New or Improved Head and Neck Rest for Use in Baths and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Head and Neck Rest for Use in Baths and the
like.
I, JULIUS DROST, of No. 12, Tie, Aschersleben, in the Kingdom of Prussia in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
For
My invention relates to an adjustable rest for the head and neck for use in baths
and the like. It may be considered as a well established fact, that in household and
other furnished baths and particularly in bathing-tubs of the usual kind, a person
remaining in the bath in the usual position, with the face turned upwards, experiences
some difficulty in keeping the head above the level of the water in the bath; to
overcome such difficulty the assistance of the hands, or arm or elbows or of the feet or
knees is required, or the head must bear against the end of the bath or tub.
healthy persons such efforts are inconvenient, for sick or suffering persons they
frequently prove noisome. The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a
convenient rest or support for the head and neck while in the bath or tub. By the
aid of such rest, the beneficial effect of bathing may be fully enjoyed. The adjustable
rest may equally be employed in bathing children, or for the purpose of keeping the
hair dry while bathing.
The adjustable rest for the head and neck may be employed in baths of any kind,
and easily removed therefrom, if desired. By the aid of this rest or support the body
may remain in a determined position for any length of time, without any incon-
venience or effort; for instance, the body may keep floating and the hands or arms
and feet may freely move, while the head is held secured in an easy position.
To realize the advantages before mentioned, I have constructed an apparatus, which
construction, however, may be varied within wide limits. In any case, however, the
adjustable rest should be so shaped that it affords a convenient support for the occiput
and neck, preventing the same escaping from its hold above the level of the bath,
while the body remains therein.
The rest or support proper, is preferably made of a material resisting the influences
of water, or covered by a material of such kind. The shape is so made to receive the
occiput, with an extension to provide a rest for the neck. To the upper portion of
said support, lugs preferably of a flexible material, are formed or secured, said lugs
serving to adjustably secure the support to a suitable, removable frame, placed or hung
into the bath. A frame of this kind which I have found to particularly answer the
purpose consists of two bars having hook-shaped ends at the upper part to be hung to
the rim of the bath or tub, and to provide a soft bearing surface between the metal
of the bath or tub and the said hooks, the latter should preferably be lined at the
under side with a soft material, such as felt or the like. The said bars are connected
to each other by elastic or plying cross-stays, by means of which the said frame will
adapt itself to the curved end of the bath or tub without projecting into the bath
and being in the way of the person bathing. The bars are provided with holes, or
slots into which engage the hooks of the lugs of the rest for the purpose of adjusting

page_text: the latter at a convenient height. The holes or slots of the bars may he replaced by
hooks or buttons to which lugs or eyes secured to the support are hung. Or the bars
may be provided, each with a longitudinal slit and the support secured within said
slit by means of bolts and nuts at any convenient place. Or a rack may be secured
to the bars and the support hung to the said rack by convenient means engaging into
the teeth of said rack. In general, the means of adjustably securing the support to
the frame may be varied at will.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1906
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Head and Neck Rest for Use in Baths and the
like.
I, JULIUS DROST, of 20 Nollendorf strasse, Berlin W., formerly of No. 12 Tie,
Aschersleben, in the Kingdom of Prussia in the German Empire, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to an adjustable rest for the head and neck of persons bathing.
It is generally admitted that in household and public baths, particularly in bathing
tubs of the usual kind, a person remaining in the bath in the usual position experiences
some difficulty in keeping the head above the level of the water; to overcome such
difficulty he requires the assistance of the hands, or arms or elbow, or of the feet or
knees, or he must lean the head against the edge of the bathing tub. To healthy
persons such efforts are inconvenient, to sick or suffering persons they frequently prove
injurious. The object of my invention is to obviate this inconvenience which I do by
providing a convenient rest or support for the head and neck while bathing. By the
aid of such rest, the beneficial effect of bathing may be fully enjoyed. The adjustable
rest may equally be employed in bathing children, or for the purpose of keeping the
hair dry while bathing.
The adjustable rest for the head and neck may be employed in baths of any kind,
and removed therefrom, if desired. By the aid of this rest or support the body may
remain in a determined position for any length of time, without causing inconvenience
or requiring effort; for instance, the body may be kept floating and the hands
or arms and feet may freely move, while the head is held secured in an easy
position.
To realise the advantages before mentioned, I have constructed the apparatus
illustrated by the accompanying drawings, which construction, however, may be varied
within wide limits, the drawings serving only to give a specimen of the manner in
which my invention may be performed. In any case, however, the adjustable rest
should be so shaped, that it affords a couvenient support for the occiput and neck,
preventing the same to escape from its hold above the level of the water while the
body remains therein.
Fig. 1 of the drawings illustrates a bathing tub of the usual kind with my improved
apparatus applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1,
Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively a longitudinal section and a plan, drawn to a larger
scale, of the head and neck support proper, and Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively a
front and a side view of the apparatus for adjustably securing the rest within the
bath.

page_text: The rest or support proper, A, is preferably made of a material resisting the influence
of water, or covered by a material of such kind. The shape is so made as to receive
the occiput, with an extension to provide a rest for the neck, as clearly illustrated by
Fig. 3. To the upper portion of said support A, hooks a or their equivalents are
secured or formed thereon, said hooks a, serving to adjustably secure the support A,
to a suitable, removeable frame, placed or hung into the bath. A frame of this kind,
which I have found to particularly answer the purpose, is represented in Figs. 5 and 6.
It consists of two bars B, having hook shaped ends at the upper part to be hung to
the rim of the bathing tub or its equivalent, as shewn in Fig. 1. To provide a soft
bearing surface between the metal of the tub and the said hooks, the latter should
preferably be lined at the underside with a soft material such as felt or the like.
The said bars B are connected to each other by elastic or flexible cross stays b by
means of which the said frame will adapt itself to the curvature of the tub without
being in the way of the person bathing. The bars B are provided with holes, or
slots c, into which the hooks or their equivalents a of the rest A engage, for the
purpose of adjusting the latter at a convenient height. The holes or slots c of
the bars B may be replaced by hooks or buttons to which lugs or eyes secured to the
support A are hung. Or the bars B may be provided, each, with a longitudinal slit
and the support A secured within said slit by means of bolts and nuts at any con-
venient place. Or instead thereof a rack may be secured to the bars B and the support A
hung to the said rack by convenient means 'engaging into the teeth of said rack.
Any other suitable means of adjustably securing the support A to the frame B may
be adopted.
of my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
Firstly. The use and arrangement of an adjustable head and neck rest for use in
baths consisting of a support for the occiput and neck provided with means for
adjustably securing the same to the. bathing tub substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Secondly. The construction or arrangement of an adjustable head and neck rest for
use in baths consisting of a support for the occiput and neck in combination with
a frame by which the said support is adjustably secured within the bathing tub,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 29th day of June 1807
R. J. URQUHART,
59, Barton Arcade, Manchester; 6, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.