Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1897- Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897
I, BISHOP ADAMS HALL of Pine Bluff, County of Jefferson, Arkansas, U.S.A.,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for object firstly to provide a commode which will not only be
useful for ordinary purposes but will be especially convenient in taking or
administering vaginal enemas or enemas per ano, and secondly to provide a commode
which can be readily folded up and stored away when not in use.
In the accompanying drawing Fig 1 is an end view of a commode of this invention.
and standing ready for the reception of a bowl or chamber. Fig. 2 a side elevation of
the same commode with a bowl shewn in dotted lines. Fig. 3 a plan view of the
commnode. Fig. 4 a plan view of a detail. Fig. 5 an underneath view of the
commode with the shelf removed and its legs folded up against the seat. Fig. 6
a side view of the commode folded and inverted and with the shelf resting on
the legs. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a modification.
The seat of the commode is preferably made in two parts A, A', preferably
separated from each other by a large opening B to form two outward passages b, b₁,.
from the opening B.
When the seat is occupied by a patient who is about to take or have
administered a vaginal anema, the hand holding the nozzle of the syringe can be.
introduced through the passage b and the nozzle inserted and held in the proper
position. The passage b' in such cases is sometimes of use in drying the patient
previous to rising from the seat. In taking or administering an enema per ano,
the hand holding the nozzle of the syringe is introduced through the passage b¹.
It is preferred to provide the commode with the passages b, b¹, at front and rear,
as shewn, but where both ends of the seat are in other respects alike and the opening
B is near enough to both ends to permit of either end being used as the front one,
as in the commode shewn, one of said passages may be dispensed with without
greatly diminishing the usefulness of the commode, as the position of the patient
can be varied to suit the requirements of the case, and so also where the position of
the patient cannot be thus varied, a single passage b or b¹ may be used with advantage
although not so conveniently in taking or administering enemas of both classes.
The seat of the commode is supported on two pairs of legs C, C¹, each pair formed
of a single har of metal bent to the required form and so as to form a horizontal
pivot c, and a pair of hangers c¹ and a horizontal support c² connecting the lower ends
of the pair of hangers. As will be obvious it is not essential, though it is desirable,
to form the legs of each pair and the connecting parts integral, nor is it essential that
they should be made of metal.
D, D¹, are straps by which the legs are secured to the parts A, A1, of the seat by
fastening screws d and said straps are formed with bearings d', d², in which the
pivots c turn. The straps are each formed with downwardly projecting lugs d³, d'
and when the legs are in the position shewn in Figs 1 and 2 they each rest against
a lug and each hanger against a lug d These lugs thus limit the spreading of
the legs and hangers which when in the outward position may be prevented from

page_text: moving inwards by a shelf E placed between the legs and supported by the hangers.
The shelf E has at each end a projection e and shoulders e¹ on each side of the
projections each of which latter takes between a pair of hangers c¹ and rests upon one
of the supports c³. The shoulders e¹ at each end rest against the inner side of the
adjoining hangers and legs and thus keep the latter spread apart. The shelf should
fit in tightly.
It is sometimes desirable to have the shelf either above or below the supports c².
For this purpose there is attached to one or more corners of the shelf a sleeve G
(Fig 7) having a screw threaded hole g through it in which works a set screw g'. The
sleeve is mounted to slide upon one of the legs and be fixed in the desired position by
the set screw. In such a case the shelf would have to be first removed if the
supports c² have to be passed during the adjustment. Other equivalent means may
be employed for adjustably supporting the shelf.
As will be obvious it is unnecessary to extend the hangers below the seat when
they are not intended to support the shelf E, but it is desirable to extend them low
enough to leave plenty of space for the introduction of instruments or other articles.
When the seat is of the usual kind, the arrangement of legs, hangers, and shelf
described may still be employed with advantage, and so on the other hand the divided
seat may be supported in a manner different to that shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is:-
1 In a commode, the combination of a seat having the usual large opening through
it and a passage extending out from one end of said opening and dividing the seat
at that end, two pairs of legs each pair connected together by means of pivots
extending inward one from the upper end of each leg, a pair of downwardly extending
hangers, one hanger connected with the inner end of each pivot and a cross piece
connecting the lower ends of the hangers, means for attaching the legs to the seat, a
shelf supported by the hangers and keeping the legs spaced apart, and means for
limiting the outward movement of the legs, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a commode, the combination of a seat divided longitudinally into two parts
completely separated by the usual large opening and two passages leading out from
opposite ends of the opening, two pairs of legs, means for fastening each pair of legs
to both parts of the seat and means for connecting the legs of each pair together and
holding the parts of the seat in position, substantially as described and shewn.
3. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts forming the
commode, for the purposes specified, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 11th day of August. 1897
THOMAS R, SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C. Agent for the Applicant.