IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BATHING;
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM TH
PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, DWARD
JOHNSON, of New Burlington Street, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of
Medicine and Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Johnson, Her especial licence, that I, the said Edward Johnson, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such other as I, the said Edward Johnson,
my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the Colonies of Great Britain
and Ireland, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BATHING;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Edward
Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Edward Johnson, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures marked thereon (that
is to say)-
My Invention consists in the construction of baths of flexible waterproof
materials, whose surfaces have been so prepared as to prevent the water from
penetrating into their substance. And the method which I propose for this
purpose is shewn in the annexed Drawing, in which Figure 1 is an isometrical
view of a metal frame, to which the before-mentioned flexible waterproof
material is fixed, and by which it is supported and kept in shape so as to form
the bath. This frame is composed of four distinct pieces or parts, shewn
separately in the Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5; the pieces (shewn in Figures 2 and 3)
which form the sides of the bath consist of metal frames, having small vertical
cross rods at intervals for the purpose of preventing the material from bagging,
and a joint in the middle to enable them to fold into a smaller compass. At
each corner of this frame there is a small hole, into which the screws at the
ends of the cross pieces, shewn in Figures 4 and 5, and which form the end of
the bath, fit, and are secured by means of small nuts. In Figure 1 these are
shewn as put together, composing a light metal frame, of the form and
dimensions of the required bath, which latter may be formed of mackintosh,
varnished, or any other waterproof material whose surface has been rendered
impervious to water, and which is placed inside the frame and connected to it
by strings, as shewn in the Drawing. Although only one method of forming
the framing for supporting the bath is here described, there are several which
may be used; but as the mechanical arrangement forms no part of my said
Invention, that given above is sufficient to show how it may be effected.
What I claim as my Invention is not the application of every waterproof
material to the purpose of constructing baths, but only of those waterproof
flexible materials whose surfaces have been so prepared as to prevent the
water from penetrating into their substance, by which means they can easily
be wiped perfectly dry after used. I am aware that the waterproof material
called mackintosh has been tried for this purpose, although never brought into
use; but no other materials than those whose surfaces can be wiped perfectly
dry will answer for this purpose, but those whose surfaces are not impervious
to water, but allow it to penetrate into their substance, can only be dried by
the gradual evaporation of the water, which therefore require exposure for

page_text: some time to the air, and if put away before they are perfectly dry become
mildewed and acquire an unpleasant and unwholesome smell.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Edward Johnson, in
the presence of
EDWARD (L.S.) JOHNSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1843, the aforesaid Edward Johnson came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.