US2938517A - Apparatus for giving hydrotherapeutic treatments - Google Patents

Description

H. C. FRIEND May 31, 1960 APPARATUS FOR GIVING HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1954 INVENTOR. HOME? 6. FRIEND ATTORNEY H. C. FRIEND May 31, 1960 APPARATUS FOR GIVING HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Filed Feb. 11. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HOMER C. FRIEND A TTORNE r H. C. FRIEND May 31, 1960 APPARATUS FOR GIVING HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Filed Feb. 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HOME? 6. FR/E/VD ATTORNEY nited States Patent i APPARATUS FOR GIVINGHYDROTHERA- PEUTIC TREATMENTS Homer C. Friend,1910 Brady, Davenport, Iowa Filed Feb. 11, 1954, Ser. No. 409,707

Claims. (Cl. 128-66) The present invention relates to the art of hydrotherapeutics and comprises, among its objects, the provision of improved apparatus for giving hydrotherapeutic treatment with a new method of treating patients.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. l is a partial elevational section of a tub in which a valve of this invention is mounted and is shown as connected to a pump;

Fig. 2 shows an elevation of a valve provided with means for indicating the percentage of pressure utilized;

Fig. 3 shows a valve in section, taken at a right angle to the passageway through the valve;

Fig. 4 shows a section similar to that in Fig. 3 but taken substantially along the plane indicated 'by the line 4-4, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section ofa valve embodying means for screwing the valve member in foradjusti'ng the flow of water;

Fig. 6 shows the use of two streams of water;

Fig. 7 shows the application of a. single stream. of water directly upon the patient;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a tank or tub with a spray extending substantially all the way around and shooting the spray toward the center of the tank or tub;

Fig. 9 shows a modified head which is rotatable about the axis of the supporting pipe;

Fig. 10 is a section of the head shown in Fig. 9, taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 1010, in that figure; and

Fig. 11 is a partial elevational section similar to Fig. l but showing the valve in a difierent position from that shown in Fig. 1.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete description of the invention. In hydrotherapeutics, it is common practice to rub or massage the patent with water, customarily heated. However, it is preferable to have the water shot as a stream, or multiple streams, against the skin of the patient, thereby giving a massage treatment. In order for this massage treatment to do the greatest amount of good, the water should have a specific pressure when applied to the patient, although the pressure should be varied for different patients.

For convenience in the application of this treatment, I prefer a tank or tub 1 containing a housing 2 for the reception of a pump 3, which tank does not communicate with the interior of the housing 2. For easy access to the pump 3, located within the housing 2, this housing 2 has a door leading through the wall of the tank and into the room in which the tank is located.

The housing 2 has an opening for a pipe 4, which pipe is welded in place to the wall of the housing, water tight, to prevent leakage of water from the tank 1 into the housing 2. At the end of this pipe 4, which leads from the pump 3, is a pressure gauge 18 to indicate what the pressure of the flow of water from the pump 2,938,517 Patented May 31', 1960 2 Sis, and to whichpressurcgauge is attached a flexible tube 5. At the endof's'aid flexible tube 5 ha valve 6, andthistube should be long enough to-re'aohthe patient, wherever he may be in the tank.

The valve 6 is of the type showniin my Patent No. 2-,669E233, but it maybe modified therefrom, as will be explained hereinafter. This valve 6 is provided with a water inlet 7, a water outelt 8, and one-or more by pass outlets 9: Instead of the valve6 beingconnected to the pipe-fi es shown in Fig. I, the pipe 5 may 'be'omitted entirely-and the valve 6 connectedto the pipe 4, as shown in Fig. 1, with the pressure gauge 18 therebetween to measure the pressure of the-Waterfiom the pump 3, as shown in Fig. 11. Then a flexible tube 5a, to perform the same function as the flexible tube '5, may be attached to the water outlet 8, and this tube, also, should be long enough to reachtothe'patient, wherever he may be in the tank. On the end of this flexible tube 5a is a nozzle 5b, as shown in Fig; 11. At one side of the valve 6 is a post 10, on which are markings 11 to indicate the relative pressure'or speed of" the water emitted from the outlet 8. andfthe flexible tube 5a attached thereto.

Within the va1ve'6 is'a' valve member 12, as shown in Fig. 4. If the valve member 12 is pushed clear down, the valve is then open for the stream of water to go straight through the valve and the outlet 8, and the water can then be appliedwithits entire force to the person in the tank. If the valve member 12 is pushed only part of the way down, only a proportional part-of the stream of Water will be allowed to go through the outlet 8, the rest being forced to escape through the bypass outlet 9. The valve member 12 has a vertical groove 12' whichacts as a keyw'ay to receivea housingcarried pin 17 for preventing rotation of the valve member except to a limited extent afforded by the provision of three circumferentially directed grooves 16, whereby the valve member may be depressed to any of the three positions indicated on the post 10 at 11 and then turned slightly to become releasa-bly retained against return by the spring. When the valve member 12 is pushed a part of the way down, it may be turned until the notches 16 engage the pin 17 in that position. Then, for the valve member 12 to return, it is necessary only to reverse the direction of rotation thereof.

The valve member 12 can be pushed downwardly by manual pressure on the head 13, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, while valve member 12a can be advanced by screwing the stem 14 inwardly, as shown in Fig. 5. In the latter method, the adjustment is more accurate than by manually forcing the valve member 12 downwardly. Consequently, the screw type of stem 14, with the post 10, is the preferred structure. The head 6a has a screwthreaded opening for the reception of the screw type of stem 14. In this case, the valve member has a groove 12b like the groove 12' 'but notches like 16 are not necessary since the screw threads hold the selected position and the pin rides the groove 12b merely to keep the valve member 12a from turning. Therefore, valve member 12a may be forced downwardly to adjust the size of the opening 15 for the flow of water. When the valve member 12 or 12a is clear up, the outlet 8 is closed and the by-pass outlet 9 is open, but when the valve member 12 or 12a is clear down, the outlet 8 is open and the by-pass outlet 9 is closed.

As shown in Fig. 6, the discharge may be in a plurality of directions through the by-pass outlets 9. In Fig. 6, the discharge is about forty-five degrees (45) from straight ahead, both to the right and left.

In Fig. 7, the direction of discharge is shown as through the outlet 8, and is straight ahead. This may be adjusted to throw three or more streams of water out simultaneously so thatthe patient may be treated in substantially any way desired.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, a circular tube i 1 0, tha s. a screw-threaded outlet 8a havinga direction-changing nozzle 21 having a e wh c is p ov ed h a s t 3 through which extends apin to limit the rotation of the nozzle.

The disoharge-ofthe nozzle may be in either direction,

horizontal-or straight down, or in any direction between them, covering a full half circle below the nozzle.

. This apparatus is intended to cover the treating of a patient wi'tha stream-or streams of water flowing in various directions. The; purpose of the controlled pressure is to enable the operator to apply the fluid stream to any part of the human anatomy, as, for example, the

ear, or for vaginal flushing, or any other bodily cavity or surface, including the rectum or colon.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structure set forth :abovemay be departed from without departingfrom the spirit of this invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined by the appended Having now described by invention, I claim:

1. Hydrotherapy apparatus, comprising: a patient-receiving' tank having opposed spaced apart wall portions; fluid dischargemeans adjacent to one wall portion and having a central outlet aimed directly at the opposite'w'all portion to cause a fluid stream to impinge on said opposite wall portion, and a pair of lateral outlets arranged in divergent relation and respectively flanking the central outlet to cause a pair of fluid streams todiverge toward .4 said opposite wall portion; and valve means in said discharge means for selectively connecting the central outlet to the inlet exclusively of the lateral outlets and for connecting the lateral outlets to the inlet exclusively of the central outlet.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: said opposite wall of the tank is curved so that it is concave to the outlets whereby thestreams fiom the lateral outlets swirl, circumferentially toward each other when directed towardsaidcurved wallportiom 3. The invention defined in'claim 1, in which: at least the central outlet isjflembly arranged for selective lateral positioningto vary the direction of its aim.

4. The -invention'definecl in claim 1, in which: the entire discharge;means is flexibly-arranged for selective lateral positioning to vary the direction of the streams emitting by said outlets. 7 a

5. The invention defined inclaim 1, in which: the discharge means comprises a valve body of such size as to .be conveniently held by a patient in the tank, the valve m e'ans is carried, by' said body and includes a manual control portion for shifting the valve means between its position by manual pressure applied by the hand in which the valve body is held.

' V References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,008 Blunt Dec. 19, 1893 1,116,897 Lehnert Nov. 10, 1914 2,022,742 Salerni Dec. 3, 1935 2,484,942 Guise Oct. 18, 1949 2,559,678 Schroeter July 10, 1951 2,673,572 Hartmann Mar. 30, 1954 2,772,421 Friend Dec. 4, 1956 2,793,372

'Hohman May 28, 1957 qua.

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