US785639A - Body-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

No. 785,639. PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

W. w. SEIDLER.

BODY STRETGHER.

'APPLIOATION FILED AUG.17, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 wizlmwom No." 785,639. PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

.w. w. SEIDLER.

BODY STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PATENTED MAR. 21,1905.

V W. W. SEIDLER.

BODY STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1904.

Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WILSON SEIDLER, OF BOVVIE, TEXAS.

BODY-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,639, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed August 17, 1904. Serial No. 221,136.

T on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WIL IAM WILSON SEID- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bowie, in the county of Montague, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Body-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the fol-lowing to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for stretching and exercising the muscles of the human body, and has for its object to provide anarrangement by which the body may be stretched in different ways either by the person himself or by another.

OtllQPObjGCtS and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and any suitable materials may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a view showing the apparatus in use to stretch the body, leg, and neck muscles. Fig. 2 is a view showing the apparatus used to stretch the arm-muscles. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the head-bandage. Fig. 4-. is a perspective view of the wrist-bandage. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the ankle-bandage. Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of head-bandage. Fig. 7 is a view showing a modified form of the lever mechanism. Fig. 8 is an end elevation.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a bed or table 7, surrounded by a frame 8, having pulleys 9 therein. Bandages 10 are rovided, which will be hereinafter described, and are secured to the feet of the patient to be treated, as shown, these bandages being provided with hooks 11, to which are connected the free ends of cables 12, which join to form a main cable 13. which is engaged with one of the pulleys 9 in the frame.

A head-bandage lL is provided which is disposed about the head of the patient, and this bandage is provided with a hook at its top,

with which is engaged a second cable 16, and this cable is also engaged with one of the pulleys 9 of the frame.

The frame includes two upright portions 17 and 18 and connecting top portions 19, the upright portion 17 being disposed at the foot of the table 7, While the upright portion 18 is disposed at the head thereof, and the pulleys with which the cables 13 and 16 are engaged are. secured to the portions 17 and 18, respectively, and the free ends of the two cables are secured to the ends of a pair of levers 20, which are pivoted together, as shown, and these levers may be operated, as will be readily understood, to draw the cables through the pulleys, thus stretching the neck, body, and leg muscles of the patient. The levers are disposed directly above the table 7 in such a way that they may be operated by the patient or by an attendant, as desired. The uprights l7 and 18 include vertical end pieces a and connecting horizontal rails b.

When it is desired to stretch the arm-muscles of a patient, the frame 8 is shifted to bring its upright portions to the sides of the table, and the cables are connected with bandages 21, secured to the wrists of the patient and having hooks 22, both of the cables 12 being engaged with one of the hooks, while the cable 16 is engaged with the other. The levers 20 are now operated by the attendant to tighten the cables and stretch the arms of the patient, as will be readily understood.

Each of the upright portions 17 and 18 includes a transverse member 23, having a longitudinal slot 24 extending throughout a portion of its length, and to these members are attached the pulleys 9, with which the cables 13 and 16 are engaged. Slidably mounted in the slots 24 are blocks 25, having means for clamping them at difierent points of their sliding movement, and to these blocks are connected pulleys 26, with which the cables 13 and 16 are also engaged, and it will be readily understood that by moving the blocks 25 toward and away from the pulleys 9 the cables may be adjusted to suit dilferentconditions,

movement of the blocks and the pulleys 26 I taking up any slack in the cable.

The bandages each comprise ankle-straps 27, provided with buckles 27 and heel-straps 28, the hooks 11 being secured to the latter. The wrist-bandages 21 each include a portion 29, having straps and 31 secured thereto at one end and arranged for connection thereto at their remaining ends by means of buckles 32 to hold the portions 29 and the straps to the wrists, and secured at its ends to one edge of the portion 29, adjacent to the ends thereof, is a strap 33, arranged to lie between the thumb and first finger, these straps 33 having hooks 22 secured thereto.

The head-bandage 14 consists of two straps 3a and 35, secured together between their ends, the ends of each strap being connected by buckles 36, the point of union of the two straps being arranged to lie upon the top of the head of the patient with the strap 34 extending beneath the chin and the strap 35 extending around the back of the head. Connectingstraps 37 are secured at their ends of the straps 34 and 35 and lie one against either cheek of the wearer, and a strap 38 is secured at its ends to the strap 34: and is arranged to lie against the chin of the wearer. The hook 15 is secured to the head-bandage at the point of union of the two straps 34 and 35.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a modified form of the invention especially adapted for stretching the arms or for stretching the head without stretching the body-muscles, this form consisting of two members a and b, which are pivoted together adjacent to their upper ends and which are provided with sharpened pins 0 in their lower ends. A lever (Z is employed, and when in use this lever is passed through the hook 15 of the head-bandage, the members a and 6 being disposed with their pins 0 engaged with the surface upon which the table 7 rests. The lower end of the lever d is disposed between the upper ends of the members a and 6, these members acting as a pivot for the lever, and the lever may be moved to stretch the muscles of the head and neck, as will be readily understood. In stretching the arms singly the same apparatus is used and the lever d is'connected with the wrist-bandage.

and the pulleys may be secured to the walls of a room.

What is claimed is- 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, pulleys mounted in the frame, cables engaged with the pulleys, means for attaching the cables at one end to the human body, means for moving the cables through the pulleys to stretch the body, and means independent of the cable-moving means for taking up slack in the cables.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a frame including upright portions arranged for disposal at opposite sides of a table, a pulley secured to each upright portion, a cable engaged with each pulley, means carried by one end of each cable for attachment to the body of a patient lying upon the table, a lever connected to the remaining end of each cable,'said levers being pivoted together for movement to draw the cables to stretch the body of the patient, said levers being disposed for operation by the patient.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM WILSON SEIDLER.

Witnesses:

0. W. PRESTON, W. F. MULL.

If desired, the framework may be omitted

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