IMPROVEMENTS IN BATH APPARATUS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,. in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BATH APPARATUS."-A communication from abroad by
Aloys Büngens, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 17th April 1866, and dated. the 25th October 1865..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1865.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent; do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BATH APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
Hydro-therapeutic apparatus or shower baths as now in use present certain
difficulties in their construction and arrangement, which constitute an obstaclo
to their use, and should be removed on account of their beneficial effects to
health and the art of healing. These baths are usually taken in a standing
position, the person occupying the centre of the bath, which is limited to the
contents of the reservoir above, and requires to be replenished in order to
repeat the bath. The apparatus requires a large quantity of water which
falls with a certain force when the reservoir is full, but when nearly empty the
force fails to distribute the water which then falls in a sheet, and causes
a disagreeable sensation; such apparatus further occupies a large space little
suited to most modern buildings.
The apparatus of this Invention, which is constructed on an entirely new
principle, offers every desirable facility, and also presents the immense advan-

page_text: tage of producing an equal and regular ascending and descending projection
of the water with a force appropriate to the requirements of each case, and
which can be regulated at pleasure by giving a greater or less impulse to the
pump, which ceases at the will of the person taking the bath, who is com-
fortably seated and works the apparatus without assistance.
The advantage of this system will be readily understood, as it requires only
a small quantity of water to work it, and permits of the economical employ-
ment of mineral waters, sea water, and all the combinations in use in phar-
maceutics in the form of baths. The jet when projected upwards with more
or less force will be of great advantage for the treatment of all maladies of
the pelvis and those common to the female sex, This arrangement can be
applied with advantage for. ladies' toilet purposes, and in case of pain, all
friction is avoided by its continuous and easy action.
This apparatus may be substituted for hip baths, which are so incommodious
and expensive, and being small, does not require to be placed permanently in
any situation, and can be very easily taken to pieces. This apparatus throws
the shower over the whole of the body where necessary either simultaneously
or separately in the form of rain or in a single jet by simply changing the
escape nozzle or distributor. By dispensing with the elevating tube, or inter-
cepting the passage of the water, the apparatus is reduced to the nature of a
bip bath, presenting the necessary advantages and effects for the application of
water to the lower parts of the body...
The apparatus is composed of a bath chamber A of a circular form: forming
a seat, the upper part being rounded, while the lower. part. or bottom is
pierced with holes for the passage of the water. The part B, which is con-,
nected to it, is the feed reservoir, and regulates the jet of the pump; con-
nected to this reservoir is the pump, C, which is, actuated by hand. A tube
passes upwards from D to E, which distributes, the water furnished by the..
pump; the point F placed in the centre of the bath chamber is intended for.
the ascending jet, special nozzles being adapted to project the liquid in all
forms. The upper discharge tube may also be fitted with nozzles, or dis-
tributors arranged so as to bathe any part of the body desired. The tube is
bent at its upper part and terminates at E by a screw union where the dis-.
tributor is fixed, throwing the water in any form according to the kind of
nozzle that may be adapted thereto. G is a shallow, tray, entirely separate
from the apparatus, the dimensions of which are determined by the distance
to which the water is projected; the pump may also be placed at the side..
of the apparatus, so that a second person might work it, as may be necessary
for an invalid.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents the apparatus complete; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the
apparatus with the tray removed; Fig. 3 shows the different tubes which
conduct the water on to the different parts of the body; Fig. 4 shows different
forms of rose heads or distributors for shower baths; Fig. 5 shows a series of
nozzles for single jets or injections, and otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said William Clark, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the.
: 25th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did; for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my-
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 BATH APPA-
RATUS," communication to me from abroad by Aloys Büngens, of 29,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Clark, my èxecutors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reférence being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Hydro-therapeutic apparatus or shower baths as now in use possess certain
objections as regards their construction and arrangement, which constitutes an
:

page_text: obstacle to their use, and should be removed on account of their beneficial
effects to health, and the art of healing. These baths are usually taken in a
standing position, the person occupying the centre of the bath, which is
limited to the contents of the reservoir above, and requires to be replenished
in order to repeat the bath. The apparatus requires a large quantity of water
which falls with a certain force when the reservoir is full, and when nearly
empty the force fails to distribute the water, which then falls in a sheet and
causes a disagreeable sensation. Such apparatus further occupies a large
space little suited to most modern buildings.
The apparatus of this Invention, which is constructed on an entirely new
principle, offers every desirable facility, and also presents the immense advantage
of producing an equal and regular ascending and descending projection of the
water, with a force appropriate to the requirements of each case, and which
can be regulated at pleasure by giving a greater or less impulse to the pump,
which ceases at the will of the person taking the bath, who is comfortably
seated and works the apparatus without assistance.
The advantage of this system will be readily understood, as it requires only
a small quantity of water to work it, and permits of the economical employ-
ment of mineral waters, sea water, and all the combinations in use in
pharmaceutics in the form of baths. The jet when projected upwards with
more or less force will be of great advantage for the treatment of all the
This arrange-
maladies of the pelvis and those common to the female sex.
ment can be applied with advantage for ladies' toilet purposes, and in case of
pain, all friction is avoided by its continuous and easy action.
This apparatus may be substituted for hip baths, which are so incommodious
and expensive, and being small does not require to be placed permanently in
any particular situation, and can be very easily taken to pieces. This appa-
ratus throws the shower over the whole of the body where necessary, either
simultaneously or separately in the form of rain or in a single jet by simply
changing the escape nozzle or distributor. By dispensing with the elevating
tube or intercepting the passage of the water, the apparatus is reduced to the
form of a hip bath, presenting the necessary advantages and effects for the
application of water to the lower parts of the body.
The apparatus is composed of a bath A of a circular form forming a seat, the
upper part is rounded, and the lower part or bottom pierced with holes for the
passage of the water; the part B, which is connected to it forms the feed
reservoir and regulates the jet of the pump; connected to this reservoir is
the pump C, which is actuated by hand. A tube passes upwards from D to
E, which distributes the water furnished by the pump; the point F.in the

page_text: centre of the bath is intended for the ascending jet, special nozzles being
adapted to project the liquid in all forms. The upper discharge tube may
also be fitted with nozzles or distributors arranged so as to bathe any part of
the body desired. This tube is bent at its upper part and terminates at E by
a screw union where the distributor is fixed, throwing the water in any form
according to the kind of nozzle that may be adapted thereto. G is a shallow
tray entirely separate from the apparatus, the dimensions of which are
determined by the distance to which the water is projected. The pump may
also be placed at the side of the apparatus, so that a second person might
work it, as may be necessary for an invalid; this position may be that
represented in red lines in Figure 1.
Figure 1 represents the apparatus complete; Figure 2, a side view of the
apparatus with the tray removed; Figure 3 shows the different tubes which
conduct the water on to the different parts of the body; Figure 4 shows
different forms of rose heads or distributors for shower baths; Figure 5 shows
a series of nozzles for single jets or injections, and otherwise.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the within-described improve-
ments in hydro-therapeutic apparatus, the distinctive feature of which consists
in the application of an ascending and descending jet or shower, the force
with which it is projected being regulated by the quicker or slower action of
the pump, according to the purpose for which it is to be applied, which action
is readily produced by the person taking the bath, who is comfortably seated
therein, all as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, or it may be actuated by a second person.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)