube A is
externally screw threaded and the rubber tubing B is connected thereto by means
of an ordinary union b. On the other end of the tubing B is a "Royle" union by
means of which the tubing can be connected to any ordinary water tap. In Fig. 2
the tubing is bifurcated and each furcation B' is fitted at the end with a
"Royle" union b so that they may be connected to the hot and cold water taps,
the temperature of the shower being regulated as desired by turning said taps on
more or less as will be well understood.
In some cases where the taps to which the tubing B is to be connected are not
circular in section, but of oval or D-shape, as is the case with a large number of
hot and cold water taps fitted to the existing baths, the "Royle" union connec-
tion is dispensed with and a plain flexible rubber end made to the tubing B so
as to stretch on to any shaped tap, or a "Royle" union may be made of rubber on
the end of the tubing B. The other end of the tubing B may also if desired be
-made of plain flexible rubber so as to stretch on to and fit the nozzle which in that
.case need not be screw threaded of the inlet a¹ of the perforated tube A without the
use of a union connection.
In use the perforated tube A may be passed over the head of the bather to lie
holes downward upon the shoulders encircling the neck, in which case the bather
can take a shower bath without wetting the hair of the head, or the tube A may
be held or supported above the head if so desired. The angle of the perforations
in the tube A is preferably arranged so that all the water is directed on to the
body of the bather, none of it falling clear to the ground, or into the tub, bath or
other vessel or article in or on which the bather may be standing.
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;-
A shower bath apparatus comprising an endless or other tube having an inlet
and perforated on one side, and a length of flexible tubing constructed or provided
with means for connecting it respectively to the tube inlet aforementioned and to
the tap or taps or other source of water supply substantially as described and
illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of Februan 1007
F. W. GOLBY,
36 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.