US3616794A

US3616794A - Body roller

Info

Publication number: US3616794A
Application number: US851176A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth L Gromala
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-08-19
Filing date: 1969-08-19
Publication date: 1971-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-02

Abstract

A MANUALLY USABLE PORTABLE APPLIANCE UNIQUELY ADAPTED FOR USE BY A QUALIFIED DOCTOR OR A KNOWLEDGEABLE AND TRAINED ASSISTANT AND SUCH IN CONSTRUCTION THAT IT CAN BE EXPERTLY AND EFFICATOUSLY USED TO PROPERLY GOAD, ACT ON AND RELAX SUPER CONTRACTED MUSCLES KNOWN TO BE PROXIMAL TO AND FUNCTONALLY INVOLVED IN THE USE AND CONTROL OF A PATIENT''S SPINAL COLUMN. IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY A SHAFT HAVING LEFT AND RIGHT AXIALLY TWISTABLE HANDGRIPS. THE MEDIAN PORTION IS EQUIPPED WITH BALANCED FREE TURNING BUT SPRING BIASED APPLICATOR ROLLERS WHICH ARE PAIRED, SPACED, AND SHIFTABLY ADJUSTABLE TOWARD AND FROM EACH OTHER TO ACHIEVE THE RESULTS DESIRED.

Description

NW. 2,, 1971 K. L. GROMALA 3,616,794

BODY ROLLER Filed Aug. 19, 1969 .24 /a a 12 38 m Kenneth L. Groma/a United States Patent 3,616,794 BODY ROLLER Kenneth L. Gromala, 817 College Ave., Santa Rosa, Calif. 95401 Filed Aug. 19, 1969, Ser. No. 851,176

Int. Cl. A61h /00 U.S. Cl. 128-57 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE patients spinal column. It is characterized by a shaft having left and right axially twistable handgrips. The median portion is equipped with balanced free turning but spring biased applicator rollers which are paired, spaced, and shiftably adjustable toward and from each other to achieve the results desired.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in portable manually usable appliances for therapeutic and corrective use on a prone living body by an experienced person, usually a chiropractor, a physiotherapist, or an equally trained assistant and pertains, more particularly, to a handle-equipped shaft having roller-type applicators designed for specific reciprocatory and controllable movement along the patients spinal column.

It is a matter of common knowledge that people, especially adults, are discomforted by and suffer with a backache from time to time. In fact, statistics tend to support the belief that over 50% of our people are handicapped with painful back troubles categorized, generally stated, as pinched nerves, ruptured disc, tissue diseases and tissue degeneration such as usually involve super tonus and spasticity in the deep seated muscles proximal to the spinal column. More explicitly, the muscles usually involved in such ailments are multifidus, semi-spinalis dorsi, semispinalis cervicis, longissimus dorsi, longissimus cervicis and components of the sarco-spinalis. These and other muscles can and often do become super contracted (super tonus) and painfully sore and tender and require treatment by doctors and skilled assistants. It follows that the primary object of the present invention is to provide an appliance, a body roller for example, which when properly used will help and give relief to the patient.

Briefly the appliance which has been found to enable the user to cope with and effectually solve the problem comprises a shaft of requisite length and suitability which has end portions provided with relatively stationary left and right handgrips. These handgrips are contoured to be firmly grasped for manipulative use by the user. The median portion of the shaft is provided with rotatably mounted applicator means having appropriate body contacting surfaces which are designed and adapted to be rolled in proper relationship to the spinal column in a manner to press upon. and force the treated muscles to relax. At least one end, both ends if desired, of the shaft is provided with a muscle goading tip which has a convex endthrust surface which can be aligned with and forcibly pressed upon a selected group of abnormally contracted muscles. Each tip, if two are used, is preferably made of appropriate rubber and is used independently but in conjunction with the rollable applicator means.

More specifically, the applicator means is characterized by a pair of companion discs. These discs function as rollers and are rotatably supported on a bushing carried by 3,616,794 Patented Nov. 2., 1971 the intermediate portion of the shaft. The discs are alike in construction and opposed hub portions are provided with aligned recesses which function as pockets or sockets and serve to accommodate the end portions of an appropriately tensioned coil spring. This spring encircles the median portion of the bushing and allows the yieldable play which is deemed to be significant for compatible applicator use.

' These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the patient in a supine position and showing the doctor or user holding the appliance and using it on the spinal column of the patient.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the appliance by itself.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view with parts in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

And FIG. 4 is a cross-section with parts broken away taken on the vertical section line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the views of the drawing and particularly to FIG. 3 the aforementioned shaft is denoted by the numeral 6. The shaft has screw-threaded

end portions

8 and 10 and a median non-threaded smooth-surfaced portion 12 which constitutes a journal. The screw-threaded end portions are designated as shanks and are such in length that they serve to accommodate the nylon or equivalent plastic handgrips. The handgrip at the left is denoted by the numeral 14 and the other one at the right by the numeral 16. These handgrips are of requisite length and cross-section and are exteriorly contoured for convenient gripping in the manner suggested in FIG. 1. Each handgrip has an axial screw-threaded socket 18 into which the screw-threaded shank is screwed in -a manner to securely mount the handgrip. The respective outer end portions 20 of each handgrip are recessed as at 22 to accommodate a retentively fitted plug 24 on an end thrust compressibly resilient tip 26. The tip is of suitable cross-section and size and the convex surface is adapted to be aligned with and forcibly pressed upon a selected group of abnormally contracted muscles in what is believed to be a substantial- 1y self-evident manner.

The applicator means comprises a pair of duplicate rollers. Each roller comprises a nylon or an equivalent plastic disc, the one at the left denoted by the numeral 28 and the one at the right by the numeral 30 (FIG. 3). These discs are of identical construction in diameter and the outer peripheral surface of each disc is provided with an endless groove or channel 36 to accommodatingly mount a soft rubber body contacting ring or tire-like tread 34. The centrally apertured portion 36 of each disc provides a bearing and is rotatable on a sleeve-like bushing 38 which is operatively fitted on the journal 12. The opposed inner faces of the discs are denoted at 40 and the hub portions are recessed to provide axially aligned cooperating sockets or pockets 42 to accommodate the suitably tensioned coil spring 44 which surrounds the bushing and forces the discs or rollers yieldably against the shoulders 46 provided at the inner ends of the handgrips.

By pressing deep and heavy on the selected muscle groups in the manner suggested in FIG. 1 the user can force them to relax. When this happens the soreness leaves the spine and relief is achieved.

The unique construction and cooperatively associated relationship of the component parts herein disclosed makes it possible to act on and stimulate the muscle groups which are acted on. The likelihood of injuring the spinous processes of the spine during trained use is reduced to an acceptable minimum. Because of the orientation and precision functioning of the paired rollers it will be clear that the disclosed appliance is not intended for self-use. The gap between the confronting faces 40 of the rollers is regulable in keeping with knowledgeable handling by the user and also in keeping with the therapeutic and corrective treatment in a given situation. More precisely, the

rollers

28 and 30 are so interrelated and coacting that they are permissibly movable relative to each other by grasping and axially twisting the

handles

14 and 16 in a predetermined manner. This capability is such that the muscle groups involved can be desirably stimulated from 1 to 2 inches on each side from the vertebral spinous processes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A manually usable appliance for use by a doctor or a trained assistant and expressly constructed and efficaciously adapted to goad, act on, and therapeutically relax predetermined muscles proximal to and functionally involved in the use and control of a patients spinal column comprising a shaft having end portions provided with relatively stationary left and right handgrips and a median portion provided with rotatably mounted applicator means having body contacting surfaces which are designed and adapted to be rolled alongside said spinal column in a manner to press upon and force the treated muscles to relax, said shaft being provided at at least one terminal end with a compressibly resilient muscle goading tip having a convex end thrust surface adapted to be aligned with and forcibly pressed upon a selected group of abnormally contracted (super tonus) muscles.

2. The appliance defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said applicator means comprises a pair of companion discs, said discs providing rollers and being rotatably supported on a median portion of the shaft between coacting inner spaced ends of said handgrips, each disc being rigid and marginally surrounded by a pressure responsive ring providing a muscle forcing and relaxing tire-like tread.

3. The appliance defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein each disc is made of nylon and each ring is made of yieldably deformable rubber suitable for imposing heavy pressure on deep muscles identified, for example, as multifidus, semispinalis dorsi, longissimus dorsi, parts of sacro-spinalis and the like.

4. The appliance defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein said discs are alike in construction, and rotatable on a bushing which in turn is rotatable on said shaft, opposed hub portions of said discs being axially recessed and providing aligned coordinating sockets, and a coil spring encircling a median portion of said bushing with end portions seated and operatively retained in the respectively cooperable sockets.

5. The appliance defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the end portions of said shaft are externally screw-threaded, said handgrips being made of moldable plastic material and having axial screw-threaded bores which are screwed in place on said end portions.

6. A manually usable appliance for use by a doctor or a trained assistant and expressly constructed and eflicaciously adapted to goad, act on, and therapeutically relax predetermined muscles proximal to and functionally involved in the use and control of a patients spinal column comprising a shaft having a smooth-surfaced median portion constituting a journal and screw-threaded end portions each providing a shank, left and right handgrips each having an axial internally screw-threaded bore, said shanks being screwed into the respectively cooperable bores and mounting said handgrips in their usable positions, the inner ends of said handgrips being spaced apart and providing shoulders, a bushing mounted on said journal with its respective ends abutting the respectively cooperable shoulders, applicator means comprising a pair of corresponding companion discs having axially apertured hub portions providing bearings and mounted for rotation on said bushing in the space between the inner ends of and abutting said handgrips, said handgrips having convex end thrust muscle goading tips mounted on their outer ends for selective use.

7. The appliance defined in and according to claim 6, and wherein each disc has an encircling endless groove with a yieldably conformable tire-like tread ring seated and retained therein, said ring adapted to rollably im pose manually controllable pressure on predetermined groups of muscles.

8. The appliance defined in and according to claim 7, and wherein the axial hub portions of confronting faces of said discs are provided with registering recesses providing spring receiving and retaining sockets, and a coil spring surrounding a median portion of said bushing and having end portions lodged and operatively retained in the respectively cooperable sockets.

9. A manually usable appliance for use by a doctor or a trained assistant and expressly constructed and efficaciously adapted to goad, act on, and therapeutically relax predetermined muscles proximal to and functionally involved in the use and control of a patients spinal column comprising a shaft having a smooth-surfaced median portion constituting a journal and complemental end portions each providing a shank, left and right handgrips each having an axial bore, said shanks being telescopically but retentively fitted into the respectively cooperable bores and mounting said handgrips in usable positions on said shanks, the inner of said handgrips being spaced apart and providing shoulders, a bushing mounted on said journal with its respective ends abutting the respectively cooperable shoulders, applicator means comprising a pair of corresponding companion discs having axially apertured hub portions providing bearings and mounted for rotation on said bushing in the space between the inner ends of and abutting said handgrips, each disc having an encircling endless groove with a yieldably conformable tire-like tread ring seated and retained therein, said ring adapted to rollably impose manually controllable pressure on predetermined groups of muscles, the axial hub portions of confronting faces of said discs being provided with registering recesses providing spring receiving and retaining sockets, and a coil spring surrounding a median portion of said bushing and having end portions lodged and operatively retained in the respectively cooperable sockets.

Refereuces Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 472,572 4/1892 Forest 12857 896,484 8/1908 Thorns 12857 2,286,324 6/1942 Wentz 12857 LAWRENCE W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner