US2817524A

US2817524A - Orthopaedic exercising device

Info

Publication number: US2817524A
Application number: US450860A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sadler Helen Keith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-08-19
Filing date: 1954-08-19
Publication date: 1957-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1974-12-24

Description

Dec. 24, 1957 H. K. SADLER 2,817,524

ORTHOPAEDIC EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Aug. 19, 1954' M51672 d ez'fh Sad/7e? mam I J Unite States Patent ORTHOPAEDIC EXERCISING DEVICE Helen Keith Sadler, Highland Park, Ill.

Application August 19, 1954, Serial No. 450,860

4 Claims. (Cl. 272-79) This invention relates to improvements in orthopaedic exercising devices for physically handicapped persons, such for example as patients recovering from poliornyelitis.

More particularly, the invention relates to orthopaedic devices particularly adapted for controlled exercise and rehabilitation of hand, arm and shoulder muscles and adapted to retrain nerve and muscle control in specific portions of the upper trunk as the attending physician may desire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a small portable exerciser for this purpose which can readily be transported from place to place or from room to room without requiring the moving of heavy frame apparatus or special furniture and seating means.

Still another object is to provide exercising means completely adjustable for the specific needs of a particular patient with adjustable means for increasing or decreasing the frictional resistance under professional supervision and for operation by the patient.

Yet another object is to provide means of this general character which will be inexpensive, simple to operate and adjust, and including a minimum of parts which will require repair or maintenance expense.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims taken with the illustrative drawings. Such drawings are intended for illustration only and considerable modification and variance therefrom will be possible without departing from the inherent characteristics of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention shown mounted on a table edge. In this view, dotted lines shown additional planar positions of the to tatable plate.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rotatable plate.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the ball and socke adjustment and of the frictional adjustment of the p-3te, the figure being a perspective view partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a view taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, this embodiment of the invention may be described as follows:

A mast is provided which is preferably made of metal formed integrally with and extending from the top arm of a C-clamp 12. The C-clamp comprises a frame 14 having a smooth inner face 16 on the upper arm and carrying a thumb screw tightening means 17 on the lower arm.

Mounted at the top of the mast 10, and preferably formed integral therewith, is a socket 18 having a concavity adapted to receive substantially more than half of the substantially spherical end of a ball joint. The outer edges of the socket are substantially circular, broken, however, at the groove 20 and provided at either side of said groove with cars 22. The cars 22 are provided with holes 24 and 26 in axial alignment, the hole 26 having 2,817,524 Patented Dec. 24, 1957 inner threads, and said holes being adapted to receive a thumb screw 28 threaded at one end to match the threads in hole 26. The thumb screw 28 is provided with a shoulder 30 somewhat larger than the hole 24 so that when the thumb screw is rotatably threaded into hole 26, the ears 22 will be drawn together compressing the outer edges of the socket 18.

A mast extension element 32 is provided having a substantially spherical element or ball 34 formed at one end thereof. At the opposite end the element 32 is reduced in diameter to form a stub shaft 36 threaded at its outer end to receive a wing nut 38. Adjacent the lower end of the stub shaft section 36, the element 32 is flared outwardly to provide a generally circular flange or collar 40. This flange 40 is preferably slightly dished at its outer face 42 to receive a frictional element 44. This element may be made of a rubber composition, standard brake lining or other suitable frictional material. A top disc 46 of shape corresponding to the flange 40 is provided and is also preferably slightly dished on its inner face 48 to receive a frictional element 50 similar in shape, size and material to the element 44.

Referring now to the plate element 52 shown particularly in Fig. 2 this is desirably in the form of a circular plate or disc made of relatively rigid material such as metal, laminated plywood or Masonite. It is provided with a central aperture 54 large enough to mount on the stub shaft 36 and desirably countersunk to receive a portion of the disc 46 although such countersinking is not always necessary.

A series of apertures are provided at various radial distances from the central aperture 54. Mounted in any one of the apertures 56 is a hand grip 58 extending upwardly from the outer face of plate 52. This may or may not be pivotally or frictionally mounted on the plate as desired. As shown in Fig. 2, it may be fastened to the plate 52 by the wing nut 60 and friction elements similar to 44 and 50 may be provided on either side adjacent the opposite faces of the plate 52.

Assembly of the exercising device will be as follows. The thumb screw 28 is loosened to spread the ears 22 on the socket 18 at the top of mast 10. The ball 34 of mast section 32 is inserted in the socket and the thumb screw 28 is tightened to hold the upper mast section 32 at such angular relation to mast 10 as may be desired for the particular exercise designated by the treating physician. The frictional element 44 is mounted over the stub shaft 36 and in the dished face of the flange 40. The plate 52 is then mounted over the stub shaft 36 with the hand grip 58 on the upper side. The disc 46 is then mounted on the stub shaft 36 with the frictional element 50 in contact with the plate 52. The wing nut 38 is then mounted upon the threaded end of element 32. This may be covered With a shield if desired. The hand grip 58 is then mounted on the plate 52 either close to the central portion thereof, adjacent the outer edge thereof, or at some intermediate point. This completes the as sembly of the exercising device.

To put the device to use, it is mounted on a table edge or other similar projection and the thumb screw 17 securely tightened holding the mast 10 in a rigid upright position. The thumb screw 28 is then securely tightened to hold the mast section 32 at the desired angle. The wing nut 38 is then tightened or loosened as desired by the attending physician to provide the desired frictional resistance at this point to rotation of the disc 52. The hand grip 58 is then mounted at the desired location on the disc 52, it being understood that the closer said hand piece is mounted relative to the center of the disc, the more effort will be required to rotate the disc, but at the same time the lesser will be the extent of movement of the hand and arm of the patient.

If desired, the hand grip element itself may be adjusted for a desired frictional resistance in turning or, as. stated.

above, it may be rigidly mounted on the plate.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the exercise device of this invention that it affords a very wide adjustment for exercise purposes. Thus, adjustment may be made so that the plate 52 is very easy to rotate but requires considerable extension of the arm during rotation. On the other hand, it may be so adjusted as to require very short extension of the arm during rotation of the plate, but with a widely adjustable degree of friction resisting rotation of the plate.

By adjustment of the ball end 34 in the socket .13, a wide range of adjustment may be made in the planar relation of the plate 52 to the horizontal.

Provision of such wide varieties of adjustment, both of position and of tension in the exercising device permits the patient to exercise particular muscles or to work for coordination of nerve and muscles in very specific areas and is highly desirable from the standpoint of an attending physician, who may wish to vary the exercise of the patients hand, arm or shoulder muscles from day to day.

In the foregoing description, I have referred to the element 52 as preferably a plate or disc. It is not necessary, however, that such element be circular as a bar, a slat or other form which may perform the function desired and which may be rotated may obviously be used in place of a plate or disc. Similarly, I have referred to the element 58 as a hand grip. The present device may be used for exercise and rehabilitation of muscles and nerves of the lower extremities and lower trunk of a patient and in such instances, a suitable foot pedal may be substituted for the hand grip 58 if any substitution or alteration is necessary for that purpose. Such a foot pedal would, of course, be designed to accomplish the same function as the hand grip 58 but shaped so as to adapt itself more readily to rotation of the element 52 by the patients foot.

It will be obvious that the exercising device illustrated and described will be easily transportable from place to place, simple to adjust and inexpensive to manufacture.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. An orthopaedic exerciser for the limbs and torso comprising a mast section having one portion of a ball and socket joint over one end, thereof and a clamping fixture at the other end thereof, a second mast section having the other portion of a ball and socket joint at one end thereof adapted to connect with the other portion of said ball and socket joint on said first mast section, means to fix said ball and socket joint in any one of a plurality of angular positions, means at the other end of saidsecond mast section including frictional bearing means to receive and hold a rotatable element in adjustable frictional relation thereto, and manual means for rotating said element.

2. A portable orthopaedic exerciser comprising a rotatable member mounted on a mast section in adjustable frictional relation thereto, handle means on said rotatable member, and means to vary the location of said handle means away from and toward the axis of said rotatable member, ball and socket joint means between said mast section and a base section and clamping means on said socket to fasten said mast section at an angular relation to said base section, and means carried by said base to anchor said base to a carrying structure.

3. An orthopaedic exerciser for the limbs and torso of a patient comprising a two-piece mast, a ball and socket joint interconnecting the pieces of said mast to permit angular change between said pieces of from less than a separation to more than a separation, clamping means associated with said joint to maintain any desired angle between said pieces, a C-clamp at one end of said mast for securing said must to a table, a flange at the other end of said mast, a stub shaft extending axially from said flange and having a threaded end, a rotatable element mounted on said stub shaft, threaded means for adjustably clamping said rotatable element against said flange, braking discs on said stub shaft interposed between said flange and said rotatable element and between said threaded means and said rotatable element, the adjustment of said threaded means imposing an adjustable drag on the rotation of said rotatable element, and a handle secured to said rotatable element spaced from said stub shaft.

4. An orthopaedic exerciser for the limbs and torso comprising a two-piece mast having a clamping fixture at the free end of one of said pieces to secure the exerciser to a supporting structure, a rotatable member, means securing said member to the free end of the other of said pieces for rotary movement in -a plane perpendicular to the axis of said piece, said mounting means including braking means to impart any desired degree of resistance to the rotation of said member, a handle mounted on said member in any one of a plurality of different radial positions for rotating said member, said mast including a joint intermediate its ends to fix the plane of rotation of said member in any plane from a vertical to a horizontal plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 979,070 Hoffman Dec. 20, 1910 1,535,391 Anderson Apr. 28, 1925 2,530,921 Tougas Nov. 21, 1950 2,543,729 Magida Feb. 27, 1951