US1064093A - Abdominal exerciser. - Google Patents

Description

W. C. SCHULZE.

ABDOMINAL EXERGISER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1010.

1,064,093. Patented June 10,1913.

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W. C. SGHULZE.

ABDOMINAL EXERGISER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1910.

1,064,093, Patented June 10, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co WASHINGTON, n. cy

WILLIAM G. SCHULZE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ABDOMINAL EXERCISER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

llatentedJune1t), 1 913.

Application filed July 25, 1910. Serial No. 573,664.

To all whom it may conccrn to it known that I, \a'rnmanr Soirumn, a citizen of the United States of ..\m(.\rica, and a resident of Chicago, county ot (look, State of lllinois, have invented certain new and use't'ul Improvements in Abdominal .l lxercisers of which the following is a speeifieation.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved abdominal exerciser to manipulate, massage, knead, and pereuss the abdomen for the purpose of inducing muscular activity and peristaltic action in the intestines; to provide improved means for actuating the working parts in such a manner as to be the exciting cause of the movement as normally carried on in the human body; to provide improved means for increasing the action on the abdomen at certain predetermined positions; and to provide an improved. simple, and substantial construction capable ot. withstanding all stresses of ordinary usage.

A specific structure embodying this invention is illustrated in tl accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view ot' the abdoi'ninal exerciser, partly in elevation, on the plane of the drive shaft. Fig. 2 is a detail of the slidable raised track which may be used to increase the action at the hinged traveling ball. Figs. 3 and 4: show in detail the adjustable hangers for supporting the casing. Fig. 5 is a sketch showing the apparatus as applied to the patient. Fig. (3 is a sectional view, partly broken away, showing the rotating l'nechanism and the adjustable ball accelerators in position.

In the construction shown, the flexible diaphragm 1 is the top member of a casing 2 which forms a housing for a rotatable spider 3. ()n the bottom member of the casing 2 is secured av base plate -'l and a fixed shat't 5, on which is mounted the rotatable spider The driving mechanism consists of a driven bevel gear (3 secured to the spider 3, which meshes with the driving bevel gear 7, which is in turn pinned to the drive shaft 8. The drive shaft 8 is supported on a bearing 9 fastened to the base plate 4, and the casing 2 forms an outer bearing where the drive shaft passes through the casing at 10. The outer end of the drive shaft 8 has a coupling 11 which is threaded on the shaft; and is adapted to rotatable spider t has arms 13, 14-, 15, and 16, ot' (litter-cut lengths, each carrying a shaft; 17 mounted in a plane parallel to the diaphragm l. On each ot the tour shafts is rotatably mounted the ball 18, which keeps the diaphragm I. under stress at the point; ol contact and establishes stress lines on the flexible medium or diaphragm connecting the points ol contact ot, the various balls. lv'hcn the spider t is actuated by turning the crank shart't 1). there is produced on the diaphragm 'l a progressive wave motion which is capable ot' transmission to the human abdomen. 'lhc Form of the wave front of the motion is substantially a spiral with tour centers starting near the center and increasing in velocity toward the outside.

For convenience in application, the device is sometimes hung on the back of an ordinary chair, as shown innltig. 5, and a pair of hangers. comprising a pair of adjnstable hooks It), it), pass through the fittings 2t 20 which are t'astencd to the easing 2, and thmnbscrews 2t, 21 serve to lock the hanger hooks It), '15) in place. There are two positions on the abdomen where percussion action is especially desired. These two points are both approximattal by the travel ot the ball 18 on the longest arm 16 ot' the rotating spider t3, and provision is made t'or increased stress on the diaphragm at and near these points by providing a long axis 17 tor the ball .18 on the arm 1t). Two lugs 22, 22, serve as guides to prevent side motion oi the axis. and two lugs 23, Bengage a pivot Q-lwhich passes through the long axis '17. To ilk-tease the stress on the diaplniagm at the desired points, two ad justablc wedge- shaped blocks 25 and 26 are slidably lastcned to the base of the casing 9. projecting arm 27 is connected to the inclined block 27 and projects through the casing in such a manner as to permit the movement of the inclined track into or out of the path ol the outer ball 18. In a similar manner, the projecting arm 28 controls the position of the inclined track 26. 'hcn the track engages the ball, it is dellcctcd toward the diaphragm and produces an increased stress or percussion on the diaphragm at the point; immediately above the wedgoshaped block.

in o wration, the diaphragm 1. of the device is placed so as to press on tln abdomen,

receive a threaded extension shaft 12. The the operating crank handle '12 being on the right-hand side of the patient. The operating crank handle is arranged to turn fast when turned right-handed, and to turn loose and be separable when turned left-handed. hen the handle 12 is turned right-handed, the bevel gears 6 and 7 will turn the rotating spider 3 and the rotatable balls 18 in a left-handed direction. The halls pressing against the diaphragm will produce points and lines of stress on the surface of the diaphragm, with an action which will be comparatively slow at the center and increasing to the outer edge. hen it is desired to accelerate the percussion at either the sigmoid flexure or at the czecal valve or both, then the inclined track or tracks are placed in position so as to elevate the ball 18 which is mounted on the spider arm 16. If increased action is desired over the sigmoid flexure, the projecting arm 27 is pushed into the casing, forcing the inclined track 25 in such a position that it will engage the outer ball 18. If increased action is desired over the caecal valve, the inclined block 26 is placed in the path of the outer ball 18 by pushing the projecting arm 28 to the position as shown in Fig. 6.

It is especially desirable, in the treatment of intestinal inactivity, to induce muscular and peristaltic action in the intestines in the direction and with the magnitude of the action as it is normally carried on in the body.

In this invention, a comparatively gentle,

clockwise, kneading action is imparted to the center of the abdomen, with a stronger action across the upper part of the abdomen from right to left, and from the upper left hand side of the abdomen toward the sig moid flexure, and from the sigmoid fiexure toward the caecal valve. Properly located accelerators 25 and 26 are provided to produce the strongest percussion action over the sigmoid flexure, and over the caecal valve. The operating crank handle 12 is made non-reversible, so that the exerciser always works in the right direction.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim i 1. In an abdominal exerciser, a mechanism comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted balls and unsupported therebetween, a diaphragm stretched over said balls, said diaphragm being adapted to transmit to the abdomen an irregular wave motion actuated by said balls, and non-reversible means operative to actuate said mechanism.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a casing, means for suspending said casing, a diaphragm member for said casing, a mechanism housed in said casing and rotating on an axis perpendicular to said diaphragm, pressing parts of said mecha nism rotatably mounted on axes substantially parallel to said diaphragm, means connected to said device and operative to actu'- ate said mechanism, and manually con trolled means for relatively increasing the action of one or more of the pressing parts at predetermined points.

3. In an abdominal exerciser, a mechanism comprising a plurality of surfaces movable in concentric paths, a flexible medium stretched over said surfaces in amanner to cause stress lines therein between the points of contact with said surfaces, and means for moving said surfaces to cause a progressive movement of saidstress lines.

4-. In an abdominal exerciser, a mechanism comprising a plurality of surfaces movable in concentric paths, a flexible medium stretched over said surfaces in a man ner to cause stress lines therein between the points of contact with said surfaces, means for moving said surfaces to cause a progres sive movement of said stress lines, and means for increasing the stress upon said medium at certain desired points.

-' 5. In an abdominal exerciser, a mechanism comprising a plurality of bodies having rounded surfaces movable in concentric paths, means for actuating said bodies, and means for causing at will one or more of said. bodies to depart from the normal plane of rotation at predetermined points.

Signed at Chicago this 18th day of July WILLIAh I C. SCHULZE. WVitnesses:

PHILIP B. VVOODSMITH, EDWIN Prmnrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner cf Patents, Washington, D. C.

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