US2638088A

US2638088A - Appliance for massaging and exercising human feet

Info

Publication number: US2638088A
Application number: US197464A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert F Johnson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-11-24
Filing date: 1950-11-24
Publication date: 1953-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-12

Description

May 12, 1953 R. F. JOHNSON APPLIANCE FOR MASSAGING AND EXERCISING HUMAN FEET Filed NOV. 24, 1950 INVENTOR.

2085.97. /-7 JOHNSON,

Patented May 12, 1953 STATES PENT OFFICE APPLIANCE FOB MASSAGING' AND EXER' CISIN'G HUMAN FEET Robert F. Johnson, Bedford, Va.

Appiication November 24, 1959', Serial No. 197,464

a novel and improved foot-exercising device which is very simple in construction, which is easy to use, and which provides progressive muscular development of the arches and other portions of the feet.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved foot-exercising device which is very inexpensive to manufacture, which is compact in size, which affords progressive development of the muscles of the feet in a painless manner, and by the use of which numerous ailments derived from foot weakness may be avoided.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l isa top plan View of an improved footexercising. device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the footexercising device of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the manner of using the device at the beginning of a course of foot exercises;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the manner of using the device at an intermediate stage of the course of foot exercises.

Referring to the drawings, the exercising device is designated generally at H and comprises a pair of parallel bar members 22 and I3 connected by a transverse bar member I4 secured to the intermediate portions of the bar members I2 and I3 and extending at right angles to said bar members l2 and I3. The bar member I3 is relatively small in height and has smoothly rounded top surfaces on opposite sides of the connection to the bar member I4, as shown at 15, I5. The bottom surface of bar member I3 is flat, as shown at Hi, the bottom surfaces of the bar members I2 and I4 being similarly flat, as shown at IT and IS. The flat surfaces I6, I! and I8 are coplanar and enable the device to be supported in a very stable manner on the floor.

The top surfaces of bar member 12 on opposite sides of the transverse connecting bar M are rounded, as shown at I9, I9 in a manner similar to that of the surfaces 15, I5, and the bar member I2 is of substantially greater height than bar member l3. The transverse connecting bar I4 is also smoothly rounded at its top surface, but is formed with the spaced depressions 28' and 2-! having similar heights; which are intermediate in value between theheight-ofbar member 52 and the height of bar member I3; The depressions 2i? and it are of substantial width and are separated by the intermediate, rounded hump or projectionv 22.. Respective

rounded shoulders

23 and 24 are; definedlat the ends of the transverse connecting bar M;

The bar member M is connected to: the. push lel bar members: I2 and; 3 in any suitable man her for providing a. rigid connection, as-rby suitable lap joints reinforced with glue or' other: fas

tenin means. The bar? members I2; wand I4 may be formed. of wood, plastic, or any; other; suitable material, such as" aluminum or similar light, durable and strong metal.

In using the device; theuser first. places his feet on the rounded top surfaces t5; :5 of the; bar member $3, the user being in a standing position and holding onto a suitable support, such as a chair; the feet being rocked back and forth on the" surfaces it, IS with said; surfaces in engagement with: the: arch portions or. the: regions" of the feet adjacent thereto. The. degree. of pressure should be.graduallyincre'ascd until the muscles of the feet have been somewhat toughened. After a few days of exercising the feet on the bar member l3 in the manner above described, the user may repeat the procedureon the transverse connecting bar I4, engaging the arch portions of the feet in the depressions 20 and 2! and rocking the feet on said arch portions for short periods of time for several days until the muscles of the feet become further conditioned and toughened to the increased stretching provided by the transition from the exercising bar I3 to the exercising bar I4. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the manner in which the feet are engaged over the rounded. top surfaces of the respective exercising bars I3 and I4.

After the feet have become conditioned to the exercise on the crossbar I4, the user may proceed to exercise the feet on the final exercising bar I2 which is of maximum height. As in the case of the two previous exercising bars. the user rolls or rocks on the top surfaces of bar I2 with the arches of the feet engaged on said top surfaces and the user being in a standing position. As in the previous exercisers, the user massages the arch portions of the feet on rounded top surface I9, I9 for short periods, repeated frequently over the course of several days until the muscles of the arches and adjacent portions of the feet have become conditioned and toughened to an extent wherein the exercises may be carried on with a minimum degree of pain or discomfort over relatively long Periods of time, When the feet have become strong enough so that the user can stand on the rounded projection 22 with one foot at a time and with all the weight of his body supported on said projection without pain or discomfort, the course of foot exercises may be considered as having been successfully completed.

It will be readily apparent that numerous variations in the manner of use of the above-described device may occur to persons employing the device, and that various other methods of exercising the feet on the device to provide progressive development and toughening of the foot muscles may be devised.

While a specific embodiment of an improved foot-exercising device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art.

Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a foot exerciser, a pair of substantially parallel bars spaced from each other, a third bar extending between said parallel bars and fixedly connected at its ends to said parallel bars at points spaced from the ends of the parallel bars,

all of said bars having fiat undersides arranged to rest upon a supporting surface, all of said bars having transversely rounded upper surfaces upon which feet are adapted to be rocked for exercise, the rounded upper surface of said third bar having longitudinally rounded hump means rising therefrom with which the inner and outer sides of arch portions of feet are adapted to be engaged while rocking feet on the upper surface of said third bar.

2. In a foot exerciser, a pair of substantially parallel bars spaced from each other, a third bar extending between said parallel bars and fixedly connected at its ends to said parallel bars at points spaced from the ends of the parallel bars,

all of said bars having fiat undersides arranged to rest upon a supporting surface, all of said bars having transversely rounded upper surfaces upon which feet are adapted to be rocked for exercise, the rounded upper surface of said third bar having longitudinally rounded hump means rising therefrom with which the inner and outer sides of arch portions of feet are adapted to be engaged while rocking feet on the upper surface of said third bar, said hump means comprising a plurality of humps spaced along said third bar.

3. In a foot exerciser, a pair of substantially parallel bars spaced from each other, a third bar extending between said parallel bars and fixedly connected at its ends to said parallel bars at points spaced from the ends of the parallel bars, all of said bars having flat undersides arranged to rest upon a supporting surface, all of said bars having transversely rounded upper surfaces upon which feet are adapted to be rocked for exercise, the rounded upper surface of said third bar having longitudinally rounded hump means,

rising therefrom with which the inner and outer sides of arch portions of feet are adapted to be engaged while rocking feet on the upper surface of said third bar, said hump means comprising a plurality of humps spaced along said third bar, the upper surface of one of said parallel bars being depressed below the upper surface of the other parallel bar, and said hump being elevated above the upper surface of said one parallel bar and substantialy on a level with the upper surface of the said other parallel bar.

ROBERT F. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,516,464 Taplin Nov. 18, 1924 1,549,601 Mulgrew Aug. 11, 1925 1,569,467 Edwards Jan. 12, 1926 1,981,379 Thomson Nov. 20, 1934 2,082,829 Gerlofson June 3, 1937