US1642158A

US1642158A - Spinal-adjustment device

Info

Publication number: US1642158A
Application number: US129480A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kubista Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-08-16
Filing date: 1926-08-16
Publication date: 1927-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1944-09-13

Description

Sept. 13, 1927. J. KUBISTA SPINAL ADJUSTMENT DEVICE Filed Auz.16. 1926 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 1 3, 1927.

J. KUBlSTA SPINAL ADJUSTMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 16. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR c$TTORNEY Patented Sept.- 13, 1927. a UNITED STATES JOSEPH KUBISTA, OI OWATONNA, MINNESOTA.

SPINAL-ADJUSTMENT DEVICE.

Application filed August 16, 1928. Serial No. 129,480.

My invention relates to a tension and manipulating device designed particularly for treatment of defective spinal conditions.

The device will hereinafter be called a tension couch, for brevity, although its construction is such that a person having need of spinal treatment can operate the device while lying on it, as the device not only serves as a stretching means but also involves means operable along the spinal cord to correct displacement or other faulty conditions of the vertebrae, thus relieving and improving a patients physical condition as will hereinafter be described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top or plan View of my improved tension couch.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 with the stretching means extended and a patient on the couch in position for treatment.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the main housing of the device with the cover removed to reveal the mechanical construction, some parts outside of the housing being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the main housing 10 about as on line H in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional detail view about as at 55 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation in enlarged scale about as at line 6-6 in Fig. 3 showing a portion of a vertebrae above the pounding or massaging members of the device.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of the right hand wall of the housing including the hand operated stretching means for the lower limbs of the patient.

Before referring to the drawing I will first explain that my device is designed to correct spinal conditions and attendant or resulting troubles by a combination of spine stretching and spine adjusting means, the latter intended to be applied to the back at both sides of and longitudinally of the spinal column.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 1O designates any suitable type, preferably quadrangular, of elongated housing on top of which is removably placed a cover 11 which may be padded (not shown).

The central part of cover .11 has an elonated opening 12 for certain movable adusters designed to be applied to the back of a patient by the patient himself.

The stretching means of my device comprises two parallel slidable bars 13 and 13 arranged longitudinally within the housing and the former (13") projects out from the head end of the housing and 13 from the foot end; the exposed ends carrying each a vertically disposed T-shaped removable member 14. 15 are angular braces fixed to bars 13 and each having a pocket at its upper end for slidable insertion of a member 14. 16 is any suitable type of head harness connected by a strap 17 or similar means to the arms of'the T-shaped member 14 on bar 13, said strap 17 preferably passed under a horizontal transverse bar 18 removably retained in upright brackets 19 fixed to the sides of the head end of the housing and extending above the cover 11. The object of keeping strap 17 under the bar 18 is to keep the patients head down on the cover 11. 20 is a suitable type of leg engaging means connected by straps 21 to the arms of the T- shaped bracket 14 of bar 13*.

22 are crutch devices adapted to engage the arm pits of the patient and 23 is a transverse strap connecting the shanks 22 of the crutches, said shanks at this point being horizontal and elevated above the cover 11 and the strap therefore adapted to support the patients body as in a sling, somewhat above the cover, as in Fig. 2. The shanks 22 are extended downwardly vertically from their horizontal parts said Vertical ends adapted to be retained pivotally and removably in bearings 24 fixed to the inner side of the housing and below the cover, it being understood that apertures are provided in the cover for the said vertical shank parts to be assed through.

he head stretching rod 13 is oscillated by a crank 25 mounted on the shaft 26 of a cable winding drum 26 mounted transversely within and adjacent to the left wall of the housing. 27 is a cable wound on the drum and extending thence to a pair of sheaves 28 suitably mounted as at 29 adjacent the head end of the housing and thence extended forwardly and connected at 30 to the inner end of bar 13. It is obvious that the patient can turn the crank 25 with his left hand thus winding the cable onto drum 26 and causing slide 13 to move outwardly and pulling the head strap 17 (see Fig. 3). 31 is a ratchet wheel on shaft 26 engaged by a pawl 32 to hold the shaft and the slide 13 as desired.

Similar stretching means for slide 13 comprise a crank 33 on a shaft 34 of a cable drum 34 at the right side of the patient and a cable 35 passed over a pair of sheaves 36 at the foot end of the main housing and thence forward to and connected to the forward end of slide 13 as at 37 in Flg. 4 (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 7). 38 1s a ratchet wheel on shaft 34 engaged by a holding pawl 39 and a secondary hook pawl 40 depending from lever 33 and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel when the lever 1s raised from its resting position on a suitable stop bracket 41. i J

The spine adjusting means of my device comprises a pair of transversely spacedpads 42 of suitable soft material, each preferably rounded upwardly and toward the center (see Fig. 6) and fixed in a block or head 43 of a vertical bar 44. 45 is a horizontally disposed slide bar on which bar 44 is movable longitudinally, the inner part of bar 44 being guided vertically between two upright angle irons 46 the said two palrs of upright angles being clamped to a bar 47 arranged parallel to bars 45.- The angle irons are secured in'position at both sides of bar 47 to two horizontal bars 59 one above and one below bar 47 acting as guides for the longitudinally slidable'member composed of the angle irons and the bars 59 and resembling a cross-head of an engine.

The slides 45 are oscillable vertically in guide brackets 49 suspended from transverse cross bars 50 fixed to the sides of the main housing at its upper edge (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5). The top 11 may also rest on these bars 50.

Near the foot end of the housing 10 is suitably j ournaled within the housing, right and left transverse shafts 51 and 51 respectively and protruding from the corresponding side walls, the protruding ends carrying each an upwardly directed hand lever 52. These hand levers are grasped by the patient for reciprocating the adjustment pads 42 vertically by the following means.

53 and 53 are respectively right and left transverse shafts mounted within housing 10 and near its head end. 54 are downwardly directed levers fixed one each on shafts 51 and 51 and 55 are like levers one each on shafts 53 and 53 but directed upwardly, the free ends of each pair of arms 54 and 55 being connected by a reach rod 56 preferably having a turn-buckle or ad justment screw 57 for lengthening or shortening the reach rods as desired. The ends of each vertically oscillable bar 45 have each a suitable shoe 45 exposed downwardly and each frictionally engaged by a lifting cam arm 58 (see Fig. 4) fulcrumed on the adjacent shaft 51 or 53. Thus it will be readily understood that when the patient oscillates the levers 52 shafts 51 51 53 and 53 are oscillated accordingly and the cam arms 58 will raise and lower the slide bars 45 and the memes adjustment pads 42 give an upward pounding effect against the back of the patient A at both sides of the spinal column (see Figs. 2 and 6). The upper parts ofthe angle iron guides 46, in which the padarms 44 are vertically reciprocable, are secured to a longitudinally arranged bar 59 by rivets 48 (as previously described) or like means, the upper one of said bars 59 having apertures at its ends forfengagement of the ends of a cable 60. This cable extends forwardly (toward' the head end) within the housing and runs over a pair of sheaves 62 suitably mounted as in a transverse bracket 63 near the head end of the housing, thence extends toward the center of the housing where it is wound and fixed upon a transversely mounted drum 64 in the housing, the shaft 64 of said drum extending outside of the housing (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) and carrying there a suitable crank 65 and a cog wheel 66 engaged selectively by either or both of two opposite ratchet pawls 67. From drum 64 the cable 60 is extended toward the foot end of the housing engaging a pair of sheaves 68 suitably mounted adjacent the said end of the housing, the cable extending thence and afiixed at 60 to the foot end of bar 59 (see Figs. 3 and 4). Thus cable 60 may be moved by the patient manipulating the lever 65 until the adjustment pads are located at any part of the spine where adjustment by means'of the pads 42 is desired. Then the adjusting process on the spinal column by vertical reciprocation of the pads 42 is proceeded with by the patient as previously described. It is obvious that the pads 42 may be brought into contact with the back of the patient with any amount of force he may see fit to exert.

I am aware that stretching machines for chiropractic .treatment are not in themselves new. The braced posts 14 of my device are believed however to be new and more efficient and sturdy than any other correspond ing posts on such devices I have seen some of the latter having the end of the expanding bar as 13 of my device merely bent upwardly to form the post 14. In my device this post is a separate piece and may readily be replaced if bent or broken. The combination of the stretching means I have shown and described and the spine adjusting means all operable by the patient and the latter having the feature of being applicable to any part of the spine are believed to be new and undoubtedly more useful than any device of this class at present known to me.

What I claim is:

1. A tension couch of the class described comprising an elongated housing, a removable cover upon which a patient may lie, said cover having a longitudinal slot, extensible stretching means arranged longitudinally and projecting from both ends of the housing and adapted to be connected to the head and feet of the patient, means operable longitudinally and upwardly within the said slot of the cover for pounding and massaging the back of the patient, said stretching and massaging means adapted to be me.- nipulated by means within reach of the patient, said massaging device comprising a pair of transversely spaced upwardly directed pads each fixed on the upper part of a vertically oscillable bar slidable in a block adjustably mounted on a rail arranged longitudinally within the housing and means for longitudinally adjusting said block on said rail and further means for oscillating said rails in vertical planes said latter means comprising a pair of spaced transverse rock shafts journaled in the side walls of the housing and projecting outwardly therefrom cams on said shafts engaging said rails and adapted to raise and lower the rails selectively, rocking levers fixed on said shafts externally of the housing and in accessible position for manipulation by the patient.

2. A tension couch of the class described comprising an elongated housing, a removable cover upon which a patient may lie, said cover having a longitudinal slot, extensible stretching means arranged longitudinally and projecting from both ends of the housing and adapted to be connected to the head and feet of the patient, means operable longitudinally and upwardly within the said slot of the cover for pounding and massaging the back of the patient, said stretch ing and massaging means adapted to be manipulated by means within reach of the patient, said massaging device comprising a pair of transversely spaced upwardly directed pads each fixed on the upper part of a vertlcally oscillatable bar slidable in a block adjustably oscillatably mounted on a rail arranged longitudinally within the housing and means for longitudinally adjusting said block on said rail and further means for oscillating said rails in vertical parallel planes said latter means com rising a pair of spaced transverse rock sha ts journaled in the side walls of the housing and projecting outwardly therefrom, cams on said shafts engaging said rails and adapted to raise and lower the rails selectively, rocking levers fixed on said shafts externally of the housing and in accessible position for manipulation by the patient, said means for oscillating the massaging pad blocks on the rails comprisin a transversely arranged drum mounted in the housing and a drum shaft therefor extending outwardly of the housing and a crank on said outer end in accessible position for operation by the patient, a cord or like flexible element wound on said drum and extending forwardly and rear- Wardly therefrom toward the front and rear ends of the housing respectively, sheaves mounted at said ends and said cable passed over said sheaves, thence toward and attached to one end of said block.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH KUBISTA.