US2960986A - Therapeutic heat and massage table - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 22, 1960 a. F. GIBBONS THERAPEUTIC HEAT AND MASSAGE TABLE Filed May 29, 1959 I10 VOLTS Fae} IN V EN TOR. BEN J'AHIN F. GIBBONS Feed TTERAPEUTIC HEAT AND MASSAGE TABLE Benjamin F. Gibbons, 225 Lake St., Girard, Pa.

Filed May 29, 1959, Ser. No. 816,910

1 Claim. (Cl. 128373) This invention relates to therapeutic heat and massage tables.

The present invention relates to massage tables for use in homes, masseur establishments, beauty salons, therapeutic clinics, etc. and, more particularly, to heated types of therapeutic devices.

In devices of the type disclosed herein made according to previous designs, the heat is usually supplied by heating elements which depend largely on convection currents for transmitting heat to the patient. Other devices of this kind were not properly ventilated because they were open at the ends only. Still others were inconvenient to use because of the design thereof.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the defects of previous massage tables and, more particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a massage table which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, efiicient in use, and which will heat a local part of the body of the patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a therapeutic table wherein the heat is applied by radiation, as opposed to convection, from an improved array of heat sources.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved therapeutic table.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved structure for applying heat to local parts of a patients body.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side view of a therapeutic heat and massage device with exercising device thereon according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with the exercising device removed and one of the hoods in a lowered position; and

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram for the device.

Now with more specific reference to the drawing, a therapeutic heat and massage table is shown. A table top 11 is supported by legs 12 held rigidly by braces 13. A storage compartment 14 and a control panel 15 are attached to the table 10 at one end and on the under surface of the table top 11. The compartment 14 also contains a lamp bulb for heating medicinal supplies such as alcohol and other medicines in order to facilitate their use.

Reflecting hoods 16 and 17 are hinged at 23 and 25 to the rear edge of the table top 11. The hoods 16 and 17 are in the shape of half cylinders and may be described as hemi-cylindrical in shape. The hoods 16 and 17 are made of sheet material attached at their ends to ice rods 40 by small bolts or the like which are bent in the form of an arch at each end and connected by a rod 41 welded at each end to the rod 40. The sheet material terminates above the top surface of the table adjacent hinges 23 and 25, thereby providing a clearance space for convection currents to circulate therethrough and up over the body of the patient. The rod 41 rests on top of the table top 11 when in operative position. The hoods 16 and 17 have light bulbs 18 attached to the inner concave surfaces thereof. The bulbs 18 may be sixty watt bulbs of the common variety. The hoods 16 and 17 are made of a rigid material and have a highly reflecting surface. The hoods 16 and 17 are spaced longitudinally, leaving a space therebetween for ventilation purposes and to increase the convection currents and thus enhance heating the body of the patient in addition to the radiant heating.

Fig. 1 discloses the hoods 16 and 17 in an open position showing the lamp bulbs 18. An electric circuit is provided having an individual switch 38 for each bulb 18 so that the bulb 18 can be individually controlled from the control panel 15. A master switch 39 is provided in series with the individual switches 38 so that the bulbs 18 can be turned off simultaneously from the mister safety switch 39 which can be disposed in a flexible cord suitable to be held in the hand of the patient. By selectively turning on only certain bulbs 18, heat can be directed locally to any part of the body of the patient that requires treatment. The light bulbs 18 are arranged in a pattern of four with one bulb at the top of the hoods 16 and 17 and at the center of the pattern of four bulbs. For example, the bulbs at the left end will direct heat onto the feet of the patient, the bulb at the center to the calves of his legs, the two at the center will direct heat to his knees, the two at the center on the right hand hood will direct heat to his chest, and the two bulbs to the right will direct heat to his shoulders. The patient will lie under the hoods with his head out at the right and his shoulders under the hoods. A sheet may be spread over the entire device to prevent convection currents from carrying the heat away from the patient. One hood may be raised if the feet and legs only of the patient are to be treated.

When the hoods 16 and 17 are in the open position, an exercising device 19 can be supported on the table 10. Brackets 32 are attached to the table top 11 as shown in Fig. 1. U-shaped supports 29, 30, and 31 are attached to the table 10 and extend upwardly therefrom. The support 29 extends up higher than the support 30 and the support 3% is higher than the support 31. Weights 26 are attached to one end of cables 22 which pass through pulleys 28, then angle still further upwardly and through pulleys 34, and are attached to stirrup handles 21 at the other end. One end of the cable 22 is attached to foot stirrups 20 and the other end is attached to the weights 26. Patients can then exercise their legs by lifting the weights 26 connected to the cables 22. The supports 29, 3t and 31 may be made of any suitable tubing or piping. The pulleys 28 and 34 are suspended from the overhanging parts of the supports 30 and 29, respectively.

For hand, arm, shoulder, neck, etc. exercising, the support 31 is at or about the shoulders of the patient on the table top 11 and the handles 21 are connected to weights 26 by cables 27 running through pulleys 35 and 36. The pulleys 35 are suspended from the support 31 and the pulleys 36 are fixed to the extreme head of the table top 11 as shown.

Thus, with the hoods 16 and 17 in their open positions and the desired bulbs 18 predetermined as the proper ones for treatment turned on, a patient can receive a heat treatment and exercise his limbs on the exercising device 19 at the same time.

In Fig. 2, the apparatus is shown with one hood 17 in an operating position and the other hood 16 in an open position. A patient using the table 10 may open or close either hood 16 or 17 as desired for treatment. A-step 33 isprovided to assist the patient to get up onto the table 10.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification Within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim. V

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege isclaimed are defined as follows: w r

' A therapeutic heat and massage table comprising a support surface, two longitudinally spaced hemi-cylina reflecting inside surface, one side of said marginal frame being hingedly connected to one side of said support surface, the other side resting on said support surface and adapted to swing upwardly on said hinged connection, said sheet material terminating above said sides of said frame which engage said support surface whereby convection currents may enter and circulate through the inside of said hoods and out between the space between said hoods and out the ends thereof, spaced electric bulbs attached to the inside of said hoods, and individual switches for said bulbs whereby some of said bulbs can be selectively turned on to apply heat locally to individual parts of a patient. a a r a 7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 791,232 Wolpers May 30, 1905 1,643,399 Wentworth Sept. 27, 1927 2,527,101 Maddox Oct. 24, 1950 2,632,645 Barkschat Mar. 24, 1953

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