CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM OR VAPOUR BATHS, TO RENDER THE SAME MORE PORTABLE AND CONVENIENT THAN THOSE IN PRESENT USE
Year: 1822

page_text: JEKYLL'S SPECIFICATION..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONN
JEKYLL, of Noundhill House, in the Parish of Wincanton, in the County of
Somerset, Captain in the Royal Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the
Ninth day of November, 1822, in the third year of His reign, give and grant
unto me, the said John Jekyll, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Jekyll,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM OR VAPOUR BATHS, TO RENDER THE SAME MORE PORTABLE AND CONVENIENT
THAN THOSE IN PRESENT USE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso, that if I, the said Jolin Jekyll, shall not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand-and seal, and cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two
'calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void,
as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) will more fully-and-at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Jekyll, do hereby declare that the nature of my-said.Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, are

page_text: particularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and the following description thereof (that is to say):-
Figs. 1 and 2 represent a plan and section of an improved steam box or
chamber, into which steam or vapour is to be admitted from a boiler, and
caused to distribute itself or issue from the aforesaid chamber in a manner
suitable for a steam or vapour bath, or so as to admit of a perfect regulation
by the patient, according as he may feel desirous of having a considerable
degree of heat to the shoulders and upper part of the body, or to the feet and
extremities. The said improved steam chamber is also adapted to be used in
producing a sulphur or medicated bath, being constructed so as to receive a
small bag or receptacle containing mineral substances or odoriferous drugs,
through which the steam or vapour is permitted to pass, and thereby become
impregnated with the qualities or essence of the said substances: A, A, shews
the exterior vessel; it is of a cylindrical form, being open at top, into which the
interior vessel B is adapted to fit and receive the bag containing the mineral or
other substance intended to be used. The vessel B is furnished with a pro-
jecting rim a, a, for, the, convenience of withdrawing it in order to clean or
wipe the inside of the vessel A, A. The bottom b; b, of the vessel B is pierced
with a number of small holes for the steam to pass through, and its upper
surface a, a, is ground perfectly even to enable the lid or cover C to close
exactly upon and keep in the steam, or to regulate its flow at pleasure. The
centre of the cover C is furnished with a screw d, projecting downwards, which
enters a tube or nut e, e, rising from the bottom of the vessel B; at the same
time the upper surface of the cover C is divided and numbered, as repre-
sented in the plan Fig. 1. These divisions are adapted to be read off against
a small stationary pin h, projecting from the rim a, a, so that when the cover C
is-turned round by its small stud or nob D, the division opposite to the pin
may be made to indicate to a certainty how much the under surface of the
cover is raised above the surface of the rim a, a, to permit the steam to flow.
E represents a pipe, through which the steam or vapour is conducted from any
suitable boiler placed over a fire or lamp. This pipe is furnished with a stop-
cock at any, convenient part to shut off the supply of steam or vapour from the
steam chamber A, A; or instead of a cock, I occasionally employ a small
circular disc of metal fixed in the pipe, which disc is adapted to be turned on
its axis by a handle on the outside of the pipe, so that it can be placed edgeways
to allow the steam or vapour to pass by freely, but when it is placed across the
pipe it closes up the orifice and obstructs the passage of the steam or vapour.
The small circular disc is composed of two thin plates of metal, having an
elastic substance (such as several folds of linen) placed between them, being

page_text: held together by rivits, thus the edges of the linen, by coming into contact with
the inside of the pipe, make a sufficiently tight joint. This contrivance is shewn
in the Drawing, Fig. 2, at F, where the passage of the pipe is represented as
closed up; it is also shewn seperately at Fig. 3, in a position which allows the
steam or vapour to pass without obstruction. G represents a pipe proceeding,
from the steam chamber A, A; it is furnished with a. cock to regulate the
quantity of steam or vapour that may be required to escape in an horizontal"
direction at the lower part of the apparatus to warm the feet sufficiently, or
instead of the cock a-small turning disc may be employed, as above described.:
The extreme end of the pipe G may be covered by a perforated cap; or a smalli
linen bag may be secured upon its end, adapted to contain the mineral or
odoriferous substances for the steam or vapour to pass through and becoine
impregnated, as herein-before mentioned.
In the plan, Fig. 1, two other projections for pipes are represented at H and I;
they serve to convey the steam or vapour into the chamber A, A, at either side,
as may be found most convenient, and when not used may be closed by a plug
or common cock; they are intended to be used also for connecting a small
flexible pipe or tube with the steam chamber that may be carried up, in order:
to apply a current of steam or vapour upon any part of the body. The upper:
part of the flexible tube should be furnished with a wooden handle to hold it by,
and a stop-cock to regulate the flow of steam or vapour. The extreme end of
the flexible tube may also be covered by a small perforated cap or bag con-
taining mineral or other substances, as above described.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6, upon the Drawing, shew an improved method of con-
structing and securing the cover of the boiler to be used for a portable steam
or vapour bath. K, K, represents a ring of metal, which is intended to be
soldered into the top of the boiler; its upper edge k, k, is turned flat, and is
ground so as to fit exactly against the under edge n, n, of the cover L, which
has also a projecting ring o, o, formed on it to enter the cavity of the ring
K, K. The cover L, and ring K, K, are shewn detached in Figs. 5 and 6;
but they are. represented as united in Fig. 4. The cover L is secured in its
place upon the ring K, K, and is held down sufficiently to render it steam-
tight by three metal clamps P, P, P, which are adapted to bear upon its upper
edge, being forced down by thumb screws S, S, S, passing through the said
clamps, and working into tappet holes formed in projecting pieces of the ring
K, K, as shewn in Fig. 6. When it is desired to remove the cover of the
boiler, to clean it or to introduce water, the screws S, S, S, are to be slackened;
and the metal clamps turned aside into the position shewn by the dotted lines
in Fig. 4, in which case the cover L may be taken off without obstruction;

page_text: it may also be replaced with equal facility, as the clamps are filed away upon
one of their inner edges, in such manner that they will not go beyond. the
perpendicular to the circle, as represented in Fig. 4, neither, can they be turned
round the wrong way upon the cover, in consequence of their being filed away
on one edge only. N represents the safety valve; it is turned and ground, so
as to make a steam-tight fitting upon the cover L, and is kept down sufficiently
by the weight of its lower part, which is made conical in order that the steam
may escape freely. As soon as the valve rises by the increasing pressure-of the
steam in the boiler, tlie.pipe for conveying steam from the .boiler is inserted
into the conical tube or socket R in the centre of the cover L...
Fig. 7 représents the apparatus in its combined state. T-shews, the boiler,
which is intended to be placed over a fire or lamp; the cover L. bas the steam
pipe proceeding from its centre, being furnished with an universal movement
formed by two elbow joints. A shews the steam chamber, standing upon the
floor, with the steam pipe E entering its side by an elbow joint; to admit of
motion up and down. The junctions of the steam pipes may in some situations:
be formed by screws, or the pipes may be simply inserted. into conical fittings,
as represented in the Drawings, which method in general I prefer as being. the
most simple.
In using this apparatus, the patient puts on a long dress or gown of flannel,
oiled silk, or other suitable material, and sits down: upon a common chair,
which is placed over the steam chamber A, A, upon the floor before the fire; the
chair being placed so that his gown. entirely covers it, and reaches.to the: floor;
he also places his feet upon a light footstool, made open at top. to allow the
steam or vapour to rise through: In this situation he has two handles coming
up at a convenient height to take in his hands; one. is connected with the
cock in the pipe G, and the other is attached to the small nob:D of the turning
cover C, as shewn at Fig. 7. By this means he has a complete command over
the supply of steam or vapour, and may suffer it to come out round the cover C;
when it will rise up round the chain, and fill the upper parts of the dress; or he
may screw down the cover C and open the cock G, so as to allow the steam.or
vapour to rise through the open footstool and produce a strong degree of heat
about his feet; at the same time, by means of the flexible tube. before
mentioned, he can conduct. the steam or vapour to any part. of: his body, in
which case the weight of. the gown or robe might be taken off his shoulders
by having two or more pieces of cane or flexible wood attached to the upper
part of the chair back, and bending down over his shoulder in front, so as
to be within reach of his hands. If it should be considered more convenient,
the lever or handle of the cock G might be capable of turning down upon a

page_text: joint into an horizontal position, as represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 7,
so as to be moved by the foot. The lower part of the steam chamber A, A, is
adapted to receive any water, that may be produced by the condensation of the
steam.
Having now described the nature of my improvements in such manner as
to enable persons conversant with work of a similar nature to put it in practice,
it remains for me to state what I claim as my Invention, which I will declare
to be as follows:-
First, the method of regulating the flow of steam in a precise manner by
the revolving flat plate with divisions upon it.
2ndly, the application of the seperate cock for regulating the escape of steam
at the part G, seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 7.
Thirdly, in the construction of the steam chamber, being adapted to contain
mineral or other substances for the steam to pass through in its ascent.
Fourthly, in the application of the flexible pipe for conveying steam to any
part of the body.
Fifthly, in the new and improved manner of securing the cover of the boiler
in its place, as herein-before described and set forth.
Sixthly, in the application of the small turning disc, packed with linen or
other elastic substance, for regulating the steam in steam or vapour baths
instead of cocks, observing at the same time that the form and proportion of
the various parts may be altered at the discretion of the workman, still pro-
ducing the desired effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Jekyll, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of January, One thousand eight hundred