US2749911A - Griffin - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1956 L. GRIFFIN ORTHOPEDIC TABLE Filed July 8, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l HVVENTUR.

LEL/A GE/FF/N June 12, 1956 R N 2,749,911

ORTHOPEDIC TABLE Filed July 8, 1952 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

L EL 1/: GRIFFIN ORTHUPEDIC TABLE Lelia Grifiin, Tucson, Ariz.

Application July 8, 1952, Serial No. 297,700

14 Claims. (Cl. 128-70) My invention relates in general to orthopedic appliances, and more specifically to a treatment appliance in the general form of a table.

in the modern medical treatment of many ailments and deformities, orthopedists have resorted extensively to physical therapy techniques generally new to the medical profession. For the most part, physical therapy devices available for treatments are unsatisfactory because they have been developed by other professions and trades in which the purpose sought to be accomplished was specifically different. Many devices of the general character under discussion, for example, have been intended for the exercising of the entire body or portions of the body and therefore have no utility in those conditions where motion has been lost. As an example, there are many arrested or partially. arrested arthritic, paralytic, and like cases in which patients have very limited and sometimes substantially totally limited voluntary movement of certain parts of the body. In many such cases it is common for the physical therapist to stabilize or hold inactive a portion of the body while gradually applying movement of a member in a direction in which such movement has been totally or partially lost.

Such techniques not only require the expenditure of great physical effort on the part of the therapist, but they leave something to be desired in that there is no certain guide to the extent to which the inactivated member is stressed, the sole criterion being the trained judgment of the therapist. When the expenditure of great physical energy is necessary over a period of time, even the highly skilled therapist will become sufficiently fatigued so that he or she no longer can exercise the same care and judgment which are possible in the absence of fatigue.

Some attempts have been made by means of guides to measure the amount of deflection obtained in a given case and to place a stop in a position to limit such movement; but in general these devices, while helpful, tend to defeat the purpose of the manipulation itself.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an orthopedic table which not only facilitates modern types of treatment, but in many respects provides means for improving the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an orthopedic table by means of which substantially any part of the body may be moved in a precise and rhythmic manner.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an orthopedic table in which a body member may be moved repeatedly through an exact cycle of movement and in which the magnitude of the movement may be increased from time to time as the progress of the patient warrants.

Other specific objects and features of the invention will be brought out in connection with the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating one embodiment of my invention, some of the parts being dotted in to show the relative arrangement thereof; I

nited States Patent 2,749,911 Fatented June 12, 1956 Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view partly in elevation and with some parts broken away to show the construction of a positioning clutch mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing a table extension adjusted to a difierent starting position;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing an adjustable drive feature;

Fig. 7 is an irregular sectional view taken on the line '7-'7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view partly in elevation, taken along the line 8--8 of Fig. 1, the mid-portion of the section being broken to conserve space;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1tl10 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a traction feature;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. ll but showing another form of traction device; and

Fig. 13 is an end elevational view showing one of many possible forms of stabilizing devices which may be used.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the table comprises a main top portion 16; a sectionalized end portion 17 having a longitudinal opening 13; an end section 19 having a transverse opening 21; and a pair of extensions 22 and 23. The portions 16, 17 and 19 are suitably upholstered, removable pieces resting on a frame indicated generally by the reference character 24.

As shown, the operating mechanism is preferably housed in side panels as indicated; and in order not to mask the showing of significant details, only some portions of a suitable framework are shown. A bottom frame portion 26 carries suitable casters 27 so that the table may be moved from place to place.

The extensions 22 and 23 and the drive mechanism therefore are identical, except for the necessary right and left positions. Each such extension is mounted on a bracket 28 which is integral with a clutch member 29 of generally tubular cross section, and through one end of which a rock shaft 31 extends. The clutch member 29 has end projections 32 in the nature of teeth which mesh with end projections 33 in a clutch member 34 pinned to shaft 31. Within the clutch member 29 and surrounding shaft 31 is a coiled spring 36 which is compressed between a shoulder on the inside of such clutch member and a collar 37 pinned or otherwise fixed on shaft 31. Shaft 31 rocks in suitable bearings 38 and has secured thereto a crank 39 through which it is reciprocally driven.

The dotted portions of extension 23 illustrate the reciprocating action thereof, according to one setting of the drive mechanism. As will be pointed out hereinbelow, however, the extensions 22-23 may be operated in many different Ways, depending upon the results desired. All of the movement which is imparted to such extensions, however, results from the operation of an electric motor 41 which drives a change speed transmission 42 through a coupler 43 between the motor and transmission shafts, respectively. A handle 44 extends to a position where it may be engaged for adjustment of the transmission 42.

The transmission 42 has the usual drive shaft to which a sheave 46 is connected; and a belt 47 trained around the sheave and around a pulley 43 drives a transverse shaft 49 journaled in suitable bearings 51 (see Fig. Each end of the shaft 49 has secured thereto a circular twin disk type of device 52 with a central opening 53 between the two disk portions. A slot 54 in the outermost wall of the disk device 52 has a series of projections 56 on both sides thereof, said projections being in the nature of teeth and adapted to mesh with similar projections on a collar 57 around a screw 58 on which a special nut 59 is threaded. The screw 58 has a head 61 secured in the opening 53 so that by releasing the nut 59 the entire assembly comprising the screw, collar, and nut can be moved radially toward or away from the axis of shaft 49.

The special nut 59 has a connecting rod 62 pivoted thereto, and the opposite end of such rod is pivoted to the crank arm 39. The special nut 59 therefore functions in the nature of a crank to reciprocate the rod 62 to a desired extent, it being obvious that if the special nut 59 is connected to dead center, there will be no movement of the connecting rod 62.

At the opposite end of the table and immediately below the opening 18 I provide a longitudinally extending guide rod 63 suitably secured at its ends to the frame structure. Carriage 64 is reciprocal on the rod and has a portion projecting up through the opening 18 to carry a head rest 66. A downwardly extending portion has a cable 67 secured to it, said cable being trained around a pair of sheaves 68 and 69 and having its opposite end secured to a rotatable pin 71 projecting into a suitable one of several openings in a disk 72.

The disk 72 is driven by a shaft 73 extending from a transmission device 74 driven by a motor 76, a shift rod 77 being provided to control the speed at which the shaft 73 turns.

A spring 78 is tensioned between the carriage 64 and a portion of the frame structure. By this mechanism the carriage 64 is moved to the left, looking at Fig. 9, by the cable 67 and returned by the action of spring 78. By selecting the position of pin 71, the extent of movement can be controlled.

The carriage 64 has a generally L-shaped longitudinal extension 79 lying in the opening 18. The leg of the L provides a means for mounting thereto suitable appliances, depending upon the treatment desired.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 11, a right-angular extension 81 carries a block 82 through which an L-shaped rod 83 extends. The rod 83 has a pad 84 at one end adapted to be positioned under the chin of a patient when his head is on the head rest 66. Wing nuts are provided at each connection to secure the entire mechanism in the position to which it has been adjusted. Fig. 12 shows a modification in which a T-shaped member 86 is secured to the carriage extension 79; this T-shaped member, for example, being grasped with the hands.

Beneath the opening 21 there are provided two special screws 87 journaled in bearings 88 and terminating in exterior cranks 89. Threaded on the screws are uprights 91 which are prevented from turning by guides 92 (one being shown in Fig. 8) on opposite sides of the uprights. By turning the cranks 89, the uprights 91 may be adjusted toward or away from the center of the table. These uprights are adapted to carry suitable stabilizing devices 93 for holding any portion of the body of a patient during treatment. In Fig. 13 I show only a simple form of such stabilizing device; but it will be understood that several of such devices of suitable conformations and configurations are made available, depending upon the particular holding or stabilizing action desired. Those shown in Fig. 13, for example, may be used to engage around the hips when the legs are to be flexed by means of the extensions 22 and 23.

The table of my invention may be used in many differout ways, and it is impossible to describe all of the different types of manipulation for which it may be used. Looking first to the extensions 22 and 23, it will be seen that by forcing the entire extension and clutch member associated with it against the spring 36, the normal or starting position (that is to say, the mid point between extremes of movement) can be selected. As an illustration, Fig. 2 shows the extentions in full lines at the same level as the remaining portion of the table, and the dotted lines indicate the two extremes of movement, the extension 23 in the instance shown in Fig. 2 being reciprocated between the upper and lower dotted line positions.

On the other hand, by manipulating the clutch device, the movement indicated in Fig. 4 may be obtained. This movement may be relatively rapid or relatively very slow, depending upon the adjustment of the transmission mechanism 42.

Moreover, by changing the position of the crank comprising the special nut 59, the magnitude of the reciproeating motion may also be changed.

Still another form of adjustment has to do with the relative movement of the extensions 22 and 23. While a single drive is used for both of these extensions, it is obvious that the structure makes possible completely independent movement of the two extensions. In other words, they may be moved alternately in the manner of a pair of scissors, they may be moved in unison, one may be stationary while the other moves, or one may have more movement or a slower movement than the other. Almost any part of the body may be manipulated by means of these two extensions. When they are adjusted to substantially an upright position, for example, a rolling or rocking motion may be imparted to the shoulders or pelvic region, depending upon the position of the patient.

I have shown no straps, pads, rails or the like aids commonly used with devices of this general type; but it is of course obvious that any of these customary and usual devices may be employed.

As only one example of a particular kind of treatment, I may consider the case of where there is very limited movement in a joint. I have found that instead of applying continued pressure to produce greater movement such as is conventional, I may adjust one of the extensions to operate to the extreme movement permitted in such joint and reciprocate the extension and thus continuously and intermittently move the joint to the extrerne of movement for several minutes. it is then possible to adjust for slightly more movement and then operate for a further few minutes; and in this way be repeated treatments gradually restore more movement and in a much more effective manner than by too much forcing in one manipulation or operation. The stabilizing device illustrated in Fig. 13 facilitates such kind of treatment.

The traction feature is utilized in the same general manner, obtaining only as much traction movement as the circumstances of the case require. The head rest has the effect of holding the entire spine in line, and there is no sliding of the head'aud rotating of the head such as occurs in other types of support. The traction device may be used to apply traction to any part of the body, although it has its most frequent application in the type of treatment involving the neck and shoulders as the description of the head rest 66 and chin pad 84 imply. During the operation of the traction device, the stabilizing feature may also be used; and i may even use the traction in combination with the extension mechanism in certain types of treatments.

I claim:

1. In an orthopedic table, a supporting frame, a top portion on said frame, a pair of extensions normally in the plane of said top portion, said extensions being individually supported on said frame for pivotal movement on atransverse axis with respect to said top portion; means on said frame for reciprocating said extensions rhythmically about said pivotal support on opposite sides of the said normal position thereof; and clutch means individual to each such extension for changing said normal position about which said extensions reciprocate.

2. An orthopedic table as defined in claim 1, including means for controlling the speed at which each cycle of reciprocation occurs.

3. The combination defined in claim 1, including separate means for each extension for controlling the magnitude of the reciprocation thereof.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, including separate means for each extension for controlling the amplitude of the reciprocation thereof, said means being adjustable to zero movement position for either extension.

5. In an orthopedic table, a top portion; a pair of aligned transverse shafts journaled in bearings at one end of said top portion; a clutch member secured to each transverse shaft; a pair of top portion extensions mounted on brackets, said brackets including clutch members adapted for driving connection to said first mentioned clutch members, said driving and driven clutch members being mutually engageable at a plurality of positions; a variable speed drive mechanism; a single transverse shaft below said top portion; a drive connection between said variable speed drive mechanism and said single transverse shaft; a disc device at each end of said single transverse shaft; a crank arm secured to each one of said aligned shafts; a connecting rod between each crank arm and one of said disc devices; and means on the disc device for radially adjusting the point of attachment between each said connecting rod and disc device.

6. In an orthopedic table, a top portion; a pair of aligned transverse shafts journaled in bearings at one end of said top portion; a clutch member secured to each transverse shaft; a pair of top portion extensions mounted on brackets, said brackets including clutch members adapted for driving connection to said first mentioned clutch members, said driving and driven clutch members being mutually engageaole at a plurality of positions; a crank arm secured to each of said aligned shafts; a single transverse driven shaft beneath the top portion; a crank device at each end of said single shaft; and connecting rods between said crank devices and said crank arms to reciprocally rotate said pair of aligned shafts.

7. In an orthopedic table, a top portion; a pair of aligned transverse shafts journaled in bearings at one end of said top portion; a clutch member secured to each transverse shaft; a pair of top portion extensions mounted on brackets, said brackets including clutch members adapted for driving connection to said first mentioned clutch members, said driving and driven clutch members being mutually engageable at a plurality of positions; a crank arm secured to each said shaft; a single transverse driven shaft beneath the top portion; a crank device at each end of said single shaft; connecting rods between said crank devices to reciprocally rotate said pair of aligned shafts; and means for controlling the effective crank length of said crank devices on said single shaft to individually control the amplitude of reciprocation of said pair of aligned shafts.

8. An orthopedic table comprising a main stationary horizontal top portion; a pair of extensions forming, in a normal position, a continuation of such top portion, said extensions being individually supported on pivots transverse to and at one end of the main top portion; drive means for mechanically reciprocating said extensions about their pivots; means forming a transverse slot in said top portion near that end thereof adjacent the extensions and a central longitudinal slot at the opposite end; a pair of uprights separately adjustable along said transverse slot and adapted to carry suitable body-stabilizing devices, and an upright reciprocally supported in said longitudinal slot for carrying a body-supporting member for the application of traction thereto.

9. An orthopedic table comprising a frame, a main stationary horizontal top portion on said frame; a transverse rock shaft supported i2. bearings at one end of said top portion; a clutch member integral with the shaft, a second clutch member surrounding the shaft and spring pressed into engagement with the first clutch member; an extension of said top portion supported by said second clutch member; and means including a motor-driven shaft carried by the frame for reciprocating said rock shaft about its axis to reciprocate said extension on opposite sides of a median position, said clutch members being separable by moving the second clutch member against said spring and re-engagable to change said median position.

10. The combination defined in claim 9 in which two such extensions are provided and each is separately adjustable and reciprocable.

ll. An orthopedic table comprising a frame, a main stationary horizontal top portion above the frame; a pair of aligned transverse rock shafts supported in bearings carried by the frame at one end of the top portion; a driving clutch member secured on each shaft; a second driven clutch member on each shaft spring biased into engagement with the first clutch member; and a top extension secured to each driven clutch member, and driving means carried by the frame for individually reciprocating such rock shafts.

12. An orthopedic table comprising a frame, a main stationary horizontal top portion; a pair of aligned transverse rock shafts supported in bearings carried by the frame at one end of the top portion; a driving clutch member secured on each shaft; a second driven clutch member on each shaft spring biased into engagement with the first clutch member; a top extension secured to each driven clutch member; a drive mechanism on the frame for individually reciprocating the rock shafts; and means including an adjustable length crank forming a part of said drive mechanism for individually modifying the amplitude of such reciprocation.

13. in an orthopedic table, a frame, a top portion on the frame, one end of said top portion being provided with a central longitudinal slot, a guide rail carried by the frame beneath said slot, a carriage longitudinally movable on said guide rail with an extension projecting upwardly through said slot, 21 head rest carried by the extension above said slot, a traction device carried by the carriage above the head rest, an electric driving motor carried by the frame, a change speed device driven by said motor, a mechanical drive including a crank driven by said change speed device and mechanical linkage to between said crank and carriage to move the same in one direction, a spring tensioned by movement of the carriage for moving the same in a return direction, and means for controlling the length of said crank.

14. In an orthopedic table a supporting frame, a top portion on said frame, at least one extension normally in the plane of said top portion, said extension being supported for pivotal movement on a transverse axis with respect to said top portion, means on the frame for reciprocating said extension about said pivotal support on opposite sides of its said normal position, a pair of uprights separately adjustable in a transverse slot in said top portion, and individual members on said uprights shaped to engage a portion of a human body to stabilize it against movement as another portion of such human body is moved by said extension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,686,979 McManis Oct. 9, 1928 1,931,999 Smith Oct. 24, 1933 1,950,948 Murray Mar. 13, 1934 2,598,204 Allen May 27, 1952

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