IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOWER BATHS
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I DAVID GROVE of N° 24 Friedrich Strasse in the City of Berlin, Prussia,
Germany, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOWER BATHS 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 an improved shower bath which is admirably adapted
for employment in public as well as private bathing establishments, factories,
mines, hospitals, schools, barracks, workshops and other establishments.
The chief characteristic points of my said invention are simplicity of construction,
novel arrangement of the roses or mouthpieces, special arrangement of the mixing
vessel and arrangement of the three way cock so that hot water can under no
circumstance pass off first into the delivery pipe to the roses or mouthpieces and
the arrangement of an exhaust pipe so that as soon as the heat should become
excessive such superfluous heat in the form of steam would be led off by means of
the said exhaust pipe or in the form of water when the pressure in the heater
should become excessive.
My said invention can furthermore be employed to great advantage in all
districts where open air baths cannot be erected or where the erection of the
ordinary public baths proves too expensive or do not cover the wants.
If a water service is at hand the piping or tubing of my improved shower bath
is connected immediately with the same. Warm water reservoirs can also be
combined with the arrangement if required.
The temperature of the water can be regulated by operating the same cock which
is employed for supplying the entire water for the bath and for this purpose the
mixing chamber is provided with a thermometer so that the temperature of the
water directly after mixing can be readily ascertained. The connection pipe
between the water service and the bath serves as cold water supply pipe and as
feed pipe for the stove or heater; the same is provided with a suitable stop cock
and communicates with a three way cock which in its turn communicates with
the stove or heater. This said heater or stove is provided with the customary
firing and is on all sides, with the exception of the firing door surrounded with
water in order to better utilize the beat produced. A tube or pipe at the upper
end of the heater leads into a mixing vessel, which said mixing vessel is connected
by a suitable short pipe or tube to the three way cock-The mixing vessel or
chamber is provided with a thermometer for registering the temperature of the
water in the said mixing vessel or chamber which latter is further provided with
an outlet pipe or tube provided with a desired quantity of roses or mouthpieces.

page_text: The three way cock can be so adjusted that the cold water supply is either led
to the roses or mouthpieces or allowed to flow simultaneously to the heater thus
forcing the hot water out of the heater into the mixing vessel where the said hot
water is mixed with the cold water and flows off through the delivery pipe leading
to the roses or mouthpieces or the said cock can be so adjusted that water is
admitted alone to the heater for filling the same.
In order to allow the steam generated in the water reservoir of the heater to
escape I apply an exhaust pipe or tube leading to the basement and into the open
air or into a condenser so that the water of condensation is fed back into the
heater:
Suitable cocks are arranged for emptying the heater and the mixing vessel or
chamber and for regulating the jet from the roses or mouthpieces.
Figure 1 represents the total arrangement of a shower bath according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a part longitudinal section of the samė.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the mixing vessel or chamber.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the three way cock.
Figure 6 a vertical section of the same in closed position.
Figure 7 a like section in partially closed position the water supply being in 1
communication with the mixing vessel and the roses or mouthpieces.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of the same in open condition the water supply
being in communication with the mixing vessel or chamber, and with the heater.
Figure 9 is a top view or plan of the three way cock.
The tube or pipe a acts as the water supply pipe and is connected with the water
service or other water supply and is further provided with a suitable stop cock b.
The said tube or pipe a is connected to the lower end of the three way cock c
which is provided with the two connections or outlets d, e, and the hollow cone f
which latter is provided with two borings or openings g, h, so that in operating the
said hollow cone the connection can be opened between the two connections or
outlets d, e, which are closed when the cone f of the said cock is in its normal
position.
The pipe or tube i leading to the heater and connected to the lower part of the
same is connected with the connection or outlet d of the three way cock. My said
heater is constructed in a manner similar to that employed in vertical tubular
boilers and is provided with the furnace and fire canals or flues m through which
the products of combustion escape to the chimney n.
The water level is kept constantly near the top of the heater so that as soon as
a fresh supply of water enters the heater through the pipe or tube i the superfluous
water can stream or flow off through. the pipe or tube p into the mixing vessel.
An exhaust pipe or tube q which leads to the floor or to a suitable condensing
apparatus is connected to the tube or pipe p in order to carry off any superfluous
steam generated in the heater.
The mixing vessel or chamber o which at its lower part is connected to the
connection or outlet e of the three way cock c by means of the piece of tubing or
piping r, is divided into two compartments by means of an appropriate sieve or
perforated partitions in one of which said compartments the stream of cold water
is so mixed with the warm water from the heater that the mixture of cold and
warm water passes through the perforations of the partition into the second com-
partment and from thence to the delivery pipe t to which the roses or mouthpieces u
and the regulating cocks or valves to the same, are attached.
The thermometer w fixed to the mixing vessel or chamber o registers the
temperature of the mixture of hot and cold water.
The cock x in the pipe or tube i serves to empty or let off the water from the
heater whilst the cock y serves to let off the water in the mixing vessel or
chamber o and the tubes or pipes of the bath.

page_text: The cone f of the three way cock c is provided with a suitable handle z which
carries a pointer a¹ which latter is so arranged that the same shows the position of
the cone and its openings on a sector b¹.
The operation of my improved shower bath is as follows.
If the bath is out of operation the three way cock occupies the closed position
represented in Figure 6 so that the communication with the water supply a and
also with the heater and the mixing vessel or chamber o is cut off. If the bath is
to be put in operation- the heater being considered as already filled-the handle
of the cock c is. turned to the right so that the same occupies the position
represented in Figure. 7 so that the cold water supply can flow through the boring
or opening h of the cock c into the mixing vessel or chamber o as will be indicated
by the pointer on the sector.
The angle a is smaller than the angle ẞ so that the cold water inlet is opened
before the warm water inlet.
If the cock is now turned further to the right the boring or opening g will be in
communication with the outlet d and the tube or pipe i so that cold water will flow
into the heater k and drive the heated or hot water through the tube or pipe p
into the mixing vessel or chamber where both streams or jets of water meet
become intimately mixed and are then forced into the delivery pipe for the roses or
mouthpieces.
"
Even in the extreme position marked " warm in Figure 8 the cold water inlet
will still be somewhat open so that too highly heated water cannot issue from the
roses or mouthpieces or nozzles.
The heater & remains constantly filled as the cold water entering the lower part
of the same replaces the hot water led off through the pipe to the mixing vessel
or chamber o. One of the principal advantages of my improved shower bath is
that the temperature of the bath can be varied at will by simply operating one
single cock and that the temperature of the mixed water is accurately indicated
before it leaves the said mixing vessel or chamber o.
The enormous advantages of my improved shower bath will be evident to all
and it will also be evident that the arrangement and proportion of the parts
can be modified in various manners without departing from the tenor of my said
invention.
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. The combination of the three way cock c with the pipe or tuber and the
water supply pipe a in such manner that when the cock c is opened cold water can
flow into the mixing vessel or chamber o substantially as described in the foregoing
specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of the three way cock c with the pipe or tube i and the
heater & substantially as described in the foregoing specification and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The combination of the heater k with the circulation pipe or tube p, the
exhaust pipe or tube q, and the mixing vessel or chamber o into which bot
water will flow as soon as cold water is fed into the lower part of the heater
substantially as described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accom-
pauying drawings.
4. The combination of the mixing vessel o with the thermometer w and the
delivery pipe t substantially as described in the foregoing specification and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination of the mixing vessel o with the delivery pipe t, the roses,
mouthpieces or nozzles u and the cock y substantially as described in the foregoing
specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination of the partitions and mixing vessel o with the three
way cock c, pipes or tubes 2, p and t, the thermometer w, roses, mouthpieces or

page_text: nozzles u and the regulating valves or cocks v substantially as set forth in the
foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination of the three way cock c with the water supply pipe a, the
pipe or tube r, the pipe or tube i, heater k, pipe p, mixing vessel or chamber o, pipe
or tube t and the roses mouthpieces or nozzles u, v, so that the simultaneous supply
of cold water to the heater k and mixing vessel or chamber o and hot water from
the heater k to the mixing vessel or. chamber o and the delivery pipe t and roses,
mouthpieces or nozzles u can be regulated at will substantially as set forth in the
foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
8. The general construction, arrangement, employment and combination of the
parts in my improved shower bath substantially as set forth in the foregoing
specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1885.
Witnesses,
PAUL TAULNABER,
JOHN HOLMES.
DAVID GROVE