US2928675A - Therapeutic apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J. NAWARA THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1958 March l5, 1960 Z9 43 INV ENTOR.

@jef/hama@ BY Unite 2,928,675 THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Jozef Nawara, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 14, 1958, Serial No. 721,509

' 1 claim. (ci. 212-58) of the platform for preventing sliding of a patients bodyv in a longitudinal relation with the platform while th latter makes teeter or seesaw motions.

Another object of thepresent invention is the provision of a pair of stop members,.one at each end of the platform, one stop member engaging the patients feet and the other stop member engaging va patients head, the Atwo stopV members i being provided Vwith suitable mechanism for adjustably interlocking the stop members with the platform in conformity with the patients height while the patient remains in a recumbent position upon the platform.

. A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a suitable mechanism whereby the said stop members may be adjusted on a vertical plane with rela-A tion to the platform.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a suitable pivotal connecting means for the stop member aforesaid whereby the stop member may be angularly shifted with relation to the platform .and used asa cushion for supporting a patients head' when the platform is used as an examining table'.` v `With the above general objects in view and vothers that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing an pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application, and in whichlike designating characters refer vto corresponding parts throughout the several views: Fig. 1 is a side elevational. view of a platform, with rates Patent" 2 4 Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the platformwith a rear side elevational view of the stop member -when the latter remains in an operative position with the platform.

.v Referring to the-present drawing in detail there is shown therein an oblong platform 10. In a spaced relation with the edges of said platform is a rectangular tubular frame, which includes a pair of side rails 11 and a pair of end rails 12. Rigidly affixed to the underface of platform 10 is a plurality of plates 13. The outer A ends of said plates 13 extend beyond the edges of plat-V form 10, and are directed upwardly, and there terminate in spoon-like members 14, defining cradles within whichA the rails 11 and 12 of the frame are received and upon which the same rest. Said members 14 may be -welded or otherwise rigidly aixed to said rails 11 and 12 for maintaining the frame in a rigid spaced relation with the edge of platform 10, as is'best seen in Fig. 2.

Supported in an adjustable vertical and longitudinal relation with platform 10, at each end of the latter, are foot and head stops, generally indicated by 15 in Fig. 1, for supporting feet'and head of the patient for preventing sliding of the patient longitudinally of platform 10 when a patient remains in a supine position upon lthe platform and as the latter makes seesaw motions upon its ,pivot as will be later described. .v Each- Vof said stops 15 includes backing 16,-made of stiff material, to which cushion 17 is affixed in any suitable manner. Cushions 17 in a pair of said stops 15 are disposed toward each other, as is seen in Fig. l.

Hinge loop 18 is aixed to backing 16 through the medium of lateral flanges 19 extending from loop 18, and screws 20 or like fasteners, which are passed Vthrough said anges 19 and which engage said backing 16. s

Journalled within loop 18 is the central portion of the U-shaped bar 21. VEach stop V15, includingbacking 16 and cushion 17, may be angularly shifted with said loop 18 upon said central portion of said U-shaped'bar 21 for the purposeof optionally bringing cushion 17 either to a substantially vertical position with relationv to platform 10, as shown in Fig. l, or to a horizontal position. Whenin a vertical position cushion 17 and its backing 16' function as a stop for thepurpose already mentioned, and whenV in a horizontal position cushion 17. may be used as a pillow or rest for supporting the 2 patients head. Screw 22 passed through said loop 18,

bearing against the said central portion of said U-shape'd bar-21 interlocks the two, for maintaining stop 15 in its rigid adjusted relation with said bar 21.

The ends of said U-shaped bar 21 are bent to define lateral extensions 23. The latter are bent in a downastop member supported thereon at each end ,of the platform .in a longitudinal as well as vertical adjustable felation with the platform, further illustrating a support disposed below the platform in a'longitudinal central felation therewith, with the pivotal connecting means between the platform and theA support whereby the platform may be capable of making teeterv or seesaw mof tionsy upon said pivotal connecting means, further illustrating a superstructure disposed above theplatform fory supporting a suitable mechanism operable by the patient ward perpendicular relation to define vertical extensions 24. Y

Means for supporting said stops 15 in a longitudinal adjustablerelation with platform 10 includes a pair.l of tubular `members '25,I a pair of which foreach of.said1 stops 15 is mounted upon the side rails 11 for 'longitudinal sliding "movementthereon. Each of said tubular members-25, adjacent the 'end thereof'which is proximate to' the `endgof platform 10,v is provided with an adjusting screw 26, passed through the body of each of said tuba..

whileon the platform, for alternately shifting the ends gwhich` said vertical extensions are receivable and whereinlar members V25, and bears 'against' said side rails 11 for maintaining saidf tubular members 25 in' their 'rigid' adjusted relation therewith. Formed at the opposite end of each of said tubular.' members 25 is a vertical tubular member 27, within the' latter may' be adjusted vertically for1bringir'1gi-saidl stops 15 toward or away from platform 10. Screws .28.' passed throughsaid vertical tubular*membersygg27a-i'are adapted' to engage" and bear against -said velrticalfjexteni sions 24 for maintaining the latter in their vertical ad Patented Matr.v 15, .1960

*maeva justed relation said'vertical tubularmembers upon platform 10, as we ll as in a vertical relation with satapxatform 10. -Y Y Y yThe support disposed below platform "I -ina sub sta-ntially longitudinally central relation 'therewitli, includes beam 29 positioned in a transverse relation witlll platform Said beam 29 isof a `substantially-iristoconical shape on a Vtransverse cross section, witlriits narrower end disposed in proximity of platform 10.

' zitfl-xedV to each end of said beam 29 by means of a plural-ity of bolts or like fasteners 30,- is a sheathing lplate 31, `in an enveloping relation with the sides and the upper end of said beam 29, said bolts 30 being passedtlirough the side portions of said plates 31 and the sides of saidV beam 29.A

Anixedtoeach side of beam'29', by meansof screws, bolts or like fasteners 32, is a pair of leg supporting plates 33,. one adjacent the inner edge ofthe side of each of said sheathing plates 3l. The attened upper portion 34 of the upper tubular leg'portion 35 is'aliixed to each of said plates-33 by means of screws, boltsy or like fasteners 36. Thus there are four of said upper tubular leg portions 35, a pair on each side of beam 29 in a downwardly spreading relationwitli the opposed pair of said tubular cated by Soin Fig. l, comp sed of a plurality of telescopic'ally interconnected parts 51, 52 and 53, which are interconnected by screws 54for the purpose ofmaintaining said parts-inv their extended adjusted relation to- 4ward or away from the floor.

The lowermost part 51 of stop member 50 kat each end of platform 10 coming in contact with `the floor limitsthe downward shifting movement of that end of platform 10 toward the tloor.

i One of said Vstop members 50 may be extended farther ing table.

leg portions aixed to the opposite side of said beam 29, as is seen in Figs. 1 and 3.v

, Receivable through the lower open endof each ofjsttid` l tubular vleg portions 35 is a Ycylindricallower leg portion 37, in: ai 'telescopically adjustable relation. Screws 38 passed tlu'ough the' lower ends of said upper tubular leg portions 35, engaging said lower legportions 37 mains Vtain the two Vleg portions in their verticallyadjusted re-` lation, for thereby maintaining platform 10 in its adjusted distanced relation with the floor. Casters V3:9 carried bythe lower ends of said cylindrical lower por"-v tions 37 of the legs support the'legs upon the floor.

Welded or otherwise rigidly axed to the intermediate upper portion of eachV of said sheathing plates 31 is a cylindrical bearing 40, the outer end of which is sealed by the end plate 41, which is provided with a diametrical slot for receiving therewithin tongue 42 formed at each rndA of cylindrical shaft 43.- By virtue of this arrange-v ment shaft 43 is rigidly interconnected with beam "29 and Vremains immovable with relation thereto. Iournalldfof a'rotary movement upon said shaft 43 is a tubular hinge member 44v which is interposed between the inner-ends of said cylindrical bearings 40. Said hinge member.44 is welded or otherwise rigidly ailixed to the underface ofsaid platform 10 in-a transverse longitudinally central relation therewith. By virtue .of this arrangementV said tubular hinge member 44 permits teeter or seesaw motion of platform 10 upon shaftr43 when the ends of platform 10 are caused to alternatelyA angularly `shift Vin. upward and downward directions. Y.

Braces 45 interconnect the four legs Vforming the support for platform 10. A

Each upper tubular leg portion 3S is provided with a' downwardly directed hook 46, which is engaged by the lower Vend of coil spring 47. Y On each sideof pivot 43-44 there is a pair of downwardly depending plates 48 axcd to the .underface of platform 10, each plate 48 being provided with a `row of apertures 49, with one of which the upper end of coil spring .47 is capable of selective engagement. By virtue of this arrangement coil springs 47 exert pulling action upon platform 10 adjacent each endof the` latter for the purpose of normally tending to shift platform 10 to horizontal position.` The engagement of upper ends of springs 47 on each side of pivot 43-44 may be varied to conform to a patients weight at each end of plat-` means of screw 63.` Y Y toward vthe floor than the other of said stop members 50, thereby permitting one end of the platform to shift farther away from the door thanl the other end of the platform, depending upon the particular therapeutic Vrequirements of any given patient.- Optionally both of said stop members, 50 may be ,extended in contact with the oor thereby, preventing the scesaw motion of the platform. In this last instance the platform would be rendered immovable and may then be used as an examin- The superstructure aforesaidVV includes a substantially rectangularl frame `55, which is `supported byfour legs 56, including a telescopically extensible member 57, the lower end of which carries caster 58. Said extensible member 57 may be rigidly aixed to the upper portion of leg 56 by means of screw or like fastener 59 for main taining the leg in its rigid adjusted relationfor supporte Y ing' frame 55 in any selected distance from platform 10.

Brace 60 connects the upper end of each leg 56 with the longitudinal side member of frame for further supporting said frame 55 upon said legs 56.

One or more rods 61disposedrwithin the pair of the side members of frameSSgjin fa longitudinal spaced relation, and rigidly connected'with the' end members of said frame 55, support "oneor moresleeves 62 in a sliding relation, adjustable `upon .rod V61 in a rigid relation :by

Said sleeve 6Z'is provided with a downwardly dependling hook 64 for removably supporting thereon rod 65,

to the lower endY of which is connected ina swivelled relation a pulley supporting xture 68 which carries pulley y67. A cord passed over one or more pulleys 67 is capable of supporting weights,thandles and numerous other exercising devices for exercising legs, hands and arms of a patient while reposing upon platform 10. v

Supported within frame 55 in a swivelled relation, and l centrally thereof, is a pair of pulleys 68. The end members of. frame 55 are each supporting pulley 69 in a vswivellecl relation; Said pulleyssand 69 are disposed below .the plane of Asaid frame 55". 1 w

vPassedover one of said end pulleys 69 audone of said central pulleys 6s is cord 70, while passed over the opposite end pulley 69 and the remaining central pulley` 68 is cord 71.A The ends of said cords 70 and 71 past said central pulleys 68 are 'connected with stir'rups or handles'. 7 2, while the opposite 'ends of said'fcords 70 and 71, past said end pulleys 69 lead in a downward direction and are disengageably connected with hooks 73 each downwardly dependingfromeach endof platform 10.

When a patient reposing upon platform 10 alternately imparts by his hands a pulling action in a downward direction upon one or `the other of said handleslz the ends of platform 10 will be caused to angular-ly shift in an. upward direction thereby imparting to platform' 10 a seesaw motion upon its pivot I3- 44, thereby' afford.- ing exercise to the'pa'tients hands and `arms and aiding the` blood circulation as thepatients body is subjected to the seesaw' motion with the platform.

On disconnecting the ends of cords 70'and 71 from hooks 73 platform 10 may then be shifted with its appurtenances away from said frame 55, casters 39 peu.l mitting free rolling upon the floor. When platform 10 has been removed from under frame 55, with stop men bers 50 extended/to an equal length and in contact with the door', with the several parts 51, 51 and salumi-cow extension at the free ends of' said U-shaped bar, tubular members rigidly formed with and extending in a vertically transverse relation with said supporting sleeves, said extensions being receivable within said tubular members and being shiftable therewithin in a vertical direction a for ,adjusting the distance of said bar from said platform,

adjusted cushion 17 is capable of use as a pillow for supporting the patients head.

While there are described herein preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In a therapeutic apparatus including a pivotally supported platform, means for imparting a seesaw motion to the platform while the latter supports a recumbent patient thereon, and a pair of longitudinal rails in spaced relation with the platform and connected thereto, a pair of stop cushion devices one at each end of the platform for engaging the head and feet of a patient while in recumbent position on the platform, each said device comprising a pair of supporting sleeves slidably adjustable on said rails, a U-shaped bar in transverse relation with the platform and disposed thereabove, downwardly directed means for interlocking said tubular members with said extensions for maintaining the latter in their adjusted relation with said tubular members, each said device in cluding a cushioned member having a stiff backing and a cushion thereon, the two cushions being disposed in a face-to-face relation, a hinge loop carried by the backing of each cushioned member, said hinge loop being in an encompassing relation with said bar for angularly adjusting said cushioned members upon said bar, and means for interlocking said hinge loop with said bar adjusted relation with said bar.v

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wantz Sept. 4, 1917 Berne Feb. 21, 1956

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