US902946A

US902946A - Physical-culture apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US902946A
Application number: US37801107A
Authority: US
Inventors: George R De Nise
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1907-06-08
Filing date: 1907-06-08
Publication date: 1908-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1925-11-03

Description

G. R. DE NISE.

PHYSICAL GULTUBB APPARATUS.

LPPLIUATION FILED :uns 8,1901.

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G. B.. DE NISE.

PHYSIGAL GULTUBB APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION HLBD JUNI; 8,1907,

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PHYSICAL CULTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE a, DE Nisn, OF DENVER, COLORADO. l

PHYSICAL-CULTURE APPARATUS.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE R. DE NISE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver', in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Physical- Culture Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to physical culture apparatus of the type intended to produce a stretching action upon the human body for the purpose of strengthening the nervous system and incidentally increasing the height of the user by restoring the natural elasticity to the abnormally hardened cartilaginous tissue and exercising the many muscles which by Want of continual action, are weak or undeveloped.

The objects of the invention are to roduce an apparatus of the class name in which the maximum of simplicity and economy of construction shall be combined with durability, practioahility in use and efficiency of action and which, while adapted for the use of all persons irrespective of their physical proportions, may be reduced in compass so as to be suitable for shipping or storing purposes.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated and in which Figure 1- represents a plan view of the apparatus, Fig. 2- a side elevation thereof, Fig. 34 an enlar ed, fragmentary plan view ofthe head-end o? the device, Fig. 4- a similar view of the foot end, Fig. 5- a view illustrating the head and upper arts of the body of a person equipped wit i the combined head and chest gear employed in the practice of my invention, Fig. 6- a erspective interior view of the cap or head gear employed in my device, Fig. 7 a top viewof the said cap, Fig. 8E an enlarged transverse section taken along line 8-8, Fig. 1, Fig.

9- an enlarged cross section taken along line 9 9, Fig. 1, Fi s'. 10 and 11,- fra mentary plan views of t e foot end of the evice showing modified manners of arrangin the tackle employed to communicate t e loros exerted upon the operating arts of the machine, to the human bod ig. 12- a fragmentary side view of the ody part of the a paratus illustrating the arrangement of t e toperating mechanism, Fig. 153- a view of a human head equipped With the cap or head Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led J une 8, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1968.

Serial No. 378,011.

gear illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and Fig. 14 a view of a human foot illustrating the manner of applying the foot straps by which the lower extremities ofthe body are attached to the stretching appliances.

Referring to the drawings, my apparatus consists of a table or bench 2 comprising the, in practice, horizontal deck 3 provided with preferably integral, depending sides or flanges 4 and supported upon legs 5, the lower extremities of which are bent to provide feet 5a.

The legs 5 at each end of the table are connected at their upper ends by integral cross bars 6 and are pivotally secured intermediate the flanges 4 by means of bolts or rivets 7. When the device is not in use these connected le s maybe folded inside the sides of the ta le as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and when the apparatus 1s in operative condition, they are turned at right angles to the deck 3 and secured in this position by means of detachable pins 8 inserted through re istering apertures in the upper parts of the egs and the adjacent sides of the table.

Rotatably secured in straps 9 upon the flanged upper end of the table 2, are the stops 10 designed to relieve by en agement with the axillae of the patient, t e head, neck and contiguous arts of the greater part of the tension pro uced by the stretchin action upon the feet and which comprise inrglividually the spindle 10a, the therewith parallel en aging portion 1()c and the interposed shan 10d.

To prevent injury to the parts of the body with which the stops 10 are 1n contact during the operation of the apparatus, the engaging parts 10a may be provided with sleeves 11 composed of rubber, felt or other elastic substance as shown in Fi 3 of the drawings.

Extending outward y from the head end of the table is a yoke 12 the angularly arranged, normally vertical extremities 12a of which are disposed upon the outer surface of the flanges 4 and are ivotally secured thereto by means of the be ore named bolts or rivets 7 which provide the fulcrurn for the adjacent le s 5.

gThe yoke is held in its extended position by means of the before mentioned pins 8 which project through correspondin ly arranged apertures in the arms 12a an when not in use may be folded upon the upper or lower surface of the table.

A continuous belt 13 made of canvas, rubber or other fiexible material is stretched between the parallel side-bars 12' of the yoke 12 to ail'ord a comfortable support for the head of the patient, who during the operation of the apparatus, reclinos upon the deck 3.

An opening 14 in the head-support 13, is intended to admit the nose and mouth of the patient, should he desire to undergo the stretching operation while lying face downward.

The cross-bar 12 d of the yoke is provided with a centrally applied buckle 15 to which the hereinafter to vbe described headgear may be attached, and near its ends, withthooks 16 which afford means to secure straps placed around the wrists of the patient, when, to promote the development of the thoracic muscles and organs, the body is subjected to the stretching action with the arms extended above the head.

As the means by which the arms are attached to the hooks 16, form no part of the device, their illustration has been omitted from the drawings.

Hingedly secured upon the opposite or foot-end of the table 2 is an extension. or foot board 17', formed with integral, depending flanges 18 and, in practice, supported at its outermost end upon legs 19 connected by an integral cross bar 20 and pivotally secured intermediate the flanges, by means of a bolt or threaded rod 21.

Pins 22, ro'ecting through registering apertures in t 1e ie s and adjacent flanges, secure the former w ien turned at right angles to the plate 17, While a bolt, sliding catch or other suitable fastening device 17a is applied below the juxtaposed ends of the foot-board and the body portion of the apparatus to firmly secure them in the extended or opened position.

The extension 17 of the device serves in practice, as a support for the feet and contiguous parts of the legs of the atient, when reclining upon the deck 3, an as a means for securing the tackle or combination of ropes and two or more blocks compeunded to exert increased force upon the body under treatment.

In my preferred form, illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the tackle consists of a standing, double block 23 which may be secured u on the board, or, as is shown in the illustratlon, may be connected to a suitable indicatory appliance 24 through instrumentality of Which the force exerted upon the body may be determined.

The indicator, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, consists of a dial 25 erected in perpendicular position upon the extreme end of the board 17 and upon which is fulerumed a hand or lever 26, the long arm of which is arranged to denote the amount of exerted force upon a graduated scale 27, while its shorter arm connects with the eye 23a of the block 23 by means of a rope 28 rovc around a fixed sheave 29 which elianges the direction of its motion.

The lower extremity of the long arm of the lever 26 is connected with aiixed point on the dial by a coiled spring 30, the elasticity of which in cooperation with the mechanical advantage gained through the inequality in the length of the arms, measure the amount of force exerted. through instrumentality of the tackle and the therewith connected operating mechanism.

The scale upon the dial is preferably arranged in accordance with the age and physical condition of the various persons by Whom the apparatus may be used, as illustrated in Fig. 8, in which the graduations are arrangedat a distance equaling twenty five pounds of pressure.

To prevent possible injury to the patient by excessive stretching, the graduations on the dial denote in addition to the amount of force exerted by manipulation of the operating mechanism the maximum amount of pull that persons of various ages and of either sex can withstand without harming the parts of the body most affected bythe stretching process. For example, a force of twent" five ounds exerted upon the bod is indicated y the fourth graduation ann is the maximum pressure for children of from five to ten years of age g one hundred and twenty five pounds for children of from ten to fourteen years; one hundred and fifty pounds for youths, female adults and aged persons; and two hundred pounds the maximum for male adults.

The double block 23 being thus anchored, a rope 31 normally secured at one of its extremities to a cleat 32 upon a side of the main body 2 of the device, is passed around one of its sheaves, thence around the sheave of a running block 33, from where it extends around the second sheave of the standing block, to a Winch 34 to which it is secured.

The latter comprises a shaft 35 rotatably mounted in the sides 4, transversely of the table 2, and provided with an enlarged extension or drum 36 to which the fall of the rope 31 is fastened and which carries upon its outer extremity a crank 37, by manipulation of which the mechanism is actuated.

A gravity do 38 pivotally secured to the side of the tab e 3, engages the teeth of a ratchet Wheel 39 fixed upon the drum 36 in juxtaposition to the said side for the ur ose of preventing retrograde motion of t e shaft whlle the pressure 1s being applied.

The standing part of the rope, between the block 23 and the cleat 32 is, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, rove through two pulleys 4() and 41, fixed upon the adjacent portion of the side 4 and Whose function is to prevent,

by frictional engagement, slacking of the rope when for ad]ustment purposes, the latter is detached from the cleat.

The reference numeral 42 designates the gear by which the feet of the person reclining Y upon the device, may be connected with the tackle and which comprises two members 43 each composed of an ankle stra 44 which` in practice, is fastened around t e tarsus of the atient by the use of a buckle 45, and a iiexi le loop 46, the ends of which are secured to the strap 44 and which, when the gear is in operative position, passes around the sole of the users foot.

The loops of the two members 43 of the gear are connected by a strap 47 which passes loosely through the eye 33 of the running block 33 of the tackle.

The tackle illustrated in Fig. 10, maybe substituted for that hereinbefore described, for the purpose of exerting an increased amount of force upon the body of the patient without increase of power applied to the winch. In this construction, three standing

blocks

48, 49 and 50 are equidistantly secured upon the outer extremity of the foot plate 17 in transverse alinement and the rope 53, the end of the standing part of which is secured to the cleat 32, passes around the first sheavc 48, through a running block 51 from where it passes around the center pulley 49, to a second running block 52 to be rove through the last sheave 50 and secured to the winch. 'l`he connecting strap 47 of the foot gear, is in this case omitted and the members 43 secured rcspectively to the two running

blocks

51 and 52.

A second modified manner of compounding the sheaves is illustrated in Fig. 11 of the drawings and comprises two standing

blocks

54 and 55 secured in transverse alinement at equal distances from the center of the foot support 17 and the rope 56 which passes from its fastening point around the first shea-ve 54, thence around a running block 57 and through the block 55 to the winch. The

foot gear 42 may in this case, be connected l with the tackle in a manner identical to that shown in Fig. 4, or the strap 47 may be rove through a block 58 which 1s secured to the running block 57, for the purpose of reducing friction.

The head gear 59, illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 1.3, is employed to secure the patients head in a fixed relation to the upper or head portion of the table and is, by reason of the frailty of the parts to which it is applied., a factor of my device the construction of which involves the utmost care and precision. lt consists of a ca 60 composed of leather, canvas, cloth or ot er flexible material and preferably internally cushioned so as to revent injury to the skin of the wearer. T e rearmost portion 6()a of the cap is extended. so as to cover the posterior base of thi` skull and the foremost part is split as at 60C to permit adjustment in accordance with diiiercnt sizes of heads. A strap 6l having a buckle 62, surrounds the cap near its lower edge and may be held in place in transverse loops 63. This strap is so arranged that when the cap is .placed upon the patient's head, its loro part passes around the forehead while its rearmost portion presses upon the occiput or iosterior part oll the calvarium. Vlhe cap 6() 1s lfurthcrmm'c provided with two straps 64 and the ends ol' each of which are secured upon opposite points thereof and which, crossingeach other, are connected by a ring (nl.

The straps are so placed upon the cap that when the latter is placed upon the head of the reclining patient, the point at which they cross is in alinement with the spinal column, thereby assuring the pressure exerted upon the body to be applied directly to thc cartilage. intermediate the vertebrae.

A strap 67 secured. to the ring 66 is designed to fasten thc head gear to the buckle 15 upon the yoke l2. To relieve the head of part of the pressure exerted thereon during the operation ol the apparatus, use may be made of thc appliance illustrated in lfig. 5. consistingI of a belt GS which in practice, is secured around the chest ol' the patient below thi` armpits and which is adjustably connected with the band til of the head gear by f interposed straps (ill.

To ascertain the number of inches or fractions thereol, to which thc body is extended during the operation, a graduated scale 71| is applied to the foot support 17, upon which the position of the iaticntfs feet may be indicated. bel'orc and after the stretching process.

llaving thus described the mechanical construction of the device, its operation will be readily understood. The apparatus may be operated by the patient himself or by an assistant. Alter the head dress is adjusted upon thc head of the person under treatment, in thc manner hereinbelore described., he places himself upon the deck 3 in a sitting posture and having loosened the end of the rope 31 from the cleat C352, secures thc elcments 43 of the foot gear to his feet in the manner illustrated in F ig. 14. He now assumes a reclining position, the head in engagement with. the resilient support 13, after which the strap 67 is fastened to the buckle 1 5 of the yoke 1 2. Having pulled the standing part of the rope until its running and fall portions are taut, he re-iastens the end thereof to the cleat 32 and having adjusted the stops 10 in engagement with thc armpits, he manipulates the crank 37 of the winch until the desired degree of tension is attained as indicated upon the dial To release the tension, the end of the rope is unfastened from the cleat 32, or the gravity dog lifted out ol. engagement with the ratchet wheel. ln case the patient undergoes the treatment to cure l certain thoracic organic or muscular derangements, he eleyatcs the arms above the head al'ter which the wrists are connected by means of the aiorenamcd straps, to the hooks lli on the yoke 12, In this case the use ot' the stops Il), as well as the head gear may be disi carded.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is:

1. A physical culture apparatus comprising a body support adapted to sustain a body in a reclining position, means to lix the upper part ot' the body thereon, a gear adapted to engage the lower limbs of the body and block and tackle appliance arranged upon the said support to impart a stretching action to the said gear by manipulation of either of the ends of the rope included therein.

2. physical culture apparatus comprising a body support, means for holding the upper part ol the body in position thereon, a gear adapted to engage the lower limbs of the body, a block and tackle appliance connected with the said gear, means to adjustably secure the normally standing extremity i of the rope included therein, and mechanical Ineans adapted to apply power to its opposite end or fall.

3. A physical culture apparatus comprising a body support, means to tix the upper part of the body thereon, a gear adapted to engage the lower limbs of the body, and a tackle and block appliance including a standing block upon the support, a running block connected with the gear and a rope in operative relation to the blocks one ol' its ends being adjustably held at a stationary point, and mechanical actuating means connected with its opposite end or fall.

4. A physical culture apparatus comprising a support adapted to sustain a body in a l reclining position, means upon the said support to lix the upper part of the body therel on, a block and tackle appliance upon the said 1 support and two members respectively adapted to be attached to the lower limbs ol the body and self-:nljustably connectedwith the running part ot' the said appliance.

5. A physical culture apparatus comprising a support adapted to sustain a body in a reclining position, means thereon for holding the upper part of the body, a gear including two members adapted to be attached to the l lower limbs ol the body, a block and tackle appliance upon the support including standing and ruiming blocks and a flexible connecl tion between the said members self-adjustably connected with the latter and mechanical means adapted to aetuate the said appliance.

6. A physical culture apparatus comprising a support adapted to sustain a body in a l reclining position, means to iix the upper part ol the body thereon, a block and tackle appliance upon the said support and includmg ruiming and standing blocks, mechanical means to actuate the said appliance, a gear connected with the appliance and adapted to engage the lower limbs of the body and indicatory means connected with the standing block and arranged to indicate the amount of force exerted upon the said gear through instrun'ientality of the said appliance.

T. A physical culture appz-trains comprising in combinatiim with a support adapted to sustain a body in a reclining position, a graduated member Vfixed thereon, a lever fulcrumed upon the said member, a block and tackle appliance connected with an arm of the said lever, a resistance device attached to its opposite arm, a lgear adapted to engage the lower extremities olE the body and connected with the said appliance and means upon the support to tix the upper part of the body thereon.

8. A physical culture apparatus comprising a support adapted to sustain a body in a reclining position and including two hingedly connected members, means upon one ot the said members to tix the upper part ot' the said body tln'lreon, and stretching means secured upon the opposite member, adapted to be attz'ichcd to the lower limbs ofthe body.

9. A physical culture apparatus comprising a body support, stretching means at one ol' its ends adapted to connect with the lower limbs ol' a patient reclining thereon, and a head gear attached to the opposite end of the said support and including a cap, a strap surrounding its lower portion and arranged to simultaneously engage the brow and the occiput of the patients head and two intersecting straps upon the cap, their point of intersection being substantially in alinement with the spinal column when the cap is adjusted upon the patients head in the aforesaid manner.

1U. A physical culture apparatus comprising a body support, stretching means at one of its ends adapted to connect with the lower limbs of the patient reclining thereon, a head gear attached to the opposite end of the support and including a cap and a strap surrounding its lower portion and arranged to simultaneously engage the brow and occiput ol the paticnts head, and a belt arranged to embrace the palients thorax, adjustably connected with the said strap.

In testimony whereof l have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. DE NISE.

litnesscs G. J. ROLLMELLET, K. M. STUMP.