Improvements connected with Vapor Baths.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
Improvements connected with Vapor Baths.
I, PETER JOHN HOLM, of 1214 First Avenue, Eau Claire, in the County of Eau
Claire, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for administering medicated
vapor-baths.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for administering
medicated vapor-baths adapted to enable the proportion or quantity of medicated
vapor to be readily regulated and capable of being arranged so as to permit a bather
or patient to inhale the medicated vapor or to subject the body only to the action of
the same.
Another object of the invention is to enable vapor to be introduced directly from a
boiler or other generator into the casing or bath-compartment without medicating it
and to enable the medicine receptacles to be readily supplied with drugs and chemicals
and to be quickly cleaned, so as to change the medicines quickly.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement
of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and
pointed out in the claim hereto appended.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for administering medicated vapor-
baths constructed in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view.
Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the medicine-
receptacles.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
1 designates a rectangular casing or steam-chest forming a bath-compartment and
provided at one side with a hinged door 2 and having in its top a central circular
opening 3 adapted to permit the head of a patient or bather to be protruded through
the top when it is desired to subject the body to the action of medicated vapor
without inhaling the same. A pair of plates 4 is pivoted to the top at the opening,
and they are provided with curved recesses 5 forming a neck-opening and after a
bather or patient has passed his head through the opening 3 the pivoted plates 4
are closed against his neck to prevent the escape of the medicated vapor.
The bather may either stand or sit, and when sitting when it is desirable that he
should inhale the vapor the neck opening 5 is covered by a disk or plate 6 pivoted to
one of the plates 4 and adapted to be swung over the neck opening.
The casing is provided with a zinc or other sheet-metal bottom tray 6", and has a
waste-pipe 7 which may communicate with the sewer, and the bottom tray 6ª is
provided with a flange 8 at its edges and is adapted to collect condensed vapor and
the like and to cause the impurities of the body to be carried off through the waste
pipe.

page_text: A perforated false bottom 9 is arranged within the casing and is supported upon
suitable cleats and provides an intervening space between it and the sheet-metal
bottom tray 6. The said false bottom 9 is provided adjacent to one side of the
casing or cabinet 1 with an imperforate portion, the function of which will be
presently referred to.
The necessary supply of vapor is obtained from a boiler or any other suitable source
and passes through central and side branches 10 and 11 of a vapor-supply pipe. The
central branch 10 communicates directly with the interior of the casing, and the side
branches communicate with a pair of medicine-receptacles 12. The central branch 10
has a vertical portion and is provided at the lower end thereof with a horizontal
arm passing through the adjacent side of the casing and discharging into the space
beneath the imperforate portion of the perforated false bottom 9.
Each medicine-receptacle is cylindrical but may be of any other desired
configuration and each side branch of the supply-pipe is located above its medicine-
receptacle and is L-shaped and passes through an opening in the top or cover 13 of
the receptacle and extends downward within the same to within a short distance of
the bottom thereof so as to cause the vapor to pass through any medicine contained
within the receptacle and to be impregnated with the same.
The medicated vapour in leaving the receptacles 12 passes through delivery-pipes 14
and is introduced by the same into the casing. Each delivery-pipe 14 extends
upward from the top or cover of its receptacle being composed of two sides and is
provided with an elbow or joint at the top and extends downward to the bottom of
the casing and is provided with a horizontal arm communicating with the space
between the sheet-metal bottom and the false bottom.
Medicine is introduced into the receptacles by means of funnels 15 disposed
vertically on the top or cover 13 and passing through the same and provided with a
cock or valve 16, which closes the funnel after the medicine has been introduced
into the same to prevent the escape of the vapor. Each receptacle 12 is provided
adjacent to the bottom with a blow-off cock 18 and when it is desired to clean a
receptacle steam is forced through the same and is discharged through the blow-off
cock.
Each receptacle is provided with an attachment-plate 19 and is secured to a
cleat on the exterior of the casing, but any other suitable means for mounting the
receptacles may be provided.
The central and side branches of the supply-pipe are provided with valves 21,
having extended horizontally-disposed stems 22, passing through the adjacent
side of the casing and provided at their inner ends with handles 23 to enable
the bather or patient to control the supply of vapor. By this arrangement
of medicine-receptacles and valves it will be obvious that a person may
enter the cabinet and turn on the desired vapor, and if one of the medicated
vapors be used and it is too strong it may be tempered to suit by turning
on the unmedicated steam or vapor. Hence by my construction I am
enabled to provide a single bath apparatus or cabinet which provides for baths of
two kinds of medicated vapor of just the strength desired by the bather and a plain
vapor bath all without special preparation.
Moreover, the bather has complete control of the volume of the vapors being used
and can regulate the supply, as well as temper the strength, to suit his tastes. By
closing the side branches of the supply-pipe and opening the central branch the
medicated vapor may be shut off and unmedicated steam or vapor may
introduced into the casing, and by closing the central branch and opening
either one of the side branchés the casing is supplied with medicated vapor.
be
In connection with the operation of the central branch to provide for introducing
unmedicated steam or vapor into the casing or cabinet it will be observed that the
lower horizontal portion of said central branch discharges the unmedicated steam or
vapor directly beneath the imperforate portion of the false bottom or floor 9 which
imperforate portion of the false bottom or floor prevents the hot steam or vapor from
passing directly up through the false bottom or floor in contact with the body of the

page_text: bather or patient and causes the hot steam or vapor to distribute itself throughout
the space beneath the perforate false bottom or floor and find escape through the
perforations of said bottom or floor up into the main portion of the casing or cabinet.
It will be obvious that the steam or vapor which has passed through the central
branch 10 into the casing 1 is in a much more highly heated condition than the
vapor which has first passed through the liquid in the medicine-receptacles and whose
temperature is necessarily lowered thereby before passing into the casing or cabinet.
Therefore the function of the imperforate portion of the bottom or floor 9 is quite
important to prevent the bather or patient from being suddenly subjected to
excessive heat from the unmedicated steam or vapor as it passes from the central
branch 10.
It will be seen that the apparatus is simple and inexpensive in construction, that
it enables vapor to be impregnated with any desired medicine, and that the supply
of vapor may be readily controlled from the interior of the casing or cabinet. It will
also be apparent that medicines may be conveniently introduced into the receptacle
and that the latter can be rapidly and conveniently cleaned when it is desired to
change the medicines.
Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
A bath apparatus consisting of a compartment or casing provided with a false bottom
or floor having perforations through only a portion of its area, and an imperforate
section of sufficient size to prevent the vapor from coming into direct contact with
the bather when in position upon the imperforate section, two medicine-receptacles
supported at the side of the casing, a single vapor-supply pipe having three depending
connected branches each provided with a valve having a horizontal stem extending
inwardly through one side of the casing for separate or simultaneous use, the side
branches of the supply-pipe being extended downwardly into the medicine-receptacle
and the intermediate of said branches having at its lower end a horizontal portion
extending through one side of the casing and having its discharge end located directly
under the perforated portion of the false bottom or floor, and a pair of delivery-pipes
respectively connected to the separate medicine-receptacles at one end and having
their discharge-orifices located beneath the false bottom or floor at the opposite sides
of the imperforate portion thereof, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated OELL
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.