Improvements in Baths.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1889-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Baths.
I WILLIAM BARTHOLOMEW of the Firm of B. Finch & Co. of 82 Belvedere Road,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Sanitary Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in baths and one of its objects is to facilitate
the bathing of a large number of persons very rapidly and efficiently with a very
small expenditure of water, fresh water being furnished to each bather; it also
consists in an improved arrangement of bath for invalids and improved means of
supplying baths with hot water.
In order to economise water and at the same time to attack the bather with
sufficient water suitably applied to cleanse him thoroughly I have found it necessary
to divide the water into as fine a spray as possible and I effect this by directing
small jets of water upon one another so that they break up into a fine spray
enveloping the body as it were in a mist, the bather experiencing no shock such
as given by an ordinary shower bath.
I construct my bath of a framework of tubes of iron, brass, copper or other
suitable material so arranged that they enclose the body, and at suitable positions
on these tubes 1 insert nozzles so made as to produce fine spray in the manner
above set forth: I may control the admission of water to these nozzles by a
treadle action platform operated by the weight of the bather or by taps placed in
convenient positions; I may also use blending valves; and where hot water under
pressure is not convenient, I may bring the cold supply through a special gas
heating arrangement.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, upon which similar letters of reference
indicate analogous parts in each of the figures respectively
:-
Figure 1. represents in elevation and top plan view a bathing apparatus in which
the admission of water is controlled by a treadle action platform.
The Bather stepping on to the platform a causes it to lower and operate the con-
trolling valve at a¹ thereby opening a passage for the water, arriving under pressure by
the pipe b, up the tubes c to escape by the nozzles d in the form of spray, as indicated
by broken lines.
The nozzle d is shown detached in plan and section drawn to a larger scale. I have
found this nozzle very suitable for producing spray according to my invention, that
is to say, by causing one jet of water to impinge upon another before reaching the
body of the bather-here two jets of water issuing under pressure by the conduits e, e¹
meet and subdivide each other into small globules forming spray. It will be evident
that I may have more than two inclined conduits in the nozzle and that they may be
at any suitable inclination and distance apart. By thus producing spray I find three
gallons of water an ample supply for each bather.
Figure 2. represents an arrangement in which the spray is controlled by valves
fixed on the framework at f, within reach of the bather, and which may also operate
on special blending valves o¹ from which any desired temperature can be produced,
the temperature being indicated at the thermometer p¹.
Figure 3 shows an arrangement particularly adapted for children too young to
wash themselves; the controlling valve a¹ is here fixed outside the bath to be operated
on by the foot of the nurse or attendant. In some cases it may be found preferable
in childrens baths and baths for women where it is undesirable that the hair should be
wetted to have no over head jets and I may also make the bath of such length that
several persons may bathe at one time passing in if desired at one end and out at
the other.

page_text: Figure 4 shows an arrangement for washing large bodies of men at a time. Here
vertical water pipes c are fitted at equal distances along a wall in number regulated
by the number of men to be washed at once, these pipes being connected by the
horizontal pipes c, and in lieu of a second vertical pipe to form a frame work as in
the preceding figures I fit the pipes c', c branching from the pipe cat suitable
angles to direct the water as indicated by the broken lines. One controlling valve
may supply all these pipes; or the lower one c² may have an independent valve-
a floor.
The controlling valves may be operated upon by an attendant, when the squad of
men is in position on the floor a, or as may be desired.
Figure 5 represents an arrangement specially adapted for washing patients in
Hospitals. The Patient being seated on the chair, which has an open seat, the
attendant turns the tapf and the spray is directed upon the body of the patient as
shown in broken lines; the pendant tube c¹ being preferably hinged at g so that it
may be pushed aside and form no obstruction to the entrance or exit of the
patient waste pipe.
Figure 6 represents an arrangement to be adopted when hot water under pressure
is not convenient.
This arrangement is operated as follows. Gas is supplied to the burners h by
the opening of the tap i, and cold water is then introduced into the tube k by
turning on the cock f. The cold water descending k as indicated by the arrows
is heated by the burners and passes by the pipe b to the tubes c, from whence it
issues by the nozzles d. The products of combustion pass up the tube / into the neck
of the canopy m suspended over the bath and thereby the vapours of the bath room
are carried off by the opening n the bath being thus thoroughly ventilated. The
pipe may be joined to the tubes c or be operated by an independent valve.
If to be placed in a bedroom or upon a wooden floor I may provide my bath with
a curtain o and a dish p to receive the spent water which is led away by a pipe cin
the usual manner, but in schools, barracks, and wherever large numbers are to be
bathed, I prefer a floor of concrete with suitable fall to a gutter (a² Fig. 4).
I may also arrange my treadle platform so that the weight of the bather in one
particular part of the platform may produce a spray on to the shoulder and in another
position an upward jet of spray, or both simultaneously.
It will be seen that by my arrangement the hands of the Bather may be left free
to wash his person while subjected to the spray.
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 :-
1. In a spray bath, directing jets of water the one upon the other so as to break
them into spray before they reach the body of the bather by means of the nozzles d
substantially as described.
2. A spray bath consisting of a framework of tubing having nozzles producing
spray by the impinging of jets of water the one upon the other and with water
supplied automatically or otherwise substantially as described and shown Figures 1 to 4
of the Drawing:
3. In a spray bath having a series of divisions the arrangement of the pipes c, c², c³
substantially as described and shown Figure 4 of the Drawing.
4. A spray bath constructed combined and arranged to operate substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated Figure 5 of the Drawing.
5. In combination with a spray bath the arrangement of water heating apparatus
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated Figure 6 of the Drawing.
Dated this Tighth d.... ^£
1000