US1812891A - Exercising belt for massaging machines - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1931. F. x. MEEHAN EXERCISING BELT FOR MASSAGING MACHINES Filed July 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1931- F. X. MEEHAN 1,812,891

' EXERCISING BELT FOR MASSAGING MACHINES Filed July 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/ vswr s FRA NC/6 X. MEHA a zwwdw Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEE i 1 FRANCIS X. MEEHAIN', OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO ALFRED D.

' LUEHRMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI Y EXERCISING BELT FOR MASSAGING MACHINES Application filed July 19, 1928. Serial No. 293,803.

- This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exercising or massaging machines, and has for its general object to provide means for decreasing the severity of the action of such machines without affecting the operation or changing the general character of the function performed by such machine. 7

There are various types of these machines on the market, but they are all characterized by the fact that two arms are rapidly reciprocated in alternation and a belt, usually constructed of canvas and having its ends secured to these arms, is applied to the body and rapidly drawn back and forth to pro duce a massaging effect upon the part of the body to which it is applied.

While many of these machines have adjustable means for either reducing or increasing the severity of the action of the belt, the adjustment of the machines is not always easy, especially for women, and cannot be eflected while the machine is in use. Other makes of machines in quite general use have no means for adjusting the degree of the agitating action whatever.

Many persons have had operations of one kind or another performed on them, leaving the particular part of the body where the operation was performed very sensitive; or some part of the body may be sensitive due to some abnormal condition, and a massaging action of these machines that would be pleasant and stimulating at one part of the body will be too severe, and even pain ful, when applied at such a sensitive part of the body. In such cases, the one using the machine must either be content with a gentle action for the whole body, or must interrupt the treatment and adjust the machine to accommodate its motion to some sensitive part of the body;

The broad object of my invention is attained by using a belt which embodies in its structure means for absorbing, or minimizing, apart of the reciprocating or agitat ing motion of the machine, whereby to render the movement of the belt less abrupt and itsaction less severe in its effect upon the user.

Belts constructed according to my invention may be readily substituted for the nonyielding or canvas belts generally employed, or in some embodiments of the invention, the resilient or elastic sections of the belt may be made removable and non-stretchable or non-elastic sections be inserted in their stead.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan View of an exercising belt having rubber loops;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a plan view of an exercising belt having rubber insert sections in its end portions; r

' Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the same; 7

Figure 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing an end of one of the sections of the belt shown in Figs. 3 and 4 provided with a retaining clip; I Figure 6 is a View in side elevation on an enlarged scale showing oneof the rubber inserts used in the construction of the belt shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Figure? is an enlarged sectional 'VlBW on the line 77 of Fig. 4; Figure 8 is a View in side elevation of a belt'made entirely of rubber;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a belt having coil springs secured in its end portions;

Figure 10. is a view in side elevation of the same; and 1 Figure 11 is a View slightly in perspective showing the manner of using the belt illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, which will serve as illustrating the manner of using the other forms of theexercising belt shown.

Referring now to the drawings, the numetal 1 indicates one of the two hooks on the two arms of an eXe-rcising'or massaging machine 2,: on: which hooks theend of abelt are adapted to be remova'bly secured. T6 this end, each end of the belt is provided with.

a loop, hie-h maybe readily lIlSej r 'Qd over the hooks 1i. When-so applied and with the hooks 1 vibrating rapidly in alternation, the

belt will be drawn rapidly back andiforth on V the body of the user, producing a more or less violent agitation of' the body,;ldepending upon the degree of severity of the vibrating action:en ployedl- For regulating" the severity of. the action. of'th'e exercising belt, I

provide a belt having the. quality of. elas ticity of resiliency. Y

. Referring to Figs.. 1 and 2, the belt is com structed of a canvas portion3 having? rub?- ber l'oops' lion it's'en'ds.

In Figs. 3 and 4, Lsh'ow rubber Sections 51, inserted and removably secured inthere spective end portions: of a canvas'belt. Tothis end",.the canvas end sections 67-, extending from thele'atherl loops-7,.havesccured ontheir ends retaining clips 8 (Fig;- 5)',.providing recesses 9 closed at their bottoms and having a: narrow slit or' opening in: their forward ends, as shown at 10,.and a main section of canvas belt 11 has its opposite ends provided with similar clips '12 constructed: in the: same manner as'the clips 8 shown Fig. 5; Each of the rubber sections 51hasaits" ends provided with heads 13 adapted to fitsnuglyzinto the recesses ofthe respective setsof clips 8amd 12, as shown Figs. 3 and 7. It be readily understood that. a similar sectionof I non=stretchable material could be substituted at any time for the rubber sections referreddzo'; In Fig. 8; theentire belt 14, including'the loops, is made ofrubber, one of theloopsbe= "ing shown andindicated at15. e is ofzcanvas,

- In Figs-.- 9 and, 1-0, the belt 16: and the holding loops 17, of leather. A se= ries of coil springs 18-isinserted between each end of the canvas portion: and a loop 1'7, V

In all of the forms of the invention, it will be seen that inuse, the pullingactionzofl each I 1 of the hooks 1 will be partly absorbed: by'the resilient part" of the-belt'and thus the degree example, if the rubber of which the belt is made, or the rubber sections thereof, or the coil springs, whichever are used, are of such strength as to yield only under great pressure, the degree of the agitating action will only behand rubber or springs that yield readily are employed, the degree of agitating action will be decreased, to a greater ,extentfor a. given" degree of pr ssure' ofthe body onthe Theillustrated embodiments of my invention are not intendedas exclusive, as I realize that various modifications maybe made in the construction of such a belt as I contemplate without departing fromvthe broad. idea cf miy invention: aseinbo'diedsin the claiin.

1i claim: a 1 1 exercisingbelt for massaging: machines havingziaimain section provided at each of its ends. with I retaining. device, end sections each. of'whichhas at its outer" enda unitary engagingmember and at its inner end. a retaineing: device, and rubber belt sections having their opposite ends secured,- respectively, thcflcorresponding retaining devices of said niarin'an'd-iend sections; In testimony whereof, I. have hereunto set hand.

slightly decreased; ;];f=,: on the other rRA-noisX. MEEHANQ fioo of theragitating action on-the body ofthe A V user, lessened. The user can, himself,- read ily increasethe. severity of: this action by pressing his body more firmly against the belt to stretch it orextend itselastic sections,

so that the belt, having a part of itselas ticity already taken up-','will respond more directly,or1positive1y,:to theagitatingac- I 7 tion of the movement 'ofthe hooks 1'.

. It will, of course, be apparent that belts V haying cnfierent degrees of elasticity err efliencyma be used theenaracterof the r agitating action varied accordingly For i 1 no its

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