APPAREIL DE PHYSIOTHERAPIE

PHYSICAL THERAPY PATTERNER

Abrégé anglais

Abstract
My invention is a power-driven therapeutic machine
designed to replace the three to five therapists needed,
until now, to impose passive homolateral crawling, passive
cross-pattern crawling and cross-pattern creeping exercises
on brain-damaged patients. The weight of each patient is
born by the benches and head-cradle of the machine while
the limbs and head are moved in rythm. All of these
movements are done for them while they are in a prone
position. There are three variables for this type of
therapy; intensity, duration and frequency. These may
be controlled to a large extent by this invention.

Revendications

(4)
Claims:
Claim 1
A power-driven exerciser or patterning machine to aid
in the recovery of a brain-damaged patient, comprising
- a table adapted to receive a bench to support
the patient in a generally prone position,
- four reciprocating platforms mounted on the table
and adapted to support the patient's limbs while
undergoing a creeping exercise,
- four larger platforms adapted to be fit over the
reciprocating platforms to support the patient's
limbs while undergoing crawling exercise and
- a reciprocating head-cradle mounted on the table
and adapted to support the patient's head.
Claim 2
The machine of claim 1 in which the movement of the
reciprocating platforms and head-cradle is provided
by a power source interconnected with the platforms
and head-cradle through a mechanism comprising a
series of pulleys, shafts, a rocker arm and an
aircord.
Claim 3
The machine of claim 1 or 2 in which the bench is of
a size adapted to support the patient while
undergoing the creeping-exercise.
Claim 4
The machine of claim 1 or 2 in which the bench is of
a size adapted to support the patient while
undergoing the crawling exercises.
Claim 5
The machine of claim 1 or 2 in which the bench and
head-cradle are adjustable towards the front and/or

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back of the table.
Claim 6
The machine of claim 1 or 2 in which the
reciprocating platforms are guided on tracks.
Claim 7
The machine of claim 2 in which the aircord runs on
pulleys underneath the table top and is fastened
to said platforms by means of clamps.
Claim 8
The machine of claim 7 in which the said aircord
can be fastened to the clamps in various positions
so as to adjust the platforms for homolateral
crawling exercises, cross-pattern crawling
exercises or for cross-pattern creeping exercises.
Claim 9
The machine of claim 8 in which the aircord is so
connected to the mechanism as to provide back and
forth movement to the platforms and side-or-side
movement to the head-cradle.
Claim 10
The machine of claim 9 further characterized in that
said head-cradle is connected to the said mechanism
so that the head of the patient will always be-
turned in such a way as to be facing the forward-
hand of the patient.

Description

- 1 163883
(1~
Abstract
M~ inventi~n is a power-driver, therapeutic mac~ine
designed to replac~ the three to five ther~pists nee~ed until
rlow, to impose p~ssive homol~teral crawling, passive cross-
p~ttern crawling and cross-p~ttern creeping exercise~ on
brain-damaged patients. The weight of each patient is born by
the benches and ~ead-cradle of the machine while the limbs and
head are- moved in rythm. ~11 of these movements are~ done for
them while they are in a prone position. There are three
variables- for this type of therapy, intensity, duration and
rreque~cy. These may be controlled to a large ex~ent~ by
this invention.
S~ecific-ations
In describing my invention reference~ is made to the
accompanying drawings:
Flg. 1 is a side view Or the exerclser~ showlng the
talleT bench and the mechanisms under the table.
Flg, 2 is slmilar~to Fig. 1, but ls showing the shorter
o~ the two small benches.
P~g. 3 is a view looklng down on the table-and
showing the taller bench.
Flg. 4 is a ~iew look~ng down on the tabl~ and showing--
the shorter bench.
~ ig. 5 shows the working of the-system o~ pulleys
directly under the table top and the location of th~ clamps.
Fig. 6 shows the~working Or the head-cradle in gre~ter
detail.
In Fig. 1 the top of the table 1 and 2 is su~ported by
table legs 3 and brace 4. The legs 5 supp~rt the framework 51.
~races 6 and 7 support rods 35 and 36 on which pulleys 39, 4~,
41 and ~3 operate. Brac~ 8 sup~orts motor 47. Bloc~ 9 raisés
motor 47 to it~ proper height. The upright support 10 for top
'~

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(2`)
11 of be~ch 52 i5 ~n turn supported by boards 30. Upholste~y 1
re~t~ on ttop of t~ above- bench. The upholstering pads 15 r~st
on bar 16 and all are supported by undercar~iag~-17 and
to~e~her t-hey form the he~d-cradle- ~4. Rod 18 is attach~d to
the cradle-~ and held to bench ~op 11 by rod be~rings-2'1. One
rod bearing Zl is hidden by upholstery 12. ~ord 19 is atta~he~
to one side- of brace 16, passe-s ar~und floating pulley 20,
around pulley 25 and back to the other side of brace--16.
Plat~orms 22 and 23 ar~ for the hands and knees to r~st on
during the creeping ex~rcise-and they slide back and forth on
tracks Z~. The two boa-rds 3~ act as suppor~s for either bench
53 or bench 52 and they allow an ad~ust~entt back and forth orr
up and down of about 4 inche^s. Bolts 31 go through boards 30`.
Rod 32 is held to leg 5 by the~two rod bearings 48 and goe~
through pulley 38~ tabl~ top 2~ and pulley 25. Rod 33 conne-~ts~
pulley 33 and arm 44. ~od 3~ goes through arm 45 and pulley 3~`.
Rod 36 goes t~rough pulleys 40 and 41. Rods 37 go through
culleys 42. Lang~ oulley 38 is connect~d to pulleys 4Z by alrcard
~6. Pulley 38 turns on rod 32. Pulleys 39~ ~a, 41 and 4~ with
th~ help Or V belts 5~ re~uce the speed of'mot~r 47.
In Fig. ~ t'he sa~ part~ are shown under th~ s-~me-
numbeT~ as in ~ig. 1 ex~ept those^involving the short bench 53.
~op 13 is covered by upholst~ring 2~l, The vertical part 14 of
the bench 53-is partly enclosed in the two supports ~. Wld~
platforms 26 and 2~ fit over the narrow platforms 22 and 23-.
~ ig. ~ is a view looking down on the table tops 1 and ~.
The outside boards 1 are on either side of the inside board Z.
The top 11 of the higher bench 5~ has the- back p~rt covere^d b~
upholstery 12. Rod bearings 21 support ~od 18. The narrow
platforms 22 and 23 move~ back and forth on tracks Z8. ~he-
grooves Z~ betwee-n boards 1 and 2 permit the free passag~ of
the clamps 49 which are anchored to the base~ of platforms 22

1 163883
and 23.
~ ig. ~ i~ similar to ~ig~ 3 and haQ the s~me number~
e~c~pt ~or the shorter bench 53 and the wide platf~rms 2^6 and
27. ~lamp ~9 can be-at*~hed to any pErt of the aircord to
a~ust~the- platforms for ~ homolateral cr~wling exe~ise~ f~r -
~ cross--Fattern ~r~Iing e~rcise~ or for a ~r~ss-patt~rn
creeping exercis~.
~ ig. 5 is the layout and working~-or ~ircord 46 as it
moves bac~k and forth aTound ~ulleys 42 and 38. Cla~ps ~9
are- shown fastened to airc-ord ~6.
~ ig. 6 is another vie~ of the head-cradle ~ using the
s~me numbers as in ~igs. 1~ Z`~ 3, and 4.
O~eration
Tb start the p~tte~ning machine in motion~ motor 47 must
be ~onnected to a source Or power. The power travels by me~ns
Or ~ be--lts 50 to pulleys 40 and 41 and at r~duced`speed goes to
pulley 39' and rod 75, Thls in turn moves a~m 45. ~ arm 45
turns in complet~-circles, power is tran sitted through r~od 3
to arm 44. ~rm 44 beco~es a rocker arm which through rod 3`3`
moves pulley 3~ on rod ~Z in a partial clrcle, b~~ and forth.
Cla~ps 49 on ~-ircord 46 also move~along with pla~orms 22 and
23 in a back and forth motion. For the two ar~wling patterns
it is ne~ss~ry to add t~e?wider;plat~orms Z~ and 27 to
platforms 22 and 23. ~s rod 32 moves so also doe-s pulley 2
giving a baok and forth movement to cord 19. This the-n rock~
the hesd}cradle from side to side, The head-cradle is
conne-cte~ to t~e mechanism so that the he~d of th~ patient uill
be-turned in such a way as to be facing the forward hand of
the pa-tient.
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