Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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This invention relates to an apparatus for
chiropractic therapy and massage, and more particularly
an apparatus which performs a chiropractic therapy
and massage, using pressure rollers which make a
reciprocating movement.
The apparatus of this sort generally has a
construction, which comprises a housing with a sheet
stretched over an open side thereo-f and a support
frame supporting pressuEe means carrying a plurality
of pressure rollers and mounted for reciprocating
movement in the housing. The support frame is driven
by a power source such as a reversible motor for
reciprocating movement within the housing, whereby a
user lying on the sheet is massaged by the pressure
rollers of the pressure means.
Strictly speaking, the chiropractic therapy and
massage are different in sense. The former refers to
pressure treatment on the body by pressure rollers
temporarily held in a fixed position, while the latter
refers to the operation of massage the body by pressure
rollers moved with the movement of the support frame.
However, both the chiropractic therapy and massage are
usually thought to be the same thing, so their strict
distinction is not always made in the following
description.
With the chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus
of the above construction, the user's weight is applied
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to the support frame. This, therefore, tends to
o~struct the smooth reciprocating movement of the
support frame and thus reduce the chiropractic or
massage effect. It is thus necessary to provide a
mechanism for ensuring the reliable transmission of
the driving force from the power source to the support
frame.
In the well-known chiropractic therapy and massage
apparatus, the driving force from power source is
transmitted to support frame by a chain or a wire.
Where a chain is used, the driving force from the power
source can be securely transmitted to the support frame
because the chain is not slip. On the demerit side,
however, the chain is very e~pensive compared with the
wire, and also the use of the chain leads to the
generation of noise. In the case of using a wire,
although it is inexpensive compared with the chain and
does not produce noise, the wire is liable to generate
slip because it is subject to elongation with a change
of its tension caused when driving the support frame
with a heavy load. The generation of slip is undesired
from the standpoint of smooth driving of the support
frame.
In another aspect, in the well-known chiropractic
therapy and massage apparatus the stroke of recipro-
cation of the support frame along the housing is
usually fixed and cannot be freely varied by the user.
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More particularly, with the prior-art chiropractic
therapy and massage apparatus the stroke of the support
frame, i.e., the stroke oE the pressure means including
a plurality of pressure rollers, is set such that the
pressure rollers are moved substantially over the whole
body of the user lying on sheet. Therefore, while the
apparatus is useful when it is desired to obtain
chiropractic therapy or massage over the whole body,
inconvenience is felt when it is desired to obtain
concentrated chiropractic therapy or massage on a
portion of the body.
In a further aspect, with the apparatus satis-
factory chiropractic therapy or massage effect cannot
be obtained unless strong urging forces are exerted by
- 15 the pressure rollers of the pressure means running
within the housing to the body of the user lying on the
sheet. ~ccordingly, cloth having expansible character
is used as the sheet stretched on the open side of the
housing so that it is deformed by the user lying on it
; 20 to let the user's body be sufficiently sunk in the
housing and thereby increase the urging force applied
by the pressure rollers to the user.
However, if the urging force exerted by the
pressure rollers is increased in this way, it is likely
that large load is applied to the sheet when the user
lies thereon or the body of the user is vertically
rocked with the sheet as the pressure rollers are moved
.
along the underside of the user. Therefore, the user's
body is liable to strike through the sheet the hard
inner wall of the housing or wire or chain stre-tched
within the housing and driven by the power source for
driving the pressure rollers. If this occurs, the user
feels displeasure. Also, the sheet is rubbed by the
wire or the chain so that it is damaged soon.
In a still further aspect, there has recently been
contemplated to enhance the chiropractic therapy or
massage effect of pressure rollers by permitting strong
pressure to be applied to what is called particular
physiological spot of the body with a number of
protuberances provided on the outer periphery of the
pressure rollers. The particular physiological spots of
the body are located along the opposite sides of the
backbone, so that it is in general practice to provide a
pair of pressure rollers on a shaft such that these
rollers are moved along the opposite sides of the
backbone.
However, the backbone becomes progressively
thicker, although slightly, from the spinal column
toward the lumber vertebra, and the distance between
the opposite side particular physiological sports is
progressively increased with the increase of the
thickness of the backbone. Therefore, where a pair of
pressure rollers provided with peripheral protuberances
are driven with shaft carrying them at a fixed space
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through the housing, the pressure effect of the
protuberances are not given to the whole particular
physiological spots, that is, satisfactory chiropractic
therapy and massage cannot be obtained.
Even in this case, the protuberances provided on
the periphery of the pair of pressure rollers press
the particular physiological spots and can give local
pressure effect. However, it is only small local
portions of the body that are given strong forces by
the protuberances of the pressure rollers, and what
is called massage effect, i.e., the effect of rubbing
the whole muscle of the body, is hardly obtained.
Therefore, for concurrently obtaining both the
chiropractic therapy effect and massage effect it is
necessary to provide pressure means having pressure
rollers without any protuberance and serving to provide
the massage effect as well as pressure means having
pressure rollers provided with protuberances.
In a yet further aspect, the smaller the stroke of
the support frame the greater the number of cycles of
pressure application by the pressure rollers per unit
time so that the greater is the massage effect. While
in the usual chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus
the pressure means has only a single pair of pressure
rollers for massaging the whole body from the neck
through the hip to the legs, to improve the chiropractic
effect or massage effect. There has been proposed an
3578
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apparatus which has two pressure roller pairs mounted
in a support frame in such a manner that these pairs
are spaced apart from each other in the lonyitudinal
direction of the housing. With this type of
chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus, the
pressure roller pair on the side of the head of the
user serves to apply pressure to a portion of the body
from the neck to the hip while the other pressure roller
pair applies pressure to the other portion of the body,
namely from the hip to the end of the legs. In this
chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus, the pressure
rollers of each pair are mounted on a shaft with the
same space provided for the protuberance of one roller
of the pair with respect to that of the other roller.
However, the particular physiological spots on the
opposite sides of the backbone and those of the legs are
spaced apart by different distances. In the naturally
lying state of the body, the distance between the
particular physiological spots of the legs is greater
than the distance between the those on the opposite
sides of the bac]cbone. Therefore, with the fixed space
of the protuberances of the pressure rollers in the
axial direction of the shaft thereof, the user lying
in the natural state cannot obtain pressure effect
concurrently on the particular physiological spots on
the opposite sides of the backbone and on those of the
legs. If it is intended to obtain both the chiropractic
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therapy effect and massage effect of the pressure
roller pairs, the user has to change his posture from
the natural one~ for instance by changing the distance
between the legs to meet the lateral space of the
protuberances of the pressure roller pair positioned
on the side of the legs.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide
an apparatus for chiropractic therapy and massage, in
which the support frame is smoothly reciprocated by
using a wire.
To achieve this object, the apparatus for
chiropractic therapy and massage according to this
invention comprises means coupled to both ends oE a
wire for absorb_ng the elongation and contraction of
the wire, and means for coupling the both ends of the
wire to a support frame for transmitting the driving
force of the wire directly to the support frame without
transmitting the driving force to absorbing means.
The above and further objects and novel features of
the invention will more fully appear from the following
detailed description when the same is read in connection
with the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood,
however, that the drawing is purpose of illustration
only and is not intended as a definition of the limits
of the invention.
This invention can be more fully understood from
the following detailed description when taken in
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conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figs. 1-1 and 1-2 are a longitudinal sectional
view showing a first embodiment of the apparatus for
chiropractic therapy and massage according to the
invention;
Figs. 2-1 and 2-2 are a plan view of the first
embodiment with sheet thereof removed;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view showing wire
coupling means in the first embodiment;
Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the manner in
which pressure means is moved along rails;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the relation
between a support frame and stroke control means;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view showing the
pressure means;
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a
slee~7e;
Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the pressure means;
Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line IX-IX o~
Fig. 8; and
Figs. 10-1, 10-2, 11-1 and 11-2 are views
respectively similar to Figs. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 and 2-2 but
showing a second embodiment of the invention.
Now, embodiments of the invention will be described
in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings~
The construction of the preferred embodiment will
be outlined. As shown in Figs. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 and 2-2,
57~3
9 _
the chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus 10
according to the invention comprises a housing 12, which
is adapted to support a user lying on it~ A support
frame 14 is mounted for reciprocating movement within
the housing 14. In the support frame 14, pressure means
16 carrying pressure rollers are mounted. The support
frame 14 supporting the pressure means 16 is disposed on
rails 17 provided within the housing 12 and is coupled
to a wire 18. The wire 18 is driven by a power source
21 having a reversible motor 20. When the wire 18 is
driven the support frame 14 is moved along the rails 17,
whereby the user on the housing is given chiropractic
therapy and massage by the pressure rollers of the
pressure means 16. When the support Erame 14 is moved
to cover a predetermined stroke, it causes sliding
action of a control bar 22, which constitutes stroke
control means 23 and is provided within the housing, to
cause switching of a switch 24. With this switching of
the switch 24 the reversible motor 20 is exchanged to
reverse the direction movement of the support frame 14.
When the support Erame 14 has been moved in the opposite
direction to cover the predetermined stroke, the motor
20 is reversed again to cause reversal of the direction
of movement of the support frame. In this way, the
support frame 14 is reciprocated with the switch 24
- switched every time the stroke is covered. The stroke
of the support frame 14 can be changed when the control
-- 10 --
bar 22 is elastical]y deformed by stroke selection
means 26.
Now, the component parts of the chiropractic
therapy and massage apparatus 10 will be described in
5 detail. As shown in Figs. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 and 2-2, the
housing 12 is in the form of a box-line shape and is
open at its top, and a sheet 28 of cloth or the like
capable of expansion and contraction is stretched to
cover the open side of the housing. A pair of parallel
rails 17 extend within the housing 12 in the longi-
tudinal direction thereof. The support frame 14 is
constituted by first support 30 and second support 32
spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, the first
support 30 being positioned on the side of the head of
the user and the second support 32 positioned on the
side of the legs of the user. ~ pair of connection
plates 34 connect the opposite ends of these supports
30 and 32. The supports 30 and 32 each have a shaft
36, which carries wheels 38 mounted on it at the
opposite ends. These wheels 38 run along the rails
17, whereby the support frame 17 is moved along the
rails 17.
As seen from Figs. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 and 2-2, the power
source 21 is mounted within the housing 12 at the left
hand end thereof, and it includes a reversible motor 20
and a speed change gear 40. A shaft ~2 horizontally
extends from the speed change gear 40 and carries a
-- 11 --
drive pulley 44 secured to it. A driven pulley 46 is
provided within the housing 12 at the right hand end
thereof, and its shaft 47 vertically extends. The wire
18 is stretched between these pulleys 44 and 46. An
auxiliary pulley 49 is provided in the neighborhood of
the drive pulley 44 for ensuring sufficient contact of
the wire 18 with the drive pulley 44.
As shown in Fig. 3, the opposite ends of the wire
18 are coupled by wire coupling means 50 to the first
support 30 and second support 32 of the support frame
14. The wire coupling means 50 includes a pair of
- coupling members 52 and 53, such as pins, respectively
coupled to the opposite ends of the wire 18 and a
pair of support members 5~ and 55 depending from the
respective supports 30 and 32. It also includes a pair
of interlock bars 56 and 57 made from, for instance,
a hard steel wire. The interlock bar 56 is slidable
with respect to the coupling member 52 and the support
member 54, and the interlock bar 57 is slidable with
respect to the coupling member 53 and the support
member 55. These interlock bars 56 and 57 respec~ively
have loop portions 58 and 59 formed at their one end.
; The loop portions 58 and 59 are slidable along the
respective coupling members 52 and 53. The interlock
bars 56 and 57 also have respective stoppers 60 and 61,
such as flanges, which restrict the movement of the
loop portions 58 and 59 with respect to the coupling
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:
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members 52 and 53. The other end portion of each of
the interlock bars 56 and 57 is slidably supported in
a loop portion of each of the support members 54 and
55, and these other end portions include respective bent
retainer portions 62 and 63 for preventing detachment
of the interlock bars from the support members so as
to act as stoppers. Elongation/contraction absorbing
means 68 for absorbing the elongation and contraction of
the wire 18 is connected between the coupling members 52
and 53. In this embodiment, the elongation/contraction
means 68 is in the form of a tension spring, but it
is to be understood that any other member having the
function of absorbing the elongation and contraction of
wire can be used in lieu of the tension spring.
When the reversible motor 20 of the power source 21
is rotated in a direction of moving the support frame 14
to the left in Figs. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 and 2-2, the wire 18
is driven in the direction oE arrow L shown in Fig. 3.
At the time, the wire 18 is momentarily driven until a
state, in which the stopper 60 is in contact with the
loop portion 58 of the interlock bar 56 and the bent
retainer 62 thereof is in contact with support member
54. Then, the wire 18 pulls the support 30 with the
interlock bar 56l thus moving the support frame 14 to
the left. At this time, the support 32 is moved with
the support 30, so that no pulling force is transmitted
from the support 32 to the coupling rnember 53 through
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the interlock bar 57. When the wire 18 is driven in
the direction of arrow R, similar function takes place,
and the wire 18 pulls this time the support 32 through
the interlock bar 57, thus moving the support frame
14 to the right. At this time, no pulling force is
transmitted to the coupling member 52. In the above
way, the support frame 14 is reciprocated. The
interlock bar 56 or 57 is drivingly coupled to the
support 30 or 32 through the coupling member 52 or 53
according to the direction of driving of the wire 18,
so that the wire pulls the support 30 or 32. At this
time, the other interlock bar is free, i.e., is not
drivingl~ coupled to the other support, so that the
tension in the wire 18 is directly transmitted to
either support through the associated coupling member
and interlock bar and is not transmitted to the tension
spring 68. Thus, the support frame 14 can be smoothly
moved by the wire 18, and the tension spring 68 will
not be damaged by the tension in the wire 18. Further,
if the wire 18 undergoes elongation or contraction,
this elongation or contraction is absorbed by the
urging force of the tension spring 68 connected between
the opposite ends of the wire 18. Thus, fluctuation of
the wire tension can be prevented and drive pulley 44 is
kept constant. In this way, the wire 18 is driven under
a constant tension and smooth driving of the support
frame 14 can be ensured.
.
35~7~
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The rails 17 have a plurality of cam portions 70
(see Figs. 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 and 2-2) to cause vertical
displacement of the support frame 14 running therealong
; and vertical displacement of the pressure means 16
supported on the support frame 14 These cam portions
70 are formed at positions corresponding to the neck and
legs of the user, when the user is lying on the sheet 28
provided at the open top of the housing 12 as shown in
Fig. 4. In other words, the rails 17 have a profile
practically conforming to the profile of the back of the
user so that the pressure rollers of the pressure means
16 may apply uniform pressure to the user's back over
their entire stroke.
As shown in Figs. 2-1 and 2-2, a pair of support
members 72 are provided on -the inner wall of the housing
12, and an elastically deformable control bar 22 for
controlling the stroke of the support frame 14 extends
in the direction of movement of the support frame 14 and
is supported by the support members 72 such that it is
slidable relative thereto but is incapable of detachment
therefrom. The control bar 22 is made from a hard
steel, and it has horizontally projecting bent portions
76 and 77 provided near its opposite ends and also a
further horizontally projecting bent portion 78 provided
in its intermediate portion. As shown in Fig. 5, an
actuating pin 80 downwardly projects from the second
support 32 of the support frame 14, and it is capable
:
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of engaging the bent portions 76, 77 and 78 of the
control bar 22. When the support frame 14 is being
moved by the wire 18, the actuating pin 80 comes to
engagement with either one of the bent portions 76, 77
and 78, whereby the control bar 22 is moved with the
support frame.
The control bar 22 has a hair-pin-like left hand
end 81, and the switch 24, for instance a microswitch,
is provided within the housing 12 such that it co-
operates with the hair-pin-like end 81. When the
control bar 22 is moved with the support frame 14,
an action of switching of the switch 24 by its hair-
pin-like end 81 takes place, and with this action the
direction of rotation of the reversible motor of the
power source is reversed.
As shown in Fig. 2-2, the stroke selection means
26 for changing the stroke of the support frame 14 is
provided on one side wall of the housing 12. The
stroke selection means 26 comprises an operation box
82 provided on the outer wall surface of the housing
12, and a select lever 84 pivotable about a pin 83 is
accommodated within the operation box such that its end
portion projects therefrom. The stroke selection means
26 further includes a connecting rod 86 penetrating
the wall of the housing 12. The connecting rod 86 is
coupled at one end by a pin (not shown) to the other
end of the select lever 84, and is coupled at the other
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end to the control bar 22, which extends through a hole
(not shown) formed in the other end of the connecting
rod. When the select lever 84 is rotated in the
clockwise direction about the pin 83, the rod 86 is
outwardly displaced, thus causing deformation of the
elastically deformable control lever 22 toward the
side wall of the housing as shown by broken lines in
Figs. 2-1 and 2-2. At this time, the displacement of
the central portion of the control bar 22 is greater
than the displacement of the end portions, and thus the
central bent portion 78 is displaced sidewise to a
greater extent than the other bent portions 76 and 77
in the end portions. In effect, the control bar 22 is
deformed by the connecting rod 86 un-til the actuating
pin 80 of the support 32 (Fig. 5) is no longer capable
of engaging the central bent portion 78. The operation
box 82 is also provided with a timer 88 for setting the
operation period of the power source 21.
The rails 17 are provided at their opposite ends
with stoppers 90, being four in number, for preventing
the detachment of the support frame 1~ from them.
On the opposite sides of the wire 18, which is
stretched along the bottom of the housing 12, a pair
of elastic protective members 92 of a semi-hard foam
material are attached to the bottom wall. These
protective members have a thickness greater than the
height of the wire 18 from the bottom. When the user
~5~3578
lies on the sheet 28, great load is applied to -the
sheet. In such a case and also with the vertical
rocking Gf the user lying on the sheet caused with
the reciprocating movement of the support frame 14,
the sheet is greatly deformed so that the user tends
to sink into the housing 12. In this case, however,
the downward load is received by the elastic protective
members 92 through the deformed sheet 28, and the user
does not feel any displeasure at all by virtue of the
soft touch of the elastic protective members. ~n
addition, since the elastic protective members 92 have
a thickness greater than the height of the wire 18 from
the housing bottom, there is no possibility for the
sagging sheet 28 to be rubbed and damaged by the
wire. As an inexpensive and highly elastic material
of the elastic protective members 92, polyethylene foam
may be used.
The shaft 36 mounted in the first support 30 of
the support frame 14 carries a pair of first sleeves
102 fitted on its central portion. As shown in Fig. 6,
each of these first sleeves 102 has a peripheral
annular recess 104, in which a pressure roller of the
` pressure means 16 is mounted, and also has a plurality
; of, for instance four, engagement extensions 106
axially extending from its one end. As shown in
Fig. 7, the engagement extensions 106 of each sleeve
` are radially uniformly spaced apart such that the gaps
-
.
3s~78
- 18 -
between adjacent extensions are enough to receive the
engagement extensions of the other sleeve. As shown in
Fig. 6, the pair sleeves 102 are loosely fitted on the
central portion of the shaft 36 such that the
engagement extensions 106 of each sleeve lie in -the
gaps between adjacent engagement extensions of the
other sleeve. Thus, the sleeves 102 can be rotated
with each other on the shaft 36 due to the engagement
of their engagement extensions 106, and also they can
be independently moved toward or away from each other
in the axial direction of the shaft. The chiropractic
roller 108, which is the first pressure roller of the
pressure means 16 and is mounted in the peripheral
annular recess 104 of each sleeve 102, is made of an
elastic material such as hard rubber and has a number
of partial spherical protuberances 111 projecting from
its outer periphery near its inner end. The shaft 36
also carries a pair of second sleeves 112 loosely
fitted on its opposite end portions. Each of these
second sleeves 112 has an annular recess (not shown),
in which a massage roller as the second pressure
roller of the pressure means 16 is mounted. Each
second sleeve has a well-known sleeve form without any
engagement extension. The massage roller 114 has a
greater width dimension than the chiropractic therapy
roller 108, and it is also made of an elastic material
such as hard rubber and has a number of partial
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cylindrical axial ridges 116 formed on its outer
periphery. A compression spring 118 is interposed
between each first sleeve 102 and the corresponding
second sleeve 112. The compression spring 118 urges
the associated first sleeve 102 and second sleeve 112
away from each other, so that the pair first sleeves
102 provided on the central portion of the shaft 36
are urged toward each other (see Fig. 8).
The shaft 36 mounted in the second support 32 of
the support frame 14, like the shaft 36 mounted in the
first support 30, carries first and second pair sleeves
102 and 112 rotatably fitted on it. As shown in
Fig. 8, second chiropractic rollers 120 which are third
pressure rollers of the pressure means 16 are mounted
in the respective first sleeves 102, and second massage
rollers 122 of the pressure means 16 are mounted in the
respective second sleeves 112. The second chiropractic
rollers 120 are each made of an elastic material and
has a number of partial spherical protuberances 124.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first chiropractic
rollers 108 and second chiropractic rollers 120 are
identical rollers except that they are installed on the
respective shafts 36 in opposite orientation. More
particularly, the first pair chiropractic rollers 108
are installed on their shaft 36 such that their ends,
adjacent to which the protuberances are provided, face
each other, whereas the second pair chiropractic
::;
. . .
7f~
- 20 -
rollers 120 are installed on their shaft 36 such that
their ends remote from the protuberances face each
other. The first and second pair massage rollers 119
and 122 are identical rollers and installed in the same
way on their respective shafts 36.
A control plate 126 in the form of a belt is
provided for controlling the operation of the
chiropractic rollers of the pressure means 16 within
the housing 12 such that extends substantially over the
entire length of the housing. As seen from Figs. 1-1
and 1-2/ the control plate 126 is coupled at one end by
a hook-like coupling member 128 to the right hand end
of the housing 12 and coupled at the other end by a
tension spring 130 to the left hand end of the housing.
As seen from Fig. 9 the control plate 126 extends
between each of the supports 30 and 32 of the support
fra~e 14 and each shaft 36. As shown in Fig. 6, a
portion of the control plate 126 extending between the
first support 30 and associated shaft 36 is clamped
between flanges 132 formed on the respective first pair
sleeve 102. As shown in FigO 9, a leaf spring 134 is
provided on the support 30, and it urges the control
plate 126 against the sleeves 102 and thus maintains
the clamped state oE the control plate between the
flanges 132. The width of the control plate 126
suitably varies over its length. More particularly,
as shown in Fig. 8, the control plate 126 has such a
~.~L5~ 8
- 21 -
form that its portion corresponding to the neck of the
user lying on the sheet 28 with the head directed on
the side of the first support 30 is narrowest and that
its width is progressively increased from its portion
corresponding to the neck of the user to its portion
corresponding to the hip of the user. Thus, when the
support frame 14 is moved along the housing 12, the
first pair chiropractic rollers 108 carried on the
first support 30 are moved in the axial direction of
the shaft against the restoring forces of the pair
springs 118 according to the width dimension of the
control plate 126. As shown in Fig. 8, the portion of
the control plate 126 corresponding to the head of the
user becomes progressively wider as it goes from a
portion corresponding to the neck toward a portion
corresponding to the lower part of the body. This
variation of the width of the control plate 126 is
provided because of the fact that the thickness of the
backbone and hence the distance between the opposite
side particular physiological spots vary similarly.
Now, the operation of the chiropractic therapy and
massage apparatus 10 of the above construction will be
described. First, the operation in the case when the
control bar 22 is deformed to the form as shown by the
broken lines in Figs. 2-1 and 2~2 by turning the select
lever 84 in the clockwise direction will be described.
By operating the timer 88, the power source 21 is
. .
- 22 -
started to drive the support frame 14. It is assumed
that with the rotation of the drive pulley 44 of the
power source 21 the support frame 14 is moved toward
the power source 21, i.e., to the left. When the
second support 32 of the support frame 14 is moved to
a position corresponding to the bent portion 76 of the
control bar 22 on the left side, the actuating pin 80
depending from the second support 32 engages with the
bent portion 76 and causes sliding of the control bar
22 in the direction of movement of the support frame
14, i.e., to the left. As a result, the hair-pin-like
left end 81 of the control bar 22 changes the switch
24, thus reversing the direction of rotation of the
reversible motor 20 of the power source 21 to reverse
the direction of movement of the support frame 14,
i.e., to the right. When the second support 32 having
;~ the actuating pin 80 subsequently comes to a position
corresponding to the bent portion 77 of the control bar
22 on the right side, the actuating pin 80 engages with
the bent portion 77 and causes sliding of the control
bar 22 in the direction of movement of the support
frame 14, i.e., to the right. As a result, the left
` end 81 of the control bar 22 is separated from the
switch 24 and thus changes the switch 24 again to
reverse the direction of rotation of the motor 20 so
as to reverse the direction of movement of the support
frame 14, i.e., this time to the left.
,
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757~
- 23 -
In this way, during the preset period of the timer
88 the support frame 14 is reciprocated between a
position, at which the actuatiny pin 80 depending from
the second support 32 engages with the left side bent
portion 76, and a position, at which the actuating pin
80 engages with the right side bent portion 77, i.e.,
substantially over the entire length of the housing 12.
Thus, the whole body of the user lying on the sheet
28 is given chiropractic therapy by the chiropractic
rollers 108 and 120 of the pressure means 16 and also
with massage by the massage rollers 114 and 122 of the
means 16.
When it is desired to reduce the stroke of the
support frame 14, i.e., to obtain concentrated
chiropractic therapy and massage on a portion of the
hody, the connecting rod 86 of the stroke selection
means 26. is inwardly displaced by turning the select
lever 84 in the countercloc~wise direction. As a
result, the control bar 22 is restored from its
deformed state shown by the broken lines in Figs. 1-1
and 1-2 to its substantially straight state shGwn by
the solid lines. In this case, the actuating pin 80
depending from the second support 32 of the support
frame 14 is able to engage with the central bent
portion 78 as well as the other bent portions 76, 77 of
the control bar 22. Thus, the support frame 14 is now
capable of being reciprocated between a position at
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which the actuating pin 80 engages with the left side
bent portion 76 and a position at which the pin engages
with the central ben-t portion 78 or between a position
at which the pin engages with the central ben-t portion
78 and a position at which the pin engages with the
right side bent portion 77, so that the user can obtain
chiropractic therapy by the chiropractic rollers 108
and 120 and massage by the massage rollers 114 and 120
on a portion of the body.
When the support frame 14 is reciprocated
substantially over the entire length of the housing 12,
it is vertically rocked by the cam portions 70 of the
rails 17. That is, as seen from Fig. 4, the pressure
means 16 supported on the support frame 14 is upwardly
displaced to follow the profile of the user's back, so
that the chiropractic rollers 108 and 120 and massage
rollers 114 and 122 of the pressure means 16 are moved
while applying substantially uniform pressure to the
back of the user. Thus, th~ user can receive satis-
factory chiropractic therapy and massage over thewhole body.
Also, since the stroke of the support frame
14, which supports the pressure means 16 and is
reciprocated in the longitudinal direction o~ the
housing 12, can be readily changed by the stroke
selection means 26, the user can obtain chiropractic
therapy and massage either over the whole body or a
~J'~3~7B
- 25 -
portion of the body in dependence upon the condition
of the body, which is very convenient~
Further, with the above construction, as the
support frame 14 is moved through the housing 12 the
first support 30 is reciprocated over a portion of
the user's body from the neck to the hip, so that the
first pair chiropractic rollers 108 provided on the
central portion of the shaft 36 apply pressure to the
particular physiological spots on the opposite sides
of the backbone with their protuberances 111 as they
slide in the axial direction oE the shaft 36 according
to the changing width dimension oE the control plate
126, while at the same time the first pair massage
rollers 114 provided on the outer side of the
respective first chiropractic rollers 10~ rub the
muscle and ligament in a portion of the body extending
from the shoulders to the hip with their ridges 116.
Simultaneously, the second support 32 is reciprocated
over a portion of the user's body extending from the
hip to the end of the legs, so that the second pair
rollers 120 provided on the shaft 36 apply pressure
to the particular physiological spots of the legs
with their protuberances 124 while at the same time
the second pair massage rollers 122 rub the muscle
of the whole legs with their ridges 116. In other
words, in conformity to the well known fact that -the
distance between the particular physiological spot.s
7B
- 26 -
of the legs is greater than the distance between the
particular physiological spots on the opposite sides
of khe backbone, the lateral distance between the
protuberances 124 of ~he second pair chiropractic
rollers 120 is made greater than the distance between
the protuberances 111 of the first pair chiropractic
rollers 108. Thus, the user can obtain chiropractic
therapy on the particular physiological spots on the
opposite sides of the backbone and those of the legs
by the chiropractic rollers 108 and 120 by merely
lying on the sheet 28 in the natural posture.
Still further, the distance between the
protuberances 124 of the second chiropractic rollers
120 and the ridges 116 of the second massage roller 122
is made narrower, each leg of the user is sandwiched
between the protuberances 124 and ridges 116~ so that
it is possible to obtain very satisfactory chiropractic
effect and massage effect on the muscle of the legs.
Further, the pressure means 16 supported on the
support frame 14 includes a pair of first chiropractic
roller 108 and second chiropractic roller 120 as the
pressure rollers. Since the chiropractic rollers 108
and 120 are provided with the respective protuberances
111 and 124 such that the lateral distance between the
opposite protuberances 124 is made greater than that
between the opposite protuberances 111, the user lying
on the sheet 28 in the natural posture can obtain
7~3
~ 27
pressure application to the particular physiological
spots on the opposite sides of the backbone and those
of the legs in the different space by the pro-tuberances
111 and 124 of the first and second chiropractic
rollers 108 and 120, that is, the user can receive
satisfactory chiropractic therapy without need of an
unnatural posture.
Further, the pressure means 16 has not only the
chiropractic rollers 108 and 120 but also the pair
of first massage rollers 114 and the pair of second
massage rollers 122. Thus, the user on the sheet 28
can receive not only the chiropractic effect by the
chiropractic rollers but also the massage effect by
the massage rollers.
In the above embodiment the pressure rollers
of the pressure means 16 are provided on a pair of
shafts 36. As shown by broken lines in Fig. 8, it is
also possible to provide a separate shaft carrying
first chiropractic rollers and massage rollers in the
first support 30 and provide a separate shaft carrying
second chiropractic rollers and second massage rollers
in the second support 32, these rollers being of the
same configurations and arrangements as those in the
above embodiment. With such a construction, the
chiropractic therapy and massage are continuously
performed by the number of chiropractic rollers and
massage rollers, so that the chiropractic and massage
- ~ ,
S7~3
- 28 -
effects can be cumulatively increased.
Figs. 10-1, 10-2, 11-1 and 11-2 show a second
embodiment of the chiropractic therapy and massage
apparatus according to the invention.
This chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus
210 is different from the apparatus 10 of the first
embodiment in the pressure means. More particularly,
in this chiropractic therapy and massage apparatus 210,
the construction of pressure means 216 is simplified
compared with the means 16 in the apparatus 10. This
pressure means 216 has eight pressure rollers 218 with
the respective four rollers as a set. These rollers
218 are only provided with ridges and are rotatably
mounted on associated shafts supported in respective
supports 30 and 32. In this chiropractic therapy and
massage apparatus 210, the control plate 126 in the
first embodiment is omitted, and the pressure rollers
218 are not moved in the axial direction of the shafts.
The other construction oE the apparatus 210 is the same
as in the first embodiment and is thus not described in
detail. Since this chiropractic therapy and massage
apparatus 210 is simplified in construction, it can be
manufactured at a cheap cost.
As described above, the chiropractic therapy and
massage apparatus accordiny to the invention comprises
means coupled to both ends of a wire for absorbing the
elongation and contraction of the wire and means for
.' .'
- 29 -
coupling the both ends of the wire to a support frame
for transmitting the driving force of the wire directly
to the support frame without transmitting the driving
force to absorbing means. In such a construction,
since the driving force of the wire is transmitted
directly to the support frame, the support frame can be
smoothly driven without generation of noise and the
absorbing means will no'c be damaged by the tension in
the wire. Further if the wire undergoes elongagion or
contraction, this elongation or contraction is absorbed
hy the absorbing means. Thus fluctuation of the wire
tension can be prevented and the wire is driven under a
constant tension.
