US1604146A - Massage appliance - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26,1926. 1,604,146 C- .W. CHENEY MASSAGE APPLIANCE Filed March 30 1925 {8: I p n/2dr CfiarZe 2a 072871183 3% 0a; @m

Patented Get. 255, 1926.

CHARLES W. CHENEY, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MASSAGE APPLIANCE.

Application filed March 30, 1925. Serial No. 19,230.

This invention pertains to that system of remedial treatment known as massage and more particularly to apparatus useful in applying the treatment mechanically.

Massage treatment is commonly practiced for its general tonic and soothing effect upon the nervous system but is also frequently employed for obtaining certain definite results, for example, the reduction of excessive weight.

In the latter case the patient is subjected to a process of vigorous kneading having as its immediate purpose the actual breaking down of the fatty tissues. This process requires great physical strength upon the part of the operator and even the strongest operator quickly tires due to the great expenditure of effort necessary to produce the results. Efforts have been made to devise mechanically actuated apparatus as a substitute for the hands of the operator in performing the massage operation and while such apparatus has been used successfully for certain types of massage treatment it has proven of little worth for weight reduction purposes.

Experiment leads me to believe that most pronounced results are obtainable by the use of an applicator provided with projections or knobs having smooth, hard, flesh engaging surfaces, formed for example of highly polished steel, such knobs projecting to such a distance from the face of the applicator body or support as to produce deep depressions or indentations in the flesh of the patient when applied thereto. When such an applicator is rotated, the flesh between these depressions assumes the form of deep ridges or wrinkles which progressively advance as the applicator is rotated, while at the same time the movement of the hard knobs over the surface of the skin produces an appreciable rubbing or frictional effect tending to increase the circulation of the blood in the skin tissue. ll hile good results may be obtained with knobs whose flesh engaging surfaces are fined relatively to the body of the applicator and to each other, I find that with such an arrangement the operator must exercise constant care in keeping the plane of the applicator substantially parallel to the normal skin surface, as otl1erwise only a part of the knobs will engage the flesh. This results in an unbalanced force which makes it hard to hold the applicator and properly to direct it over the surface of the patients body, while at the same time the etiiciency of the device is greatly decreased. Moreover, patients sometimes experience discomfort when such an applicator, having relatively immovable hard knobs, is moved over parts of the body at which bones lie close to the surface.

With the principal object of improving applicators of the type first described, I have provided an applicator knob which, while having the smoothly polished hard surface common to applicators of the preferred type, is also resiliently yieldable with respect to the body or supporting part of the applicator and relatively to adjacent knobs. l lith this improved arrangement all of the knobs may simultaneously indent the flesh even though the body or support of the applicator be inclined relatively to the normal skin surface, while the resiliently supported knobsaro capable of yielding when they encounter an underlying bone or joint without bruising or otherwise injuring the patient.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an applicator provided with a,

preferred form of knob embodying the present invention, together with modified forms of such improved knobs.

in the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a massage apparatus, provided with an applicator having the improved form of knob;

F 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. It;

Fig. 3 is a vertical diametral section illustrating one form of applicator knob and showing a fragmentary portion of the sup port or body of the applicator;

Fig. l is a side elevation partly broken away and partly in section, illustrating a slightly modified and preferred form of applicator knob;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section, substantially at right angles to the section of Fig. 4, showing the interior construction of the knob of Fig. i;

Fig. 'l' is a vertical section illustrating a modified form of knob and also showing in section a fragment of the applicator body r support; and

Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are similar vertical sections illustrating further modified forms of knob.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a casing forming the body portion of the massage apparatus, such casing having a handle 2 and providing bearings for a shaft 3. The casing is furnished with suitable gears (not shown) for connecting the shaft 3 to a shaft at substantially right angles thereto and which receives its motion from a flexible shaft 4 driven by any suitable source of power.

The shaft 3 supports the applicator proper which as shown comprises a base 5, preferably in the form of a disk, which has a plurality of knobs 6 projecting from its under surface. These knobs may be spaced in any suitable manner, but preferably symmetrically with respect to the axis of the disk 5. A suitable arrangement is indicated in Fig. 2 although other arrangements may be employed if desired.

In accordance with the construction shown in Fig. 3, each knob comprises a base 7, preferably in the form of an elongate solid cylinder having an attaching member 8 at one end. This attaching member may, as shown, consist "of a section of reduced diameter adapted to pass through an opening in the plate or disk 5 and to be headed over upon the upper side of the latter, thus fixedly securing the base 7 to the disk 5 with the axis of the base perpendicular to the plane of the disk. Other modes of securing the base to the disk may be employed if desired.

The cylindrical base 7 constitutes a guide for a hollow sleeve 9 which telescopically fits over the base. This sleeve 9 is closed and preferably of generally spherical curvature at its outer end. The sleeve 9 is made of some hard. and wear resistant material, such for example as nickel-steel and its smoothly rounded end 10 is preferably given a high polish.

The cylindrical base 7 is provided with a diametral axially elongate slot 11. A pin 12 is disposed within this slot, the opposite ends 7 of the pin being received in diametrally opposite apertures in the side wall of the sleeve 9. Preferably the pin is somewhat less in length than the diameter of the sleeve 9 and at the plane of the apertures in the latter the sleeve is furnished with an external circumferential groove in which a spring retainer ring 13 is seated. This ring overlies the opposite ends of the pin 12 and thus retains the latter in position, although by removal of the ring the pin may be displaced so as to permit the sleeve 9 to be slipped off from the base 7.

Between the inner end of the sleeve 9 and the outer end of the base 7 a spring 14; is arranged. This spring is normally under compression and tends to move the sleeve away from the supporting disk 5, such movement being limited by the pin 12 engaging the outer end of the slot 11.

The knobs thus provided are yieldable in the direction of the disk or plate 5 so that when subjected to excessive pressure they may move inwardly and thus avoid injury to the patient, while at the same time the capability of the several knobs to yield relatively one to the other permits a more unifdrm action upon the patients flesh than would be possible were the knobs rigidly supported.

In the preferred arran ement shown in figs. f to 6 inclusive the parts are in general quite similar to those shown in Fig. 3. The base portion 15 of the knob is, in this instance, hollow, having an internal chamber 16,-thus reducing the weight of the device. The sleeve 17 slides upon the base 15 and the latter is provided with slots 18 and 19 in its side walls for the reception of the pin 20, whose opposite ends are disposed in apertures in the walls of the sleeve 17. This pin may be retained in position in the .same way as the pin 12 of Fig. 3.

T i 7 a further modification is shown rue-h the base 21 guides the sleeve 22 having the closed and rounded outer end 23. The base is furnished with a slot 2% for the reception of a pin 25 whose ends are seated in openings in sleeve In this instance the spring 26 is interposed between the disk 5 and the edge of the sleeve 22. Such an arrangement has certain advantages, although it is preferred as previously described to arrange the spring within the sleeve.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 the base 27 of the knob is provided with a portion 28 of reduced diameter which is attached to the disk 5, and sleeve 29 slides upon the main part of the base 27 and its open end is internally screw-threaded engage ment by a threaded retaining ring 30 which engages the shoulder 31 at the junction of the main part 27 of the base with the Jart 28 thereof so as to limit outward movement of the sleeve 29. A spring 32 within the sleeve tends normally to move the latter away from the disk 5.

In the construction of Fig. 9, the base 33 of the knob guides the sleeve 34, the latter being provided with a spring 35 which tends to move it away from the disk 5. In

this instance the sleeve 34 is provided with oppositely disposed axially elongate slots 36 and 37 in its side walls and a pin 38, projecting at its opposite ends from the base 3, enters these slots and limits outward aovement of the sleeve. This pin may be retained in position in any. suitable manner as for example by means of a set screw 89.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 10 the base 40 guides the sleeve 41 which tends to move outwardly under the action of spring 42. In this instance the sleeve is furnished with elongate slots 4:3 and 14: for the reception of the heads 45 and 46 respectively of screw-threaded pins having threaded engagement with a diametral opening in the base 10. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 11, the base 17 furnishes a guide for the sleeve 48 and in this case the base is furnished with a circumferential axially elongate groove 49 into which project pins 50 and 51 having screw-threaded portions engaging threaded openings in the side walls of the sleeve 48.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 8 and 11 it is possible for the sleeve to rotate about the axis of its base, while in the other arrangement the sleeve is non-rotatable. While in some instances it may be desired to employ a sleeve capable of rotation, I prefer to use a sleeve which cannot rotate, as the frictional effect of such a sleeve is more pronounced than when the sleeve is free to rotate.

lVhile in Fig. 1 I have indicated the knobs 6 as all of the construction shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, it is to be under stood that knobs of any of the types herein shown may be employed and that various types of knobs may, if desired, beapplied to the same support or disk 5.

I further contemplate that certain advantageous results may flow from the employ ment of the combination of yieldable knobs, such as herein disclosed with non-yielding knobs and I regard such an arrangement as falling within the spirit of the invention.

While as herein illustrated the base member of the knob is of cylindrical construction, 1 wish it to be understod that such an arrangement is not necessary, as any construction providing for yielding of the applicator surface relatively to the disk or support 5 is regarded as falling within the spirit of the invention, although I prefer to employ the cylindrical base as providing a relatively cheap construction giving very good results.

V hile l have illustrated various arrangements of resilient knob, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not in any way to be limited to the exact forms shown, as doubtless other modifications and equivalent arrangements may from time to time be devised.

I claim:

1. In a massage appliance of the kind having a rotary shaft and a support carried thereby, a knob projecting from the support eccentrioally of the shaft, said knob having an elongate base member secured at one end to the support, said base member having an elongate transverse slot therein, a slide member engaging the base member, said slid-e having asmooth flesh engaging surface at its outer end, a spring tending to move the slide relatively to the base away from the support, and means carried by the slide and engaging said slot to limit outward movement of the slide.

2. A massage applicator knob comprising a cylindrical base supported at one end, a cylindrical sleeve telescoping over the outer surface of said base, the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve merging into asmoothly rounded spheroidal closed end surface, one of said parts having an axially elongate slot and the other having an element engaging said slot to limit relative movement of the parts, and a spring tending to move the sleeve outwardly away from the supported end of the base.

8. A massage applicator knob comprising a cylindrical base supported at one end, a sleeve telescoping upon the base, the sleeve having a closed and substantially spherical outer end, the base having an axially elongate diam-etral slot and the sleeve having diametrally opposed apertures, a pin extending through the slot in the base and having its ends positioned respectively within the apertures in the sleeve, means retaining the pin in fixed relation to the sleeve, and means tending to move the sleeve away from the supported end of the base.

1-. A massage applicator knob comprising a cylindrical hollow base supported at one end, a cylindrical sleeve telescoping over the outer surface of the base, the outer part of the sleeve merging smoothly into a spheroidal flesh engaging end surface, a spring within the sleeve tending to separate said members, the wall of the base member having an elongate slot therein, and a removable pin normally engaging the sleeve and the slot in the base member to limit relative movement of said parts.

5. A massage applicator knob comprising telescoping cylindrical members, one of said members having a slot and the other having a removable pin extending into said slot, and means normally retaining said pin in position, one of said members consisting of a hollow shell of hardened steel whose cylindrical surface merges at its outer end into a smoothly rounded polished spheroidal end surface.

6. A massage applicator knob comprising an elongate base supported at one end, a sleeve telescoping upon the base, a pin having its opposite ends seated in opposed aligned openings in the sleeve, the central part of the pin extending through an axially elongate slot in the base, said sleeve having a circumferential groove, and a spring ring seated in the circumferential groove in the sleeve and covering the outer ends of said opposed openings to prevent accidental displacement of the pin, said sleeve having a closed outer end.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this twenty seventh day of March, 1925.

CHARLES W. CHENEY.

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