IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE BATHS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Abbott, of the Firm of Anderson, Abbott,
and Anderson, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, India-
rubber Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PORTABLE BATHS."
Sealed the 24th January 1873, and dated the 27th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Abbott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th July 1872.
I, WILLIAM ABBOTT, of the Firm of Anderson, Abbott, and Anderson,
of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, India-rubber Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTABLE BATHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of portable baths in which the
bath is maintained in a distended condition when required to be used,
but is collapsible or capable of being folded up when necessary for

page_text: travelling or other purposes, and has for its object so to construct the
same as to render them more simple and at the same time to reduce the
cost of their manufacture.
According to my Invention as applied to a sponging bath of the
ordinary form, with inclined or sloping sides, I construct the bottom and
sides of the bath of india-rubber, cloth, or other suitable flexible water-
proof material, cut to such a shape that when united the requisite form
will be produced, and I insert in or attach to the sides any convenient
number of air tubes, composed of cloth or other suitable material, and
arranged at intervals, either radially or otherwise, round the same.
The rim may be provided or not with an air tube as found desirable,
but I prefer to dispense with an air tube and to employ a cord round
the rim. These air tubes form stays or stiffeners, which impart the
required amount of rigidity when the bath is distended, whilst
admitting of its being readily folded up when not in use.
It is obvious that the air tubes are applicable to other forms besides
that herein-before referred to by simply varying the details to suit the
particular form of bath and the purpose for which it is intended to be
used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Abbott in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ABBOTT, of the Firm of Anderson, Abbott, and Anderson, of Limehouse,
in the County of Middlesex, India-rubber Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Abbott, Her

page_text: special license that I, the said William Abbott, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Abbott, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTABLE BATHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Abbott, my executors or administrators, 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 ỲE, that I, the said William Abbott, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to that class of baths in which the bath is
maintained in a distended condition when required to be used, but is
collapsible or capable of being folded up when necessary for travelling or
other purposes, and has for its object so to construct the same as to
render them more simple and at the same time to reduce the cost of
their manufacture.
According to my Invention as applied to a sponging bath of the
ordinary form, with inclined or sloping sides, I construct the bottom and
sides of the bath of india-rubber, cloth, or other suitable flexible water-
proof material, cut to such a shape that when united the requisite form
will be produced, and I insert in or attach to the sides any convenient
number of air tubes, composed of india-rubber, cloth, or other suitable
air-tight and flexible material, and arranged at intervals, either radially
or otherwise, round the same.
The rim may be provided or not with a flexible air tube, as found
desirable, but I prefer to dispense with such air tube and to apply a cord
round the rim. The said air tubes form stays or stiffeners which impart

page_text: the required amount of rigidity to the sides of the bath when it is
distended for use, whilst admitting of its being readily folded up when
not in use.
It is obvious that the air tubes are applicable to other forms besides
that herein-before referred to by simply varying the details to suit the
particular form of bath, and the purpose for which it is intended to be
used.
The air tubes are not in connection with each other, and as each tube
is separately fastened in no further distension or inflation is required.
The accompanying Drawing represents a perspective view of my
improved portable bath, a portion being shewn as torn off in order to
illustrate more clearly the construction and arrangement of the
strengthening tubes and cord.
A is the bottom of the bath, composed by preference of two circular
pieces of india-rubber cloth of the requisite diameter, cemented together
with india-rubber solution; B is the sloping side of the bath, which is
connected at its lower edge between the edges of the two thicknesses of
material forming the bottom. The rim of the side B is strengthened
either by attaching thereto an india-rubber air tube, or, which I prefer,
a stout cord a, the edge of the material being folded and cemented over
the cord. C, C, are the upright india-rubber air-tubes, closed air tight
at both ends, which are attached to the side B by having strips of india-
rubber cloth b, b, cemented over them, or if the side be made of double
fabric the said strengthening tubes may be introduced between the two
thicknesses. The tubes C, C, are attached at any convenient intervals,
say about 5 to 6 inches apart, all round the side of the bath, and impart
the required amount of stability thereto; D, D, are cords for holding
the bath whilst emptying the same.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The strengthening or supporting the sides of flexible portable
baths by the application thereto of flexible air tubes, substantially as
herein before described.

page_text: Second. The construction and use of portable baths having their sides
strengthened or supported by means of air tubes, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Abbott, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of
January One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.