An Improved Massage and Anointing Device.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by ELIZABETH SCHAEFER, née von Malinowski, of
48, Besenbinderhof, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany.]
An Improved Massage and Anointing Device.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved device designed to serve for massage and for
rubbing in ointments, and which consists substantially of a solid or hollow ball and a
case wherein the partially projecting ball is held so that it can turn freely. In
order that the ball may be prevented from falling from the case, the latter
embraces more than one-half of the same and consists of several parts, which are
dismounted for enabling the ball to be introduced into its bearing. It is expedient
to divide the case so that its upper part will embrace approximately one half of
the ball and that to the lower edge of this part of the case a ring may for instance
be fastened by screw threads, which ring takes up in its interior a portion of
the other half of the ball. Of course the composition of the case may be varied
and I may also divide the ball instead of the case.
For using this device the case is taken hold of by the hand and the ball is then
caused to roll to and fro, the necessary pressure being exerted by the same upon
the parts of the body to be subjected to the massage. Use may also be made in
this operation of the electric current which is caused to act upon the parts of the
body, such a current being conducted through a ball made of metal or other
conducting material.
When the ball is to serve for rubbing an ointment into a part of the body it
is simply coated with the ointment and, similarly as in the massage, it is then
moved to and fro upon the affected part of the body.
It will be understood that the case may be provided with a special handle if
deemed desirable.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
This invention relates to an improved device designed to serve for massage and for

page_text: rubbing in ointments, and which consists substantially of a solid or hollow ball and
a case wherein the partially projecting ball is held so that it can turn freely. In
order that the ball may be prevented from falling from the case, the latter
embraces more than one-half of the same and consists of several parts, which
are dismounted for enabling the ball to be introduced into its bearing.
It is expedient to divide the case so that its upper part will embrace
approximately one half of the ball and that to the lower edge of this part of
the case a ring may for instance be fastened by screw threads, which ring
takes up
in its interior a portion of the other half of the ball. Of course the
composition of the case may be varied and I may also divide the ball instead of
the case.
In the use of this device the case is taken hold of by the hand and the ball is
then caused to roll to and fro, the necessary pressure being exerted by the same
upon the parts of the body to be subjected to the massage. Use may also be made
in this operation of the electric current which is caused to act upon the parts of
the body, such a current being conducted through a ball made of metal or other
conducting material.
In order to enable this invention to be more clearly understood I have represented
the same in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a simple massage and anointing device
made according to the present invention, and
Figure 2, a sectional side elevation of the same provided with means for
causing the electric current to act upon the parts of the body in contact with
the ball.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
views.
In both these figures a represents the ball and 6 the upper half of the case into
the inner thread of which is screwed the lower ring & embracing a part of the other
half of the ball a, thus holding the latter within the case but allowing the same
to turn freely. If the electric current is to be applied to the parts of the body
treated by the said device the case is provided with a binding post c, adapted to
conduct the electric current supplied by an insulated cable or wire d to a plate e,
against which bears the ball a when the device is in use. The metallic balla is of
course electrically insulated from the case, unless the latter is made of non-
conducting material, such as wood. The binding post c is also protected for
instance by an insulating socket f against outer attempts to cut off the
electricity. The wire or cable d is expediently attached to the arm of the
masseur by a yielding band or strap, such as an india-rubber band, so that
the cable does not become cumbersome during the massage.
When the herein described device is to serve for rubbing an ointment into a
part of the human body it is simply coated with the ointment, and similarly
as in the massage it is then moved to and fro upon the affected part of the
body.
The improved massage and anointing device is particularly distinguished from
the massage devices heretofore known, which are provided with india-rubber lined
wheels for kneading the affected part of the body. These wheels are only
adapted to roll when moved in a vertical or nearly vertical direction to their axis
of rotation and, each time the direction of movement is to be altered the wheels
have to be lifted from the body or they move without rotation, that is to say slide
upon the affected part of the body and thereby cause intense pain upon the
skin of the patient without properly massaging the same. Even a ball having
fixed pivots and being therefore compelled to rotate about one axis, is not suitable
since it also makes sliding movements when altering its direction for massage
purposes.
It will be understood, that the case 6 of the ball may if desired be provided
with a suitable handle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A massage and anointing device consisting of a ball and a case, wherein the
partially projecting ball is held so as to turn freely about its centre, the
case serving as a handle or as a carrier of the same, substantially as set
forth.
2. In combination with the herein described massage and anointing device,
means for interposing the ball a into an electric circuit, the ball a being made of
conducting material to be electrically insulated from the case b, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 6th day of March 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.