US2555726A - Therapeutic bath apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1 951 K, BEYRQDT 2,555,726

THERAPEUTIC BATH APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGQ I FIG. 2

47 4 3 1 i l 2 43 '2 a a FIG. 3

INVETNTOR. *--l-*- fi urzjeyraaf 3:- BY

ATTORNEYS June 5, 1951 BEYRQDT 2,555,726

THERAPEUTIC BATH APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented June 5, 1951 UNIT E D PATENT O F lC E Kurt Beyrotlt, Williston Park, N. .Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Erhardt L. Becker, Flushing, Charles F. Kolb, Great Neck, Robert B. EddyfFlushing, and Kurt Beyrodt, Williston Park,N. Y.

Application :December 1, 19.48, Serial No. 62,842

'4 Claims. '1

This'invention relates to therapeutic bath apparatus and particularly to improvements therein whereby the application of water currents with entrained air to the body of apatient undergo- .ing treatment is more effectively accomplished. In U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,237,435 and No.

2,237,436 to Floyd W. .Ille and No. 2,428,004 to Kurt Beyrodt, apparatus for, the procedure employed, "and the benefits resulting from the application .Of jets of Water containing entrained to facilitate the application of the jet and to develop and enhance the massaging efiect thereof as applied to the surfaces treated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specificationand the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation, partially in section, illustrating the apparatus;

Fig. 2 'is a section on the line .22 of Fig. '1';

Fig. -3 is a section on the line '3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus with a portion of the mechanism removed, to facilitate larly the tank, with slight modifications to con- *form to the invention, may be the "convoluted tank of the Ille patents or anyde'sired modification thereof.

In carrying out the invention, therefore, I provide a tank 5 of suitable shape and con'fi'guration with a rim 6, preferably formed as indicated to support the jet-producing mechanism or turbine ejector indicated generally at l. A guide rail 8 is supported by brackets 9 in spaced relation to and surrounding the lower edge of the tank. The turbine ejector 1 comprises a motor housing 10 connected by a tube H to theturbine housing l2. An air pipe l3 also extends from the housing It to a point near the outlet from the housing l2 where it is supported by a bracket I4.

.justed position on the tank 5.

When in operation, water is drawn into thehousing t2 and ejected at high velocity past the end of the air pipe 13, forming a jet with occluded air bubbles which may be directed upon any portion of the patients anatomy which is to be treated. Further description of the turbine ejector 'is unnecessary since it is fully described in the Ille Patents Nos. 2,237,435 and 2,237,436. Any suitable variation of this device may be utilized.

To support the mechanism as described, so that 'it may be moved about the rim of the tank, lo-

cated in any desired position, and adjusted vertica'lly, I prefer to utilize the mechanism as shown in the Beyrodt Patent No. 2,428,004, al-

though other suitable :means may be employed.

As illustrated in the drawing, the motor housing 40 is connected to an arm I5 which is supported on a tubular member I6 held in adjusted vertical position by a clamp I! which :is locked by a screw l8 and hand wheel l9. The weight of the mechanism is preferably counterbalanced .by

a spring within the tubular member l6,as inthe Beyrodt RatentNo. 2,428,004. Thisspringis not shown in the drawing because it formsno part of the present invention.

The tubular member [6 extends through a housing 20. Within the housing, a carriage 1-2! is secured to a boss 22 and carries rollers '23 which are adapted to engage the rim 6 of the tank. Thus, the housing and the mechanism supported thereon may be shifted readily about the rim of the tank to "any desired position.

To look the housing of the mechanism in any particular position, .a shoe 24, having a spring 25 on its upper face, is pivoted at 2.6 and carries an armZl with a roller 28 thereon. A cam 29 is mounted on a shaft 30 which also carries a handie "31 to effect operation of the shoe. The housing 20 is preferably recessed at 32 to receive the handle when in the position indicated in "Fig. "1, that is, with the mechanism locked to the rim '6 of the tank "5.

A red 33 is pivoted at 34 on the cam 29 and extends into a tube '35, where it engages 'a spring 35 secured'at'its lower end-within the tube. The lowerend of the tube is pivoted at 3'! to a bell crank 38 pivotally mounted at 39 on a bracket 40. An arm 4| of the bell crank is adapted "to engage the rail 8. Because of the resiliency of the springs 25 and 36 when the arm 3| is in the position indicated in Fig. 1, the shoe 24 and the arm 4| of the bell crank 38 engage the .rim 6 and the rail 8 and firmly lock themechanism in the ad- The mechanism as described is that shown in the Beyrodt.Pat-

ent bio-2,428,004, and .no claimis made thereto in the present application.

The present invention is directed to mechanism for oscillating th jet produced by the mechanism indicated generally at 1. Upon the arm l a motor 42 is mounted. It includes a speed reducing mechanism, the details of which form no part of th present invention, such mechanism being commonly employed in connection with motors to effect desired reduction in the speed of the operating shaft. A crank 44 is supported on the low speed shaft 45 and rotates when the motor 42 is in operation. A crank pin 46 is connected by a link 41 to a pin 48 which is offset from the axis of the reaction crank 49. The latter is mounted on a stud 50 extending upwardly from the sleeve 5|, which is mounted in pin bearings 52 in the arm [5. The arm rests upon a thrust bearing consisting of ball races 53 and balls 54, the lower race 53 engaging a flange 55 of the sleev 5|. The flange 55 rests upon a friction disk 55 of rubber or other suitable material which in turn engages a flange 51 secured to the tube l5. Thus, the sleeve 5! is normally fixed with reference to the tubular member I6, but by means of a handle "58 secured to the flange 55 the sleeve 5| may be shifted about the axis of the tube IE to vary the position of the pin 48 with reference to the crank 44. When the motor 42 is in operation, the crank 44 rotates and, since the position of the pin 48 is fixed, the arm l5 and the jet producing mechanism indicated generally as I oscillates about the axis of the tube [5. This in turn results in an oscillating jet which, when directed upon the anatomy of the patient, produces a massaging effect and resultant improvement in the action of the jet in effecting the desired treatment. In order to shift'the arc of oscillation relatively to the tank 5, it is-necessary merely'to actuate the handle 58 and thereby shift the position of the pin 48. This maybe accomplished while the motor '42 is idle or "while it is in operation, to modify the direction and the arc of travel of the jet in relation to the anatomy of the patient.

This arrangement'also acts as a safety device 'to prevent injury to any person interfering with the oscillating motion of the turbine ejector. If the turbine ejector I cannot oscillate due to mechanical interference, the motion of the crank 44' tive andresults in a considerable improvement in .the effectiveness of the treatment and the ease with which the operator may manipulate the jet to accomplish the desired purpose.

Various changes may be made in the details of the structure as described and in the mode of operation thereof without departing from the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. In a therapeutic bath apparatus consisting of a tank, motor-driven jet-producing mechanism, a supporting arm connected to the jet-producing mechanism and a support therefor mounted on the tank, the improvement consisting of a sleeve surrounding the support, friction means 4 between the sleeve and the support to normally hold them in fixed relation, manual means for moving the sleeve about the axis of the support, an antifriction bearing between th sleeve and arm, a reaction crank carried by the sleeve, a second motor mounted on the arm and means actuated by the second motor and connected to the reaction crank whereby the jet-producing mean is oscillated and the arc of oscillation is shifted relatively to the tank by adjustment of the manual means. 7

2. In a therapeutic bath apparatus consisting of a tank, motor-driven jet-producing mechanism, a supporting arm connected to the jet-producing mechanism and a support therefor mounted on the tank, the improvement consisting of a sleeve surrounding the support, friction means between the sleeve and the support to normally hold them in fixed relation, manual means for moving the sleeve about the axis of the support, an antifriction bearing between the sleeve and arm, a reaction crank carried by the sleeve, a second motor mounted on the arm and means actuated by the second motor consisting of a crank and a link connected to the reaction crank whereby the jet-producing means is oscillated 4. A therapeutic bath apparatus consisting of a tank, a motor-driven jet-producing mechanism, a supporting arm rigidly attached to the jet-producing mechanism, a vertically adjustable support for the arm mounted in adjustable relation on the tank, a sleeve surrounding the support; an antifriction bearing between the sleeve and arm, friction means between the sleeve and support to normally hold them in fixed relation, manual means for moving the sleeve about the axis of the support, a reaction crank carried by the sleeve, a second motor mounted on the arm, and means actuated by the second motor and connected to the reaction crank whereby the jet-producing means is oscillated and the arc of oscillation is shifted relatively to the tank by adjustment of the manual means.

KURT BEYRODT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy June 20,1938

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