Improvements in Public Baths.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Public Baths.
WILLIAM HARPUR of 197 Severn Road Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved plan and arrangement of public baths and
consists in substituting entirely or in part, for the dressing-boxes usually placed on
the gangways surrounding the swimming pond or bath, a particular arrangement
of "warm lavatories" and dressing rooms as hereinafter described.
This plan or arrangement enables the bather to enter the establishment and for
a single fee and in one department, to thoroughly cleanse his person; which, being
accomplished, he may, if so disposed enter the swimming bath, directly from his
dressing room.
The arrangement of the "warm lavatories" is as follows:-A central com-
partment with dressing rooms adjoining it on either side is provided with a shallow
bath or pan of suitable dimensions and shape, to which a supply of hot and cold
water is laid on-above this bath is fixed a douche shower fitting supplied with
water ranging in temperature from "cold" to not exceeding 110° Fahrenheit.
or
The lavatory compartment is closed in and the atmosphere thereof is kept to a
temperature of about 110° Fahrenheit preferably by means of steam or hot water
pipes carried in the space between the bath and its casing or plinth which latter is
provided with suitable inlets or grids for regulating the admission of air to the
heating coil, the warmed air being discharged into the compartment by ducts
carried to a suitable height.
Doors are arranged so as to give communication between the warm lavatory and
the dressing rooms on either side thereof; each of the latter being entered from
gangway of swimming bath.
AL
ז.
100
'
I WILLIAM HARPUR, 197 Severn Road, Canton, Cardiff, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to an improved plan and arrangement of public baths and
consists in substituting, entirely or in part, for the dressing boxes usually placed
on the gangways surrounding the swimming bath or pond, a particular arrangement
of warm lavatories and dressing rooms as hereinafter described. By this plan or
arrangement, the bather is enabled, in one department of a bathing establishment,
to thoroughly cleanse his person, which being accomplished he may afterwards, if
be desire it, enter the swimming bath.
By means of this plan or arrangement it would be possible to keep the water in
the swimming bath or pond much cleaner than is usually the case, where bathers
have not cleansed their persons prior to using the swimming bath.

page_text: The warm lavatories consist of compartments or cubicles covered in and
communicating by doors, with one two or more dressing compartments, which may
also be covered in and which communicate with the outer gangway or passage.
In the "lavatory compartment" is placed a shallow pan or bath of suitable
shape and dimensions supplied with hot and cold water and shower or douche
arrangements (to which can be added arrangements for needle, sitz, wave or
spray).
or
The bath or pan is surrounded by a plinth or casing, which carries the partitions
where they occur. In this plinth or casing suitable gratings or other devices are
provided to admit warmed: air into the lavatories and dressing. cubicles, the air
being heated in its passage.by means of steam or hot water pipes which may be
arranged within the plinth or casing or conveyed by ducts from a hot air furnace,
the hot air circulating outside of the baths or pans which are exposed within the
casing so as to keep them at an equable temperature. The covers and partitions.
of the lavatories and dressing cubicles are arranged so as to provide for ventilation
and regulation of the temperatures within them respectively; the lavatories being
kept at a temperature of say 110° Fahr. and the dressing rooms at say 70° Fabr.
The hot water is arranged.to be supplied to the showers or douches at a temperature
not exceeding 110° Fahr.
In order that my invention may be better understood, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings, which form part of this Specification; in which Fig. 1. is
a sectional plan of a warm lavatory with dressing compartments arranged on either
side thereof. Fig. 2. is a cross section of the same, and Fig. 3. is a general plan
shewing the arrangement of warm lavatories and dressing compartments, in
connection with a swimming bath. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is a warm
lavatory compartment, B B are the dressing compartments adjacent thereto, a is
the shallow pan or bath, bb are seats and 6' 6' are dressing tables. CC is the
plinth or casing surrounding the bath or pan, which with it forms the space c in
which.heating pipes c' are placed. D D are the entrance doors from the gangway
or passage to the dressing compartments. D' D¹ are inner doors giving communi-
cation between the dressing compartments and the warm lavatory. EE are
partitions preferably of enamelled slate enclosing the warm lavatory chamber.
EE are the outer walls or divisions, the plinth C C is provided with openings
(not shown) for the purpose of admitting heated air to the dressing compartments
and warm lavatories at points c². care vertical trunks for conveying hot air to
the upper portion of the lavatory compartment. The hot and cold water supply
and shower are arranged at suitable points as shewn. Referring to Fig. 3, F is the
swimming bath or pond, G G are the gangways surrounding the same.
A A are
the warm lavatories. BB the dressing. compartments and H H dressing boxes of
the type usually employed.
-The bather having
The method of using my improved system is as follows:-
unrobed in the dressing compartment the temperature of which is kept at from 650
to 70° Fahr. enters the warm lavatory where a temperature of about 110° F. is
maintained and there performs his ablutions after which, he can, if inclined, proceed
direct to the swimming bath, before dressing himself. It will readily be seen, that
in ablutionary baths of this type the consumption of water per bather would be
reduced to at least one half the amount required for a slipper bath of the ordinary
type and further that great saving in time would be effected in the process of
bathing and that by providing two or more dressing compartments to each lavatory,
the latter is not put out of use while the bather is dressing.
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. The combination of a warm lavatory with adjacent dressing rooms, as and for
the purpose specified.
2. The combination of warm lavatories with heating pipes whereby the

page_text: atmospheric temperature is maintained at a suitable degree, as and for the
purpose specified.
3. The arrangement of divisions or enclosures and doors substantially as shewn
in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
4. The plan and arrangement of warm lavatories with adjacent dressing
compartments in combination with a swimming bath substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1895.
WILLIAM HARPUR.