Improved Bathing Appliances.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improved Bathing Appliances.
WILLIAM BINTLIFF BURKINSHAW Mechanic Springfield Lodge Harrogate,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
Combined appliances for the application of water to various parts of the body.
1st. A circular box or case for mixing hot & cold water together & for regulating
the temperature with thermometer attached, and valve for instantly stopping the
flow of water to any of the combined appliances described as under.
2nd. Needle bath; which consists of a series of perforated tubes placed vertically,
and connected together by means of three tubular hoops placed horizontally at the
top, bottom, & centre of vertical tubes thus forming a circle. Part of the perforated
tubes are connected to the rest, by means of moveable waterway joints thus forming
a kind of gate or door which opens outwards from the circle. The perforated
vertical tubes direct the water to the centre of the circle and to the full height of
the bather. By means of valves the lower half or upper half of the vertical tubes
can be worked separately or together. The floor of the bath is moveable & can
be raised or lowered in order to adapt the bath for tall or short persons; the floor
is also made to revolve, for the purpose of turning the bather round whilst the
bath is working. A bar or hand rail is also fitted to the floor for the purpose of
supporting a bather whilst being operated upon.
3rd. Promenade douche; this consists of a network of perforated tubes placed
horizontally & in a circular form at the top (covering nearly the whole area) of the
circle formed by the needle bath.
4th. Shower bath; consists of a dome or cone shaped vessel with perforated
dise at the base, and is placed in the centre of the circle formed by the promenade
douche.
5th. Descending douche; consisting of a round nozzle screwed on the outside
for the attachment of a perforated rose; this is connected to the top tubular hoop
of the needle bath & can be set to any angle by means of moveable waterway
joints.
6th. Ascending douche; constructed exactly as No. 5 but connected to the
bottom tubular hoop of the needle bath.
7th. Ware douche; this consists of a flat shaped nozzle, the centre of the nozzle
being slightly curved inwards; this is connected to the top tubular hoop of the
needle bath & on the opposite side of the circle to No. 5; this can also be set to
any angle the same as Nos. 5 & 6.
8th. Revolving spinal douche; this consists of two tubular wheels perforated on
the outer rim, the perforations being drilled at an acute angle with the rim; the
force of the water thus causing them to revolve; the wheels are fixed vertically by
means of a bracket to one of the vertical tubes of the needle bath & in such a
manner as to throw (when in motion) a stream of water towards the centre of the
circle formed by the needle bath; the wheels are partially covered by means of a
semi-circular box or case which is attached to the axis of the wheels & can be
moved parallel with the circumference of the wheels so as to direct the water to
various heights.
Dated this 9th day of September 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Bathing Appliances.
I, WILLIAM BINTLIFF BURKINSHAW of Springfield Lodge, Harrogate, in the
County of Yorkshire, Mechanic, 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 relates to combined appliances for the application of water to
various parts of the body, and comprises:
=
1st. A circular box or case for mixing hot and cold water together and.for
regulating the temperature with thermometer attached, and valve for instantly
stopping the flow of water to any of the combined appliances described as under.
2nd. Needle bath which consists of a series of perforated tubes placed vertically
and connected together by means of the tubular hoops placed horizontally at the
top, bottom, and centre of vertical tubes thus forming a circle. Part of the
perforated tubes are connected to the rest by means of movable waterway joints
thus forming a kind of gate or door which opens outwards from the circle. The
perforated vertical tubes direct the water to the centre of the circle and to the full
height of the bather. By means of valves the lower half or upper half of the
vertical tubes can be worked separately or together. The floor of the bath is
movable and can be raised or lowered in order to adapt the bath for tall or short
persons, the floor is also made to revolve for the purpose of turning the bather
round whilst the bath is working. A bar or hand is also fitted to the floor for the
purpose of supporting a bather whilst being operated upon.
3rd. Promenade douche: this consists of a network of perforated tubes placed
horizontally and in a circular form at the top covering nearly the whole area of the
circle formed by the needle bath.
4th. Shower bath, consisting of a dome or cone shaped vessel with perforated disc
at the base and is placed in the centre of the circle formed by the promenade
donehe.
5th. Descending douche consisting of a round nozzle screwed on the outside for
the attachment of a perforated rose: this is connected to the top tubular hoop
of the needle bath and can he set to any angle by means of movable waterway
joints.
6th. Ascending douche constructed exactly as No. 5 but connected to the bottom
tubular hoop of the needle bath.
7th. Wave douche; this consists of a flat shaped nozzle, the centre of the nozzle
being slightly curved inwards; this is connected to the top tubular hoop of the
needle bath and on the opposite side of the circle to No. 5 this can also be set to
any angle the same as Nos. 5 and 6.
8th. Revolving spinal douche; this consists of two tubular wheels perforated on
the outer rim the perforations being drilled at an acute angle with the rim, the
force of the water thus causing them to revolve; the wheels are fixed vertically by
means of a bracket to one of the vertical tubes of the needle hath and in such a
manner as to throw (when in motion) a stream of water towards the centre of the
circle formed by the needle bath; the wheels are partially covered by means of a
semi-circular box or, case which is attached to the axis of the wheels and can be
moved parallel with the circumference of the wheels so as to direct the water to
various heights.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a front elevation and
Fig. 2 a side elevation of an arrangement of appliances combined according to
this invention.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the rotary platform or floor employed therein, part of the floor

page_text: Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a mixing box or chamber.
a is the circular box or case (shewn clearly in Fig. 4) for mixing hot and cold
water supplied respectively by the pipes a¹ and a³ a whirling motion being given by
impact on the vanes a*.
For regulating the temperature a thermometer b' is provided in the supply pipe b
to which the water flows through the aperture a³, and a push valve c is provided in
the said pipe for instantly stopping the flow of water to the bath, when necessary.
d is the needle bath having a series of vertical perforated tubes & arranged in a
circle and connected with the circular supply pipes arranged as shewn one at the
top and one at the bottom, and are connected midway between the top and the
bottom to the circular pipe or ring which serves to separate the upper from
the lower pipes. d is the gate or door to admit the bather. It is formed by some
of the tubes d' connected together into a frame which is supported by joints or
hinges through which water is admitted to the tubes forming the said door. The
said door is arranged to open outward from the circle of tubes. The perforated
vertical tubes direct the water to the centre of the circle and to the full height
of the bather. is a stop cock or valve by which the water can be shut off from
the lower half of the vertical tubes when it is desired to work only the upper half.
is a valve for controlling the supply to the whole needle bath.
The rotary floor of the bath, shown more clearly in Fig. 3 is adjustable and can
be raised or lowered by means of a hydraulic ram e' working in the cylinder e³ in
order to adapt the bath for tall or short persons. The said floor is made to revolve
for the purpose of turning the bather round whilst in the bath by means of water
jets from nozzles playing upon a number of projections or lugs on the periphery
of the wheel which carries the floor e. The movement of the floor e may be
regulated or controlled by means of the valve y which governs the supply of water
to the nozzles f. g is the bar or hand rail fitted to the floor to support the bather
whilst being operated upon.
is the promenade douche consisting of a horizontal circular network of
perforated tubes. The said tubes are supplied by the pipe which is controlled
by the valve jis the dome-shaped or conical vessel with perforated disc at the
base forming the shower bath placed in the centre of the circle formed by the
promenade douche.
It is supplied with water from the pipe j¹ provided with the valve .
The bath is provided with a descending or downwardly inclined douche consisting
of a perforated rose m supplied by the pipe m¹ through the valve m³. Adjustment
of this douche to any angle is permitted by the movable water-tight joint or
connection m². n is the ascending or upwardly inclined douche; it is connected by
the movable joint n' with the supply pipe n' controlled by the valve n*. t is the
flat nozzle, constituting the wave douche. This nozzle is connected by the movable
water way joint with the pipe t' which is controlled by the valve t
The inclination of both the ascending and descending douche and the wave
douche can be regulated by means of the rods q.
is the revolving spinal douche constructed with two revolving wheels .cl .c',
having tubular rims in which perforations are drilled in a slanting direction or at
an acute angle with the rim in order that the reactive force of the water shall cause
them to revolve. The wheels are supported in a vertical plane and are each fitted
in a box or case having an opening directed towards the bather. This cover is
so supported that by means of a handle it can be turned to alter the position of
the aforesaid openings as may be desired. Water is supplied to the wheels
through the pipe a controlled by the valve x, and through the axle of the said
wheels.
Instead of employing the revolving wheels described above, the spinal douche
may consist of two short vertical pipes fixed at such an angle that the spray or
jets meet at the required point.
As a modification geared wheels may be used for lifting the platform and also
causing the same to revolve.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is
-
1. The construction of parts constituting the improved bathing appliances
constructed, arranged and operating, substantially as hereinabove described with
reference to the drawings.
2. In a bathing appliance of the kind hereinabove referred to, an adjustable
revolving platform substantially such as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 16th day of May 1891
W. B. BURKINSHAW.
By L. W., per F. B.