Improvements in exercising apparatus for therapeutic purposes / [Max Herz].

  • Herz, Max.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Improvements in exercising apparatus for therapeutic purposes / [Max Herz]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1897 Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1898—Accepted, 2nd July, 1898 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. Improvements in Exercising Apparatus for Therapeutic Purposes. I, Dr. Max Herz, of IX Schwarzspanierstrasse 18, Vienna, in the Austrian Empire, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: — Mechanico therapeutical apparatus such that the patient has to perform a 5 definite and measurable amount of work by overcoming resistances in certain movements, are objectionable, because the intensity of this work does not vary during the prescribed movement in accordance with the variation of the capacity of the muscles for work, as the paid of the body which exerts the power changes its position by the movement. 10 Thus the iorearm which in one part of its movement is extended, in another part is bent inwards on the elbow joint and in other positions of the muscles and joint different exertions of power are required to effect like results. The laws according to which the actions of the joints and muscles vary in exerting power have hitherto been based only hypothetically on theoretical con- 15 siderations and experiments on animals, and meclianico-therapeutic apparatus have been constructed in accordance with these laws. The improvements forming the subject of the present invention have for their object to avoid the objection above stated and to ensure that, in working with such apparatus during the whole movement the muscles shall be exerted in accordance 20 with their momentary tension or pulling force. The inventor has determined empirically the actual variations of the pulling force in human beings, and the resistance in his apparatus can be altered exactly according to these variations. This may be effected in various wnys. In all cases the load (the resistance) is 25 caused to act upon a kinematic intermediate link or member the movement of which due to the motion of that part of the body which is exerting power produces a compensating alteration leverage. Such intermediate members are cams or their equivalents. In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, are res 30 front elevation of an apparatus according to my invention for mechanico therapeutical treatment of the arm. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and G, shew modified arrange¬ ments of parts of the apparatus. A is a standard or frame on the upper portion of which a shaft a with crank handle C is mounted the shaft carrying the compensating kinematic intermediate 35 member which is a cam a1. A lever d pivotted on the frame A, and loaded by a weight e, is connected by a cord, chain, rope or strap h to the cam a1. By shifting the weight e along the lever d the wo-rk performed by turning the crank handle cl can be varied as desired. If for instance the work consists in turning the crank cl in the direction of the 4 arrow Fig. 1, so raising the weight e by moving the fore arm at the elbow joint, [Price 8^.] pectively a side and a