AN APPARATUS FOR. EXERCISING THE JOINTS AND MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Milnes, of Gloucester, in the County of Glou-
cester, Railway Contractor, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR.
EXERCISING THE JOINTS AND MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY."
Sealed the 28th August 1860, and dated the 1st March 1860:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Milnes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st March 1860.
I, JOHN MILNES, of Gloucester, in the County of Gloucester; Railway
Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for ""AN
APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE JOINTS AND MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY," to
be as follows:-
My apparatus is intended for the purpose of affording a simple and ready.
means for bringing into exercise the joints and muscles of the human body.
Its base consists of a rectangular shallow box or frame having a pair of vertical-
standards fixed at two of its opposite sides, the standards being connected over-
head by a rail or cross bar. Within the rectangular box or frame, clear of its
sides, is placed a footboard, supported at its four corners by clastic springs,
and a pair of elastic springs terminating in handles are suspended overhead
from the rail or cross bar before mentioned. The framing of the apparatus
may be constructed in either wood or metal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Milnes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MILNES, of Gloucester, in the County of Gloucester, Railway Contractor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Milnes, Her special licence that I, the said John Milnes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Milnes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN APPARATUS FOR
EXERCISING THE JOINTS AND MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Milnes, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Milnes, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
My said apparatus is intended for the purpose of affording a simple and
ready means for bringing into exercise and development the joints and muscles
of the human body. The base of the said apparatus consists of a rectangular
frame, to the opposite sides of which are fitted two posts. or standards con-
nected overhead by a rail or cross bar. A footboard or platform is suspended
from the corners of the rectangular frame (clear of its sides) by means of
springs of steel or vulcanized india-rubber, and a pair of springs terminating
in handles are suspended overhead from the rail or cross bar before mentioned.

page_text: The framing of the apparatus may be constructed in either wood or metal, and
in different sizes, suitable for use by children and adults.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed to describe the same in connection with the Sheet of Drawings hero-
unto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
throughout all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a front elevation of an apparatus constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 8 a plan
view of the same. Letter (a) is the rectangular frame; (b) are the posts or
standards fitted into straps at the side of the said frame; (c) is the rail or
cross-bar; (d) is the footboard or platform; (e) are springs, from which the
platform is suspended. It will be obvious that the platform could be suported
by resting on springs, but I consider the mode shewn in the Drawings- to be
in many respects preferable. (f) are the springs suspended from the cross
bar, and (9) are the handles. In order to make the apparatus portable, the
standards are each made in two lengths, and connected together by sockets (h),
and to enable the shifting of the standards extra straps (j), fitted on opposite
sides of the frame, are provided. Those useing my said apparatus stand on
the platform (d), and while holding by the handles (9) give sufficient motion
to their bodies to set in action the springs (e) and (ƒ).
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention of "An
Apparatus for Exercising the Joints and Muscles of the Human Body," and
the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would observe, in
conclusion, that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of the
details herein described, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the main principles or main features of my said Invention;
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is, the arrangement and combination of all the several parts of the apparatus
as a general combination, substantially as hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Milnes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
W. H. BOWERS,
71, Fleet Street, London.
JOHN MILNES. (L.S.)