Improvements in or relating to Manual Gymnasiums for the use of Performers on Musical Instruments, Type Writers, and other Machines or Instruments in which Flexibility of the Fingers, Thumbs, Wrists, or Forearms is required in Operating them.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Manual Gymnasiums for the use of
Performers on Musical Instruments, Type Writers, and other
Machines or Instruments in which Flexibility of the Fingers,
Thumbs, Wrists, or Forearms is required in Operating them.
I, JOSEPH HALL, of Kirmington, near Brocklesby, in the County of Lincoln,
Inventor, 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 has reference to that class of appliances known as manual
"gymnasiums which are used as an aid to improve the performance on an
instrument or machine in which the fingers individually or conjointly, or the whole
hand, wrist and fore-arin are used percussively, or to. depress, push, pull or move,
one or more levers, or keys by means of which the said instrument is operated, or
in which the fingers, wrists, or fore-arms are used to influence the time (as the
drum) or pitch of sound (as the violin) produced or any musical instrument; and
its object is to enable the operator to obtain greater facility, strength, flexibility
and precision of the various muscles and joints for the more effective manipulation
of such performance or operation.
In order that the nature of my present invention and the manner of carrying it
into practical effect may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings in which
Fig. 1. shows apparatus constructed according to my invention applied to the
wrist and arm for raising the fingers.
Fig. 2. shows the same apparatus applied to the wrist arm but arranged to depress
the fingers.
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively an elevation and a plan of the apparatus.
Fig. 5. shows the apparatus applied to the wrist only, and Fig. 6. a plan of the
same.
Fig. 7. a plan of adjustment for loops.
Fig. 8. a plan of apparatus for attachment to arm only.
Fig. 9 shows the application to the back of the hand only.
Like parts in all the views are marked with the same letters of reference.
According to my invention on a suitable strap G formed of india rubber, felt,
cloth, webbing, velvet, leather, or a combination of two or more of these or analogous
and suitable materials, which is buckled or otherwise fastened round the arm, wrist,
or hand, is mounted formed on, or attached an erection or projection E, hereinafter
called the bridge. The bridge may be either hollow or solid of any suitable material
either rigid or plastic such as metal, wood, cork, papier-mache, india rubber, filled
with air when required in any convenient manner, leather, felt or other suitable
substance or combination of substances formed on or attached to the strap mentioned
in such a manner that it may form a projection of suitable height above that part
of the wrist or hand to which the strap G or G¹ is fastened.
In practice I prefer to form the bridge E of a piece of sheet brass or other
suitable metal which is made in the shape of an arch placed transversely to and
nearly the width of the wrist, and having a covering of pliable material, preferably
leather, and I fix the metal arch to the strap G by lugs, turned at an angle to the
walls of the arch, and its covering by rivetting, eyeletting (or by other suitable
means) fastening the three thicknesses together.
To the bridge E at or near its summit I attach one or more pieces of india
rubber, cord, or tubing, or equivalent springs H of sufficient length to extend from
the bridge to the fingers, or thumb, or to both. These rubber cords or tubes,

page_text: :
hereinafter called the springs H H, I preferably attach to the bridge by passing
the ends through holes e, e punctured in the covering of the metal arch, and this
covering being strained tightly over the metal with ends of the springs between is
under ordinary circumstances sufficient to connect the springs with the bridge; but
the connection may be further strengthened by sewing, glueing, or rivetting the
terminals of the springs after passing them through holes into the space between
the metal and leather.
The leather covering of the bridge may, when desired, be dispensed with by
attaching the springs directly to the metal bridge by means of a strip of leather
for each spring being passed through rectangular or other punched holes in the
metal, the ends of the leather strips being attached to the rubber springs by metal
clips.
Or the ends of the springs may be passed through holes in the metal bridge
and knotted; the knots inside the bridge would prevent the springs slipping and a
loose eyelet may be threaded on each spring to keep the rubber from being cut
by friction on the edges of the holes in the metal bridge, the eyelet may be of
brass, leather or the like.
The thumb spring is attached in the centre of the bridge preferably when carried
over the hooks F on either side of the bridge so as to bring it nearly in line with
the thumb for either hand this is the best position and saves width of bridge but
when required it may be arranged to be in a line with the springs. At a variable
and sufficient distance along each spring from the bridge end are attached loops J
of leather, felt, india rubber, tape, webbing or velvet, or a combination of these or
other suitable and analogous materials and substances or combination of substances
sufficiently large to fit the second joint of the fingers, or to fit the thumb at or near
the knuckle of the first joint.
These loops JI preferably attach to the rubber springs by placing the ends of
the material formning the loop one on each side of the rubber and firmly clasping the
whole together by a thin strip of metal as shown at I Fig. 1, but the loops may also
be formed of a continuation of the springs themselves as shown at Fig. 8 where
tubing is used that part forming the loop being packed with any pliable but
.inclastic substance such as cotton wool. To the rubber springs immediately
behind the loop above mentioned or the loop itself or partly to the loop and partly
to the spring attach a pad or pads K, hereinafter called knuckle pads, of suitabie
shape and material to rest firmly and easily upon the fingers at upon or near the
joints mentioned and of sufficient height to keep the springs from touching the
fingers or hand during the gymnastic motion. Each loop may be connected with
the contiguous loop by one or more short elastic cords or tubing K¹ passing from
loop to loop and the pads K. may be connected with each other in a similar manner,
that is to say, as shown at Figs. 7 and 9, a piece of india rubber K' similar to that
forming the springs H may be carried through from (preferably).the brass ferrules
or eyelets K², fixed in one knuckle pad K to the contiguous ferrule K² in the
second knuckle pad to strengthen the side motion of the, fingers, all or any of the
pads K including that for the thumb may be so joined.
in
These pads may when preferred be distended india rubber bags filled with air
any convenient manner and they may form part of the rubber springs or be
attached to them.
In practice I preferably attach a triangular (or other shaped) piece K. herein-
after termed a pad of felt. to each loop J. The pad being wider at its base than at
the top is provided with a groove on the underside to rest on the knuckle, and at
the top I make a cut or slot of sufficient length and depth in which the springs H
or end of the loop J rest. Or the loops may be attached to the pads K and
springs H in the following manner.;-a hole is pierced on one side of the above
named groove through which one end of the spring His passed and carried round
the front of the pad and then passed through a second hole cut in the opposite side
of the said groove in the pad for, forming an elastic band under which the ends of
a strip of the material forming the loop J are passed. On each end cf the loop

page_text: being passed under the elastic band, so formed, on the opposite side of the felt pad
on the india rubber springs being stretched or drawn tight holds the slip forming
the loop J firmly in position against the pad. The pad and strip of material when
combined in this manner form a loop of variable and adjustable dimensions.
A separate elastic band may also be used for attaching the strip forming the
loop J to the pad K in which case the spring H would be allowed to simply
terininate in the felt. The plan just described of fixing the loops to the pad by
means of an elastic ring is suitable for first adjusting the loops to size and then
fixing them in position but in the drawings the pads are illustrated as sliding on
the springs H, whereby the loop and pad may be adjusted as required.
To the bridge E is fixed an intermediate strap D adjusted by a buckle C. The
strap D may be fixed to an arm loop A by any convenient means such as eyelets aa.
The arm loop A may be adjusted to fix on to the arm by means of a buckle Bas
shown at Figs. 1 and 2. When using the appliance, see Fig. 8, attached to the
arm above the elbow sufficient elevation is obtained to dispense with the use of the
bridge and in that case, I attach the rubber ends directly to the strap by the same
method as described in attaching them to the covering of the bridge.
When attaching the springs to the strap direct, one or more pieces of felt india
rubber or suitable material may be adjustably attached to them to prevent the
springs touching the hand and the material may be so shaped as to rest comfortably
on the hand and may become in part substitutes for the bridges. Where rubber
is used for the last named purpose I prefer that it should be an inflated air-tight
cushion E such as shown at Fig. 9.
Having now fully described the construction of the machine I will proceed to
explain its action and application. In using the apparatus for influencing the
fingers and thumbs after placing the loop A. around the arm above the elbow, I
attach the strap G, firmly to the wrist and place the loops J upon the digit or
digits required to be acted upon, preferably I place the pads immediately in front
of the second knuckle of the finger and the first knuckle of the thumb; when
properly adjusted the digits have to overcome the resistance of the springs and in
so doing the muscles are strengthened and the return of the digit to its first
position being accelerated by the contraction of the springs the suppleness of the
joints is increased notably those at the junction of the digits to the hand, a similar
effect is produced on the wrists when the strap is attached to the arm above the
wrists or elbow, and the hand moved bodily using the wrist as the fulcrum 1 would
have it understood that the arm loop A may in some cases be dispensed with and
the bridge E fastened directly to the wrist as at Fig. 5 or the back of the hand by
strap Gas at Fig. 9 or as shown at Fig. 8. the apparatus may be provided with
loops having pads K or loops without pads, a slip buckle C would be placed on
a broad strap D to hold that portion forming the arm loop above the elbow and to
adjust it to the length of the arm. This form would have five finger loops attached
by rubber springs directly to strap D.
The apparatus may thus be used with the springs above the back of the hand or
underneath the paim of the hand as shown at Fig. 2 with equal facility and
advantage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. The improvements in manual gymnasiums such as herein described consist-
ing essentially in attaching the finger loops and pads (formed on or attached to)
by springs to a flexible or rigid bridge and attaching the same either to the hand
alone, or to the wrist alone, or to the wrist and arm combined, or arm alone,
substantially as described at Figs. to 9.
2nd. In manual gymnasiums such as herein described, the combination of springs
such as provided with finger loops such as J with or without intermediate
lengths of elastic cord or tubing such as K' passing from loop to loop and pads
such as with a flexible or rigid bridge such as E and a wrist strap such as G or

page_text: with a hand strap such as G¹ or an arm loop such as A or to a wrist strap and arm
loop combined substantially as herein described and illustrated.
3rd. The manual gymnasium as a whole constructed and arranged substantially
as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 20th day of July 1892.
JOSEPH HALL