US1539794A - Fluid-operated vacuum-massage device - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1925. 1,539,794

. E. R. HANGLITER FLUID OPERATED VACUUM MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1922 lilllllllllllllllllll IH Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES EDWARD R. HANGLITER, OF ARDSLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-OPERATED VACUUM-MASSAGE DEVICE.

Application filed August 18, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. HANG- LITTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ardsley, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Operated Vacuum-Massage Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a fluid operated vacuum massage device and has reference to such a device adapted for connection to the usual and well known bath tub or basin faucet for receiving its source of actuating fluid.

An object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which will produce a continuous vibratory suction or vacuous action in the massage cup, such action being regulated as to frequency by suitable adjusting means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which is extremely simple, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, durable and highly efficient in operation.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure A} is a vertical sectional view taken on line 14 of Figure 1, and Figure 5 represents the parts 1516.

In the drawings, 10 designates a cylindrical body portion providing a chamber 11. The body portion 10 is provided at one end with an opening through which a nozzle 12 passes, the upper portion 13 of which projects above the body 1 and may be corrugated exteriorly to facilitate the connection of the device, through the medium of suitable coupling means (not shown) with a source of water under pressure,such for example, as a faucet from a water supply system. The nozzle 12 terminates within the chamber 11, in a contracted outlet 13 positioned adjacent to the outlet of a discharge tube 14 communicating with said chamber 11, and this discharge tube may be connected in any suitable manner with a Serial No. 582,695.

sewer or other waste outlet. The nozzle 12 has secured therein a perforated disk 15 provided with a stem 16 located centrally within said nozzle and made to terminate in the contracteddischarge end 18 of said nozzle.

A cylinder 17 is disposed at right angles to the body portion 10 and is adapted to communicate with the latter through a port 18. The cylinder 17 is also provided, in line with the port 18, with a tubular extension 19 with which one end of a rubber tube 20 may be connected, the other-end of said tube having connected therewith a massage cup or applicator 21' of the vacuum type. A nipple 22 enters oneend of the cylinder 17 and communicates with a short tube 23 projecting from the cylinder,said short tube being provided with an air inlet port 2 1, and the admission of air through the latter is controlled at the will of the user, by means of a manually operable valve 25 threaded into said tube.

The cylinder 17 contains a loosely fitting hollow piston valve 26 adapted to seatagainst and close the end of the nipple 22. The free end of the cylinder 17 is closed by a threaded plug 27 and the latter isprovided with a stem 28 which enters the hollow piston valve and terminates a short distance from the closed end of the same,- the function of said stem being to form a stop to limit the movement of said valve in a direction away from its seat on the air inlet nipple 22; againstwhich seat, the piston valve is normally retained by the action of a light spring 29 and atmospheric pressure within the cylinder 17.

When the device shall have been connected with a flow of water under pressure, the water will flow with considerable velocity from the contracted discharge end of the nozzle 12 to the discharge tube 14 and carry with it, air contained within the chamber 11. Having thus exhausted air from the chamber 11, the suction created by the rapidly flowing liquid will also exhaust air through the port 18 from the tube 19, and tube or hose 20,v and from the massage cup 21 if the latter be applied to the skin of the user, thus causing the massage cup to produce a suction action on the skin. When the chamber 11, tubes 19 and 20 and the massage cup shall have been exhausted in the manner above explained, the air will then be exhausted from behind the loosefitting pistonvalve 26 in the cylinder 17 and the latter will quickly move back against the resistance of the spring 29, until it is arrested by the stop stem 28, thus uncovering the air inlet nipple 22 and permitting air to enter and destroy the vacuous conditions above described, and therefore relieve the suction in the massage cup. Air entering the device will find its way to the vacuous chamber formed behind the piston valveand said'valve will be caused to close the air inlet nipple 22, by the combined action' of atmospheric pressure and the spring 29. The operations above described will then be repeated and the exhausting ofthe massage cup will be continued intermitting- 1y as long as the fluid pressure from the source of liquid supply is maintained and the massage cup is kept applied to the person of the user or the patient as the case may be.

It will be seen that with the use of my improvements, the vacuous condition in the massage cupis intermittent and hence in a Sense'vibratory rather than continuous. By regulating the inlet of air through the nipple-22 with the use of the manually operable valve 25, the frequency and duration of each vacuum or suction impulse may be controlled and by completely closing the air inlet, the suction can be made continuous rather than intermittent or vibratory, if so desired.

.The intermittent or vibratory action of the device is valuable from a medical standpoint as it insures a constant flow of blood to and from the part under massage treatment.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit of the latter or limiting its scope and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettors-Patent, is z 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuum tube, and

means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet communicating laterally with the vacuum tube, a valve mounted on the vacuum tube and operable underpressure from the air inlet to break the vacuum, and means for varying the effective area of the air inlet.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuum tube, and

means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet communicating with the vacuum tube, a valve mounted on the vacuum tube and operable under pressure fromthe-air inlet to break the vacuum, and manually adjustable means for controlling the volume of air admitted to the inlet.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuum tube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet communicating with the vacuum tubeya valve carried by the tube, and yieldable means for seating the valve upon the inner end of the air inlet to close the inlet, the valve being operable under pressure from the inlet to open the same and break the vacuum.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuum tube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet extending transversely into the tube, a piston valve mounted upon the tube in axial alinement with the air inlet, and a spring constantly urging the valve toward the air inlet to seat upon and close the inner end thereof, the valve being movable from the'air inlet under the pressure therein to break the vacuum in the vacuum tube.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuum tube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet extending transversely into the tube, a piston valve mounted upon the tube in axial alinement with the air inlet, and a spring constantly urging the valve toward the air inlet to seat upon and close the 'inner end thereof, the valve being movable from the air inlet under the pressure therein to break the vacuum in the vacuum tube, and means to limit the opening movement of the valve.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with. a vacuum tube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of a cylinder on the tube at an angle thereto, an air inlet alined axially with the cylinder, apiston valve mounted in the cylinder to seat against and close the air inlet and operableunder pressure therein to unseat and break the vacuum, a springv housed in the cylinder and bearing upon the valve to hold it seated, and a stem projecting inwardly from the outer end of the valve to limit the unseating movement of the valve.

In testimony whereof, I have, signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD R. HANGLITER.

Witnesses:

ALLEN B. CLEMENT, L. E. DAYTON.

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