US3020046A

US3020046A - Foot exercising machine

Info

Publication number: US3020046A
Application number: US813898A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leon G Hotas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-05-18
Filing date: 1959-05-18
Publication date: 1962-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 1979-02-06

Description

Feb. 6, 1962 cs. HOTAS 3,020,046

FOOT EXERCISING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1959 hyv'eqfor Leon G Ho't'as AGENT FOOT EXERCISING MACHINE Leon G. Hotas, 43 Rowand St., St. James, Manitoba, Canada Filed May 18, 1959, Ser. No. 813,898 3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 272-57) It is well known in physical therapy that joints become weakened, partly paralyzed, and often unworkable, following periods of immobilization due to poliomyelitis and other neurological diseases, strokes, et cetera; or a fractures, contusions, subluxations, dislocations, strains, et cetera. This may also happen from operational procedures, such as surgical repairs of tendons, muscle transplants, or bone fixations.

:bones associated therewith, especially the foot and ankle joints, which have different fulcrum points. As this ankle part of the foot has universal pivoting movements, and the pivot points therethrough can only be approximated, great care must be used in exercising such joints, as incorrect application may easily cause dislocation or joint strains.

In view of the above, and as a Word cannot be found, or located, which combines both the foot and the ankle, it will be understood in the following disclosure, including the claims, that the word foot shall be interpreted to include the ankle as well as the foot portion of a leg.

The principal object of .the present invention is to design a machine to which a foot can be secured for true joint motion exercises, such as dor'si and plantar flexion (backward and forward pivot), together with inversion and eversion (inward and outward pivot), and so pro-' vide the habit-forming coordination so necessary for health, without sub-luxation, dislocation or any other undesirable joint maladjustment.

A further object of the invention is to design the maatent A further object of the invention is to provide means for varying the amount of traction or pressureso used.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for using the various pivoting motions, either isolated or in any combination.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for restricting the swing ofsaid pivoting movements to a safe range in accordance with the condition of the patient, to permit resting of tired muscles during the FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the machine.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section therethrough.

1 FIGURE 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3, FIGURE 2.

, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the washershaped weights used on the exerciser.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A rectangulanshaped base frame 10 is shown in FIG URE 1. This frame. is tubular with rounded corners 11, at which suitable short rubber-covered legs 12 downwardly project to prevent floor marring. Inverted U- ,shaped tubular standards 13 extend upwardly and contrally from this base frame, one on each side thereof, their upper ends being rounded to provide quadrants l4 and-15 while a short tubing 16 crosses the bottom of each quadrant to support centrally inwardly projecting ball bearingsl7, central of said quadrants.

A rectangular-shaped tubular sub-frame 18 also has rounded corners and is positioned between the quadrants, the rear part of the

sides

19 and 20 thereof being provided with outwardly facing trunnions 21 which receive the ball bearings 17 forsmooth'and quiet pivoting of said sub-frame. It will be noted that the

sides

19 and 20 are of a hump-shape with the trunnions at the peak, while the front and rear cross ends 22 and 23 respectively of the sub-frame are straight. These straight ends are centrally provided with further outwardly facing trunnions 24 which accordingly, are somewhat lower than those 21 at the humps. The hump on the side 19 supports an upwardly projecting pointer 25 which overlies the quadrant 15. A detent pin 26 passes through a hole in this pointer and then through one of a series of spaced holes 27 around the quadrant to lock the sub-frame against rotation on the bearings 17. Obviously, by taking out this detent pin and separately inserting it into ings 28, the cradle can swing from side to side in suspension below the sub-frame. It will be noted that the front end of the cradle is lower than the rear. end,, and said :front end also extends up past its bearing point in a further pointer 30, which then projects rearwardly over a tubular quadrant 31 carried by the central front end of the sub-frame 18., A further detent pin 32 passes through a hole in this latter pointer and into one of a series of spaced holes 33 around this latter quadrant to lock or restrict the movement of the cradle on the ball bearings 28 in the same manner as described for the sub- 7 frame movements in relation to the quadrant 15.v It will also be noted that the cradle can turn with the sub-frame on the ball bearings 17 when same is released the --detent pin 26. v

A lengthwise plate 34, having rounded ends 35. is suitably secured on the swingable bar of the cradle 29. The rear rounded end of this plate is boundedby a thin wall 36 and so form a' shoe 37 for reception of a human foot (not shown). Straps and

buckles

38 and 39 respectively Patented Fens, tees in relation to the sub-frame, due to the sloping cradle bar, and is below both pivot points of the

bearings

17 and 28.

Each end of the cradle 29 is welded to

arms

40 and 41. The ends of the front arm 40 extend outwardly on either side at slight forward angles to clear the sub-frame, while the ends of the rear arm 41 extend outwardly and rearwarrlly at acute angles. The extremities of the arms are each provided with a flat horizontal disk 42 from each of which a central stub 43 extends upwardly. The front and rear stubs 43 are approximately the same distance from the central standards 13 and accordingly the centre of the base frame 10. A washer-shaped weight 44, having a central hole 45, is shown in FIGURE 4. A number of these weights will be provided and may run from say, one and a half to five pounds each. They are adapted to be received over the stubs 43 for traction or resistanceto the said foot, as will be later explained.

In operation, the foot exercising machine is placed adjacent a small table (not shown) on which the patient will sit during the foot exercise. There will be a small foot stool (not shown) for the patient to step on to attain this sitting position. The stool will also be useful to support the operator when applying the exercises, or making inspections of the foot. When the patient is so positioned on the table, the foot to be exercised (not shown) is placed in the shoe 37 and the straps applied.

It has been previously mentioned, there are many intricate bones in a human foot. Certain of these bones are used for dorsi and plantar flexion (backward and forward pivot of the foot). As it is difficult to exactly determine these bones for the purpose of the claims, it will be understcod that the words ankle joint, in the claims, will refer to the bones permitting the above flexions, the words foot joint will refer to the bones permitting inversion and eversion (inward and outward pivot of the foot), while rotor joint will refer to either.

The ankle joint of the foot will be aligned with and between the ball bearings 17 as this is the upper joint of the foot. The foot joint, below the ankle joint, is at a slight forward upward slope, when the foot is on the ground, will be aligned with and between the ball bearings 28. Accordingly, when the

detent pins

26 and 32 are removed, the shoe 37 can be pivoted by hand operation of the

arms

40 and 41 to correctly guide and exercise the foot at these important joints, and in a universal movement if desired. By locking either one of the pointers with a detent pin, a single joint exercise can be given on the other pivot bearings. By placing one or more detent pins in separate quadrant holes, the range of that particular pivot can be restricted to a safe turning angle of the foot, depending on its condition. By applying weights to the correct stubs 43, steady traction can be applied to the foot muscles for dorsi and plantar fiexion or inversion and eversion, and this traction can be quickly released by hand pressure from the operator. Or, by applying the weights and separately inserting one or more detent pins in the correct quadrant holes, the patient can exert personal foot pressure against the weights, either steady or in back and forth pivoting movements, and when tired, can let the shoe come back, under the action of the weight, for the detent pins to take the strain, and let the foot rest.

In other words; by intelligent application, as above described, true guided joint motion exercisescan be given the patient for habit-forming coordination of the various bone structures, tissues and joint muscles, without fear of maladjustment while the traction, or foot effort against weight pressures, quickly develops the musculature in a most satisfactory manner. In a very short time, the patient has full control and is able to operate the foot in universal pivots, without help.

It might also be mentioned that a further advantage of this machine is that a protractor could easily be applied to the quadrants to register the amount of foot pivot the patient is capable oftaking, as the exercises proceed.

Prior to this invention such information was not obtainable and would be very useful to the operator in assessing the progress of the patient.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A foot exercising machine, comprising: a pair of spaced standards; a pair of aligned bearings, each carried by one of said standards; a frame positioned between said standards, and pivotally side carried by said bearings; a further pair of aligned bearings, same being carried by said frame, one at each end thereof; a U-shaped cradle suspended below and at a downwardly sloping angle to said frame, with the ends thereof pivotally carried by said second mentioned bearings; a shoe mounted on said cradle; means on said shoe for receiving and retaining a human foot thereto, with the ankle joint thereof aligned with said first mentioned bearings, and the foot joint thereof aligned with said second mentioned bearings, for correct shoe-guided swinging movement of said foot on said joints, when operated; arms supported by said frame and extending from the corners thereof; and means on said arm ends for selectively applying weight to each.

2. A foot exercising machine, comprising: a pair of spaced standards; a pair of aligned bearings, each carried by one of said standards; a frame positioned between said standards, and pivotally side carried by said bearings; a further pair of aligned bearings below said first mentioned bearings, when horizontal, same being carried by said frame, one at each end thereof; a U- shaped cradle pivotally suspended lengthwise below said frame, and from the end bearings thereof; a quadrant supported by one or said standards, and centered around the bearing thereon; a second quadrant supported at one end of said frame, and centered around the bearing at said end; a shoe mounted lengthwise on said cradle for releasably securing a human foot thereto, with the ankle joint thereof aligned with said first mentioned bearings, and the foot joint thereof aligned with said second mentioned bearings, for correct shoe-guided swinging of said foot on said joints, when operated; means associated with each of said quadrants for restricting the pivoting movement of said cradle on said bearings; arm means supported by said frame and extending from each of the corners thereof, to terminate in upwardly projecting stubs; and means for selectively applying removable weight to said stubs.

3. A foot exercising machine, comprising: a base frame; a pair of spaced standards, each extending upwardly from one of the sides of said base frame; a pair of aligned bearings, each carried by one of said standards; a sub-frame positioned between said standards and with the sides thereof pivotally carried by said bear ings; a secondary pair of aligned bearings below said first mentioned bearings, when horizontal, and each positioned at one end of said sub-frame; a U-shaped cradle bar pivotally suspended lengthwise below and from said latter mentioned bearings; a shoe mounted on said cradle bar; strap means for releasably retaining a human foot in said shoe, with the ankle joint thereof aligned with said first mentioned bearings, and the foot joint thereof aligned with said second mentioned bearings, for correct shoe-guided swinging of said foot on said joints, when operated; a quadrant supported by one of said standards and centered around the bearing thereon; a pointer carried by said sub-frame and operable over said quadrant in the pivoting movement of said frame on said first mentioned bearings; a second quadrant mounted on one end of said sub-frame and centered around the hearing at said end; a second pointer carried by said cradle bar, and operable over said second quadrant, in the pivoting of said cradle bar on said second mentioned bearings; said quadrants each provided with spaced holes there through therearound; the operable ends of said pointers each provided with a hole, register-able with the holes in their respective quadrants, in the movements of said 5 pointers thereover; detent means for reception in said holes to restrict the pivoting movements of said cradle bar on said bearings; a pair of arms, each supported across one end of said sub-frame, with the ends of same each projecting from a corner thereof; and weight means 5 for removable reception on each of said arm ends.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ruggles June 8, Thompson Sept. 23, Svensson Nov. 1, Leuchter Dec. 6,