An Electro-Therapeutical and Massage Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1899--Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
An Electro-Therapeutical and Massage Apparatus.
I, OSCAR SCHNEIDER, Physician, of 78, W. 46th Street, in the City of New
York, State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improvel apparatus for electro-therapeutical and
massage treatment of various local disease by the faradic or galvanic current so
as to improve the circulation of the blood and oxidize the fatty matter in the
cells of the skin with a view to the reduction of weight; and the invention con-
sists of an apparatus for massage treatment of local diseases which comprises a
motor, a roller-electrode, a flexible shaft connecting the fly-wheel driven by the
motor with the roller-electrode, couplings for connecting said flexible shaft with
the fly-wheel and the shaft of the roller-electrode respectively, a handle-frame
for said roller-electrodes, and means for supplying an electric current to said
roller-electrode; and the invention consists secondly in the construction of the
roller-electrode and lastly in the charging of medicinal preparations to the in-
terior of said roller and in means for intermittently discharging said preparations
from the same.
In the accompanying drawings:-
:-
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus for galvano-faradic
massage treatment showing the roller-electrode applied to the arm of a person.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the motor and fly-wheel by which motion is
transmitted to the roller-electrode.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the roller-electrode and its connection with the
flexible driving shaft and with the fly-wheel.
Figs. 4 and 5 are side views of modified forms of my improved roller-electrode
adapted for treatment of different parts of the body.
Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the roller-electrode on line 6-6 Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on line 7-7 Fig. 6 drawn to a larger
scale, and
Fig. 8 is detail view showing the removable plug for permitting the introduc-
tion of medicinal preparations into the roller-electrode.
Similar letters of reference indicate, corresponding parts throughout..
Referring to the drawings:-
A represents an electro-motor of any suitable construction which is supported
on a suitable bracket A¹ on the wall or other convenient point of support and
which receives its current from any suitable source of electricity. The current
is switched into or cut off from the motor A by a switch A2 and the speed of the
motor A is controlled by suitable resistance which is thrown in more or less by
means of a switch A³ in any of the well-known ways. From the shaft of the
motor A the power is transmitted by a belt and pulley to the fly-wheel F which
turns in bearings in a suitable wall support F and bracket F2 below the motor A
the hub of the fly-wheel being connected with a flexible shaft C of any approved
ימל
877

page_text: construction by means of the coupling C. To connect the shaft C to the fly-
wheel the shaft end c³ of the core c¹ of the shaft is inserted through the fixed
sleeve of the bracket and into the hub f' of the fly-wheel and the thumb-
screws of the hub and g² of the coupling piece gl of the shaft tube c tightened.
To connect the flexible shaft with the roller-electrode the square shaft end is
inserted into the end of the shaft d of the roller D said shaft being provided with
a square socket for this purpose and the thumb screw d¹ of the coupling-piece c
tightened so as to connect the same with the fixed sleeve d² of the handle-frame E.
The forms of couplings C1 and C2 and of the flexible shaft may however vary
from those described and shown in the drawings without departing from the
essential features of the invention.
The roller-electrode D. is made of any suitable cross section either of convex sur-
face as in Fig. 3 or of other form more adapted to the particular part to be
treated as for example the forms shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The electrode is com-
posed of a hollow body provided with metallic heads D¹ at the ends said roller
being constructed of wooden strips D2 and intermediate metallic strips D³ which
are alternately connected with the opposite heads of the roller. The shaft of the
roller D turns in suitable bearings of a fork-shaped handle frame E; the handle-
frame is connected by an insulated contact spring e with one metallic head of the
roller while the opposite head is in contact with a pin e¹ that is attached to a
spring applied to the handle E' of the handle frame said pin being pressed by
the spring through an opening in the frame E against the roller head. The con-
tact-springe and pin e¹ are connected advantageously by wires extending through
the handle with any suitable source of electricity such as galvano-faradic induc-
tion coil or any other source of electricity adapted for medical treatment so that
when the roller is moved over the parts to be treated the contact of two adjacent
metallic strips of the roller with the part closes the circuit and produces the
passage of the current through the skin while simultaneously by the rapid rota-
tion of the roller and the frictional contact of the same with the skin frictional
heat is produced which jointly with the electric current produces the therapeu-
tical treatment of local diseases in a more effective and curative manner than by
the galvano-faradic treatment separately or by massage treatment such as has
been heretofore performed by hand or by hand-operated rollers. In operation
the roller-electrode rotates at a speed slightly higher than the passage of the same
over the skin would produce so as to produce frictional contact between the elec-
trode and the parts. By regulating the speed of the motor this friction and conse-
quent head may be increased or diminished.
The apparatus is particularly adapted for therapeutical treatment of local
disease of children in which case the hollow interior of the roller-electrode forms
a chamber or compartment which can be charged by means of the removable
plug with suitable medicinal preparations such as cod liver oil or other emul-
sions etc. These emulsions are discharged from the interior of the roller by means
of two or more exit-valves B which are shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. This
valve consists of a tubular nipple 6 that projects through an aperture in a
washer 6 inserted in one of the wooden sections of the roller said nipple being
provided with openings 63 at its lower end and encased in a suitable sheet metal
socket 62 having openings at the ends and acted on by a helical spring 64 inter-
posed between the inner end of the tubular nipple and the bottom of the socket
as shown in Fig. 7. As the roller is rotated the nipple or nipples are moved
inwardly into the socket at each rotation of the roller and thereby a certain quan-
tity of the medicinal preparation in the roller ejected on the skin so as to be
absorbed by the pores of the same during the frictional contact of the rapidly-
rotating roller-electrode.
To prevent the current from passing through the liquid and forming an in-
terior connection between the metallic strips the strips are shown in Fig. 6
extending only partially through the roller; or they may extend entirely through
the roller and the interior of the roller be coated with shellac or similar material

page_text: to insulate the liquid from the metallic strips. Insulating washers or other
means are also employed to prevent the current from passing through the axle d.
The advantages of my improved apparatus are that owing to the heat gener-
ated by the rapidly-rotating roller-electrode together with the pressure of the
roller and the application of the electric current a quicker and more effective
therapeutical treatment of local diseases is obtained than has heretofore been
possible. My improved apparatus is especially adapted for diseases of the respira-
tory and digestive organs and for improving the circulation of the blood and
reduction of adipose tissue.
An Electro-Therapeutical and Massage Apparatus.
I, OSCAR SCHNEIDER, of 78, W. 46th Street, in the City of New York, State of
New York, U.S.A., Physician, 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 apparatus for electro-therapeutical and massage
treatment of various local disease by the faradic or galvanic current, and having
for its object to improve the circulation of the blood and oxidise the fatty matter
in the cells of the skin with a view to the reduction of weight; and the inven-
tion consists of an apparatus for massage treatment of local diseases which con-
prises a motor, a roller-electrode, a flexible shaft connecting the fly-wheel driven
by the motor with the roller-electrode, couplings for connecting said flexible
shaft with the fly-wheel and the shaft of the roller-electrode respectively, a
handle-frame for said roller-electrode, and means for supplying an electric cur-
rent to said roller-electrode; and the invention further consists in the construc-
tion of the roller-electrode, and also relates to the charging of medicinal prepara-
tions to the interior of said roller, and in means for intermittently discharging
said preparations from the same.
Referring to the drawings left with the Provisional Specification in this case:
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus for galvano-
faradic massage treatment, showing the roller-electrode applied to the arm of a
person.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the motor and fly-wheel by which motion is
transmitted to the roller-electrode.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the roller-electrode and its connection with the
flexible driving-shaft, and with the fly-wheel.
.T
Figures 4 and 5 are side-views of modified forms of my improved roller-elec-
trodė, adapted for treatment of different parts of the body.
?
1
Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section of the roller-electrode on line 66,
Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section on line 7-7 Fig. 6, drawn to a larger
scale, and
i
...ev
Figure 8 is detail view showing the removable plug for permitting the intro-
duction of medicinal preparations into the roller-electrode.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the drawings, A represents an electro-motor of any suitable con-

page_text: struction, which is supported on a suitable bracket A¹ on the wall or other con-
venient point of support, and which receive its current from any suitable source
of electricity. The current is switched. into or cut off from the motor A by a
switch A2, and the speed of the motor A is controlled by suitable resistance which
is thrown in, more or less, by means of a switch A³, in any of the well-known
ways. From the shaft of the motor A the power is transmitted by a belt and
pulley to the fly-wheel F which turns in bearings in a suitable wall support-F
and bracket F2 below the motor A, the hub of the fly-wheel being connected
with a flexible shaft C of any approved construction by means of the coupling C¹.
To connect the shaft C to the fly-wheel, the shaft end of the core c¹ of the shaft
is inserted through the fixed sleeve f of the bracket F2 and into the hub f¹ of
the fly-wheel, and the thumb-screws y of the hub and g of the coupling piece g¹
of the shaft tube c tightened. To connect the flexible shaft with the roller-elec-
trode, the square shaft-end is inserted into the end of the shaft d of the roller D,
said shaft being provided with a square socket for this purpose, and the thumb-
screw d¹ of the coupling piece 5 tightened so as to connect the same with the
fixed sleeve of the handle frame E. The forms of couplings C and C³, and of
the flexible shaft, may however vary from those described and shown in the
drawings without departing from the essential features of the invention.
The roller-electrode D is made of any suitable cross-section, either of convex
surface as in Figure 3 or of other form more adapted to the particular part to be
treated, as for example the forms shown in Figures 4 and 5. The electrode is
composed of a hollow body provided with metallic heads D¹ at the ends, said
roller being constructed of wooden strips 12 and intermediate metallic strips D³
which are alternately connected with the opposite heads of the roller. The shaft
of the roller D turns in suitable bearings of a fork-shaped handle-frame E; the
handle-frame is connected by an insulated contact spring e with one metallic
head of the roller, while the opposite head is in contact with a pin e¹ that is
attached to a spring e² applied to the handle E¹ of the handle-frame, said pin
being pressed by the spring, through an opening in the frame E, against the
roller-head. The contact-spring e and pin e¹ are connected, preferably by wires
extending through the handle E¹ with any suitable source of electricity, such as
a galvano-faradic induction coil, or any other source of electricity adapted for
medical treatment, so that when the roller is moved over the parts to be treated
the contact of two adjacent metallic strips of the roller with the part closes the
circuit and produces the passage of the current through the skin, while simul-
taneously by the rapid rotation of the roller and the frictional contact
of the same with the skin frictional heat is produced which jointly
with the electric current produces the therapeutical treatment of local
diseases in a more effective and curative manner than by the galvano-faradic
treatment separately or by massage treatment such as has been heretofore per-
formed by hand or by hand-operated rollers. In operation, the roller-electrode
rotates at a speed slightly higher than the passage of the same over the skin
would produce, so as to produce frictional contact between the electrode and the
parts. By regulating the speed of the motor this friction and consequent heat
may be increased or diminished.
The apparatus is particularly adapted for therapeutical treatment of local
disease of children, in which case the hollow interior of the roller electrode forms
a chamber or compartment which can be charged by means of the removable
plug with suitable medicinal preparations, such as cod liver oil or other emul-
sions etc. These emulsions are discharged from the interior of the roller by means
of two or more exit-valves B which are shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7. This
valve consists of a tubular nipple 6 that projects through an aperture in a
washer inserted in one of the wooden sections of the roller, said nipple being
provided with openings 63 at its lower end and encased in a suitable sheet metal
socket having openings at the ends and acted on by a helical spring inter-
posed between the inner end of the tubular nipple and the bottom of the socket,

page_text: as shown in Figure 7. As the roller is rotated the nipple or nipples are moved
inwardly into the socket at each rotation of the roller and thereby a certain quan-
tity of the medicinal preparations in the roller ejected on the skin so as to be
absorbed by the pores of the same during the frictional contact of the rapidly
rotating roller-electrode. To prevent-the current from passing through the liquid
and forming an interior connection between the metallic strips, the strips are
shown in Figure 6 extending only partially through the roller; or they may
extend entirely through the roller, and the interior of the roller be coated with
shellac or similar material to insulate the liquid from the metallic strips. Insu-
lating washers, or other means, are also employed to prevent the current from
passing through the axle d..
The advantages of my improved apparatus are that owing to the heat generated
by the rapidly rotating roller-electrode, together with the pressure of the roller
and the application of the electric current, a quicker and more effective thera-
peutical treatment of local diseases is obtained than has heretofore been possible.
My improved apparatus is especially adapted for diseases of the respiratory and
digestive organs and for improving the circulation of the blood and reduction of
adipose tissue.
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:
-
1. The combination of an electro-motor, a roller-electrode, a flexible shaft
connecting the fly wheel driven by the motor with the roller-electrode, couplings
for connecting said flexible shaft with the fly wheel and the shaft of the roller-
electrode respectively, a handle-frame for said roller-electrode, and means for
supplying an electric current to said roller-electrode, substantially as set forth.
2. A roller-electrode for galvano-faradic massage apparatus consisting of
wooden sections, metallic heads for said sections, and intermediate metallic strips
connected alternately with the opposite heads of the roller, substantially as set
forth.
3. A roller-electrode provided with an interior compartment and composed of
wooden sections, intermediate metallic strips and metallic heads with which the
strips are alternately connected, and spring-actuated nipple guided in a suit-
able socket in said roller-electrode and adapted to eject liquid charged in the
same, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 16th dow of Anost 1800