US2862211A - Portable shower - Google Patents

Description

Dec- 2, 1 5 s. SHABERMAN ET AL 2,862,211 PORTABLE SHOWER Filed Dec. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS.- STANLEY SHABERMAN,

& WILLIAM KANTRALIS.

ATToRN Dec. 2, 1958 Filed Dec. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 16/ NVENTORS.

STANLEY SHABERMAN, 6y & WILLIAM KANTRALIS ,/C/J6 )1 I'M/477:5: 066,670 & M /VEA/A/Y United States Patent U PORTABLE SHOWER Application December 10, 1956, Serial No. 627,483

4 Claims. (Cl. 4-154) This invention relates to a shower bath apparatus and more particularly to a portable shower assembly that may be compactly folded for packaging and handling.

Numerous attempts have been made to provide a shower apparatus that may be installed by the user without requiring special skills or tools. Most of such efforts have resulted in complicated and cumbersome assemblies by requiring large containers for shipping and handling and involving the use of numerous separate parts that .were subject to loss and misuse.

'It is among the objects of our invention to provide a U-shaped clamp constructed and arranged to support a novel shower curtain ring'and shower head by simple manually adjusted clamping devices carried by the U- shaped clamp so that such clamping devices support the assembly in an eflicient manner.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a portable shower according to the preceding object where in the U-shaped clamp is constructed and arranged so as to support a shower curtain ring and a shower head in either of two positions at right-angles to each other.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a portable shower according to the preceding objects wherein the shower curtain ring comprises two inter-pivoted circular sections supported by the clamp at a chord of the circle across the circular shower curtain supporting ring.

Further objects and advantages relating to ruggedness of construction, efficiency in operation, collapsibility for packaging and extended useful life will appear from the following description and the appended drawings where- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portable shower apparatus supported by a floor joist shown in phantom outline;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shower curtain supporting ring in its partially folded condition;

Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation of a portable shower according to our invention illustrating the use of the device with the shower curtain supporting ring removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 3 showing details of the U-shaped clamp;

Fig. 5 is an elevation with parts broken away of the device of Fig. 4; and

Pig. 6 is an enlarged detailed showing of the folding connection provided in the shower curtain supporting ring.

Referring to the drawings, the shower assembly invention as illustrated includes a U-shaped supporting clamp 5, a shower curtain supporting ring indicated in its entirety as at 10, and a shower head assembly indicated in its entirety as at 20. The U-shaped clamp preferably comprises vertically disposed side walls 6 and 7 spaced from each other by a connecting mid-portion 8 a distance slightly exceeding 2" so that the U-shaped clamp 5 may receive or embrace a floor joist indicated at 9 in phantom outline. The upper end portions of the sides 6 and 7 are each provided with outstanding flanges 11 and 12, respectively, and each of said flanges is apertured as at ice 11a and 12a to receive fastening means such as screws, nails or the like in the event the clamp is to be mounted against a flat surface. It will be understood as the description proceeds that the flat surface referred to may be a fiat ceiling or a vertically fiat wall and, accordingly, the shower of our invention is well adapted for outdoor use where it may be attached to the side of the house ad jacent the usual sill faucet. Alternatively the clamp 5 may embrace an upright pole or pipe.

The side wall 7 of the U-shaped clamp 5 is provided with a threaded opening to receive an eyebolt or clamping screw 13. The opposite side wall 6 of the U-shaped clamp is provided with a pair of pointed spurs 6a and 6b, respectively. The end of the spurs 6a and 6b at the outside of the clamp is preferably slotted to facilitate adjustment of the spurs in the side wall 6. It will be understood that the point of the spurs will bite into the wooden joist to improve the grip of the U-shaped clamp 5 on the joist. It will also be understood that the spurs may be integrally formed in the metal side wall 6. The inner end of the clamping screw 13 bears against the side of the joist and causes the spurs 6a and 6b to bite into the wooden joist 9. The flat bottom wall connecting the two sides of the U-shaped clamp 5 is provided with four spaced apertures as at 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d. Two of the apertures in the web 8 of the clamp are spaced to receive the ends of the threaded U-bolt 14. Referring, for example, to Fig. 4, the ends of the U-bolt 14 are received in the cooperating apertures 8c and 8d. The spacing between the apertures 8a and 8b is the same as the spacing between apertures and 8d and thus the U-bolt is adapted to be secured to the clamp in either pair of apertures which apertures are arranged at right angles to each other. Thus, for example, when the portable shower is to be packaged for shipment the U-bolt 14 is removed from the apertures 80 and 8d and is then transferred along with the shower head assembly 20 so that the ends of the U-bolt 14 extend through the apertures 8a and 8b. This last-described arrangement may also be used for supporting the shower assembly with the shower head in use and extending co-axially of the U-shaped clamp 5 and the legs of the U-bolt being secured in the openings 8a and 3b. The shower head assembly includes a length of tubing having a straight mid-portion 21 clamped by the U-bolt 14, a depending curved portion 22 provided with a hose coupling nut 23 and a second depending curved section 24 provided with a tube fitting 25 to receive a shower head 26. Preferably the shower head 26 is of the universally adjustabletype so that the shower may be directed at various angles.

The shower curtain support ring 10 comprises two circular sections 26 and 27 secured to each other at their free ends as illustrated in Fig. 6. The circular section 27 includes a greater portion of the perimeter of the circle than the section 26. The smaller section 26 is provided with an inwardly offset end portion 26a and is apertured to receive a fastening bolt 28 and a pivoting bolt 29.

A supporting bracket 36 has diverging arms 31 and 32 With a depending flange on each arm 33 and 34, respectively. The depending flange 33 is apertured to receive the pivoting bolt 29 and the fastening bolt 28. Thus when the bolts 28 and 29 are drawn up tight as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6 the two circular sections 26 and 27 form a rigid circular support for the shower curtain. When, however, the shower curtain support is to be folded or collapsed for packaging the fastening bolt 28 is removed and the pivoting bolt 29 is loosened so that the circular section 27 may be swung about the pivot bolt 29 to a folded position as illustrated in Fig. 2. By this folding of the ring sections 26 and 27 and also pivoting the bracket 30 about the pivot bolt 29 the entire shower curtain sup- 3 port occupies a small space with all of the parts of the support in a nested or telescopic arrangement. This permits shipment of the assembly without damage and without requiring the use of special tools or the assembly of a number of small parts.

Although we have illustrated and described one form of our invention in considerable detail it will be understoodthat those skilled in the art may devise colorable variations of our device without departing from the scope of our invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable shower unit comprising a U-shaped clamp having spaced vertically extending side walls adapted to embrace the underside of a floor joist, at least one of said side walls having a threaded aperture and a threaded pointed clamping screw received in said aperture with the point extending toward the other side wall and adapted to bite into said joist, said U-shaped clamp including a connecting horizontally disposed portion having two pairs of cooperating apertures, said pairs being arranged normal to each other and a U-bolt adapted to be selectively received in either of said pairs of cooperating openings, a shower curtain support ring including a transverse bracket having its mid-portion apertured to receive the spaced extensions of said U-bolts and a shower head i against the underside of said bracket and pulls the entire assembly tight against the underside of said U-shaped clamp.

2. A' portable shower according to the preceding claim wherein the shower curtain supporting ring comprises a pair of inter-pivoted circular sections, the pivotal connection between said sections being connected to said bracket at its outer ends.

3. A shower curtain support assembly comprising a flat metal band curved to form a portion of a circle, and a second fiat curved band adapted to complement said first curved band so as to form a circular ring, said bands being connected to each other at their free ends by a pivoting bolt and a supporting bracket having diverging sides with the end portions of said sides connected to said pivoting bolt whereby the assembly of bracket and bands may be collapsed into a fiat package for shipment.

4. A shower curtain support assembly according to the preceding claim wherein one of said bands embraces a greater portion of the circle than the other of said bands and wherein the distance between the ends of said bracket is less than the diameter of said circle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 474,947 Collins May 17, 1892 2,504,561 McMillan Apr. 18, 1950 2,567,463 Atkinson Sept. 11, 1951

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