US2480029A - Massaging device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 19519. P. JOZSY MASSAGING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1946 my .N

1m A 0m Aug. 23, 1949.- P. JOZSY MASSAGING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 0013.8, 1946 IIIIIIIIIIJ K 11/11/1114 Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to massage devices, and more particularly to a device for administering massage treatment to the body which can, if desired, be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy to give electrotherapeutic massage treatments.

An object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, sturdy massage device with rotating and reciprocating contact surfaces adapted to conform readily to body contours.

Another object is to provide a massage device that can also be used to pass a current of electricity through desired portions of the body being massaged.

These and other objects are accomplished in brief in one form of the invention by providing a device comprising a casing, a removable cover therefor and a fitted block therein all made of insulating material, a plate, a plurality of massage members and a terminal plate all made of metal. The casing has side walls and a bottom with openings therethrough, each of which is aligned with a passage extending through the block. The plate rests on the block within the casing and has holes each of which is aligned with one of the passages. Each massage member has a hollow piece, a ball, a spindle and a cylindrical spring. The hollow piece is disposed in one of the block passages with a socket resting about the aligned bottom opening. The ball is positioned partly in the hollow piece with a portion extending through the socket and bottom opening, said ball being free to rotate on any axis. The spindle is secured at one end to the hollow piece and has its other end extending slidably through the aligned plate hole. The spring is disposed about the spindle. and acts on the plate and hollow piece forcing them apart.

When the terminal plate and the cable are connected to a battery, an open circuit is formed having the balls as one terminal, and the ter- -minal plate as the other. A person being massaged, can establish contact with the terminal plate to close the circuit.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to theappended claims in which the various novel features of Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a variation of the invention, the view being in a plane corresponding to that of Fig. 3 and the device being shown connected to a source of electrical energy and to a terminal plate shown in perspective.

In the drawings and in the specification, in

which like reference numbers designate similar parts, a massage device l0 shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is comprised of a plurality of massage members H and a casing l2 over which a cover I3 is fitted.

Each massage member ll consists of a ball l4, a hollow piece IS, a spindle l6 and a cylindrical spring IT. The ball I4 is positioned partly within the hollow piece with a portion protruding through a socket I 8 therein whose diameter is less than that of the ball, to prevent disassembly. The hollow piece is shaped to fit loosely about the enclosed portion of the ball, permitting it to roll or rotate freely on any axis but limiting other relative movement therebetween. An end of the spindle I6 is secured to the hollow piece opposite its socket so that the longitudinal axis of the spindle is substantially in line with the center of the ball. The cylindrical spring is disposed about the spindle and is coaxial therewith.

The casing l 2 which can be made in any shape, preferably of aluminum, is open at its top and has side walls l9 and a flat bottom 20 with as many circular openings 2| therein as there are massage members II. A fitted wooden block 22 is disposed within the casing and extends between its bottom 20 to a plane substantially parallel therewith somewhat below the top of the casing. Guides or cylindrical passages 23 extend through the block, there being as many guides as there are massage members, each guide or passageway having a longitudinal axis substantially in line with the center of one of the bottom openings 2!. A plate 24 is positioned within and secured to the casing, resting on the level top of the fitted block and retaining it in position. The plate is somewhat below the casing top and has a plurality of holes 25 each adapted to receive one of the spindles l6 in a sliding fit, the center of each hole 25 being aligned with the longitudinal axis of one of the guides 23 and one of the bottom openings 2|.

Each massage member II is positioned with the lip about the socket l8 of its hollow piece l5 resting about one of the openings 2| of the casing bottom, the hollow piece fitting slidably in the block cylindrical passageway 23 aligned with said opening 2|.

The spindle It extends through and fits slidably in the brass plate hole 25 aligned with the passageway 23, with the spring I! acting on the plate and on the hollow piece normally to retain the socket lip in contact with the casing bottom. The ball 14 has a portion extending through the socket and projecting beyond the bottom opening 2|, the bottoms of all the balls being in the same plane.

A strap 26 is secured by rivets 2! to the casing side walls 19, extending loosely above the cover l3.

Thus constructed, the massage device 10 can be grasped by placing the hand between the strap and the cover and can be used to massage a portion of a body. In so doing, the balls 14 are rotated and are also pressed inwardly, moving the hollow pieces and their spindles against the action of the spring, with the hollow pieces guided by the passage 23 and the spindles fitting slidably in and held in position by .the brass plate holes 25.

In the variation of the invention shown in Fig. 6, an electrotherapeutic massage device 28 is adapted to apply a current of electricity to the body while it is being massaged, said device being connectable to a suitable source of electrical energy such as a battery 29 by means of a cable 30 and plug 31, the battery in turn being electrically connected by a wire 32 to a terminal plate 33.

The plug 31 is adapted to extend through an opening 34 in a cover 35 to engage a "pin 36 extending from a plate 31 which is of metal. In all other respects, the device 28 is similar to the device i heretofore described with the condition that certain of the elements must be conductors of electricity and other of the elements must be insulated. Thus, in the device 28, the spindles 16, the hollow pieces 55 and the balls l4 must be of metal so that a current of electricity can pass through the plate 31, through the spindles and hollow pieces to the balls 14. The cover 35, the casing 52 and the fitted block 22 are non-conductors.

The person being massaged, can stand on or otherwise establish contact with the terminal plate 33, permitting the current to pass through his body as the device is placed in functioning position. Of course, if a massage without benefit of electrical assistance is desired, the device 28 can be disconnected from the plug and used in the same manner as the device 10.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A massage device, comprising a casing having an open top and a bottom wall formed with a plurality of openings, a cover closing the open top, a strap extended loosely across said cover and having its ends attached to the sides of said casing, a Wooden block in said casing resting on said bottom wall and having its top face spaced from the top of said casing and formed with a ings of said bottom wall, a plate within said caslng extended across the top face of said wooden block and formed with a plurality of openings arranged respectively concentrically with the passages in said wooden block, spindles, one in each of the passages, having their top ends projected through the openings in said plate, a massage member including rollable balls, respectively mounted on the lower end of each of said spindles respectively, to project partially through the openings in the bottom wall of said casing, resilient means on said spindles urging said massage members into their extended positions, and collars mounted on the said projected ends of said spindles and engaging the top face of said plate for limiting outward movement of said massage members.

2. A massage device, comprising a casing hav- .;ing an open top and a bottom wall formed with a plurality of openings, 2. cover closing the open top, a strap extended loosely across said cover and having its ends attached to the sides of said casing, a wooden block in said casing resting on said bottom wall and having its top face spaced from the top of said casing and formed with a plurality of passages in alignment with the openings of said bottom wall, a plate within said casing extended across the top face of said wooden block and formed with a plurality of openings arranged respectively concentrically with the passages in said Wooden block, spindles, one in each of the passages, having their top ends projected through the openings in said plate, a massage member in 6 plurality of passages in alignment with the opencluding rollable balls, respectively mounted on the lower end of each of said spindles respectively to project partially through the openings in the bottom wall of said casing, resilient means on said spindles urging said massage members into their extended positions, and collars mounted on the said projected ends of said spindles and engaging the top face of said plate for limiting outward movement of said massage members, said resilient means comprises expansion springs coaxially mounted on said spindles and operating between the tops of said massage members and the bottom face of said plate.

. PAUL JOZSY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Feb. 7. 1934

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