Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Use in Massage Treatment.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 14th Dec.. 1899-Accepted. 24th Feb.. 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Use in Massage
Treatment.
I, JOSEPH ALEXANDRE RIVIÈRE, of 25, Rue des Mathurins, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Doctor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to a novel apparatus for automatically effecting a
general massage of the body.
The invention consists in substituting mechanical and general massage for
manipulations which can necessarily be only partial and of small duration,
whatever the strength of the operator may be.
My apparatus consists essentially of a framework of iron or other suitable
material, which serves as a support for the different parts, both mechanical and
electrical which are employed.
In the direction of one of the axes of this frame work are arranged two fixed
vertical slide ways between the rails of which two movable slide blocks of copper
or bronze are adapted to be displaced; these said blocks receiving a vertical reci-
procating movement. This movement is obtained by means of connecting rods
and cranks driven from pulleys. The two grooved pulleys are driven by means
of belts from pulleys fixed upon a shaft upon which is also mounted a dynamo.
Upon the two movable slide blocks I fix one or more annular parts or rings the
position of which may be adjusted by means of set screws. Upon these parts or
rings I fix a certain number of massage rollers. These rollers are mounted in a
double socket by means of a rod. One of the sockets is capable of displacement
upon the annular part or ring and may be fixed at any point of the aforesaid rod
entering the other socket along which it is also capable of displacement, and
of being fixed at any desired point.
Owing to this special method of mounting, the position to be given to the
massage rollers is capable of being regulated with great exactness."
These massage rollers may be charged with electricity from any suitable
source.
At a certain point upon the slide-block I fix a plate which carries four massage
rollers. These rollers are also mounted upon rods in such a manner that the
position of each one of them can be regulated at will.
The plate is mounted upon an axis provided with a groove pulley which receives
a movement of transmission from a pulley rigidly fixed upon the dynamo shaft.
It will be understood that the massage roller of the plate like those mounted
upon the annular part or ring may be in communication with a suitable source of
electricity.
At the upper portion of the framework of the apparatus, is provided a fixed
axis around which two pallets one only shewn in the drawings are capable of
oscillating. These pallets tend to fall under the influence of strong springs
which are stretched by means of a lever fixed upon the left hand slide block.
It will readily be understood that the position of this lever and also the tension
of the springs is capable of being readily adjusted. The lever may either be
charged with electricity or not.

page_text: The operation of the apparatus is as follows:—
L
The person who is to undergo either general or local massage, is placed
within the apparatus. The annular parts are arranged in front of the parts to be
massaged, by hand; the position of the massage rollers is then regulated. Electric
current is then caused to enter the dynamo, reciprocating movement being
imparted to the slide-blocks thereby operating the annular part and the rollers
which rub the parts to be massaged.
If the feet of the patient are placed in water, and a pole of a source of electri-
city arranged in this water, the other pole being in communication with the
rollers to be charged with electricity, electro-mechanical massage is obtained
which is most beneficial in its action in certain complaints 1970-
If it is desired to effect abdominal massage, the position of the aforesaid plate
is regulated in such a manner as to bring it opposite to this part of the patient.
Massage of the shoulders may be obtained by means of the pallets. This
massage is obtained by tapping, the amplitude and force of the strokes being
reduced by the tension of the spring. The vibrators may be arranged at any
suitable points of the apparatus. In order to obtain general massage of the
body, it is only necessary to place all the massage parts or instruments in contact
with the patient and to impart the necessary motion to the apparatus.
As will be readily understood, it is sometimes necessary to massage patients
who are incapable of maintaining a vertical position. My apparatus may be
readily arranged horizontally, in order to permit of the massage of persons whilst
lying down.
As in the preceding case, the apparatus comprises a framework supporting all
the parts of which it is composed. This framework supports at its upper portion
two cross-pieces to which reciprocating movement may be imparted by means
of connecting rods which are actuated by means of a suitable motor, a dynamo
for example. These cross-pieces are provided with a certain number of axes
each of these axes carrying a certain number of rods to which the massage
rollers are attached. The position of these rollers may of course be regulated by
displacing the rods in their sockets, and by displacing these sockets along the
transverse axes.
In order to enable the patient to be placed upon the table, one of the cross-
pieces together with its axes is capable of rotating around the other cross-piece.
The assemblage formed by the axes and the cross-piece is raised, the patient placed
upon the table and the cross-piece again arranged in its initial position. The
position of the massage rollers is then regulated and upon starting the dynamo
the requisite massage is obtained.
As the body does not present exactly plane surfaces, it is obviously indis-
pensable that the massage rollers should possess a certain degree of elasticity,
for the purpose of enabling them to exactly follow all the parts of the body
without jerks or shocks. For this purpose, the rods which support the massage
rollers are provided with jointed spring parallelograms.
By means of a slight modification the apparatus may be utilised for effecting
massage in the bath. By means of suitable pulleys and of a driving belt, the
dynamo drives a shaft carrying at its extremity a friction roller which causes
the rotation of another friction roller mounted upon a shaft. This shaft passes
through the wall of the bath through a stuffing-box, and is provided, within the
bath with a series of massage brushes, which assume a movement of rotation upon
themselves under the influence of the driving motion. By another shaft a
reciprocating movement is effected, said shaft being provided, within the bath,
with a series of horizontal or vertical brushes.
The patient is placed in the bath, which is filled with a liquid adapted to the
nature of the complaint which it is desired to cure. The dynamo is then started,
imparting the desired movement to the shafts and the patient, by moving in the
bath, may increase or diminish the action of the massage brushes at will. It
will of course be understood that the bottom, and in fact the whole surface of

page_text: the bath may also be furnished with massage brushes or a fabric exercising
brush-like action.
I reserve the right to employ any appropriate forms of massage brushes or
rollers, and to mount them either separately, in pairs or groups of a larger
number upon the same supporting rods.
I likewise reserve the right to envelop the patient either partially or com-
pletely in brushes or with a hair fabric which is either elastic or non-elastic; a
mechanical movement being given to these parts whereby a partial or general
massage is effected, as may be desired.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
:
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Use in Massage
Treatment.
I, JOSEPH ALEXANDRE RIVIÈRE, of 25, Rue des Mathurins, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Doctor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
nd 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 a novel apparatus for automatically effecting a
general massage of the body.
The invention consists in substituting mechanical and general massage for
manipulations which can necessarily be only partial and of small duration,
whatever the strength of the operator may be.
In order that my invention may be readily and clearly understood, I have
illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a vertical arrangement of the apparatus.
Figures 1 and 2 being elevations partly in section, and.
Figure 3 a part sectional plan view of the same.
Figures 4,
and 6 illustrate a horizontal arrangement of the apparatus.
Figure 4 being a side elevation.
Figure 5 an end view, and
Figure 6 a plan view.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an arrangement of my apparatus adapted for effecting
massage in a bath.
Figure 7 being an elevation and
Figure 8 a plan view partly in section.
My apparatus consists essentially of a framework of iron or other suitable
material, which serves as a support for the different parts, both mechanical and
electrical which are employed.
In the direction of one of the axes of this frame work are arranged two fixed
vertical slide ways between the rails of which two movable slide blocks m of
copper or bronze are adapted to be displaced; said blocks receiving a vertical
This movement is obtained by means of connecting
reciprocating movement.
rods n and cranks o driven from pulleys p. The two grooved pulleys p are
driven by means of belts from pulleys q fixed upon the shaft r upon which is also
mounted the dynamo s.
Upon the two movable slide blocks m I fix one or more annular parts or rings a,
the position of which may be adjusted by means of set screws b. Upon these parts
or rings a, I fix a certain number of massage rollers. c. These rollers are mounted

page_text: in a double socket d by means of a rod e. One of the sockets is capable of
displacement upon the annular part or ring a and may be fixed at any point of the
aforesaid rod é entering the other socket along which it is also capable of
displacement, and of being fixed at any desired point.
Owing to this special method of mounting, the position to be given to the
massage rollers c is capable of being regulated with great exactness."
These massage rollers may be charged with electricity from any suitable
source.
At a certain point upon the slide-block m, I fix a plate f which carries four
massage rollers c. These rollers are also mounted upon rods in such a manner
that the position of each one of them can be regulated at will.
The plate f is mounted upon an axis h provided with a groove pulley i which
receives a movement of transmission from the pulley rigidly fixed upon the
dynamo shaft. It will be understood that the massage roller of the plate f, like
those mounted upon the annular parts or ring a, may be in communication
with a suitable source of electricity.
At the upper portion of the framework of the apparatus, is provided a fixed
axis k around which two pallets 7 (one only being shewn in the drawings) are
capable of oscillating. These pallets tend to fall under the influence of strong
springs which are stretched by means of a lever y fixed upon the left hand
slide block m (Figure 2). It will readily be understood that the position of this
lever and also the tension of the springs is capable of being readily adjusted.
The lever y may either be charged with electricity or not.
:-
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The person who is to undergo either general or local massage, is placed
within the apparatus. The annular parts are arranged in front of the parts to
be massaged, by hand; the position of the massage rollers c is then regulated.
An electric current is then caused to enter the dynamo, reciprocating movement
being imparted to the slide-blocks m thereby operating the annular part and the
rollers which rub the parts to be massaged.
If the feet of the patient are placed in water, and a pole of a source of electri-
city arranged in this water, the other pole being in communication with the
rollers to be charged with electricity, electro-mechanical massage is obtained
which is most beneficial in its action in certain complaints.
If it is desired to effect abdominal massage, the position of the aforesaid plate f
is regulated in such a manner as to bring it opposite to this part of the patient.
Massage of the shoulders may be obtained by means of the pallets 1. This
massage is obtained by tapping, the amplitude and force of the strokes being
regulated by the tension of the spring. The vibrators may be arranged at any
suitable points of the apparatus. In order to obtain general massage of the body, it
is only necessary to place all the massage parts or instruments in contact with the
patient and to impart the necessary motion to the apparatus.
As will be readily understood, it is sometimes necessary to massage patients
who are incapable of maintaining a vertical position. My apparatus may be
readily arranged horizontally, in order to permit of the massage of persons
whilst lying down.
As in the preceding case, the apparatus comprises a framework supporting all
the parts of which it is composed. This framework supports at its upper portion
two cross-pieces 1 and 2 Figures 4 to 6 to which reciprocating movement may be
imparted by means of connecting rods 3 and 4 which are actuated by means of
a suitable motor, such as the dynamo 5 for example. These cross-pieces 1 and 2
are provided with a certain number of axes 6, each of these axes carrying a certain
number of rods 7 to which the massage rollers e are attached. The position of
these rollers may of course be regulated by displacing the rods in their
sockets, and by displacing these sockets along the transverse axes 6.
In order to enable the patient to be placed upon the table, the cross-piece 1
together with its axes 6 is capable of rotation around the cross-piece 2; the

page_text: assemblage formed by the axes 6 and the cross-piece 1 is raised, the patient
placed upon the table and the cross-piece 1 again arranged in its initial position.
The position of the massage rollers is then regulated and upon starting the
dynamo the requisite massage is obtained.
As the body does not present exactly plane surfaces, it is obviously indis-
pensable that the massage rollers e should possess a certain degree of elasticity,
for the purpose of enabling them to exactly follow all the parts of the body
without jerks or shocks. For this purpose, as indicated in Figure 4, the rods 7
which support the massage rollers are provided with jointed spring parallelo-
grams 8.
a
18 which
causes
the
of
By means of a slight modification see Figures 7 and 8, the apparatus may be
utilised for effecting massage in the bath. By means of suitable pulleys 9 and 10
and of a driving belt, the dynamo 5 drives the shaft 12 carrying at its extremity
friction roller
rotation
another friction
roller 14 mounted upon the shaft 15. This shaft passes through the wall
of the bath through a stuffing-box 16, and is provided, within the bath with a
series of massage brushes 17, which assume a movement of rotation upon them-
selves under the influence of the driving motion. By another shaft 18 a
reciprocating movement is effected, as will be seen on reference to the drawing,
said shaft being provided, within the bath, with a series of horizontal or vertical
brushes 19.
The patient is placed in the bath. which is filled with a liquid adapted to the
nature of the complaint which it is desired to cure. The dynamo is then started,
imparting the desired movement to the shafts 15 and 18, and the patient by
moving in the bath, may increase or diminish the action of the massage brushes
at will. It will of course be understood that the bottom, and in fact the whole
surface of the bath may also be furnished with massage brushes or a fabric
exercising a brush-like action.
I reserve the right to employ any appropriate forms of massage brushes or
rollers, and to mount them either separately, in pairs or groups of a larger number
upon the said supporting rods.
I likewise reserve the right to envelop the patient either partially or com-
pletely in brushes or with a hair fabric which is either elastic or non-elastic; a
mechanical movement being given to these parts whereby a partial or general
massage is effected, as may be desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
An apparatus for mechanically effecting general or local massage, the patient
occupying either a vertical or a horizontal position, in this latter case the
apparatus may be adapted to be arranged in a bath; the said apparatus consisting
essentially of supports to which reciprocating movements or movements of rota-
tion are imparted and which carry the massage parts or instruments, such as
brushes or rollers, which are arranged either separately or in groups and act, as a
result of the movements which are communicated to them. upon the parts of the
patient's body which it is desired to massage, substantially as herein described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th dox of Docember 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.