US3343531A - Chiropractic table - Google Patents

Description

J. C. THOMPSON CHIROPRACTIC TABLE Sept. 2 1967 Original Filed May 15, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I vils/Ton BY fW 'fi L /fs lit-tern eys,

P 1967, J. c. THOMPSON 3,343,531

CHIROPRACTIC TABLE Original Filed May 13, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 F 7 i, I Z I INVEALTOR.

' IOA WM Sept. '26, 1967 J. c. THOMPSON 3,343,531

CHIROPRACTIC TABLE 7 Original Filed May 15, 1963 s sheets-sheet 5 I II ,/2o

F/G6 "39B 1" I I 25% B v m \39C United States Patent 3,343,531 CHIROPRACTIC TABLE Joseph Clay Thompson, 4126 El Rancho Drive, Davenport, Iowa 52806 Continuation of application Ser. No. 279,947, May 13, 1963. This application Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 511,264

- 12 Claims. (Cl. 128-69) This is a continuation of patent application, Ser. No. 279,947., now abandoned, filed May 13, 1963.

This invention relates to a table for the use of chiro practors in administering chiropractic adjustments for the correction of subluxations or abnormal position or condition of a vertebra, a spinal nerve, an artery, discs, or other portion of a given area in the cervical region of the human spinal column.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanical unit which will cooperate with the application of manual force by a chiropractor and doctor in adjusting and restoring to normal healthy position and condition one or more elements or parts in an impaired cervical area of the spinal column requiring correction and adjustment, and particularly to apply tension or traction to the cervical area of the spinal column tending to stretch it and carry or move the head and neck a short distance lengthwise along a portion of the spinal column above the dorsal and lumbar areas, and to relieve compression of adjoining parts which sometimes exists or occurs.

Specifically it is an object of the invention to provide an improved form of headrest having a stationary base plate with a cushioned upper plate secured to move parallel to the base plate but movable lengthwise thereof and in parallel thereto whereby the movement of the cushion will exert a drag or traction upon the area of the subluxation to be adjusted.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a chiropractic table having a movable cushioned headrest, a stationary cushioned body rest, and a leg rest, with mechanical means supporting the headrest on the body rest whereby a downward movement of the headrest when produced by manual force, will also tend to produce a longitudinal movement of the cushioned headrest and the head thereon away from the body rest.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is better understood from the following description and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a top or plan view of the cushion of a headrest with a head outlined face down thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a top or plan view of the cushion of a headrest with a head outlined in lateral position thereon but with the cushion reversed end for end from FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the headrest plate that underlies the headrest cushion.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the entire headrest structure.

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the supporting structure for the headrest.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a top view, similar to FIGURE 5 of an alternate form of the invention.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional detail of the lifter mechanism in the alternate form shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 11 is a side view of a table with the headrest attached thereto.

3,343,531 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 In the improved form the table includes a strong rectangular metal frame 41 with legs 46 near each corner thereof. The frame carries a cushioned body and leg rest 42. A cushioned head and neck rest 1, adapted to hold the head and neck in face down position on the sides of a longitudinal channel 2, or laterally upon a depression 3 at the opposite end of the cushion, is carried at the head end of the frame 41. The headrest 1 has an upper cushion or headrest plate 4. The plate 4 is positioned above and substantially parallel to a lower base plate 6 that is rigid with the main frame 41 and consequently is fixed against movement. The plate 4 is suspended on a plurality of support links or arms 25 near each of its corners. The links 25 have their lower ends pivoted on axes transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the table frame 41 between pairs of lugs 6B integral with and rojecting upwardly from the base plate 6. The links 25 extend diagonally upwardly and have their upper ends pivoted in lugs 4A integral with and projecting downwardly from the upper plate 4. A patient 44 may lie prone on the cushioned body 42 with his head 45 on the headrest structure 1.

The headrest is raised to its highest position when the arms or links stand at an angle of about 30 degrees from the vertical and is in its second or lowest position when they stand at an angle of about 60 degrees from the vertical. Other mechanical guide means or other sets of arms may be provided of different lengths to vary the movement of the upper plate for different cases, but tests have shown that a vertical movement from A1 to /2 an inch with a longitudinal movement of from /4 to /2 an inch will meet the requirements for adjustment of a large proportion of the subluxations which commonly occur.

In order to provide a uniform length of movement for the upper plate 4 both downward and longitudinally, the line of travel of the upper pivots must be in the middle /3 of the quadrant between vertical and horizontal radii thereof which is accomplished by the 30 degree angles described. Of course these may be varied to obtain differences in length of downward and longitudinal travel if circumstances require. It should be noted as shown by the drawings and due to the links or arms 25 being parallel that the top plates 4 and the base plates 6 and 39 are held at horizontal levels and in parallel.

Movement of the plate 4 is limited in a downward direction by contact with cushioned posts 7 that are carried on bosses 6C projecting upwardly from the plate 6. Vertical brackets or plates 8, 8A are fixed to and project downwardly and upwardly respectively from the cushion plate 4 and the support or base plate 6, and are adapted to contact and limit upward longitudinal movement of the plate. Consequently the posts 7 and plates 8, 8A serve as limiting means to prevent movement of the links 25 and the plate 4 within the aforesaid 30 degree quadrant.

Centrally located in the plate 6 is a vertical boss 6A carrying ball bearings 11 that journal for free vertical movement an upright column 9 with a bifurcated upper end that supports a roller 10. The roller 10 engages the underside of the plate 4 near the center of the plate. The lower end of the column 9 is slotted at 10A to receive one end of a lever 12 by which it may be raised to lift the plate 4 by a transverse rockshaft 22 carrying a slotted rockarm 14. A link 13 extends between the arm 14 and the opposite end of the lever 12. Knurled end nobs 23 are provided on the rockshaft 22 for manually adjusting the shaft. A spring 24 extends between the shaft 22 and plate 6 and biases it in a counter clockwise direction as viewed from FIG. 6.

The column 9 has an annular surface groove that receives a detent ball 19. A plate 20 having a tunnel therein is screwed to the undersurface of the plate 6. The detent ball is in the end of the tunnel and is held in a recess in the end of a rod 18 that slidably moves in the tunnel. A spring 17 is positioned in the tunnel and bears against the rod 18. A slider member 16 bears against the opposite end of the spring 17. A threaded adjusting bolt 15 is threadedly carried in an upright extension of the plate 6 and bears against the slider member 16. By adjusting the bolt 15, the effective pressure of the spring 17 may be adjusted to vary the detent release load between the detent ball 19 and the groove in the column 9. The ball 19 will always engage the column 9 and will seat in the annular groove and cause the column 9 to be releasably retained in its upper position.

In operation, therefore, the column 9 and the plate 4 are raised to their raised positions by manually adjusting the rockshaft 22 until the lever 12 raises the column 9 to a position in which the detent ball 19 seats in the annular groove on the column 9 and thereby latches it in the raised position. At this time the plate is cocked for release in a downward and longitudinal movement. The spring 24 and a spring 40 that extends between the plate 6 and lever 12 causes the lever 12 to disengage the column 9 when the latter is cocked.

In FIGURES 8, 9 and an alternate form of means to raise the upper plate is shown by mounting the shaft 32 longitudinally of the headrest instead of transversely as in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, but it accomplishes the same identical service.

As shown in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, it consists of a shaft 32 mounted lengthwise of the headrest and rotatably supported in bearing 37 carried by blocks 33 that are integral with the base housing 39. The shaft 32 is rotated by a crank 35 with a handle 36, and carries on its inner end a head 31. An annular roller 29 is pivoted on a pin 30 fixed to the head 31 eccentrically of the shaft 32. The collar 29 engages a vertical rod 27 and upon rotation of the head 31 moves the rod 27 downwardly to actuate a lever 26, pivoted at 38, and raise the column 9 with the roller 10 to force the plate 4 upwardly. A collar 34 is fixed on the shaft 32 and prevents axial movement of the shaft.

A spiral compression spring 28 is mounted on the rod 27 and acts to retain the top or head end of the rod 27 in contact with the roller 29. The base plate 39 has lugs 39B supporting links 25 on pivot pins 390 in much the same manner of the previous form of the invention.

In administering the process for cervical subluxations, conventional chiropractic means such as consultation, palpation, X-rays, neuroealometer, etc., are used to ascertain the location, direction, extent and nature of the subluxation complained of and the adjustment needed to remedy it. The doctor then sets the upper plate 4 of the headrest at the proper uppermost or cocked position, in the manner previously explained, and the patient is placed in horizontal prone or lateral position on the table with the head and part of the neck, if needed, placed upon the cushion of the headrest. The hands of the doctor are then applied to the proper point of the effected area which will normally be adjacent the Atlas transverse bone at the base of the skull and upon a quick force in a downward direction as applied in standard chiropractic practice, the detent load of the detent ball 19 is overcome and the plate 4 and the entire headrest 1 is permitted to move downwardly and longitudinally away from the body cushion 42.

By such as operationthe head is allowed to move downwardly and lengthwise to exert a minor amount of tension on the head and neck, thereby opening the articulations in the spine so that the adjustment proves more effective. As the head moves down when the doctor gives his thrust, the headpiece moves away from the body support 42 so that the head and neck are at their highest point of tension when the adjustment is completed. This provides the greatest amount of cleavage since the head is under traction at the time the adjustment is given, making the slipping of the bones or other parts, one upon the other, far less difiicult than would be otherwise experienced. The patient feels much less concussion and discomfort than would be experienced on a more conventional headpiece.

While only the preferred forms of the invention have been shown, it is recognized that other forms and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore while the preferred forms were shown and described in detail for the purpose of clarity and concisely illustrating the principles of the invention, it should be understood there is no intention to limit or narrow the invention beyond the broad concept set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A headrest structure for a chiropractic table having an elongated portion for supporting a body of a patient, comprising: a base member fixed to the elongated portion, a headrest support above the base member; means connecting the headrest support to the base member for guiding the headrest support in a path having longitudinal and vertical components and between an upper position adjacent the end of the elongated portion of the table and a lower position spaced longitudinally a greater distance away from the end of the elongated portion, and releasable latch means rigid with the base member for holding the headrest support in its upper position and adapted to release upon' downward pressure being applied to the headrest support, and adjusting means associated with the latch means for regulating the amount of resistance to downward pressure before releasing the latch means.

2. In a chiropractic table, an elongated body rest, a headrest adjacent an end thereof, mechanical means supporting the headrest for movement in respect to the body rest in a path between an upper position comparatively close to the end of the body rest and lower position spaced a comparatively greater longitudinal distance from the end of the body rest, and detent means releasable upon downward pressure on the headrest for retaining the headrest in the upper position.

3. A chiropractic table comprising: a main longitudinal frame, a plurality of body rests disposed longitudinally and substantially in end to end relation on the frame and for supporting different portions of a human body with part thereof being supported rigidly on the frame, mechanical means supporting a part of said rests on the frame for movement in a path having longitudinal and vertical components and in respect to the plane of said part of the rests that are fixed to the frame, and detent means between the movable part of said rests and the frame for retaining the movable part in a fixed position whereby pressure releasing the detent means will cause tension to be applied to adjacent body portions supported on the fixed and movable rests.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 further characterized by the mechanical means being in the form of guides connected to the frame that permits the movable rests to move longitudinally away from said fixed part of the body rests and from the plane of the fixed part.

5. The invention defined in claim 3 in which the longitudinal component of movement of the movable rests is A to /2 an inch and the vertical component to the plane of the fixed rests is A to an inch.

6. A headrest for a chiropractic table including a horizontal stationary. base plate, an upper plate above and substantially parallel to the base plate, a plurality of pairs of lugs united to the upper side of the base plate near the corners thereof, arms substantially one inch in length with their lower ends pivoted in the pairs of lugs respectively about coplanar and parallel axes on corresponding pairs of lugs united to the lower side of the upper plate, a plurality of supports united to the base plate upon which the upper plate may rest when in its lowest position substantially half an inch above the base plate with the arms extending at an angle upward which is arranged to carry the upper plate upward about one-quarter of an inch when adjusted to its highest point, and will carry it about one-quarter of an inch lengthwise from the highest position to which it can be adjusted, adjusting means between the upper and lower plates for moving the upper plate to its upper position, and latch means for retaining the upper plate in its upper position, the latch means being releasable upon a predetermined downward force being applied thereto.

7. A headrest for a chiropractic table including a horizontal stationary base plate, an upper plate above and substantially parallel to the base plate, parallel arms substantially one inch in length with their lower ends pivoted to the base plate about coplanar and parallel axes, and their upper ends pivoted on coplanar and parallel axes on the upper plate, the arms being adapted to suspend and move the upper plate substantially parallel to the base plate, support means united to the base plate upon which the upper plate may rest when in its lowest position with the arms extending at an angle which is arranged to carry the upper plate upward about one-quarter of an inch when adjusted to its highest point, and will carry it about one-quarter of an inch lengthwise from the highest position to which it can be adjusted, adjusting means between the upper and lower plates for moving the upper plate to its upper position, and latch means for retaining the upper plate in its upper position, the latch means being releasable upon a predetermined downward force being applied thereto.

8. A headrest for a chiropractic table including a base, a headrest support above the base, parallel arms substantially one inch in length with their lower ends pivoted to the base about coplanar and parallel axes, and their upper ends pivoted on coplanar and parallel axes on the headrest support, the arms being adapted to suspend and move the headrest support to a plurality of horizontal and parallel positions, support means united to the base upon which the headrest support may rest when in its lowest position with the arms extending at an angle upward and arranged to carry the headrest support upward about onequarter of an inch when adjusted to its highest point, and to carry it about one-quarter of an inch lengthwise from the highest position to which it can be adjusted, adjusting means between the base and headrest support for moving the support to its upper position, and latch means for retaining the headrest support in its upper position, the latch means being releasable upon a predetermined downward force being applied thereto.

9. A headrest for a chiropractic table including a base, a headrest support above the base, parallel suspension arms with their lower ends pivoted to the base about coplaner and parallel axes, and their upper ends pivoted on coplanar and parallel axes on the headrest support, the

arms being adapted to suspend and move the headrest support to a plurality of horizontal and parallel positions, support means united to the base upon which the headrest support may rest when in its lowest position with the arms extending at an angle upward, the arms thereby being arranged to carry the headrest support vertically and lengthwise between upper and lower positions, adjusting means between the base and headrest support for moving the support to its upper position, and latch means for retaining the headrest support in its upper position, the latch means being releaseable upon a predetermined downward force being applied on the headrest support.

10. A headrest for a chiropractic table including a base, a headrest support carried on the base by mechanical guide means that limits movement of the support to vertical and longitudinal movement in respect to the table and between first and second positions, the second position being offset from the first position both vertically and longitudinally, adjusting means between the support and base for moving the support to the first position, and latch means for retaining the support in its first position, the latch means being releaseable upon a predetermined downward force being applied to the headrest support whereby the support will be free to move to the second position.

11. The invention defined in claim 10 in which the guide means is substantially parallel links that are supported at opposite ends on transverse and parallel pivots on the headrest support and base.

12. The invention defined in claim 11 in which the links are inclined to the vertical and are adapted to move substantially in the middle portion of the angular quadrant between vertical and horizontal whereby movement within the quadrant creates a movement of the headrest support having both horizontal and vertical components.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,582,950 4/1926 Weaver et al. 128--72 2,727,510 12/ 1955 Thompson 128-69 2,878,805 3/1959 Sunich 12833 2,926,660 3/ 1960 Thompson 128-70 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner. J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A HARDEST STRUCTURE FOR A CHIROPRACTIC TABLE HAVING AN ELONGATED PORTION FOR SUPPORTING A BODY OF A PATIENT, COMPRISING: A BASE MEMBER FIXED TO THE ELONGATED PORTION, A HEADREST SUPPORT ABOVE THE BASE MEMBER; MEANS CONNECTING THE HEADRES SUPPORT TO THE BASE MEMBER FOR GUIDING THE HEADREST SUPPORT IN A PATH HAVING LONGITUDINAL AND VERTICAL COMPONENTS AND BETWEEN AN UPPER POSITION ADJACENT THE END OF THE ELONGATED PORTION OF THE TABLE AND A LOWER POSITION SPACED LONGITUDINALLY A GREATER DISTANCE

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