Adjustable ankle stirrup device for a chiropractic table

This invention relates to an adjustable ankle stirrup device for a chiropractic table adapted to mount straps which may be affixed to the ankles for restraining patient movement toward the head of the table during treatment. The stirrup device includes two stirrup brackets mounted on opposite sides of the table which are adjustable longitudinally thereof and vertically supportable in selected positions to accommodate patients of different heights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to accessories for chiropractic tables and 
particularly to an adjustable ankle stirrup device. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Conventionally, chiropractic tables are provided with ankle stirrups which 
include upstanding brackets on opposite sides of the table fixedly mounted 
near the foot thereof. Leather straps or the like are secured to the 
brackets and are adpated to be wrapped around the patient's legs near the 
ankles for restraining the patient against movement toward the head of the 
table during treatment. For a short person, since the stirrups are located 
near the foot of the table, applying the ankle straps positions the 
patient improperly too far toward the foot of the table. In those 
instances the straps are not used, requiring other techniques for 
retaining the patient in proper position on the table. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an adjustable ankle stirrup device for a 
chiropractic table comprising a table having top and bottom surfaces, side 
edges and a foot portion. Two bars are fixedly supported on said table to 
extend longitudinally thereof in spaced parallelism with the bottom 
surface, the two bars being located adjacent to the side edges of the 
table, respectively. Two stirrup brackets, each having two angularly 
related legs with the end portion of one leg thereof slidably mounted on 
the respective bar, may be positioned such that the other legs thereof 
extend upright along the respective table edges. Retaining-hook elements 
are mounted on the table to extend below the bottom surface, the open 
portions of such hook elements extending toward the foot of the table in 
registry with the one leg of the respective brackets. The brackets are 
slidable on the respective bars to different longitudinal table positions 
in which they may be selectively engaged with the respective hook elements 
for positively locating the other leg portions of the brackets in upright 
positions adjacent to the respective side edges of the table. Straps 
mounted on the upright bracket legs are adapted to be secured to the 
ankles of a patient. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable ankle stirrup 
device for a chiropractic table. 
The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and 
the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention 
itself will be best understood by reference to the following description 
of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, a typical chiropractic table 10 is mounted on a 
supporting pedestal 12, the table having top and bottom surfaces 14 and 
16, respectively, a foot portion 18, a head portion 20 and opposite side 
edges 22 and 24. On the bottom surface 16 is mounted two round bars 26 and 
28 by means of right angle brackets 30 and 32 which are secured to the 
bottom surface 16 adjacent to the table sides 22 and 24. The brackets 30 
and 32 have depending legs provided with holes which receive the ends of 
the respective bars 26 and 28, suitable pins or keys being received in the 
ends for retaining the bars in assembly with the brackets. The bars 26 and 
28 extend longitudinally of the table 10 in substantial parallelism with 
the respective side edges 22 and 24 and the bottom surface 16. 
Slidably mounted on the bars 26 and 28 are two right angle stirrup brackets 
34 and 36, respectively, having legs 38 and 40. On the distal end of leg 
38 is a sleeve bearing 42 which rotatably and slidably receives the 
respective bar 26, 28. 
Disposed adjacent to the side edges 22 and 24 of the table and between such 
side edges and the respective bars 26 and 28 are four retaining-hook 
elements 44, 46, 48 and 50 which are U-shaped. These hook elements are 
identically shaped, so a description of one will suffice for all. One arm 
52 of the hook element is flat and longer than the other arm 54. The 
longer arm 52 is secured flat against the bottom surface 16 so that the 
hook element extends generally parallel to the respective bar 26, 28. The 
shorter arm 54 also extends parallel to the respective bar and furthermore 
parallel to the bottom surface 16. Since the bottom surface 16 is 
substantially horizontal, so will be the arm 54. 
The bight 56 of each hook element is disposed toward the head end of the 
table thereby disposing the open portion of the hook element toward the 
foot. The hooks 44 and 46 are longitudinally spaced as shown as are the 
hook elements 48 and 50. The hooks 44 and 48, as are the hooks 46 and 50, 
are disposed transversely opposite of the table as are the other elements 
common to the two stirrup assemblies. The leg portions 40 of the stirrup 
brackets have slots 58 therein for receiving ankle straps 60. 
In use, the stirrup brackets 34, 36 are slidable longitudinally on the 
respective bars 26, 28 and also swingable thereabout. The bracket 34, for 
example, is slidable on the bar 26 to a position at which the leg 38 can 
be brought into registry with the open portion of the hook 46 moved 
thereinto up against the bight 56. The leg 38 thus rests on the hook 
portion 54 thereby positioning the bracket leg 40 upright as shown in FIG. 
3. The other stirrup bracket 36 may likewise be engaged with the hook 50. 
The straps 60 may be wrapped about a patient's ankles. If in the treatment 
the patient is pushed or stretched toward the head end 20 of the table, 
the ankle straps 60 will restrain such movement. For a shorter patient, 
the stirrup brackets 34 and 36 are engaged with the two hook elements 44 
and 48 and the procedure just described is repeated. Additional pairs of 
hook elements may be employed to obtain further increments of longitudinal 
adjustment of the stirrup brackets, but in a preferred embodiment of this 
invention, only two such adjustments are deemed necessary. 
While there have been described above the principles of this invention in 
connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that 
this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to 
the scope of the invention.