Therapeutical heating and steaming instrument

Application filed May 14, 1923. Serial No. 638,81^.

The present invention has been devised to provide a convenient hand device for applying heat, especially heat and steam, to the face or body of a person. The conception 5 involves the use of an electrical heater within a relatively small hollow body supported upon a handle and preferably provided with an electrical switch intermediate the main body and the handle, together with an absorbent pad detachably secured to the heating body contiguous to the electrical heater therein. As. arranged and mounted the pad may be dipped or immersed in a liquid without injury to the electric heater and the absorbed liquid may be heated to any desired degree or quickly converted into steam and applied locally to the face or body of a person. The pad is readily detached and may be substituted by another in operating on different persons, and a separate enclosing cover is provided for the pad, which may be washed and sterilized and ironed flat.

In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved electrical heating and steaming device as it appears when held in the hand and applied to the face. Fig. 2 is a side view of the device placed within a saucer containing Fig. 3 is a top view g, ent pad itself, and Fig. _ view of the pad. Fig. 5 is a top view .* ;. _x ’ 7L cross section of said cover on line 6—6 of Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are top and side views, respectively of the device without the ]3ad and its cover. Fig. 9 is a vertical section longitudinally through, the device, and Fig. 10 is a cross section on line 10—-10 of Fig. 11, showing the hollow body and the electric heater therein and also the pad affixed thereto. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on line 11—11 of Fig. 9, showing a face view of the electric heater, and also showmg a hollow handle portion containing an electric switch. The device comprises a hollow round body 2 having an annular end flange 3 and an an- _ nular channel or groove 4 adjacent said end be made at the joint, inasmuch as it may flange. The upper side or top of body 2 is occur that this heating end- of the device rounded and formed with a tubular exten- may be immersed or become submerged in sion 5 which projects laterally and up- liquid during use. Thus the device is dewardly at an inclination and° terminates in signed to be used with an absorbent pad 24 a bulbous or enlarged portion 6 and a reduced open end 7 adapted to receive a wood handle 8. Handle 8 may be fastened by screws 9, as shown in Fig. 9 or said parts may be fastened together in any other suitable way. The handle has a central longitudinal bore or opening 10 to permit an electrical insulated conductor 11 to extend therethrough and into hollow body 2 where the two wires 12 and 1,3 comprising said conductor are separated and attached to independent binding screws 14 and 15 respectively. These binding screws are mounted upon a disk of insulating material, for example, a disk shaped body 16 of porcelain of approximately the same diameter as end flange 3 of body 2, to permit end seating engagement therewith. The opposite ends of a relatively long coils of resistance wire 17 are attached to the heads of binding screws 14 and 15 at diametrically opposite points of the disk, and the resistance coil is wound back and forth or in a serpentine or circuitous form transversely of the disk. The windings or folds extend on straight parallel lines between parallel ribs 18 formed on the bottom face of the disk. The base of the grooves be55 cer containing Water, tween the adjacent ribs is preferably roundof the quilted absorb- ed to seat the round wire cod, and alternate 4 is a side or edge ribs are undercut at opposite ends or pro_α —r of the ' vided with an over-hanging lip or extension shirred cover for the pad and Fig. 6 is a 19, (see Fig. 10) to confine and hold the coil cross section of said cover on line 6—6 of in place where bent reversely. Ribs 18 also project beyond the horizontal plane of the wire coil 17 to permit a th’ή disk of insulating material such as a mica disk 20 to be seated upon all the ribs, and a circular flanged, cap 21 having a dished bottom 22 is adapted to confine and hold the porcelain and mica disks and the heating coils removably at the bottom side of body 2. Any suitable means may be used to secure cap 21 to body 2; for example, screws 23 may be used to fasten the flange portion of the cap to the flange portion 3 of body 2 as shown, and it is desirable that a snug and water-tight fit

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Q 1,663,801 which is shown in the drawings as composed of several layers a, b and c, of quilted cotton, each layer being in the form of a disk and the superposed disks being of different di5 ameters. The top layer a, is made to fit within the dished portion or recess 25 at the bottom of cap 21, and the middle disk b is made of slightly larger diameter to overlap the round beaded corner'26 of cap 21, whereio as the larger bottom layer c is of sufficient size to completely envelop the flanged side of cap 21, substantially as seen in Fig. 10. The pads are compressed and held in place in the enveloping position as stated by la means of a cover 27 made of duck or other suitable woven textile material. The cover 27 is made of a flat piece of woven material in the form of a disk having a shirred or hemmed edge 28 to confine a draw string 29 20 and it is of ample size to completely envelop the pad and also body 2 at its base where channel 4 is provided to receive and hold the hem portion 28 when the draw string 29 is tightly drawn and fastened. A 25 relatively thick absorbent pad is thereby provided at the bottom of cap 21 and the metal parts completely enclosed so that, full and ample protection is obtained in use. Cap 21 is made of sheet copper or some other 30 relatively thin sheet metal of good heat conductivity, and body 2 is provided with elongated openings oi· perforations 29 at its top or in its handle portion to keep this part of the body cool., In F’g. 11 I show a cylin36 drical enlargement 6' at the end of tubular extension 5 to permit an electric switch 30 of any suitable kind to be mounted therein intermediate the handle 8 and body 2. As shown this switch has opposed push mem40 bers 31 to turn the electric current on or off.

by pressure of the thumb and finger of the hand which grips the handle.

In use the device is held in the hand and the padded heating end is dipped into water 45 or other liquid contained in a shallow vessel such as a saucer 32. If desired the electric current may be switched on at this time to heat the liquid in the saucer, or the electric current may be turned on after the pad has 50 absorbed sufficient moisture or liquid as desired. This liquid may be water or oil, such as camphor oil or any liquid medicament used in the therapeutical treatments pr in massaging or treating the face or body, es55 pecially where the application of steam and heat is particularly beneficial in a specific place or spot in a continued heating operation, The pad if saturated with water will produce steam at usable temperatures and 60 'the device may be used beneficially in treating neuralgia and rheumatic,pains locally, toothache, ear-ache, abdominal pains, in congested places, and in fact in innumerable places and in a variety of ways where steam 65 and heat constantly applied will be bene ficial. The heating temperature may be readily regulated by the push button switch without removing the hand from the handle. As shown the electrical conductor 11 is provided with an attachment plug 33 which per- 70 mits an electrical connection to be made wherever an electrical lamp socket or electrical plug connection may be found. The device is made and sold with the cord and its attachment plug together with the movable 75 pad and its clamping and'holding cover. The present showing represents my preferred construction, but it will be readily understood that the device may be changed and modified in many respects without de- so parting materially from the spirit and scope of my invention.