Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891

page_text: proper of the pan. The object of this construction is that when the pan is placed
upon a soft bed it will rest entirely upon the front 6 and the ends of the lateral
extensions 10 and 11, while the bottom remains in a raised or convex position every
It
point of which is higher than either of the three points of contact 6. 12 and 13.
will be understood that by distributing the weight of the patient between these
three points, each at some distance from the other, and because of the concavo-convex
shape of the bottom, the effect of the depression of the bed beneath the pan is
reduced to a minimum.
For the purpose of strengthening the lateral extensions 10 and 11, and also of
utilising them for outlets, I have them each enclosed by a partially conical shaped
cover 14 Fig. 2 which is made larger at the line of contact with the inclosing wall
at the sides 3 and 5 and terminating in a round opening at the extremities 12 and 13
which can be closed by screw-caps 15.
Openings 16 and 17 are formed in the inclosing wall at the sides 3 and 5 which
communicate with the above described conical shaped outlets 10 and 11" formed by
the lateral extensions 10 and 11 and the cover 14.
An inclined wall 18 is placed in the forward part of the pan extending from side
to side and from top to bottom completely closing the pan at this part and forming
a back wall or dam for the water. It will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 3
that this wall 18 extends in a curved direction from the extreme forward end of the
opening 16 at one side 3 of the pan, crossing the center of the pan at a point a little
forward of the forward end of the opening 7, and terminating at the forward
extremity of the opening 17 at the other side 5 of the pan.
It will be understood that at the junction 19 of the wall 18 with the bottom 2 the
pan is brought on an incline tending toward each of the inclined lateral projections 10
and 11 and by reason of the transverse convexity of the bottom 2 this inclined
channel 19 has its lowest points where it opens into the conical outlets 10" and 11ª
formed by the lateral extensions 10 and 11.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that if liquid be poured into
the pan it will flow by gravity toward the lowest points, which in this instance are
the front and sides. That portion passing to the sides will enter the outlets 10°
and 11 through the openings 16 and 17, while the residue which flows forward will
be stopped by the wall 18 and turned into the said outlets by means of the
channel 19. The outlets 10 and 11ª formed by the lateral extensions 10 and 11
being lower than any point of the bottom 2 it must necessarily follow that all of the
liquid will flow into the outlets 10 and 11ª. In lieu of the screw-cap 15, a pipe 20
may be screwed on one of the outlet openings, having at its outer end a piece of
rubber tubing 21 to conduct the contents of the pan into a vessel placed at the side
of the bed.
In practice the patient lies upon his back with the lower extremity of the
back resting upon the thin front extension 6 of the pan, and as the opening 7 is
longer from c to d Figure 3, than from e to f (Figure 2), it follows that there will
be sufficient room at d, for the physician to insert his hands with the necessary
instruments to treat the patient.
When necessary the contents may be washed from the pan by the introduction
of water or other cleansing agent into the inlet 22, which enters the rear part 4
of the inclosing wall.
The operation and advantages of my invention will be clearly understood from
the foregoing description, but it may be well to mention that the lateral
extensions 10 and 11 serve to prevent the pan from tilting sidewise, as well as to
support the weight of the patient and prevent the bottom 2 of the pan from
being depressed into the bed, so as to become lower than the outlets. This
construction of the lateral extensions of the pan having their outer ends on
a plane lower than the bottom of the pan is the essential feature of my invention.
It will be understood that my combination pan can be used as an ordinary bed-
pan by removing the pipe 20, with its tubing from the lateral extension and placing
another screw-cap 15 on that extension also.

page_text: All the advantages incident to the use of my invention as a combination-pan
accrue when employed as a bed-pan but to a limited extent since the chief
advantage of this invention resides in the readiness in which all foreign matter is
washed from the pan without removing the patient, but this advantage is not
specially valuable in an ordinary bed-pan for in such case as soon as the patient
has attended to the calls of nature the pan may very properly be removed for
cleaning.
It will also be seen that the pipe 20, with its tubing may be attached to either of
the lateral extensions.
I usually make the bed-pan out of sheet of metal of a superior quality that will
not corrode.
Since the lateral extensions 10 and 11 connect with the sides 3 and 5 of the pan
just at the point where the back wall 18 is located, and the cover 14 forming a
continuation of the back wall it will be readily seen that every drop of matter will
run down the inclined channel 19 toward and out through the outlets 10 and 11ª.
The principle upon which the combination-pan is constructed is the well known law
of nature that water seeks its own level and hence the outlet openings are made
lower than the level of the bottom of the pan.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A combined bed pan having inclosing walls, the top opening, a concavo-convex
bottom, and inclined lateral outlet extensions depending below the plane of said
bottom, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A combined bed pan having a concavo-convex bottom provided with inclined
lateral outlet-extensions projecting below the plane of said bottom for the double
purpose of supporting the bottom above the bed and serving as outlet openings for
the contents of the pan, in combination with a rearwardly-inclined front wall
forming a dam or channel which inclines towards the outlet extensions substantially
as and for the purpose described.
3. A bed-pan having a bottom inclined from the back toward the front and from
the center toward the sides in combination with downwardly-projecting lateral
outlet-extensions communicating with the lowest point of the sides of the pan and
depending below the plane of the bottom to support the weight of the patient and
also to serve as outlets for the contents of the pan substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Dated this 11th Ebm 1001
HORN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.