Improvements connected with Compresses, Wraps, Towels, Bandages, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Compresses, Wraps, Towels, Bandages,
and the like.
I, CHARLES THELISMAR SNEDEKOR, of Worcester, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Engineer, but at present of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane London
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in connection with compresses, wraps,
towels, bandages and the like, the object being to provide these articles with
means for heating them in cases where a hot compress, wrap or the like is required,
such as in the case of congestive or other symptoms or defective circulation.
In addition to these uses, a towel, constructed according to my invention, may
be employed for drying the hair and other purposes.
In carrying out my invention I employ an electric conductor of suitable
resistance to develop the necessary heat for the purpose in view, which conductor
may be insulated by braiding or winding with asbestos thread, twine or other
suitable fire and heat resisting material. Over this may be applied a coat or
covering of waterproofing material such as rubber in solution, oxidized linseed oil,
rubber tape or a rubber tube or a braiding of suitable material.
The resistance thus insulated and rendered practically fire and waterproof is
attached to a body of canvas linen or other suitable material by enclosing it in a
piping or seam which is stitched to the body or otherwise held to it or the
resistance may be simply secured direct to the body. The resistance is arranged
on the body in any suitable way and the terminals which are suitably secured and
strengthened are attached to connections (which may have a cut out fuse and
switch inserted therein) such connections being attached to a plug or plugs or like
device adapted to make contact with a suitable socket on the principal or house
circuit.
The heat may be regulated by the intervention of a rheostat in series with this
device or by throwing in or out of circuit one or more coils of the resistance.
The body thus arranged is preferably enclosed in a bag or cover of some
suitable material such as Turkish towelling which may be provided with buttons
or strings to retain it in place and enable it to be readily removed.
Dated the 16th day of April 1894.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.
5 Improvements connected with Compresses, Wraps, Towels, Bandages,
and the like.
I, CHARLES THELISMAR SNEDEKOR of Worcester, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in connection with compresses, wraps,

page_text: '
towels, bandages and the like, the object being to provide these articles with means
for heating them in cases where a hot compress, wrap or the like is required, such
as in the case of congestive or other symptons, or defective circulation. In
addition to these uses, a towel constructed according to my invention may be
employed for drying the hair and other purposes.
In carrying out my invention I employ an electric conductor of suitable
resistance such as manganin wire to develop the necessary heat for the purpose in
view, which resistance wire may be insulated by braiding or winding with asbestos
thread, twine or other suitable fire and heat resisting material. Over this may be
applied a coat or covering of water-proofing material such as rubber in solution,
oxidized linseed oil, rubber tape, or a rubber tube, or a braiding of suitable
material.
The resistance thus insulated and rendered practically fire and waterproof, is,
attached to a body of canvas linen or other suitable material by enclosing it in a
piping or seam which is stitched to the body or otherwise held to it, or the
resistance may be simply secured direct to the body. The body thus arranged is
preferably enclosed in a bag or cover of some suitable material such as Turkish
towelling which may be provided with buttons or strings to retain it in place and
enable it to be readily removed.
The resistance is arranged on the body in any suitable way, and the terminals
which are suitably secured and strengthened are attached to connections (which
may have a cut out fuse and switch inserted therein) such connections being
attached to a plug or plugs or like device adapted to make contact with a suitable
socket on the principal or house circuit. The heat may be regulated by the
intervention of a rheostat in series with this device, or by throwing in or out of
circuit one or more coils of the resistance wire.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 shows same when in the form of a towel or wrap,
and
Fig. 2 shows in enlarged cross-section the resistance wire with its coverings.
The connection from the source of supply is made through wires a a to the
resistance wire. b b which may advantageously, although not necessarily be composed
of the well known compound metal manganin which has the advantage of possessing
approximately even resistance at the varying temperatures to which said resistance
inay be subjected. In order that the resistance wire may be quite. flexible it may
be composed of a series of fine. wires stranded, plaited or woven. An effective
covering for wire b may be formed by first enclosing it in a wrapping of fireproof
material c such as asbestos, covering this with a waterproof compound d such as
rubber, enclosing this in waterproof tape e which., is in turn surrounded by the
ordinary braiding, the whole being enclosed in the towel or wrap g. With this
construction the towel may be saturated with water or medicament without liability
of injuring the insulation."
For hospital or like.use where the towel or the like will from time to time require
to be washed and disinfected, the resistance wires after being covered with asbestos
or other fireproof material may be placed between two sheets of rubber and
cemented or vulcanized therein so that the outer faces may be washed or disinfected,
the sheet so prepared can then be loosely slipped into a bag or receptacle of Turkish
towelling or the like, or may be used in its then prepared condition. As the heat
generated from a given current will depend largely upon the length of the resistance,
and as it will frequently be desirable to be able to produce varying temperatures
with the same towel or wrap, one or more cut out switches h h may be employed to
secure this end.
I am of course aware that the broad idea of beating a resistance by. an electric
current is not new, as all-incandescent lighting is thus effected, and it.has.also been
proposed to employ a resistance covered with enamel for heating purposes, .but so
far as I am aware prior to my application it had not been proposed to produce a
flexible electric heating appliance adapted to be used as a compress or the like.

page_text: 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. The improved compress, wrap, towel, bandage or the like, provided with a
suitably protected flexible resistance and means for connecting such resistance to an
electric circuit, substantially as described.
2. The improved compress, wrap, towel, bandage or the like, provided with a
flexible resistance covered or coated with fire and liquid resisting substances,
substantially in the manner described.
3. The improved compress, wrap, towel, bandage or the like provided with a
suitably protected flexible resistance and means for varying the resistance and
temperature, substantially as described.
4. The improved compress, wrap, towel, bandage or the like, the parts being
arranged and combined substantially as described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 15th day of January 1895.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.