US2549903A - Massage device - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAS SAGE DEVICE Henry G. Hilsher and Ruth S. Hilsher, Baltimore, Md.

Application December 16, 1949, Serial No. 133,306

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved manual massage device of the roller type, the primary object of the invention being to provide a more efficient and practical device of this kind which affords substantially greater and more beneficial massage and manipulation of the body surfaces and the tissues and muscles underlying such surfaces and which more accurately follows the contours of the body.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is an end elevation.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a frame composed of two similar, longitudinally elongated plate-like side members 5, 5 having central ears 6 on their upper edges, and having four equally longitudinally spaced projections I on their lower edges. The side members 5 are rigidly and parallelly spaced and connected together by rods 8 having threaded ends 9 traversing the side members between the projections l, and spacing tabs 8 in the rods, with cap nuts 10 threaded on the rod ends against the outer sides of the side members.

A hand pad I I in the form of a plane rectangular rigid plate having rounded corners I2 is positioned above and extends between the frame side members 5 and extends between the opposite ends thereof and has central depending lugs I3 on its opposite side edges which lie along the inward sides of the ears 6. Pivots I4 traverse the ears 6 and the lugs I3 whereby the hand pad II is spaced upwardly from the side members and is free to rock relative thereto on an axis extending transversely of the device. Stop lugs I5 project from and depend from the opposite side edges of the hand pad II near the ends thereof to engage the upper edges I6 of the side members 5 to limit rocking of the hand pad II in opposite directions.

The hand pad I I has slotted ears I! rising from the opposite sides thereof over the ears 6 through which are secured the opposite ends of an elastic 2 band I8 arranged to overlie and grip the back of the hand of the masseur with the palm of the hand engaged with the top of the hand pad II, whereby the device is properly held in the hand for massaging portions of the body.

Four transverse rollers I9 are parallelly and equally spaced along and between the side members 5. Each roller I9 has an angulated axle I9 having a concentric or axial end 29 projecting from one end and an eccentric end 2| projecting from its opposite end. The projections l on the lower edges of the side members 5 have journal holes 22 located in the same horizontal plane, in which the pintle ends 20 and 2| are journaled. Alternate ones of the rollers are reversed in position so that the concentric pintles 20 and cocentric pintles 2I of adjacent rollers are journaled in opposite ones of the side members whereby the adjacent rollers are pitched at opposite angles. As a result when the device is moved over a body surface the rollers I9 roll in contact therewith at different angles. At the same time the frame of the device is free to rock relative to the hand pad II so as to follow the contours of the body surface.

What is claimed is:

l. A massage device comprising a frame having spaced side members, a hand pad extending between said side members and pivoted to said frame to rock on a transverse axis relative to said frame, and a plurality of transverse axis rollers extending transversely between said side members beneath said hand pad, said rollers having opposite ends thereof journaled on said side members, adjacent ones of said rollers having ends thereof concentrically journaled on opposite ones of said side members and having opposite ends thereof eccentrically journaled on opposite ones of said side members.

2. A massage device comprising a frame having spaced side members, a hand pad extending between said side members and pivoted to said frame to rock on a transverse axis relative to said frame, a plurality of transverse axis rollers extending transversely between said side members beneath said hand pad, said rollers having opposite ends thereof journaled on said side members, adjacent ones of said rollers having ends thereof concentrically journaled on opposite ones of said side members and having opposite ends thereof eccentrically journaled on opposite ones of said side members, and a flexible strap extending across the middle of and above said hand pad and secured at opposite ends thereto.

3. A massage device comprising two parallelly spaced, longitudinally elongated side plates, spacing means extending between and connecting said side plates together, a hand pad comprising a plate extending along and between said side plates and having central lugs on opposite sides thereof pivoted on upper portions of said side plates whereby said hand pad can rock toward either end of said side plates, and a plurality of parallelly spaced rollers positioned endwise between said side plates beneath said hand pad, each of said rollers having projecting from the opposite ends thereof an eccentric pintle and a concentric pintle journaled in journal holes provided in said side plates.

4. A massage device comprising two parallelly spaced, longitudinally elongated side plates, spacing means extending between and connecting said side plates together, a hand pad comprising a plate extending along and between said side plates and having central lugs on opposite sides thereof pivoted on upper portions of said side plates whereby said hand'pad'can rock toward eitherend of said side plates, and a plurality of parallelly spaced rollers positioned endwise. be-

tween saids-ide plates beneath said hand pad, A

each of saidrollers havingprojecting from the opposite ends thereof an eccentric pintle and a concentric pintle journaled in journal holes provided insaid side plates, adjacent ones of said rollersv having their eccentric and concentric 3 pintles--- journaled in journal holes of different ones of said side plates.

5. A massage device comprising two parallelly spaced, longitudinally elongated side plates, spacing means extending between and connecting said side plates together, a hand pad comprising a plate extending along and between said side plates and having central lugs on opposite sides thereof pivoted on upper portions of said side plates whereby said hand pad can rock toward either end of said side-plates, and a plurality of parallelly" spaced rollers positioned endwise between said side plates beneath said hand pad, each of said rollers having projecting from the opposite ends thereof an eccentric pintle and a concentric pintle journaled in journal holes provided-in said side plates, said hand pad plate having stop lugs depending from opposite end portions thereof for engagement with said side plates to limit rocking of said hand pad relative toisaid side plates in either direction.

HENRY G. HILSHE-R.

RUTH S. HILSHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,569,426 Krauthofi' Jan. 12, 1926 1,630,911 Wentz May 31, 1927 1,697,080 Oppenheimer Jan. 1, 1929 2,121,250 Koschwitz Jan. 21, 1938

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