IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF BATHS TO ARTICLES USED FOR RESTING THE HUMAN BODY
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Skertehly, junior, of Kingsland,
Middlesex, and Ansty, in the County of Leicester, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF BATHS
TO ARTICLES USED FOR RESTING THE HUMAN BODY"
Sealed the 20th December 1853, and dated the 20th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Skertchly
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2 th June 1853.
I, JOSEPH SKERTCHLY, jun', of Kingsland, Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE APPLICATION OF BATHS TO ARTICLES USED FOR RESTING THE HUMAN
BODY" to be as follows:-
This improvement consists in the adaptation of a bath to the space
below the "bottom" of a bedstead, sofa, couch, or similar article pre-
senting the like facility. Such bath may be either fixed to or constitute
a part of the framework of the article, or it may be loose and fitted into
the space to be occupied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Skertehly in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 20th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOSEPH SKERTCHLY, junior, of Kingsland, Middlesex, and Ansty, in the
County of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Skertchly, Her special licence
that I, the said Joseph Skertehly, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Skertehly, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE APPLICATION OF BATHS TO ARTICLES USED FOR RESTING THE HUMAN
BODY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Skertchly, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Skertchly, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, & to the letter & figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention of improvements consists in combining with a bed-
stead, couch, or sofa a bath apparatus, which I place beneath the
slotting or lath bottom of a bedstead or seat of a sofa or couch, as
the case may be, and which will be readily understood on reference to
the annexed Drawings. Fig. 1, is a side elevation, partly in section;
and Fig. 2, is a plan of a bedstead constructed according to my Inven-
tion. A, A, is the framework of the bedstead; B, B, is the slotting,
sacking, or other bottom; C, the bath place beneath the same. If a
shower bath is required, in addition to the ordinary bath, pillars D,
may be made available for the conveyance of the water through the
pipe E, to the head part F, which supports the shower vessel G. H,
is a force pump to supply the shower vessel with water, and to pump
the water from the bath itself, if required. The bath C, may be
supported in the framework by the slats placed across the bedstead from
side to side, or the entire space between the sides which the bath does
not occupy may be filled up with wood or other suitable material, as
shown at I, I. In place of the ordinary metallic bath, any other kind
of bath, as, for example, a folding or flexible or india-rubber bath, may
be employed, as I do not confine myself to the use of any particular
description of bath, neither do I confine nyself to the use of any
particular description of bedstead, as any ordinary bath or bedstead
may be employed without departing from my Invention.
Sofas and couches may have baths fitted to them in like manner, the
framework answering the same purpose as the framework of the bedstead,
and the space beneath the seat being sufficient to admit of the bath,
which can be fitted as before described in reference to the bedstead.
1 prefer in this case to dispense with the shower altogether; it: may,
however, be applied by means of rods or piping made to fold within
the bath when not in use, or a loose rod or pipe may be affixed when
required to support the shower head.

page_text: Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I desire it to be understood that what I claim is,
the use of and the adaptation of a bath to the space below the bottom
or bedding of a bedstead, and also to the space below the seat of a
couch or sofa.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Skertchly, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of Decem-
ber, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
Witness,
W. CLARK.
JOSEPH SKERTCHLY. (L.S.)