US2140310A - Relaxer - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 13, 1938. E. D. BROWN ET AL RELAXER Filed Jan. 14, 1957 INVENTORS zz w/mo .0. amw/v BY 61mm! #84onw ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES RELAXEB Elward D. Brown and Grace H. Brown, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 14, 1937, Serial No. 120,576

4 Claims.

This invention relates to relaxing devices, and its various objects are to provide an inexpensive but highly eflicient mechanism of this kind which is adapted to the most divers applications in providing comfort for the body, and particularly for the legs and feet of both well or sick persons. The device is also intended to serve as emergency seat or emergency table or as a splint for injured limbs, particularly the legs, and may find application both in the home and hospitals.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind wherein two interhinged members are connected by a collapsible brace which is adapted to fold up when the two meml5 bers are in folded position.

A further object of this invention is to provide in such device resilient friction means whereby a shifting movement of the device in its operative position is prevented, while it permits a swinging movement of the device for proper positioning thereof in order to provide greatest comfort and convenience to the user.

The foregoing and still further objects and important advantages of this invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description and the accompanying drawing, which latter forms an essential part of this disclosure, but which is not intended to limit the same to the actual showing, and in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of our device shown in open position, and partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 illustrates an end view of the device, partially in section, while the device is in its foldedup position;

Fig. 5 is a side View of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate in diagrammatical form a few of the many possible applications of the device in actual use; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view of one of the instrumentalities for hingedly interconnecting the major members of the device.

Fig. 11 is a perspective detail view of the folded- 5 up brace, a part of which is broken off.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, numeral I0 denotes a stand-up member to which are attached two hinge brackets H, in the manner shown in Fig. 3, so that the attaching legs I2 of the bracket (see Fig. 10) are directed towards one another. The upright ends of the brackets are provided with perforations l3 for accommodating hinge rods or screws 14 which pass through appropriate holes provided at the attached end of supporting member IS. The latter is provided with slots ii for accommodating the perforated upright portions of hinge brackets I It will be observed particularly from Fig. 4 that the lower edge of supporting member i5 is rounded off, as indicated at H, so as to permit an unrestricted movement of member I5 relative to stand-up member I0. Associated with the sides, and near the upper end of stand-up member Hi, there are provided emergency brackets 10 I8, which normally adhere to the side edges of member In but may be brought into the broken line position shown in Fig. 1. As will be observed, brackets 18 are secured to the side edges of member III by means of screws, and their unattached 1 ends are perforated for accommodating hinge screws, or rods l4, removably associated with supporting member IS. The employment of these emergency brackets may be best understood by referring to Fig. 9, where it is clearly shown that an the hinged connection of the two major members In and I5 may be changed so as to alter their angular position relative to one another.

Members 10 and I5 are not only interhinged, but are hingedly connected by a collapsible brace 25 I9, which latter consists of a short arm 20 and a long arm 2|, each arm having a hinged end 22 attached, respectively, to the stand-up and supporting members. Arms 20 and 2| of brace l9 are interhinged with one another at 23 and 30 are normally held in their unfolded position by a spring or similar means, not shown in the drawing. The arms of the brace are substantially channel-shaped and are intended to fold up against one another in the manner illustrated in 35 Fig. 4. An important feature of this brace resides in the side enlargement 24 provided in the longer arm 2| of the brace. This enlargement is intended to accommodate and forcibly engage the hinge connection 22 formed between the 40 shorter arm 20 and supporting member l5, when the brace is collapsed (as members l0 and iii are folded against one another, seen in Figs. 4 and 5). The forcible engagement of the hinge connection by enlargement 24 has the purpose of automatically interlocking the brace arms in their collapsed position, thereby holding members IO and IS in their folded state.

In order to accommodate hinge 23 and the adjacent parts of the folded-up brace portions, there are provided in both members I and 15 depressions 25 and 26, respectively, so that when the members are folded, they can assume a parallel position relative to one another, and are as u close to one another as the collapsed brace l9, folded into these depressions, permits.

In order to facilitate the carrying about of the device, there is provided in member I! an aperture 21, sufiiciently large to allow the insertion therethrough of a few fingers or the hand of the user. At the supporting edge of stand-up member I 0, there are secured resilient friction means 28 in the form of rubber buttons or the like, which latter serve for preventing the device from shifting from its intended place, while at the same time permitting the tilting of the device to the proper angle for most comfortably supporting the body or limbs of the user.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated one of the many possible employments of the device, wherein supporting member I5 serves as rest for the leg and foot. The device as shown in this figure may be used also as a splint, that is, as a permanent support for an injured leg, in which case the leg is firmly strapped to member l5. While the patient is in bed, stand-up member is collapsed against member I5, until such time when the patient intends to sit up, at which moment standup member ID is swung to its position shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 7 the device is shown when used as an emergency seat, wherein the supporting member serves as a seat, and a portion of the stand-up member performs the duty of a back rest.

In Fig. 8 the device is employed as a back support, such as may be conveniently used on the beach, picnic ground or on a cot, in a bed or elsewhere. In this case, the stand-up member serves as a restboard for the back of the body.

In Fig. 9 the use of the device for supporting an injured limb is shown. In this figure is illustrated the readily made change in the hinge connection between members ill and I5, wherein the emergency brackets I8 are employed to elevate the position of member l5 to a substantially horizontal plane, so as to permit the support of the calf, and wherein a removable cushion 29 is superimposed over the upper edge of stand-up member III for the support of the heel area of the foot.

It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 11, that collapsible brace I9, when folded, is temporarily locked in .position, in that enlargement 24 of brace leg 2| forcibly engages hinge connection 22, secured to member 15 of the device. Especially. from Fig. 4, it will be clearly noted that hinge 23, connecting legs 20 and 2|, is nested in depressions 25 and 26, provided, respectively, in members l and I5, when brace I9 is in its folded-up position. I

Another practical use of our device may be made by converting it into an emergency table, in which case member l0 takes the place of the table top, while member l serves as central table leg. v

The advantages of the present invention are clearly indicated in the drawing, which latter, of course, illustrates only a few of the possible uses of the device. It is obvious, however, that with small, inexpensive changes, our device may be put to various other uses, such as, for instance, the splint mentioned previously, and others, and we therefore wish to have it understood that changes and improvements may be made in the construction of our device, and we reserve for ourselves the right to make such changes and improvements without departing from the broad scope of our idea as expressed in the annexed claims:

We claim:

1. In a relaxing device of the class described, a stand-up member and a supporting member, the latter provided with an opening for carrying the device, a pair 01. brackets secured to said stand-up member, slots provided in said supporting member accommodating said brackets, said brackets, said slots and a connecting bolt constituting a hinge connection between said members, a collapsible means hingedly connected with both members and adapted to hold them in unfolded position, when desired, means provided in both members for accommodating said first means when the members are folded, means secured to said stand-up member to cooperate with said bolt to hod both members in changed relative angular position to one another, said first means consisting of interhinged short and long channels, the longer channel being provided with enlargements for interlocking with the hinge connection formed between the short channel and said supporting member, when said first means is collapsed, thus holding said members in their folded position, and resilient friction means at the supporting end of said stand-up member for preventing the shifting of the device from its intended position, while permitting a swinging movement thereof.

2. In a foldable relaxing device, a stand-up member and a supporting member hingedly connected with one another, means on both members providing different hinged connections for varying the angular relation of the members when unfolded, a collapsible brace hingedly connected with both members, and comprising a short and a long arm, both pivotally interconnected with one another, the longer arm having means for forcibly engaging the hinge connection formed between the short arm and one of said members, when the brace is collapsed, means provided in both members for accommodating the collapsed brace when the members are folded.

3. In a relaxing device, stand-up and supporting members hingedly connected and provided with means for forming an adjustable hinged connection between one another, a collapsible brace hingedly connected with both members and comprising short and long interhinged arms, the longer arm provided with means for accommodating and forcibly engaging the hinge connection formed between the short arm of the brace and to one of the members.

4. In a relaxing device, hingedly connected stand-up and supporting members, a collapsible brace, one end of the brace being hinged to one of the members, its other end being hinged with the other member, said brace consisting of interhinged arms, one of said arms being provided with means for accommodating and interlocking with the hinge connection formedbetween the other arm and said supporting member when the brace is collapsed while the members are folded.

ELWARD D. BROWN. GRACE H. BROWN.

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