US2443845A - Massage apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 22, `1948.

Filed Oct. 24. 1945 B. WANDEL MASSAGE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

June 22,1948. .BWANDEL MASSAGE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed O O.. 24, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

BY l

Patented June 22, 1948 carrito stares emr-:sr oFFlce MASSAGE APPARATUS Bronislaw Wandel, Boston, Mass.

Application October 24, 1945, Serial No. 624,233

3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-51) This invention relates tc improvements in massage apparatus and it has for its object to provide animproved apparatus of the class indicated which will be particularly adapted for use in massaging the neck oi a patient to activate and t stimulate the thyroid gland and in that manner counteract the chronic passive state of the gland which so often lies at the bottom of overweight.

To these ends I have provided an improved massage apparatus which, in the preferred em- I lbodimrnt thereof, may be constructed and utiresorted to without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a, massage apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention. I

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end view of the take-up roll hereinafter described.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Figure 1 Figure 7 illustrates an alternative form of presser member.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to d, inclusive, of the drawings, comprises a base I adapted to rest iiatwise upon a floor,`

table or other suitable support capable of also supporting the body of the patient who lies thereon upon his back with his head supported by the base as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Upon its top side the base I0 is made with two rigid upstanding posts I I and I2 which are spaced apart to receive between them the neck of the patient which rests upon a neck-supporting cradle I3 consisting of a flexible band of textile fabric or other suitable material whose opposite ends are securely connected to the posts II and I2, respectively.

One end of the cradle band I3 is fastened by screws I4 to the outer side of post I2 and from these screws said band extends upwardly and laterally across the tops of both posts II and I2 with its opposite end portion extending downwardly outside of post I I to a normally fixed horizontal take-up roll I (Figs. 1, 2 and 3)?.

It is to be understood,

Roll I5 is provided at its opposite ends with trun-nions journaled within apertures provided in brackets 6-, I6, secured to post II and is also formed with a longitudinal slot Il that is slightly longer than the width of cradle band I3, the end of the latter being inserted within said slot after which the roll is manually rotated to wind there.- on the end portion of ban-d I3 to set the intermediate portion lof the band at the desired height.

One end of roll I5 is provided with a circular series of sockets i8 (Fig. 4l) disposed concentrically with the axis of the roll, either of said sockets being adapted to receive within it the reduced inner end portion of a threaded bolt I9 yby which the roll I5 is securely locked against rotary movement under the influence of strains imposed upon band I3 by the patient. This threaded boit is provided at its outer endwith a circular head by means of which said bolt is manually operated when adjusting the cradle for each patient when such adjustment is desirable or necessary.

Pivotally mounted at 2| (Figs. 1 and 6) upon brackets 22 rigidly secured to posts II and I2 are tworelatively paralleli horizontal lever arms 23 and 24 whose free end portions are pivotally and detachably connected to the opposite ends of a link 25 (Figs` 1 and 2) by means of removable pivot pins 35 occupying apertures provided in the levers and links, each lever being provided with a longitudinal row of apertures 21 so that the link 25 may be adjusted toward and from the pintles 2|.

The link 25 has mounted thereon two spacedapart Vpresser members 28 each of which is noi'- mally fixed in position on said link by a fingeroperated set screw 29 so that it may be adjusted lengthwise of the link thereby to -properly position it with respect to the neck of the patient. Each presser member 28 is constructed with a flexible depending arm 30 (Fig. 2) whose lower end portion occupies a position alongside of the neck of the patient.

Upon the top of base III there is provided a box-like housing 3| (Figs. 1 and 2) within which is arranged an electric motor 32 that is mounted upon a base plate 33, said plate being fastened by screws to a side wall of the housing. Fixed on the shaft of motor 32 is a worm 34 in mesh with a worm gear 35 fast on a horizontal shaft 36 journaled in bearings provided on plate 33. This shaft 36 extends forwardly through the front wall of the housing and, outside of the latter, is provided with a disk 3l made with a plurality of. threaded holes 38 (Fig. 2) disposed at dierent distances from the aXis of shaft 36. Into one of these holes tightly screwed a threaded wrist pin 39 by which .one end of a connecting rod 40 is attached to the disk 31. The opposite end of rod 40 is connected by a universal joint 4l with the lever arm 24.

It will be clear that while motor 32 is operating it acts through the connections described to vibrate lever arm 24 which imparts endwise reciprocatory movements to link 25 and the latter reciprocates the presser members 2li-3!) in a direction transversely with respect to the neck of the patient. This reciprocatory movement causes the presser members to alternately and yieldingly press laterally against the opposite sides of the front -portion of the neck therebyr alternately compressing and relaxing the gland structures with the object in view of stimulating and activating the same.

An alternative Lform of presser member 28a is shown in Fig. 7 comprising an apertured upper end portion or head that is fitted upon link25 and a depending rigid arm Sila that is provided at its lower end with a transverse threaded aperture into which is screwed a threaded shank l2 projecting from one side of a metal disk 43. Secured to the opposite side of this disk is a resilient pad [i4 of any suitable material such as rubber, for example. A check nut t5 on shank 42 holds the pad structure against accidental displacement. Two off these members 28a may be substituted `for the members 28 and xed in position upon link 25 by thumb screws such as that shown at 29 in Fig. 7. When properly installed the pads lf3 will be disposed acing each other with the two members 28a spaced apart a distance appropriate to the size of the patients neck.

A make and break switch it and a rheostat dl (Fig. 1) are mounted upon the rear wall of housing 3l and arranged in series in the circuit of motor 32 to provide for starting, stopping, and regulating the speed of the motor.

It will also be clear that by lshifting the wrist pin (Fig. 2) from one hole 3 8 to another, the amplitude of the reciprocatory movements of link 25 and its presser members may be Varied.

In order to provide for application of the device to and removal from the patient one of the pivot pins 2G is removed so that the link 25 With its presser members 28 may then be swung aside on the other pivot pin 23 into an out-of-the-way position.

What I claim is:

l. A thyroid massage apparatus comprising a base which serves as a head rest for the pati-ent and is made with a pair of spaced-apart uprights between which the head of the patient is disposed; a pair of horizontally disposed relatively parallel lever arms each of which is pivotally mounted upon one of said uprights to swing on a vertical axis; a link having its opposite ends lpivotally connected to said lever arms and supported by the latter in a horizontal position transversely above the neck of the patient; a pair of spaced-apart presser members Xed in positions upon and depending from said link so that they are co-operatively disposed relatively to the opposite sides of the neck of the patient; an electric motor xed in (position wpon said base; means for controlling the operation of said motor, and means through which said motor when operated acts to vibrate one of said lever arms thereby to reciprocate said link and presser members on arcuate paths.

2. Athyroid massage apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one end of said link is detachably connected with its lever arm thereby to permit said link and presser members to be swung aside on the other pivotal connection into an out-ofthe-way lposition to provide -for the admission and removal of the patient.

3. A thyroid massage apparatus constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein neck-supporting means is provided comprising a band of flexible sheet material providing a cradle for the neck of the patient; means fastening one end of said band to one of said uprights; a take-up roll rotatably mounted upon the other upright of said pair and with which the opposite end of said band is connected so that rotative adjustment of said roll adjusts the cradle portion of the band vertically, and means Afor securing said roll in its adjusted position.

' BRONISLAW WANDEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 40,865 Taylor Dec. 8, 1863 2,024,325 Allen Dec. 17, 1935 2,128,796 Barbour Aug. 30, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,487 Sweden May 6, 1895 393,353 Germany Apr. l, 1924 OTHER REFERENCES System of Physiologie Therapeutics, S. S. Cohen, published by P. Blackistons Son & Co., Philadelphia, Pa., vol. 7, page 64.

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