US2889826A - Massage machine - Google Patents

Description

' B. J. RUSSO MASSAGE MACHINE June 9, 1959 Filed Nov.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 LFEIJ INVENTOR fifM/AMl V- 21/550 ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 B. JQRUSSO 2,889,826

MASSAGE MACHINE ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 BfJ. RUSSO 2,889,826

' MASSAGE MACHINE Filed Nov. 26; 1957 s Sheets-Sheet s- INVENTOR BfM/AM/A/ d 20560 ATTORNEY United States Patent MASSAGE MACHINE Benjamin J. Russo, Collegeville, Pa.

Application November 26, 1957, Serial No. 699,044

9 'Claims. (Cl. 128-57) This invention relates to a massage machine, and it particularly relates to a massage machine for exercising a persons back muscles and stimulating the blood circulation.

it is one object of the present invention to provide a massage machine which can be used either by an attendant or by the person taking the treatment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine which is simple in construction and easy to use.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved massage machine, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as 'will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an end view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of amassage table which may be used with the massage machine either when operated by an attendant or by the person being treated, the table being shown partially exploded with separable inserts in removed position.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a massage machine, generally designated 10, attached to a stand, generally designated 12, which, in turn, is connected to a table, generally designated 14.

The machine 10 comprises a track housing 16 on the top of which are provided hangers 18. The hangers 18 are arranged in two pairs, one pair on each side of the track housing 16. Each pair of hangers 18 consists of two aligned hangers, each having an opening 28 in alignment with a similar opening 20 in the other. Each opening 20 is intersected by a top-opening, screw-threaded bore in which is positioned a set-screw 22 having an operating handle 24. The aligned openings 20 of each pair of hangers 18 are adapted to receive a prong 26 of a fork member 28 extending from the stand 12. Each prong 26 is constructed in the form of a cylindrical rod and is held in place in the hangers 18 by tightening the set-screws 22 into clamping position.

The track housing 16 is provided at its center and at each interior end with a lower track 30, coinciding with the bottom wall of the track housing, and an upper track 32. On the exterior surface, at each end of the track housing 16, there is provided an elongated bracket 34 depending to a position well below the track housing 16. At the lower end of each bracket 34 is provided a bearing 'block 36 supporting the corresponding offset end 38 of a rotatable driver rod 40. This rod 40 extends from one end to the other of the machine, passing through a vertically-elongated slot 42 on each of three, laterally-spaced, upstanding, mounting arms 44.

Each mounting arm 44 is provided 'at its lower end with a lower transverse support arm 46 attached thereto by rivets or bolts 48. A similar upper support arm 50 is attached to the intermediate portion of the arms 44 by rivets or bolts 51. At the upper end of each arm 44 is a roller 52 movable on a track 53 in a track housing 54.

The three lower support arms 46 are connected to each other by a pair of tie rods 55, one at each end of the arms 46, while the upper support arms 50 are similarly connected by a pair of tie rods 56.

At each end of each lower and upper support arm 46 and 50 is connected a vertical roller support arm 58. Each arm 58 has an upper slot 60, elongated in the vertical direction, and a lower, similar slot 62. The slots 60 receive the tie rods 56 which form a slidable connection between the upper ends of the arms 58 and the support arms 50, while the slots 62 receive the tie rods 55 which form a similar slidable connection between the lower ends of the arms 58 and the support.

arms 46. At their upper ends, the arms 58 are each provided with a roller 64 which moves within the track housing 16, while, at their bottom ends, the arms 58 support a front and rear massage roller assembly, the front assembly comprising an axle 66 upon which are positioned a series of rubber wheels 68, and the rear assembly comprising an axle 70 on which are positioned a series of rubber wheels 72.

Each roller support arm 58 is biased upwardly by a spring 74 connected between the upper tie rod 56 and a pin 76 on the arm 58. The pin 76 at each end of the machine is provided with an extension on the opposite side of the corresponding arm 58, this extension being indicated at 78. This pin extension 78 on each endwise positioned roller support arm 58 is adapted to coact with a guide mechanism 80 to maintain the even movement of the arms and prevent jiggling or vibration.

The guide mechanism 84} comprises a pair of diagonal plates 82, each plate 82 of the pair being extended in an opposite direction, as best shown in Fig. 3. Each plate 82 is individually supported by a pair of vertical frame members 84, one adjacent each end of each plate 82. These frame members 84 are connected, at their upper ends, to the bottom of housing 54. Depending from the underside of each inclined plate 82 are a pair of links 86 and 88, best shown in Fig. 5. The link 86 is straight while the link 88 consists of two laterally oflset portions whereby the upper portion is positioned inwardly of the lower portion. This upper portion underlies the plate 82 and is spaced substantially inwardly of the corresponding edge of plate 82, while the lower portion is positioned in substantially the same vertical plane as the edge of the plate 82. In this manner, an undercut channel or track is provided underneath the plate 82.

Each link 86 and 83 is pivotally connected, as at 90 and 92 respectively, to an upstanding arm, indicated at 94 and 96 respectively, extending up from the rear end of a bottom, horizontal plate 98. The forward end of the plate 98 is provided with a narrow finger 100 which is adapted to extend through a slot 102 in the forward, lower end of inclined plate 82. The finger 100 is resiliently maintained in the slot 102 by a coil spring 104 connected at its lower end to the free end of the finger Jill and at its upper end to one of the frame members 84-.

At one end of the machine, at the right as illustrated in Fig. 2, the offset end 38 of the driver rod 40 extends through the bearing block 36, as at 106, and is connected to the hub 108 of a drive pulley 110. The drive pulley 110 is connected by a drive belt 112 to a motor pulley 114 mounted on the motor shaft 116 of a motor 118 mounted on top of housing 16.

The entire mechanism is mounted, as explained above, on the tines 28 of a fork 26; these tines extending through the hangers 18. The tines 28 are connected, at one end, to a cross-bar 120 mounted between a pair of collars 122. Each collar 122 is positioned on a post 124 and is provided with a guide ring 126 spaced therefrom by a spacer plate 128.

At the center of the cross-bar 120 is provided a threaded opening through which extends a threaded jack member 130. This jack member 130 is supported at its lower end 132 on a tie-bar 134 connected between the two posts 124 by bolts or the like 136. At its upper end, the jack member 130 is provided with an operating handle 138.

The lower ends of the posts 124 are each integral with a lateral foot 140. These feet 140 are adapted to be inserted into guide channels 142 connected to the underside of the massage table 14.

In operation, the person who is to take the massage treatment, lies on the table 14 and the handle 138 is operated to turn the jack member 130. This moves the cross-bar 120 down whereby it carries the machine 10 down into position above the person on the table. The motor 118 is then activated to rotate the drive pulley 110. As the pulley 110 rotates, it rotates the offset end 38 of rod 40. The ofiset end 38 acts as a crank to rotate the rod in a circle having an axis corresponding to the axis of the portion 106 connected to the hub 108 of the drive pulley 110. Since the rod 40 extends through the elongated, vertical slot 42 in each arm 44, it acts to first move these arms 44 in one horizontal direction, and then in the opposite horizontal direction. The arms 44 are guided in this reciprocating, horizontal movement by the rollers 52 on their upper ends which move on track 53 in housing 54.

As each of the arms 44 reciprocates back and forth, it carries along with it the attached pair of roller support arms 58. The rollers 64, during the reciprocation of the arms 58, move within the housing 16 as indicated in Fig. 1; that is, when the roller 64 on the right hand arm 58 is moving on the corresponding upper track 32, the roller 64 on the left is moving on the corresponding lower track 30. While the right hand arm 58 is biased upwardly by its spring 74, the left hand arm 58 is maintained in its lower position, against the force of its spring 74, by the camming action of the track 32 above the corresponding roller 64. However, as soon as the left hand roller 64 clears the lower surface of upper track 32, it is urged upwardly onto the upper surface of track 32 by the spring 74 while, at the same time, the right hand roller 64 moves under its upper track 32 and moves along lower track 30.

In order to maintain the reciprocating movements of the arms 58 in straight paths, each arm 58 is provided with the pin extension 78 described above. In operation, using Figs. 1 and 3 as an example, as the right hand arm 58 moves to the left, the pin extension 78 moves under the inclined plate 82 within the channel formed by the upper offset portion of link 88. As the pin extension 78 moves to the lower end of plate 82, it pushes between the plate 82 and the lower plate 98 and then rides underneath plate 98 in the opposite direction as the reciprocating movement is reversed. In this reverse movement, the pin extension 78 is held against the underside of the lower plate 98 by the biasing action of the spring 74. While the right hand arm 58 and its associated parts are engaged in the above movements, the left hand arm 58 acts similarly but in reverse direction in conjunction with its guide mechanism.

The above operation is described in relation to the use of an operator. However, the mechanism can also be used by the person taking the treatment himself. This 4 is accomplished by removing the two removable cover plates 144 from the opening 146 in the table 14, and the stand 12 is reversed so that the machine 10 extends upwardly with the front massage wheels 68 extending through one of the openings 146 while the rear massage wheels 72 extends through the other opening 146.

Because neither the table nor the person being treated moves during the treatment, this machine does not have any undesirable eifect on people susceptible to motion sickness. The effect is similar to a hand massage and the same type of benefits are derived therefrom.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A massage mechanism comprising a front row of flexible Wheels and a rear row of flexible wheels, each of said rows being connected to corresponding front and rear support arms, said front support arms being spaced from said rear support arms by transverse connecting arms, said connecting arms being mounted on a support for horizontal reciprocating movement relative to said support, actuating means operatively connected to said connecting arms for reciprocating them, and means for reciprocating said front and rear support arms in vertical directions alternately with each other as said connecting arms reciprocate horizontally.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said means for reciprocating said front and rear support arms in vertical directions comprises a roller mounted on each of said support arms, said rollers being movable within a track housing, said track housing including an upper and lower track for each roller, resilient biasing means urging each of said support arms upwardly to a position where its corresponding roller rides on its upper track, and each lower track acting as a cam means to maintain the corresponding roller on the lower track, spaces being provided at the sides of each upper track to permit the rollers to clear said upper tracks when they reach the edges thereof.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein guide means are connected to said support, said guide means being arranged to coact with a guide device on each of said support arms to maintain the reciprocating movement of said support arms in fixed paths.

4. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein each of said connecting arms is provided with an upstanding arm having a roller at one end, the roller on said upstanding arm being positioned on a track within a second track housing for reciprocating horizontal movement thereon.

5. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said mechanism is releasably connected to a supporting stand, said mechanism being vertically adjustable on said stand, and said stand being reversible into opposite vertical positions.

6. In a massage mechanism, a pair of massage-wheel support arms, each of said support arms having a massage Wheel assembly mounted on its lower end and a roller on its upper end, said pair of support arms being spaced from each other by upper and lower transverse connecting arms, said connecting arms being connected to each of said support arms, intermediate the massage wheel assembly and the roller, by lost-motion connections including elongated vertical slots, said connecting arms be ing fixed, intermediate their lengths, to an upstanding V mounting arm, said mounting arm having a roller thereon horizontally movable in a first track housing, said support arms each having a roller at the upper end thereof, said last-mentioned rollers being movable in a second track housing having an upper and lower track for each of said last-mentioned rollers wherein said last-mentioned rollers are movable from said lower to upper and back to said. lower tracks during horizontal reciprocation of said mounting arm, and actuating means to horizontally reciprocate said mounting arm.

7. The massage mechanism of claim 6 wherein each of said support arms is resiliently biased in the upward direction, and wherein a guide means is positioned in operative position relative to said support arms, said guide means comprising a pair of similar, oppositelyarranged, inclined plates connected to straight, horizontal bottom plates, and each of said support arms having a pin thereon in a position to move under the corresponding inclined plate when the support arm is moving in one horizontal direction and then to move in the opposite direction under the corresponding bottom plate when the support arm is moving in the opposite horizontal direction.

8. In combination, a table, connecting means on said table for releasably holding a stand, a stand connected to said connecting means, and a vertically adjustable massage mechanism releasably mounted on said stand, said massage mechanism comprising a pair of trout and rear flexible massage wheel assemblies, and means to reciprocate said massage wheel assemblies in a horizontal direction while simultaneously moving them in alternate vertical directions.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said table is provided with openings and with removable cover plates on said openings, and wherein said stand is adapted to be held by said connecting means on said table in two vertical1y-reversed positions, said massage wheel assemblies extending up through said openings when said stand is in one of said positions and when said cover plates are removed from said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,204,624 Rupp June is, 1940 2,492,406 Thomas Dec. 27, 1949 2,534,587 Fisher et a1. Dec. 19, 1950

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