Other

Fischer Industries, Inc.

Muchisky, Thomas P.

Thomas P Muchisky

James V Young

Warren G Fischer

Leonard P Krystal

Russel A Nemer

A massage apparatus for use in the therapeutic application of repetitive vibratory force to a recipient. The massage apparatuscomprises a housinghaving a hand portionand a cuff portion. The apparatusalso comprises a pancake motor mountedwithin the hand portion, the pancake motorhaving a drive shaftextending forward along the direction of a longitudinal axisof the housing. An oscillating assemblymounts within the cuff portionand attaches to the drive shaftof the pancake motor, wherein the oscillating assemblytranslates rotary motion of the drive shaftinto orbital oscillations. A counterweightoperatively connects to the pancake motorwherein the counterweightdecreases vibration in the hand portionby compensating forces generated by the oscillating assembly

Self contained massage head and method of applying massage forces

Apparatus for the quick and easy releasable attachment of any applicator to the operative head of any massage machine including a generally annular first plate threaded for permanent attachment to the massage machine head, the first plate including a series of openings formed therein and spaced at equal distances around the first plate, and a second plate for positioning on the top surface of the first plate and releasably attached to the base plate by hook and loop fastener, the second plate having the applicators attached at the top surface and including a series of studs spaced at equal distances around, and extending downward from, the bottom surface of the second plate so that the studs engage the openings in the first plate to appropriately align the first plate and the second plate and to resist dislodgement of the second plate, and the attached applicator, by eccentric forces incurred during use. The respective plates also can be provided sans openings and complementary studs with attachment of the two plates effected only by the hook and loop fastener. In either configuration, the applicator can be affixed to the second plate by direct bonding, by hook and loop fastener or by a threaded engagement.

Universal quick change applicator system for massage apparatus

The front-filling system consists of a pair of fill buckets located on the front of the processor housing. The fill buckets are connected to the internal solution tanks by fill tubes such that fluid in the fill buckets will be delivered to the solution tanks as solution is added during filling or replenishment. The fill buckets are provided with movable lids, to minimize evaporation and accumulation of debris, and the fill buckets are physically separated to prevent cross-contamination during the filling process. The fill buckets, or portions thereof, may be made of transparent material to aid in observing solution levels and solution condition. The fill buckets are positioned and sized to allow for easy filling and replenishment, and for easy observation of solution levels and solution condition without removal of top lids or top housings. The fill buckets each have front over-flow sluices, to eliminate any possibility of overflow within the interior solution tanks.

Solution filling system for a film processor apparatus

A film processor is provided with a top-drop film system which, in the perferred embodiment includes a slot in the top housing cover of the processor, an inclined-plane film guide directly beneath the slot, and a pair of opposing rollers positioned at the bottom edge of the film guide. The top-drop slot allows films to be dropped into the processor, rather than hand-positioning and hand-feeding each film. The specific roller locations and film guide angle allows films to be fed into the processor automatically and consistantly without 'snapping' or over-bending, and without need for operator presence or attention. The inclined-plane film guide is designed for easy removal for cleaning. The guide is mounted in precise-angle slots to maintain angle consistency. The extra width of the top-drop slot allows panoramic films to be processed in a sideways configuration, thereby increasing processing speed by 30% over comparable prior art devices.

Top-drop film feed system

A facial and body massage apparatus for skin cleansing and exfoliation is disclosed as having an applicator with a handle and a skin cleansing/exfoliation element for contacting the face or body of a user. The skin cleansing/exfoliation element is constructed to rotate about an axis aligned with the handle while also orbiting in a path about the aforementioned rotational axis to re-position the skin cleansing/exfoliation element continuously about the rotational axis during rotation thereof. The method of the present invention includes applying a continuously-rotating skin cleansing/exfoliation element to the facial or body skin of a user, and simultaneously continuously-orbiting same in an orbiting path about the axis of rotation of the skin cleansing/exfoliation element, to provide maximum surface area contact while reducing heat and skin irritation as well as uneven wear of the skin cleansing/exfoliation element.

Facial and body massage apparatus and method

The unit has a power source with a shaft connected to a cable extending to a massage applicator to rotate an eccentric therein, the cable having at both ends drive keys in sliding engagement with the motor and applicator shafts which shafts have accommodating bores to slidingly receive the cable drive keys to thus accommodate tension and compression exerted upon the cable during driving engagement, with a sheath surrounding the cable and having swivel couplings at the sheath ends, the sheath having at each end ferrules connected to the power unit and the applicator by nuts, and having a high strength bearing of stronger material than the applicator near the eccentric, with the applicator having watertight seals, and the applicator structure providing a passageway for the eccentric drive shaft and a ferrule therein, the power unit having a carrying handle receiving and releasably locking the applicator allowing a hand to grasp and carry both the power unit handle and the applicator, with the applicator rear having a textile latch to lock with a belt for holding the applicator.

Portable massage unit

A deep breathing exercise device includes a belt member to be positioned around the lower chest wall, with the belt ends joined by a plastic case, one end of the belt being mounted to the case by a negatively-variable-resistance leaf spring permitting limited withdrawal of the belt end from within the case, the case having a plurality of LEDs and a chime to indicate movement of the belt from within the case as the circumferential length of the belt system increases in response to an inhaling motion of the wearer.

Incentive spirometer

A portable adjustable body tilt board includes a pair of panel members which are joined along an edge by a hinge and a nylon strap wrapped at least partially around the panel members, one end of the strap being fixed to a panel member and the other end of the strap having Velcro.TM. fastening material to selectively fasten the strap for various angular orientations between the panels. Once secured, the tilt board may be supported from any surface and used to position a human body for therapy.

Portable adjustable body tilt board

A massage unit used for therapeutic purposes such as to loosen and mobilize bronchial secretions in humans; to improve blood circulation, and; to relax muscles, has a motor unit which transmits rotary motion to a cable engaged to an applicator unit. The applicator unit has a lower gripping portion which rotatably mounts an eccentric drive assembly which is drivingly coupled to the cable so as to be oscillated by cable rotation. An elbow-shaped tube extends upwardly and outwardly from the eccentric assembly so that an application pad mounted on the outer end of the elbow is moved in a circular path around an axis extending parallel to the surface of a patient's body and also parallel to the surface of an application pad, which allows the pad to impart a percussive and a directional massage stroke when it is applied to the body. The resultant force transmitted to the body has two components: one perpendicular to the body to loosen congestive material, and one force component parallel to the body to mobilize congested material in a selected direction.

Massage unit

A massage unit designed to produce percussive directional stroking for medical purposes such as: to loosen and to mobilize, in a selected direction, bronchial secretions or other congestive material in humans or animals; to improve blood circulation, and; to relax muscles, has a portable housing that houses a motor which transmits rotary power through a swivel coupling assembly attached to the housing through a drive cable to an eccentric weight housed within a palm-sized applicator head having a resilient applicator pad to be applied to the chest, back, arms, legs or other parts of a patient's body. The eccentric weight rotates freely within the head to cause the applicator pad to transmit a percussive directional stroking force to the body. The resultant force transmitted to the body has two components: one perpendicular to the body to loosen congestive material, and one force component parallel to the body to mobilize loosened congestive material in a selected direction. The applicator head is compact and shaped to be easily held with one hand and to allow the patient to lie on it for therapy with minimal discomfort. An arrow on the applicator head indicates the direction of the impulse transmitted to the patient by the eccentric weight, and a belt unit is supplied to support and hold the applicator head firmly against the body to allow an individual patient to self-administer treatments in difficult-to-reach locations on his own body, such as his back or sides. Foam pads which encase the applicator head are also supplied to minimize the transmission of vibration to the user's hand or therapist's hand, and to permit the patient to lie more comfortably on the applicator head during therapy.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Thomas P Muchisky