US2944592A - Chair for hydrotherapeutic treatment - Google Patents

Description

July 12, 196D L. HALTER 2,944,592

CHAIR FOR HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT Filed Sept. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ./NVENTOR:

July 12, 1960 L. HALTER 2,944,592

CHAIR FORHYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT Filed Sept. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent The present invention relates to a chair for hydrotherapeutic treatments for patients, and particularlyfor underwater massages.

Hydrotherapeutic treatments and particularly underwater massages in order to be really successful usually require that the patients body'be placed into different positionsv underneath the water surface. This is true particularly if the massages are carried out by means of a jet of water under high pressure. The pressure of, such a jet is usually so highthat, if it would hit the patients bodyoutside of the water it'would not only cause insulferable pain but might also cause serious bodily harm. The jet must therefore always be applied underwater which, inturn, usually requires that the person giving the treatment also be in the water.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to pro-1.

vide a chair for hydrotherapeutic treatments and mas-i sages which 'is provided with means for adjusting the distance between the surface of the seat of the chair and the surface of. the water in accordancewith the ,size of the patient and also in accordance with the respective method of treatment.

2,944,592 Patented July 12., 1960 Ice rest and the angular stringers will always remain substantially the same.

The frame of the chair supporting the stringers is of a tubular construction, the pipes thereof being connected to form an equal-sided triangle at each side of the chair so as to give the chair great solidity. At its front side,

the frame has a stair step for permitting the patient to sit down on the seat strap more easily and particularly also for permitting the person giving the treatment to rest his foot on this raised step to support the legs of the patient during the treatment by placing his upper leg underneath the patients-legs. Since such treatment is often rather painful, such support, which forces the patient to keep his leg in a certain position, will be of a very great value.

Another feature of the invention, as already indicated consists inthe provision of a head rest on the chair. This head restisipivotably mounted and adjustable to various angular positions. It mayalso be pivoted to such an extent as to be entirely removed from thearea I of the patients body. The patient may lie on the strap A feature of the invention for attaining this object consists in the provision of a seat for the new chair which consists of a strap of fabric or the like which supports treatment the upper parts of these stringers are intended a to project above the water surface, it is possible to adjust the position of the patients body to be at different distances from the water surface. Consequently, if the seat strap is suspended on hooks which are placed close to the bottom of the bath,'the patient will be seated at such a low level underneath the water surface that it is possible, for example, to treat his chest. He may, however, also sit in such a position that, for example, a back treatment may be carried out on him. If the seat strap is suspended on higher hooks, the patients body will lie at a lower distance from the water surface and in a position required, for example, for a treatment of his lower extremities.

By these different heights adjustments of the seat it is possible to use the chair for treating patients any size and also children. The patient may support himself during the treatment .by holding on to a pair of handles which are provided at the upper parts of the stringers of the chair and preferably consist of round rods or pipes extending parallel to the stringers. The stringers on each side of the chair extend at an angle to each other facing toward the bottom. This has the advantage that, when an adjustable head rest is to be used, the distance be tween the surface of the headsupported by the head and hold himself on the handles.

tion; The head rest itself consists of pipes which are telescoping within each other and are adjustable relative to each other to different lengths so that the distance from the rotary axis may at anytime be adjusted in accordance with the length of the patients body.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present accompanying drawings, in-which- Fig. ,1 illustrates a perspective side view of the new chair; while Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective front view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of the new chair consists of two lateral members 1 and 2 made of pipes which are bent into the shape of two equal-sided triangles. The two upright arms of each lateral frame member are connected to each other by crossbars 3 and 4, respectively, which extend parallel to the lower arm of the triangle and, in turn, are connected to each other by crossbars 5 and 6. Such framework gives the chair very great solidity. Crossbars 3 and 4 are forwardly extended to form stair supports 7 on which boards or the like 8 are mounted to form a stair step which is additionally supported by a central rod 9 which is substantially vertical.

Between crossbars 3 and 4 and the upper apex 10 and 11 of each triangle 1 and 2, stringers 12 and 13 are mounted, the upper parts 14 and 15 of which are bent at an inclined angle in the direction toward stair step 8.

These angular parts 14 and 15 carry the two handle bars 16 and 17, respectively, and also a plurality of hooks 18 and 19 at certain spaced intervals into which seat strap may be engaged and thus be adjusted to different evels.

The lower ends of stringers 12 and 13 serve as bearings of a shaft 21 on which two pipes 22 and 23 are secured in which pipes 24 and 25 are slidably mounted which may be secured at any desired level by means of setscrews 26 and 27, respectively. At their upper end, pipes 24 and 25 are connected to each other by a yoke 28 which carries a strap 29 forming the head rest. Shaft 21 carries at one end a lever 30 which may be secured in different positions of angular adjustment by meansof a pin 33 which may be inserted in different bores 32 in a curved bar 31 which is secured at opposite ends on stringer 12 and the rear arm of member 1. Thus, the head rest 29 may be adjusted to any desired position. 'The upper parts 14 and 15 of stringers 12 and 13, respectively, are preferably bent at such an angle relative to v 7 Since the weight of his body will be practically nullified by the water, he will have no difficu-lty in holding himself easily in .this 'posithe lower parts thereof that, when the head rest is adjusted to its normal position asillustrated in Fig. 1, parts 14 and 15 will be disposed substantially within an arc of a circle about a center formed by the head rest. I Therefore, regardless-of whether the seat strap 20 is adjusted to a higher or lower position, the head rest when once adjusted will remain in the same position.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to thepreferred embodiment there of, I wish to have it understood that it is nine Way limited to' the details of such embodiment, but iscapable of numerous modifications Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus 'fully disclosed my invention, What I claim is:

1. A chair for hydrotherapeutic treatments, compris ing'a frame including a pair oftubular'side members, each forming a'substantially equal-sided triangle and means for securing said triangular members inspaced relationshipito each 'other,"a"pairi of lateral stringers mounted on said frame,"a seat for'supporting'thebodyof a patient substantially'at the level of hisbuttocks, said seat comprisingfafiexible'strap, meanson said stringers for adjust-ably'securing said strapdhe'reonat different-- levels, and a stair step mounted on said triangular members at'the front side of said: chair and disposed at a level intermediate the levels of 'the base and apex of saidtriangular members; I

2. A chair for 'hydrotherapeutic' treatments, comprise ing a frame," a pair oflateral stringersrnounted on said frame, a seat for supportingthe body' of "aQa-ti'ent substantiallyat' the level of his buttocks," saidseat comprising a flexible strap, means on said stringers forad-' justably securing said seat strap'thereon at differentlevels,

a head'rest,"means connectingbsaid head rest to said frame including means for pivoting said 'head'resttodiff ferent angular positions "relative to said frame and'for securing said head rest in any'ofsaid angular positions,

at the lever-(isms buttocks, saidseat' comprising a flexible strap, means on said stringers for adjust-ably securing said seat strap thereon at difier'e'nt levels, a head rest, means connecting said head: restto said 'frame'including means for pivotingrsaid head rest to different angular positions relative "to said frame'and for securing said head 'rest in any of said angular positions, said connecting means including at least one pair of tubular members telescopically slidable Within each other to vary the distance between said head rest and the pivotal axis of said connecting'me'ans on said frame,- andmeans 'for securing said members to each otherin any one of-various extended positions.

References- Citedin the file of this patent UNI TED'STATES PATENTS 270,046 Fobes Jan. 2, 1883 338,931 Brown Mar; 16, 1886 489,517" Woods Jan. 10, 1893; 621,99? Kelly Mar. 14, 1899: 826,978} 'Wliittington July 24,' 1996" 924,075 Johnson; June 8, 1909 1,705,745 I Anderson Mar. 19, 1929 1977766 Kivler Octf23, 1934' -2,492,383 Jones DeCLZ'Y, 1949 2,604,636: Neilsen July 29, 1952, 2,673,737 Daniels Mar. 30; 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 316;953"* Italy -Apr. 19;'1934-,

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