US1598433A - Coordination developer - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY L. FUOG, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA;

GOORDINATIONl DEVELOPER.

Application filed August 22, 1925. seran No. 51,834.

ln this specification, and the accompanying drawing, I shall describe and show a preferred form of my invention, and specifically mention certain of its more important objects'. I do not limit myself to the forms disclosed, since various changes and adaptations may be made therein Without departing from the essence of my invention as hereinafter claimed; and objects and advantages, other than those specifically mentioned, are included within its'scope.

My invention relates yto devices for developing and increasing coordination of the human eyes. lts more important objects include; first, to provide an instrument whereby a spot of light may bev made to describe circles of variable radius upon a screen perpendicular to the axis of the instrument, and ellipses of variable size and proportions upon a screen-inclined to said axis; second, to furnish facilities for reversing the direction of motion of the light spot in any of the above cases; t-hird, to supply means for making the light'spot reciprocate in a rectilinear path at any desired angle with respect to the horizon, and-with variable` amplitudes; fourth, to furnish means for varying the velocity of the light spot when it is moving in any of the aforementioned ways; and, fifth, to accomplish all of the above objects in a simple and relatively inexpensive manner, and by means of a device in which all Aot the necessary adjustments are convenient to make.

My objects are attained' in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention, and

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device with certain parts .broken and shown in section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1. This iigure also includes a-.diagram of the electrical connections.l p

Similar reference. numerals refer to similar parts throughout both views.

Before passing to'a detailed description of my invention, it is to be noted that a moving spot of light, when traversing prescribedpaths at controllable speed and direction, `is admittedly one of the best known means for promoting increased functioning of the fusion or coordination center of the brain. The moving light spot commands and holds the attention ofthe patient and, by following it with the eyes along properly prescribed paths, the enervated or otherwise defective eye muscles are exercised and stimulated, and may gradually be brought into proper and natural co-ao'tion with other binocular movements. The resulting beneticial stimulation and exercise of the visual..

motor centers of the brain will increase the speed of ocular rotation and fixation, and

for illustrative purposes comprises apedestal frame 3 with an elongated horizontal journal bearing a1 at the top, one end of the journal being provided with a circular liange 5. A large circular disk 6, having an integral axial quill 7, is journalled in the frame bearing, to the outer extremity of the quill. A shaft 9 is journa'lled within the quill. At one end of this shaft is a. large spur gear 10 adjacent the disk wheel 8. The other end of this shaft carries a crank head 11, with a crank 12 slidably' mounted therein so that its throw may he varied at will by means of the thumb screw 13. A motor `111 is mounted and a disk wheel 8 is *keyed* upon pedestal 3 and engages spur gear 10 by means of pinion 15.

Spur gear 10 and disk wheel 8 are PTO- vided with regi'strable holes so that a pin 16 may be inserted therein for rotating the disk wheel. A similar hole 17 is provided in flange 5, and a eircularly arranged series of holes 18 in disk 6 are adapted to register with it. lf pin 16 is in the position shown in Figure2, the rotation of the motor will rotate disk 6 at the same speed. If the pin removed from this position and inserted through hole 17 and any one of the holes 18 as indicated by dotted line 19, the disk 6 will be locked to the. frame and be prevented from revolving. rlhe motor will then only y rotate shaft 9 and crank 12.

On the. outer face of disk G a pa' of A frames 2O are mounted, and a projector 21 is rotatably supported on the A fra-mes by means of its trunnions 22. The projector has a parabolic or other suitably shaped interior refiecting surface, beam of light outwardly therefrom. An electric lamp 28 at the focus of the reeetor serves as the Isource of light. As illustrated this lamp has one of its terminals grounded to the frame, and the other ter-- minal flexibly'connected by a lead 2e to a for projecting ay falling upon a screen slip ring 25 on the back of disk 6. A. brush 26, suitably mounted on the traine, contacts with the slip ring for leading current to the lamp. j

rThe projector 21 is given any desired angular position, and may also be oscillated in its trunnion bearings, by means ot a special slotted cross-head arrangement. This comprises a paiiI ot sliding rods 27, cross connected by a pair ot spaced bars 28. Rods 27 'are longitudinally slidable in the four guide bearings 29 mounted upon the face of disk 6. Crank pin 30 rotatably engages a shoe 31, and the latter engages bars 28 and is slidable between them. Rotation ot the crank 12 will thus impart a reciprocating motion to this special built up slotted crosshead arrangement, and its travel will depend upon the throw of crank 12. The latter is adjustable by means ot thumb screw 13.

A cross shaft 32 is journalled between rods 27. It is enlarged at the center and is transversely drilled at 33 to slidingly engage the axial tail shaft 311 of the projector. the projector may be oscillate'd in its trun nion bearings by the reciprocation ot' the slotted cross-head,.or may be given any desired degree ot stationary angularity by properly positioning the cross-head.

The wiring diagram of Figure 2 illustrates a convenient and satistactpryI method lfor making the electrical connections of the de.- vice. doublepole, double throw, switch 35 has its hinge joints connected to the armature o-the motor, by leads- 36. rlhe two outer pairs of switch 'contacts are reverseconnected with respect to each other, to thecurrent vsupply leads'37. Thus the current in the armature of the motor may be reversed by reversing the switch- The ield'of the motor is connected' to the supply circuit through 4rheostat 38 and field leads 39, and the rotative speed of the motor is thus ad- Current one of which is shown grounded to the frame of the instrument. Grounding of the circuit Iis not necessary if it is desired to provide an additional slip ring and brush arrangement, as shown for the other connection of the lamp circuit. f

From the above description it will be evident that projector 21 may be given any desired degree of angularity with respect to the axis of the machine by adjusting the efn fective length of crank 12 by means of thumb screw 13. if the pin 16 is then positioned as shown in Figure 2, the crank anddisk 6. and all the parts mounted on the latter, may be revolved in unison by the motor. The beamof light sent out by the projector will then describe a cone, and the spot of light erpendicular to the axis of the machine Wlll describe a circle.

Thus f -acter described, comprising;

lf the screen is oblique to the axis, the spot ot' light will describe an ellipse. 'lhe speed and direction of motion of the light spot may be Varied by the motor controls.

lf pin 1G is positioned as shown by dotted line 19, the projector will be given an oscillating movenient'when the motor is operated. rlhe amplitude of the oscillation will depend upon the throw of crank 12 and the latter Iisadjustable, a's mentioned above, by means ot thumb screw 1S. The angular position of the oscillations with respect to the horizon may be varied at will, by the selective use of holes 18.

Although l have .shown a pedestal type oi design .in illustrating my invention, it is to be noted that a swivelling or universally mounted bracket may be substituted 'for the pedestal. When so mounted my device may be given an enlargediield of usefulness, as in treating patients while the eyes are rotated downward in the natural reading position. v

l claim as my invention: 1. An ocular exercising device of the character described, comprising; an oscillatory light projector mounted upon a rotatable support; means or continuously oscillating the projector at selective fixed angular positions of the support; and means for continuously rotating the support with the optical axis of the projector in selectively fixed obligue relation to the axis of rotation; both of said axes intersecting the axis of oscillation at right angles at a common point.

2. An ocular exercising device of the chara frame; a rotatable support having a quill journalled in the frame; an oscillatory light projector mounted uponsaid support; a shaft journelled within said quill having at one-end a crank of variable throw'adapted for oscillating said projector; means for rotating said shaft independently of. the rotatable support; and means for rotating said support and said shaft together.

3. An ocular exercising device of the character described, comprising; a frame; a rotatable support havinga quill journalled inv the frame; an oscillatory light `projector mounted upon said support with itsoptical axis intersecting the axis of rotationoi the support; a shaft journalled within said quill having at one end a crank of variable throw adapted for oscillating said projector; means l'for independently rotating said shaft, with said' rotatable support in selectively ixed angular positions; and means for rotating .said support and said shaft together, with the angularitypf the optical axis of the projector 1n selectively iixed relation to the axis of rotation. l

HARRY L. FUOG.

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