US3063443A

US3063443A - Base assembly for massage device

Info

Publication number: US3063443A
Application number: US857147A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F Wahl
Original assignee: Wahl Clipper Corp
Current assignee: Wahl Clipper Corp
Priority date: 1959-12-03
Filing date: 1959-12-03
Publication date: 1962-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-13

Description

Nov. 13, 1962 J. F. WAHL 3,063,443

BASE ASSEMBLY FOR MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Dec. 3, 1959 INVEN TOR.

John E WQ/7/ v A 7 for/ways 3,063,443 BASE ASSEh/ELY FDR MAfiSAGE DEVICE John F. Wahl, Steriing, Ill., assignor to Wait! Clipper Corporation, terling, 121., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 857,147 2 Ciaims. (131. 128-32) This invention relates to a base assembly for a vibratory massage device, including a detachable pad, and is an improvement on the base assembly and pad described in U.S. Patent No. 2,723,662 to Leo J. Wahl.

The base assembly and pad of the above described patent had a number of shortcomings. For one thing, the base of the device was formed with laterally extending flanges and the periphery of the pad had integrally molded U-shaped flanges for embracing the base flanges. In addition, the pad was provided with screw receiving apertures which had to be precisely positioned for alignment with the screw receiving apertures in the base flanges. Molding the above described U-shaped peripheral pad flanges and the apertures in the pad substantially increased the cost of manufacture.

It is apparent that it would be more desirable for a massage device to have a replaceable pad which does not require peripheral flanges of any sort and which does not require mounting apertures so that the entire pad could be cut or stamped economically from sheet material.

Another shortcoming of the prior massaging device was that the casing was secured to the base separately from the means with which the pad was secured to the base. The use of a separate fastening means for the above described purposes further increased the cost of manufacture. It is clear that costs could be reduced if the massage device were designed so that the casing and pad were secured to the base by the same attaching means.

What is needed therefore and comprises an important object of this invention is a massage device which has the above described improved features.

Another object of this invention is to provide a more elfective and more comfortable method of securing the device to the hand through the use of rectangular strap type springs.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an easily replaceable and extremely economical method of connecting these strap type springs to the casing of the device.

Other objects, advantages and details of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing wherein one form of the invention is shown. It is to be understood, of course, that the description and drawing are illustrative only, and that the scope of the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the massage device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the massage device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the improved pad.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a massage device indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 comprises a casing 12 and a base assembly 14. The casing is provided with a pair of laterally extending

casing mounting ears

16 and 18, see FIGS. 2 and 3, and these mounting ears are in coextensive engagement with a pair of base

assembly mounting ears

20 and 22 integrally formed with the base assembly 14.

3,063,443 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 ice The lower surfaces of the base

assembly mounting ears

20 and 22 are provided with upwardly extending

strap receiving slots

24 and 26, see FIGS. 3 and 5. These slots do not extend completely through the base assembly mounting ears, but instead communicate with

screw receiving openings

28 and 30 which extend downwardly from the upper surfaces of mounting

ears

20 and 22, see FIGS. 2 and 4.

A resilient flexible strap member 32 elongated in cross section and formed from closely spaced wire loops is mounted on the base assembly 14. The opposed ends 33 of the strap extend inside

slots

24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 2. The

casing mounting ears

16 and 18 are provided with

screw receiving openings

34 and 36 which are in alignment with

screw receiving openings

28 and 30 in base

assembly mounting ears

20 and 22. Screws 38 and 40 extend downwardly through the

openings

34 and 36 in casing mounting ears 1'6 and 18, and through openings 28 and 39 in base

assembly mounting ears

20 and 22 and on into threaded engagement with the ends 33 of strap 32. This arrangement, in which the ends 33 of strap 32 function as a nut, simultaneously locks the casing 12 and strap 32 to the base assembly 14.

The base assembly 14 has an external base surface 42 recessed from and defined by the base periphery portion 44, see FIGS. 1 and 4. A flexible resilient uniformly thick cushion or pad 46 for protecting the back of the operators hand is mounted on the recessed surface 42. The peripheral shape of the pad conforms to the shape of the recessed base surface 42 to provide a snug fit. With this arrangement, the strap 32 on the base assembly 14 has the dual function of holding the pad on the base surface when the device is not in use, and embracing the hand of the operator during use of the massage device in a manner well known in the art.

In this particular embodiment, the massage device is provided with a flexible resilient strap at each end of the base assembly, although it is contemplated that a massage device could have only one properly positioned strap. The opposite ends 48 of second strap 50 are mounted in upwardly extending slots 52 and 54 at the front end of periphery portion 44 of the base assembly 14, see FIG. 3. These slots communicate with screw receiving openings 56 which extend downward from the upper surface of periphery portion 44. Screws 58 extending down through the openings 56 are in threaded engagement with the ends 48 of the strap 50 to lock the strap to the base assembly.

Leg members 60 on each side of the front end of the base assembly extend downward from the base assembly periphery portion, as shown in FIG. 1. These leg members help retain the pad 46 on the base surface 42 and carry a portion of the weight of the massage device when resting on a surface.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Various changes in detail may be made without departing from the spirit or losing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hand tool, the combination of a base and a wound wire strap member having a rectangular cross section, said base having strap member receiving slots positioned and shaped to receive and closely confine the outer surfaces of the ends of said strap member, the said ends of said strap member positioned in said slots, said base having screw receiving openings communicating with said slots, and screws in said screw receiving openings in threaded engagement with the ends of said strap member for holding the ends of the strap member in said slots,

the walls of said slots effective to prevent spreading of said strap member ends whereby said screws are posi tively anchored in said strap member ends.

2. In a hand tool, a basega wound wire strap member of rectangular cross section, said base having spaced recesses of rectangular cross section adapted to receive the ends of said strap member and sized to restrict transverse expansion thereof, said'ends positioned in said recesses, said base having screw receiving openings communicating axially with said recesses, and screws in said screw receivmg openings in threaded engagement with said ends and anchoring said ends in said recesses, said recesses effective initially to orient said strap member with respect to said base and subsequently to prevent rotation of said spring member and consequent loosening of said screws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 994,270 'OBrien et a1. June 6, 1911 2,346,465 Wilcox Apr. 11, 1944 2,434,383 Benjamin Jan. 13, 1948 2,723,662 Wahl Nov. 15, 1955 2,768,621 Wahl Oct. 30, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 272,758 Great Britain June 23, 1927 486,844

Italy Nov. 18, 1953