US2305548A - Exercising device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1942. c, E. NICHOLS 2,305,548

EXERCIS ING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /l l/7 22939 /f L/Z7 /5/ v /QJ l r n Z3' Z/ Z/ '27 (9)/ l i@ 50! CENz'a/zol' wwf-75M Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice EX'ERCISING DEVICE Charles E. Nichols, Delaware, Ohio Application February 5, 1942, Serial No. 429,693

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an exercising device which is adapted to be detachably fastened to a bed for use by a patient while lying in a reclining position on the bed, and more particularly to a device for use by persons who are recovering from injuries or ailments which have resulted in the loss of use of the arms, for providing a mild but very beneficial means for exercising the arms to restore the strength therein and the use thereof.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an exercising device including a support having portions that move over the bed and having `pulleys depending therefrom over which is trained a flexible member the ends cf which are adapted to be grabbed by the patient, while in a reclining or prone position so that a pull on one end of the flexible member will cause said end to move downwardly and the other end upwardly, to enable the patient, by pulling alternately on the opposite ends of the flexible member, to execute an upward and downward movement of the arms.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an exercising device which can be readily attached to or removed from the head of a bed, which will not interfere with raising and lowering the ends of the mattress and springs when used on a hospital bed, and which can be quickly and easily moved to an inoperative position above and behind the bed when notf in use and especially when the patient is receiving treatment by a doctor or nurse.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing the exercising device or attachment applied to a bed,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the attachment, shown in an applied position,

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the same,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 5--5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken substantially along the plane of the line 6--6 of Figure 1, and

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line I-'I of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the diiierent views, IG designates generally a conventional bed of the hospital type which is 'provided with conventional means II for raising and lowering the end I2 of the springs and spring frame. The bed lli is provided with a conventional head portion I3 including an inverted U-shaped member the ends of which form the head posts i4 and the intermediate portion of which forms the tcp rail of the head portion I3. The head portion I3 also includes a cross brace I6 which is disposed substantially below the top rail I5 and the ends cf which are anchored in the head posts I4, It is to be understood that the bed I forms no part of the present invention but is illustrated and described merely to better illustrate the application of the invention, designated generally I'I, and which will hereinafter be described. Furthermore, the bed I0 illustrates only one type of bed with which the exercising device I'I can be used as the device i1 is adapted for use on all types of beds.

The exercising device or attachment I'I includes a frame, designated generally I6, which is composed of upright members I5 and cross members 2i! which are arranged in cross relationship to the uprights i9 and which are connected thereto by means of nut and bolt fasten ings 2l. The upright members I9 extend substantially above the upper cross member 20 and the ends of the cross members 2i) project beyond the two uprights I9, as best seen in Figure 3.

As best seen in Figure 5, the uprights I9 are positioned behind the head I3 of the bed and between the cross members 2li and the head portion I3, and said uprights i9 bear vagainst the top rail I5 and the brace I6. The ends of the cross members 2B are disposed behind the head posts I4. rIhe frame I8 is detachably connected to the back side of the head portion I3 by means of clamps 22, as best seen in Figures 2 and 6. Each of the clamps is provided with a hook shaped portion 23 which is adapted to engage around the forward side of one of the posts I4 and which is provided at one end thereof with a shank 24 which extends rearwardly of the outer side of said post I4 and across and beyond an end of one of the cross members 2Q. The shank 24 is provided with an inturned free end 25 which is disposed behind said end of the cross bar 20 and which is provided with a threaded opening 26 for receiving a set screw or bolt 21 which extends inwardly therethrough. The set screws 2'I of the clamps 22 are adapted to be advanced against the rear sides of the ends of the cross members 20 for forcing the frame IFB toward the head portion I 3 to move the uprights I9 into frictional engagement with the top rail I5 and the brace Iii to thereby detachably clamp the frame i8 on the head of the bed.

The frame I8 is clamped to the head portion I3 so that the upper ends of the uprights I9 will extend above the top rail I5. A supporting arm 28 is pivotally connected near an end thereof to the upper end of each of the uprights I9 by means of a hinge 29. As seen in Figure 1, each hinge 23 has a leaf secured to the back side of an upright I9 and a leaf secured to the under side of an arm 28 for pivotally mounting the arms on the uprights. The uprights I9 are provided with upwardly and forwardly inclined upf per ends 33 on which the arms 23 rest for supporting them in upwardly and forwardly inclined positions, as seen in Figure l. The arms 28 are each provided with a longer end 3| which extends forwardly from the frame I8 and which is disposed over'the bed Ill, and a shorter end 32 which extends rearwardly from the frame. The forward ends 3|, adjacent the terminals thereof, are connected together by means of a brace 33. The ends 3l have eye screws 34 depending therefrom, adjacent their free ends, to which are pivotally connected depending pulleys 35. A flexible member 35, such as a cable or rope, is trained over the pulleys 35 and has its ends depending therefrom and provided at their terminals With handles 3l which are positioned, when the arms 28 are disposed as shown in Figure l, so that the person, not shown, while lying in a prone or reclining position on the bed II), can grasp the handles 3"! when said handles are at substantially the same level.

A brace 38 is fastened to the underside of each arm portion 3I, intermediate of the ends thereof, and said braces are disposed obliquely to the arms and extend toward the uprights I9, when the arms are in their positions of Figure 1. The uprights I9 are provided with recesses 39 in their forward sides and above the top rail I5 to receive the opposite, free ends of the braces 38 for bracing the arms 28, when they are thus positioned.

On the outer side of each of the uprights I9 is pivotally mounted la hook 48 and on the outer side of each of the arm ends 32 is disposed an eye 4I. By swinging the supporting arms 28 upwardly and rearwardly, said arms will move as a unit to their dotted line positions of Figure 1, in which positions the under sides of the ends 32 will be disposed against the back sides of the uprights I3 and the eyes 4I will be positioned so that they can be engaged by the hooks 48 for retaining the arms 28 in upright positions above and behind the uprights I9. When the arms 28 are thus moved upwardly, the braces 38 move out of engagement with the recesses 33 and when the arms 28 are returned to their solid line positions, the free ends of the braces 38 will be returned into positions seated in the recesses 39.

Assuming that a person, not shown, is lying on his back on the bed Ill and that the handles 3'I are in the positions as seen in Figures 1 and 4, said handles can be grasped, one in each hand, by the person occupying the bed and by pulling on one handle 31 said handle will move downwardly and the upper handle will move upwardly. By thus alternately pulling on the handles 3l, the user may exercise his arms to any extent that his strength permits. It will thus be seen that the apparatus I'I provides means whereby bedridden persons may exercise their arms in a way to enable them to regain use of the arms where, through any cause, the use thereof has been lost or substantially lost.

It will be readily apparent that the clamping members 22 will not interfere with the upper portion of the bed being raised or lowered. Furthermore, the elevation of the exercising device I'I may be readily Varied by loosening the clamps 22. The clamps 22 are detached by loosening the screws or bolts 27 after which the clamps can be moved to positions above or below the cross bars 2D and then readily detached from the bed posts I4, and applied by attaching them to the bed post above or below the cross hars 2U and sliding them into positions as seen in Figures 1 and 5.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim, as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

An exercising attachment for beds comprising a frame, means for detachably clamping the frame to the outer side of the head of a bed, said frame including uprights which extend above the top of the head of the bed, supporting arms connected to tops of the uprights and projecting therefrom over the bed, pulleys depending from the arms, a flexible member trained over the pulleys and having depending ends positioned above the bed and located conveniently to be grasped by a person reclining on the bed, said supporting arms being pivotally connected to the uprights for swinging movement to upright positions, latch means for retaining the arms in upright positions, said uprights having forwardly opening recesses, said supporting arms being provided with braces arranged to engage said recesses when the arms are in their rst mentioned positions, over the bed.

CHARLES E. NICHOLS.

Images