Control to limit the reciprocation of the massaging apparatus in a therapeutic manipulating machine

Abstract

The manipulating and massaging apparatus of a therapeutic manipulating machine for the human body extends into a longitudinal opening in the table whereon a patient lies. In operation, this manipulating and massaging apparatus moves back and forth in this opening to contact the patient's body at predetermined pressures. This reciprocable movement may be substantially the length of the opening to permit the manipulating and massaging to extend from a patient's hips to his shoulders. A lesser reciprocable movement, which is a selected increment within this overall range of movement, is effected by adjustable stops for the manipulating and massaging apparatus which act against limit switches carried by the reciprocating manipulating and massaging apparatus. When the limit switch on the apparatus contacts a stop, the drive of the apparatus reverses, to reverse its movement.

Parent Case Text

The present invention is a continuation-in-part of the copending application for a Therapeutic Manipulating Machine For The Human Body, filed Nov. 23, 1973, Ser. No. 418,362, to disclose and claim improvements in the construction of that prior application.

Description

The present invention relates to improvements in therapeutic manipulation machines of the general type which provide a massaging and manipulating apparatus in association with a table whereon a patient may lie. In machines of this type, a table-like structure is provided having a padded top section with an elongated, rectangular opening therein. A manipulating and massaging apparatus is mounted underneath this table top to extend through the opening for manipulating and massaging a patient's body. The manipulating and massaging apparatus, which may be vibrators or the like, is exemplified in the copending application as a rotating head carrying a triad of rotatable, resilient massage rollers. As the head rotates, the rollers move upwardly and into the table opening to produce a manipulating and massaging action. A protective sheet or pliable pad will ordinarily be placed over the table top to cover the opening so that the rollers will not contact the patient's body.

The manipulating and massaging apparatus is mounted upon a reciprocable carriage which is actuated by a driving mechanism so as to reciprocate in the table opening and the manipulating and massaging action is produced by the rotating head which moves back and forth within the table opening to manipulating and massaging the patient. This reach of this movement approximates the length of a patient's torso so that the manipulating and massaging action can extend from the patient's hips to his shoulders.

The therapeutic manipulation machine exemplified in the copending application will effectively manipulate and massage a patient's body as the individual rollers move into and out of the table top opening. However, this machine and other machines built for the same purpose are limited in their versatility of application because the manipulating and massaging action extends essentially the maximum reach of the table opening. In some instances, the apparatus is far more effective in the treatment of a patient when reciprocating movement is limited to short reaches, that is, to selected increments of the entire operative reach of the apparatus. This permits the treatment to be restricted to selected portions of a patient's body at places where treatment is necessary. Also, if the manipulating and massaging apparatus were easily controlled to reciprocate in varying selected increments of movement, diagnostic tests by the apparatus would be possible to locate trouble spots or injuries where the patient's symptons are vague and uncertain.

The present invention was conceived and developed with such and other considerations in view and comprises, in essence, a therapeutic manipulating machine having a reciprocable manipulating and massaging apparatus, such as that disclosed in the aforesaid copending application, which is modified by the inclusion of controls to indicate and restrict the reciprocating movement of the apparatus within the machine to any selected increment of its total range of movement. The position and movement of the reciprocating apparatus is indicated at a slot at the side wall of the machine. Limit stops are slidably and adjustably mounted in the slot and a pair of reversing switches are carried upon the manipulating and massaging apparatus adjacent to the slot to engage with the limit stops. The circuits to and from the reversing switch are associated with a drive motor actuating the carriage so that reversal of the drive motor to reverse the carriage movement occurs whenever the reversing switch contacts a stop.

It follows that an object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved control for reversing the shifting movement of the apparatus of a therapeutic manipulating machine, which permits the reciprocation of the apparatus to be restricted to any selected portion or increment of the full range of its reciprocation movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved control for limiting the shifting movement of the manipulating and massaging apparatus in a therapeutic manipulating machine to selected areas of a patient's body to manipulate and massage the areas and portions of a patient's body which need treatment and to avoid touching other areas and portions of the patient's body.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a therapeutic manipulating machine, a control apparatus to limit the reach and position of reciprocal movement of the manipulating and massaging apparatus therein, which may be quickly and easily adjusted to change the reach and position of the reciprocal movement while the apparatus is in operation to permit sequential and continuous treatment of various areas of a patient's body and also to permit the apparatus to be used for diagnostic problems.

Other objects of the invention are to provide in an apparatus of the type disclosed, an arrangement for controlling the reciprocal movement of the manipulating and massaging device of a therapeutic manipulating machine which is efficient, neat appearing, easy to use and reliable in its operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our present invention comprises certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in preferred embodiment by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a therapeutic manipulation machine constructed according to the present invention, but with the top cover being removed to show constructions otherwise hidden from view;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown at FIG. 1, but with portions of the side wall removed to show constructions within the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary interior isometric view of a front wall portion of the apparatus as viewed from the indicated arrow 3 at FIG. 1 to show portions of control members at this wall;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a microswitch control shown at FIG. 3, as viewed from the indicated arrow 4 at FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a stop shown at FIG. 3, as viewed from the indicated arrow 5 at FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail as viewed from the indicated line 6--6 at FIG. 5.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a therapeutic manipulating machine 10 which is a table-like structure enclosed in a walled cabinet 11 with a padded, flat, planar upper surface forming a padded table 12. An elongated, rectangular opening 13 is laterally, centrally located in the table surface 12 longitudinally adjacent one end thereof. The manipulating and massaging apparatus, hereinafter described, will be located underneath this table to extend upwardly into the opening to contact a patient lying upon the table. To avoid a direct contact of the apparatus with the patient, a flexible cover material, not shown, such as synthetic vinyl plastic or a thin pad of similar pliable material, is placed over the top of this table when it is in use. Designating a longitudinal side wall of the cabinet 11 is the front face wall of the cabinet 11a. A control panel 15 is provided at one corner of this front face wall to control various functions of the manipulating and massaging apparatus within the machine 10. A horizontal slot 16 is located in this front face wall near the top of the cabinet and coextensive with the opening 13 to permit the position of massaging apparatus therein to be observed.

The apparatus 20 within the enclosed cabinet is best shown at FIG. 2. This apparatus, shown generally as number 20, is mounted upon a carriage 21. The carriage 21 is a flat, rectangular framework supported upon wheels 22 which ride on longitudinal edge portions 17 of the base of the front face wall and rear wall of the cabinet to permit longitudinal reciprocation of the massaging apparatus 20. An upright support 23 depends from one end of the carriage 21 to support the treatment apparatus 20. Bearings 24 at the top of the support 23 carry cantilever arms 25 which, in turn, carry bearings 26 at their extended ends.

A triangular head 27 is formed as two spaced-apart, triangular plates mounted upon a shaft, not shown, which is journalled between the bearings 26. Shafts 28 edtend between the apex points of the plates forming the head 27, and resilient rollers 29 are journalled upon the shafts 28. A drive motor 30 is operatively connected to the head by a pulley-belt arrangement as indicated at 31 to effect rotation of the triangular head. A strut 32 is affixed to each cantilever arm 25 adjacent to the wall pivot 24 to be connected with a resilient pull cable 33 at the base of the apparatus. A motorized take-up control 34 tightens or releases the cable 33 to pivot the cantilever arm 25 and move the head 28 into or out of the opening 13 whereby the rollers may be set at a predetermined pressure against a patient. Then the manipulating and massaging operation will proceed while the head 27 is rotating the treatment rollers 29 reciprocating in the opening 13 and against a patient.

The carriage 21 moves longitudinally on the cabinet 11 to place the massage rollers 29 at various locations in the opening 13 and this movement is controlled by a lead screw 35 which is connected to a motor 36, which, in turn, is mounted upon a base 37 secured to the bottom 17 at one end of the cabinet 11, as illustrated at FIG. 2. The threads 38 of the lead screw 35 are self-reversing so that without changing the direction of motor rotation, the carriage 21, connected to the lead screw by a collar 38, will move to one end of the thread reach and then reverse its movement. At the same time, the head 27 will move back and forth in the opening 13. This reciprocation movement will be continued while the apparatus is in operation. The position of the carriage 21 within the cabinet, and the head 27 within the opening 13, is indicated by a standard 39 upstanding from a framework member of the carriage 21 at a position which is centered with the triangular heads 27 so that it is, also, at the position of a roller 29 when the roller is in the table opening 13. This top of the standard, within the cabinet 11, is positioned closely adjacent to the slot 16 where it may be easily seen.

This machine, as above described, is modified in minor respect to accommodate the present invention. First, a reversible motor 36 is provided, and arranged to be easily reversed. This is a simple matter without causing any special problems because the carriage is not heavy and it does not move fast. Thus, the motor need not be of a high horsepower and small horsepower electric motors are easily available.

The motor circuits 40 are modified to include reversing leads 40' which are extended to the standard 39 on carriage 21 where they connect with reversing switches 41 and 42. Each reversing switch 41 and 42 is a microswitch type having an actuating finger 41' and 42' which is pressed into the body of the switch to close the circuit. As such, these switches will function as limit switches, as will be described. The reversing switches 41 and 42 are mounted upon posts 43 which upstand from a flat shelf 44. This shelf is a short angle member having its vertical flange affixed to the standard 39 as by screws 45. The shelf is located near the top of the standard 39 and adjacent to the front wall of the cabinet 11 at a position which places the actuating fingers 41' and 42' of the microswitches 41 and 42 at the slot 16 where they can be observed. It is to be noted that these fingers 41' and 42' will lie closely adjacent to the inner wall of the cabinet to effectively contact limit stops 50 in the slot 16.

These microswitches are controlled by a pair of opposing limit stops 50 and 51 which are mounted upon the front wall of the cabinet 11 at the slot 16. Thus, the movement of the standard 39 will be between these limit stops. Each stop 50 and 51 includes a flat, rectangular front plate 52 which lies against the outer face of the wall 11 and is proportioned to overlap the slot. That edge of each front plate 52 which lies away from the opposing front plate is turned outwardly to form a finger ledge 53 to faiclitate pushing the stop to selected positions on the slot. The opposite edge of each front plate, which lies toward the opposing front plate, is narrowed to a strap slightly narrower than the slot 16 and this strap is folded through the slot 16 and against the front plate 52 to form an abutment 54 which contacts the finger 41' and 42' of a reversing switch. This abutment 54, as best illustrated at FIGS. 3 and 6, includes a first portion 55 flattened against the back of the plate 52 and a third spaced portion 57, spaced behind the plate 52. A switch finger 41' and 42' contacts the sloping portion when it is moved against this limit stop.

To hold this front plate 52 of the limit stop in place with a snug but slidable fit along the slot 16, an H-shaped slide 58 is mounted against the inner side of the wall of cabinet 11 with a leg of the H-slide 58 bearing against the wall of the cabinet 11 at each side of the slot. The cross bar 59 of the H-slide spans the slot and lies underneath the spaced portion 57 of the plate and is secured to the plate by a flat head machine screw 60, best shown at FIG. 6. The legs of this H-slide 58 may be arched slightly to resiliently bear against the cabinet wall 11 to provide a selected resilient pressure.

In use of the modified arrangement, as hereinabove described, the limit stops 50 and 51 may be shifted to any selected position in the slot 16. The machine may then be started by proper exercise of the cabinet controls at the panel 15. The head 27 of the manipulating and massaging apparatus will commence to rotate and at the same time the rotation of motor 36 to drive the lead screw 35 will commence moving the carriage 21 underneath the table. As soon as a reversing switch 41 or 52 contacts its limit stop 50 or 51, the motor 36 will then reverse to reverse the movement of the carriage. It will then continue this reversed movement until the reversing switch 42 or 41 strikes its limit stop 51 or 50, whereupon reversal of the motor 36 again occurs to change the movement of the carriage to its original direction. It is obvious that the range of movement can be easily controlled by shifting limit stops 50 and 51 in the slot 16. The total range of movement may be attained with these stops at opposite ends of the slot and any selected increment of movement can also be attained by selective positioning of these stops.

It becomes obvious from the foregoing description that the various arrangements of components can be easily reversed. For example, a stop may be formed upon the carriage standard 39 and the reversing switches may be positioned upon slides carried in the slot 16. Moreover, the arrangement can be desirably incorporated into a therapeutic manipulating machine using any type of a manipulating and massaging apparatus which is carried back and forth by an actuator such as a lead screw. Hence, it is obvious that others skilled in the art can build, device alternate and equivalent constructions which are nevertheless within the spirit and scope of our invention. Hence, we desire that our protection be limited not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A therapeutic manipulating machine for manipulating and massaging portions of a patient's body, of the type which includes a table with an elongated opening in the top wherein a patient may lie, a carriage below the table riding upon a guide means to reciprocate longitudinally back and forth thereunder through a reach correlated with the length of the table opening, and a manipulating and massaging means carried by the carriage to extend into the aforesaid elongated opening to contact the body of a patient lying upon the table and to shift back and forth in this opening through a reach corresponding to the movement of the carriage, the improvement comprising:

a. said table includes a cabinet having a wall at one side thereof and a slot is formed in said wall at the position of the table opening;

b. reciprocating means to reciprocably shift the carriage means back and forth;

c. manually settable limit means including a position indicating standard mounted on the carriage adjacent said slot, controlling the reciprocating means to limit the reciprocable movement of the carriage to any selected incremental portion of the aforesaid reach,

d. reversing switch means mounted upon said standard at said slot to reverse the movement of the carriage reciprocating means whenever said reversing switch means is contacted, and

e. manually shiftable limit stop means mounted upon the table at each side of said slot to contact said reversing switch means and to restrict the reciprocation movement of the carriage to the increment defined by the space between the opposing limit stop means.

2. In the machine defined in claim 1 wherein said reversing switch means comprises a pair of microswitches with an activating finger of each microswitch adapted to be contacted by the stop means.

3. In the machine defined in claim 1 wherein said limit stops include a front plate at the outer side of the cabinet wall overlapping the slot, a strip formed as an extension of the front plate folded through the stop to form an abutment surface to engage a reversing switch means, and a resilient H-slide at the inner side of the cabinet wall to hold the front plate in place.