US3387605A

US3387605A - Device for the mechanical treatment of the vertebral column and its bone connection organs

Info

Publication number: US3387605A
Application number: US567191A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schmidt Heinz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-07-22
Filing date: 1966-07-22
Publication date: 1968-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1985-06-11
Also published as: FR1585871A; CH468183A

Description

June 11, 1968 H. SCHMIDT 3,387,605

' DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND ITS BONE CONNECTION ORGANS Filed July 22, 1966 a Sheets-Sheet 1 June 11, 1968 H. SCHMIDT 3,387,605 DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND ITS BONE CONNECTION ORGANS Filed July 22. 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 #6 722 idmm'clf MW AW.

June 11, 1968 H. SCHMIDT DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND ITS BONE CONNECTION ORGANS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 22. 1966 In venfor:

June 11, 1968 H. SCHMIDT 3,387,605

DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND ITS BONE CONNECTION ORGANS Filed July 22, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Invenfar: Hewzz Sal-mulch June 11, 1968 H. SCHMIDT 3,387,605

DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND ITS BONE CONNECTION ORGANS Filed July 22, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 In van/qr: Heinz: 56;]??? wlt June 11, 1968 H. SCHMIDT 3,387,605

DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND ITS BONE CONNECTION ORGANS Filed July 22, 1966 T s Sheets-Sheet e In venfor: Hem-(z Sal-"nit y United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Device for the mechanical extension treatment of the vertebral column and its bone connection organs which includes the main casing, together with mechanism to support the patient to be treated on a swinging part, together with mechanism to operate the swinging movement and holders for the shoulders, head and legs of the patient.

The present invention is a continuation-in-part of my patent application Ser. No. 93,596 filed Mar. 6, 1961, now abandoned, and its purpose is a better explanation as well as a further development and improvement of this invention.

The present invention relates to a device for the me chanical treatment of the vertebral column and its bone connection organs, viz. of the pelvic ring, the shoulder belt and the occipu-t region. Such mechanical treatments serve above all for eliminating the consequences of intervertebral disk damages, of vertebral column deformations' or other root irritation syndroms.

The main purpose of the invention is toimprove the known devices of the cited type. It is a particular object 5 of the invention to simplify and to improve the apparatus according to my mentioned main invention of Mar. 6, 1961, and to make its operation simpler and more versatile.

An essential purpose of the invention is to control all the desired extension movements and other functions of the device in a simple manner, to adjust easily all parts and to make possibly any movement combinations. These movements shall always be feasible and rcproduceable according to a predetermined programme. a

A further object of the invention is to make the mode of operation of the aparatus and all its functions still more noiseless and smoother as was the case up to now.

A further object of the invention is to obtain the essential movements of the device by means of pressure mediums, preferably hydraulically by means of pressure oil, whereby the value of the pressure and the time of the pressure effect on the parts to be moved of the device shall be variable and easily adjustable.

A purpose of the invention is, furthermore, to obtain the upward and downward movement of the swinging part of the device carrying the patient preferably hydraulically by pressure means.

A further object of the invention is to control the extension forces which act on the shoulder belt and/ or the head of the patient by pressure means preferably hydraulically and to vary them at will and to combine them with each other and with other movements of the device in any manner.

A further object of the invention is to control, to vary at will and to combined with other movements preferably hydraulically, the movement of the knees and of the legs of the patient by means of a pressure medium.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device by means of which the head of the patient can be turned to and fro at will preferably on an adjustable arc of circle, whereby the means for the rotation shall be operated pref- "ice erably by pressure medium or oil pressure respectively. A further purpose of the invention is to provide means for lifting and lowering the head of the patient.

A further object of the invention is to transmit the 5 vibration movements of a vibrator to a vibration plate carrying the rump of the patient in such a way that the vibrations are always directed vertically upward independent upon the tilting position of this vibration plate.

These objects and further single problems are obtained and solved by means of the invention, whereby a practical embodiment is described hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings. The different features of the invention may possibly 'be used also singly or in any com- 'bination.

One embodiment of the device is shown as an example in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the complete device,

FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the device according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a front view of the head rotating device seen in the direction of the arrow A of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the device along the line B-C of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of the hydraulic conduit of the device.

Th device consists of the elements mentioned hereinafter: the main body or casing 1 in which the oil tank 2 with the hydraulic oil pump 3, the drive motors 4 as well as the vibrator 5 which can be adjusted as to its number and amplitude of oscillations with its drive motor 6 and the magnetic valves 7 for the electric control as well as the safety valve 8 and the pipings 9 are arranged. The oil tank is closed with are movable cover 10. This cover is provided with a ventilating filter 11.

The second main body is the upper swinging part 12, in which all the function devices are incorporated or applied. The swinging part 12 is connected by two bearing blocks with swing ball bearings 13 with the main body 1. The swinging movement is carried out by an oil hydraulically operated differential cylinder 14. This latter is movably fastened 'by means of a fork part 15 on the fastening piece 16 :and bolt 17 in the piston rod 18. There is likewise fastened a forked part 19 which is connected by means of a bolt 20 on the fastening piece 21 with the swinging part 12. When moving outward the piston rod 18, the swinging part 12 moves downwards at the head side and when the piston rod 18 is retracted downward at the foot end.

The vibration plate 22 is adapted in the surface 23 facing upward with a clearance of about 5 mm. around it and is fastened in the swinging part 12 by each of lateral horizontally arranged rubber buffers 24. From the vibration plate 22 two holders 25 extend downward in the form of a fork. In these holders 25 there is fastened exactly in the intersection point a bolt 26. On the bolt a ball bearing 27 is arranged which is connected with a casing 28 by means of a rubber buffer 29 with the vibrator rod 30. The vibrator 5 with the motor 6 and a V-belt 31 is carried on rubber buffers 32 and is fastened on brackets 33 in the main body 1.

Between the distance plates 34 and 35 there are two tubes 36 parallelly spaced behind each other, in which the longitudinally adjustable guide rods 37 with teeth for the length adjustment at the foot side and 38 for the length adjustment at the head side are mounted. The length adjustment is carried out by a blockable shaft 39 with pinion 40. On the smooth thinner ends 41 the holders 42 for the knee rollers 44 adjustable in their height by the lever arm 43 are moving. A hydraulic piston 45 is also incorporated in the holder 42. This piston is fastened by means of a piston rod 46 by a connection piece 47 on the guide rod 37. If oil is pressed by the hydraulic pumps through the perforated piston rod into the cylinder space 48, the knee roller holder 42 is shifted forward on the ends 41. When the oil pressure is released, a spring 49 presses back the holders 42 in the starting position. On the smooth and thinner ends 50 (head side) the holding plate 51 is carried shiftably with guide sleeves 52. On the upper part there is arranged on each side a bearing 53 with vertically standing pins 54 which are fastened on the arm rest 59 and pinned to a lever arm 61.

On the other hand of the lever arm 61 a threaded piece 55 with horizontally arranged threading (one left hand threading and one right hand threading) is fastened in a vertically rotatable manner. A spindle 56 engages likewise with a left hand and a right hand thread in the thread pieces 55. A holder 57 which can be shifted on a guide pin 58 in longitudinal direction holds the spindle 56 in central position. By a rotation of the spindle 56 the arm rests 59 swing inwards or outwards. The tiltable shoulder holders 60 which are rigidly fastened on the arm rests 59 may thus be adjusted by means of a crank handle 93 towards the middle to the desired width. On the holding plate 51 there is also fastened a cylinder 62 with a piston 63 and a piston rod 64. As the piston rod 64 is rigidly connected with the toothed guide rod 38 by means of a clamping piece 65, oil is pressed by the hydraulic pumps through the piston rod 64 behind the piston 63 and the cylinder 62 is shifted forward together with the holding plate 51. The shoulder holders 60 with the arm rest 59 are in connection with each other by the described embodiment and are shifted forward also together with the other parts. Behind the holding plate 51 there is likewise on the smooth ends of the guide rods 50 the total mechanism of the head holder which is partially covered by means of a casing 66. By the cylinder 62 the casing 66 is connected with the elongated part 67 likewise embodied as a cylinder with the holding plate 51, so that in the length adjustment by means of the pinion 40 and the rack 38 the head holder is automatically taken along in the adjustment. The piston rod 68 and the cylinder 67 is, however, elongated and provided with a thread 69. Thereby it is possible to obtain by means of a hand wheel 70 a fine adjustment between the shoulder holder 60 and the casing 66 with the head holder. When shifting the holding plate 51, thus also the head holder is shifted with it. In order to obtain, however, also a stretching movement between the shoulder holders 60 and the head holder by means of the casing 66, the hydraulic pumps press also oil behind the piston 71. When the oil returns from the piston 63 and the piston 71 the pressure springs 72 and 73 press back both function bodies in their starting position. By means of a hand wheel 74 and a spindle 75 and the nut 76 in the guide piece 77 the neck cup can be adjusted in its height.

In order to obtain a stretching movement from the pelvis to the legs and from the pelvis to the shoulders and the neck the pelvis cups 78 are not shiftable longitudinally but serve for holding the body and they are adjustable by means of a hand wheel 88 by means of a spindle 79 with left hand and right hand thread on two guide rods 80 and 81 and the holding pieces 82 with a left hand and a right hand thread each transversely towards the middle.

The axis of rotation 83 lies in the middle of the swinging part 12. This is simultaneously the fulcrum for the vibrator axle, so that the vibration has its effect when swinging on the foot side and downward in the direction of the arrow D towards the head side of the patient and when swinging towards the head side downwards in the arrow direction E to the foot side of the patient and has a vertical upward effect in horizontal position. The number of oscillations is adjusted on the motor regulator 84 and the swinging amplitude is adjusted by means of the lever 85. The swinging range at the foot side and the head side is adjusted with the

adjustable stops

86 and 87 which reverse by means of a limit stop switch the magnetic valves for the hydraulic to the differential cylinder 14.

A hand wheel 88 is fastened on the spindle 79 and serves for the adjustment of the pelvis cups 78, the holding rods of which are guided in transverse slots 78 of the plate 23. By means of the hand wheel 89 the length adjustment of the knee rollers 44 is carried out by the pinion 40 and the rack 37. The adjustment is blocked by means of a capstan head screw 90. The hand wheel 91 is fastened on the front extremity of the shaft 39 and serves for the longitudinal adjustment of the shoulder holders 60 and the casing 66 with the neck rest and is blocked by means of a capstan head screw 92.

By means of the hand wheel 93 the width adjustment of the shoulder holder 60 and the arm rest 59 is made by means of the spindle 56. A blocking is not necessary, By means of a rotary knob 94 the return of the oil from the piston 71 and by means of the rotary knob 95 the return from the piston 63 is adjusted by means of a throttle. The rotary knob 96 serves for the adjustment of the oil pressure on the head traction and the rotary knob 97 for the adjustment of the oil pressure for the shoulder traction.

By means of the adjustment screw 98 the neck cup 100 can be tilted forward or backward. The width adjustment of the neck cup 100 is made by means of the adjustment through 101. The neck cup 100 consists of two cup halves which can be rotated around a hinge axle 100'. By means of a clamping screw 102 a clamping piece 103 with a guide rod 104 for a chin support 105 is fixed on the patient after the adjustment. A clamping screw 106 serves also for clamping the chin support 105 after the exact adjustment. A regulating screw 107 has likewise left hand and right hand threads and by means of it the width adjustment of the chin support 105 is carried out.

For the easier transport and shifting of the whole device four caster rollers 108 are fastened on the bottom of the main body 1. They can be blocked by means of capstan knobs 109.

Handles 110 serve for fixing the lever arm 43 after the height adjustment of the knee rollers 44. On the two shoulder holders 60 removable shoulder holders 111 are shifted on, which serve to keep down the shoulders of the patient. They are blocked after the adjustment on handle 112.

On the casing 66 a scale 113 is fastened according to which the admissible rotation of the head is adjusted by means of knurled stop nuts 114 provided with a pointed part. The stop nuts 114 are adjusted on a thread of the guide rod 1-15. The guide rod 115 is carried :on the casing 66 in two bearing blocks 116. The smooth ends of the guide bar 115 serve as a guide for the cross pieces 117, in which run at a right angle the guide rods 118. The guide rods 118 establish a connection to the head holder 123 by means of an articulated piece 119 with sleeve 120 and a rotary wing 121 which is fastened on the axle 122. The axle 122 is turned towards the right and towards the left by means of a piston pair 140 (FIG. 6) working in opposite direction. As in the reinforcement 124 of the upper end of the guide bar 118 there is in each case a blockable bolt 125 forming in the flattened part 126 with the head holder 123 an articulation, the head holder 123 describes the same radius as the rotary wing 121. The neck cup 100 which is fastened in an adjustable manner but in each case blockably on the head holder 123, must pass along in this rotary movement up to the stop nuts 114. The chin support 105 goes likewise along with it and turns thus in common with the neck cup 100 the head of the patient. The guide rods 127 in the casing 66 serve for guiding the holding plate 77 on which the piston pair is fastened with its cylinder casing 141 and is adjustable in the height by means of the spindle 75 and the hand wheel 74. Thus the neck cup 100 and the chin support 105 move simultaneously upwards and downwards.

In this manner the height position of the head of the patient can be modified in respect to the longitudinal axis of the patient. The pistons 140 gives the axle 122 and the wing 123 a swinging or rocking movement (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 4), the arrows 90. This movement is transferred by means of the rods 118 to the swinging head holder 123 FIG. 4. Thus the head of the patient can be turned alternatively in a predetermined angle around a longitudinal axis, that is the neck of the patient.

The vibration is transmitted from the vibrator 5 to the vibrator plate 22. The number of oscillations is adjusted, as already described, by means of a motor 6 which can be regulated in respect of its number of revolution. The motor is carried rigidly on the vibrator casing 6. From the V-belt pulley 128 the rotary movement is transmitted by means of the V-belt 31 to the V-belt pulley 129 of the vibrator shaft 130. On the vibrator shaft 130 there is carried axially shiftable an eccentric sleeve 131. It is secured against rotation by means of a key 132 and must thus go along in the rotation of the vibrator shaft 130. The eccentricity of the sleeve 131 is on one extremity zero and offset at the other extremity so far as the maximum vibration height shall be adjusted. The sleeve is cylindrical on its outside with a bore running from the middle axis of the one extremity to the other out of the center. If the oscillation height is adjusted, the sleeve 131 rotating along with the vibrator shaft 130 is shifted by means of the lever 85 by means of a threaded drum 133, a connection piece 134, an adjustment bar 133, a connection piece: 134, an adjustment bar 135 and a glide piece 136. The pendulum ball bearing 137 is held in its central position by two slide pieces 138. By shifting of the sleeve 131 an infinite height adjustment of the vibration is possible i.e. of the amplitude of the vibration plate 22. The pendulum ball bearing is carried in a casing 139, on which the vibrator rod 30 is fastened. This guide rod leads in the embodiment already described to the vibration plate 22. The vibrating means of the vibration plate 22 is shown in FIG. 5 and in FIG. 1. The vibration is produced by the eccentricity of the sleeve 131 driven by the motor 6.

Conduit diagram for the hydraulic circuit (FIG. 6)

After switching on the motor 4 the pumps 3 of Pl-PS begin to work. When the valves are not operated, the pumps suck, the oil passes, however, through the pressure limiting valves DBl-DBS because of the adjusted pressure back to the oil tank. If the magnet valve V1 is switched, one piston of the piston pair 140 moves out. The axle 122 makes a rotary movement towards the right.

By engagement of the stop a pressure switching device DS2 cuts the current to magnet valve V1 and energizes the magnet valve V2. Thereby the other piston of the piston pair 140 is extended and presses the oil from the first piston of the piston pair over a quantity valve M1 back into the oil tank. When the opposite stop is engaged, the magnet valve V2 becomes dead by a pressure switching device DS2 while V1 i energized again. Thereby the first piston is moved out and presses the oil from the second piston through the quantity regulator M2 back to the oil tank. This operation is repeated alternatively.

If the magnet valve V3 is switched on, the oil presses behind the piston 71. This piston shifts forward the head holder. The desired pressure for this movement is adjusted on the pressure limiting valve DB6. If the magnet valve V4 is switched on additionally, the oil penetrates through the piston rod 73 behind the piston 63 and shifts forward the shoulder holder. The desired pressure for this is adjusted on the pressure limiting valve DB7. If the magnet valve V5 is switched on additionally, the oil penetrates by means of a controlled non-return valve RV1 to the piston rod side of the cylinder 14 and the swinging part 12 sinks down footward. If the adjusted stop angle is reached, the limit switch makes dead the magnet valve V5 and energizes the magnet valve V6, the oil passes to the piston side of the cylinder 14 and swings the swinging part 12 headward. The oil flowing back must return through a quantity valve M3 or M4, so that thereby the speed of the swinging may be adjusted. In order to have the possibility to fix the swinging part 12 in any position, the oil must in flowing back into the oil container be opened only automatically by means of a controlled non-return valve RV1 or RV2, if a pump pressure is applied from the opposite side. If the magnet valve V7 and V8 are switched on, the oil passes through the piston rods 47 into the cylinder space 48 and thus shifts forward the knee rollers 44. The magnet valves V7 and V8 can be switched on by the electric control singly, simultaneously or alternatively. The speeds of the forward and backward movement of the knee rollers 45 are adjusted by means of the throttle valves D1 and D2.

The cylinder 14 works alternately according to the adjusted treatment time. The valves V3 and V4 and alternatively V7 and V8 remain switched on so long as head, shoulder and leg traction shall remain under pressure. After the course of adjusted time, e.g. between one and ten seconds, these valves become dead again and the

springs

46, 72 and 73 bring the head-, shoulderand leg traction again into the starting position. Hereby the return of the oil of the

cylinders

67 and 62 is adjustable by means of the quantity regulators M3 and M4. After the engagement of the shoulder supports on a limit switch the magnet valves V3, V4 and selectively V7 and V8 are switched on again and this is repeated until the complete treatment time has expired. Thereafter the swinging part 12 passes over into the horizontal position and then switches off the complete apparatus.

I claim:

1. A device for the mechanical extension treatment of the vertebral column and its bone connection organs, comprising a main casing, a swinging part for supporting the patient to be treated, which swinging part being supported on the main casing so that it can be swung upward and downward around an essentially horizontal axis of rotation, drive means in the casing, a differential cylinder and a piston rod for the upward and downward swinging movement of the swinging part around a horizontal axis of rotation, pelvis cups arranged on the swinging part for clamping the pelvis of the patient therein, shoulder holders for holding armpits and shoulders respectively of the patient, said shoulder holders being shiftable in an oscillating movement on the swinging part relative to the pelvis cup in longitudinal direction of the patient, head holders, a neck cup and chin support for clamping the head of the patient, said head holders being carried to oscillate on the swinging part relative to the pelvis cups as well as relative to the shoulder holders in a longitudinal direction of the patient, knee holders on the casing for holding the knees of the patient and which are in the form of rollers carried adjustably on the swinging part, a vibration plate carried on the swinging part for carrying the rump of the patient and an oscillation generator in the casing to oscillate the vibration plate.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein at least one hydraulic oil pump is provided in the casing for conveying a pressure medium, a motor for driving the hydraulic oil pump, a pressure medium cylinder for the oscillating movement of the shoulder holders, at least one pressure medium cylinder for the oscillating movement of the head holder, pressure medium lines for connecting the pressure medium pump with a pressure medium cylinder and means for controlling the pressure medium.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the pressure medium cylinder for the head holder neck cup and chin support, is coupled with the pressure medium cylinder for the shoulder holder.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the knee hold ers are carried shiftable to oscillate on the swinging part in longitudinal direction of the patient and whereby at least one pressure medium cylinder is provided for oscillating the knee holders.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the oscillation generator is carried with its motor in the main casing and is connected by means of a vibrator rod with a bearing, arranged in the axis of rotation of the swinging part and wherein the vibration plate is connected with a bolt carried rotatably in the bearings and casing.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein in the swinging part a guide is provided in longitudinal direction of the device, in which guide a gear rack for an adjustment of the means oscillating the shoulder holder and the head holder and a gear rack for adjustment of the knee holders are carried shiftably, whereby the gear racks engage with pinions which are rotatable by means of drive shafts.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pelvis cups are carried by holding pieces, which slide transversely to the longitudinal axis of the device on guide rods and can be moved towards each other or away from each other by means of a spindle having left hand and right hand threads.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder holders are fastened on arm rests which are adjustable by means of a spindle With left hand and right hand threads in order to move the shoulder holders transversely to the longitudinal direction of the device towards each other or away from each other.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the head holder is vertically adjustable by means of a spindle, a nut and a guide piece. I

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for rotating the head holder at a predetermined angle around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the patient.

11. Device according to'claim 10, wherein the head holder, neck cup and chin support is rotatable in both directions around the cited axle by at least one piston with an oscillating movement of a pressure medium cylinder.

12. Device according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for varying the number of oscillations and the oscillation amplitude of the said oscillation generator.

13. Device according to claim 1, whereby the knee holders are carried vertically adjustable on the knee holding parts by means of lever arms.

14. Device according to claim 1, whereby on at least one guide rod is provided arranged on the swinging part as an aggregate with the complete device for adjusting the head holder.

15. Device according to claim 14, wherein the distance of an aggregate for the head holder from the holder for the shoulder holders can be varied in longitudinal direction of the device by means of a threaded spindle.

16. Device according to claim 2, wherein means are provided for varying the pressure of the pressure medium in the pressure medium cylinders for shoulder traction and head traction.

17. Device according to claim 2, wherein means are provided for varying the duration of the application of the pressure medium in the pressure medium cylinders.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,471,675 5/1922 McManis 128-74 1,529,872 3/1925 Craig l2871 2,217,783 10/1940 Bell 269-322 2,262,271 11/1941 De Camp 128-52 2,773,499 12/1956 Zurnieden l2875 3,238,936 3/1966 Siedcntop 12824.3

L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.