Automatic cocking device for pelvic support section of chiropractic table

Claim 2

In a chiropractic table of the type having a base, a support frame pivotally mounted on the base and a pelvic support section pivotally mounted on the frame for cocking to an elevated position by rotation of a cocking shaft through a predetermined angle of rotation and tripping to a dropped position by chiropractic pelvic thrusts, the combination comprising motor means mounted on the support frame, said motor means having a rotary output shaft; lever means mounted on the cocking shaft for rotation thereof; mechanical linkage means connected between said motor means shaft and said lever means for converting the rotary motion of the motor shaft to substantially unidirectional linear motion at the lever means to rotate the cocking shaft through the predetermined angle of rotation and cock the pelvic support section; and motor control means coupled to said motor means for starting and stopping said motor means to cock the pelvic support section.

Claim 3

The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein operation of said motor control means causes the output shaft of the motor means to rotate substantially through an angle of 360°, said lever means comprises a crank having one end thereof mounted on the cocking shaft and the other end thereof disposed a distance from the cocking shaft, and said mechanical linkage means is an eccentric comprising a rotatable disk member having an eccentrically mounted pin thereon, said disk member being connected to the output shaft of said motor means for rotation thereby, and a longitudinally-extending connecting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said pin and the other end thereof mounted on said other end of the crank.

Claim 4

The combination claimed in claim 2 wherein said longitudinally-extending connecting member comprises a flexible chain having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said pin and the other end thereof mounted on said other end of the crank, so that the eccentric is operable to cause unidirectional rotation of the cocking shaft in the direction required to cock the pelvic support section.

Claim 5

The combination claimed in claim 2 wherein said longitudinally-extending connecting member comprises a rod having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said pin and the other end thereof slidably disposed in an opening in said other end of the crank, and stop means mounted on said other end of the rod to prevent said other rod end from being pulled through said opening upon operation of the eccentric, so that the eccentric is operable to cause unidirectional rotation of the cocking shaft in the direction required to cock the pelvic support section.

Claim 6

The combination claimed in claim 2 wherein said motor means comprises electric motor means, and said motor control means comprises electric circuit means coupled to said electric motor means for control thereof and adapted to be coupled to a voltage supply source for energization thereby, said electric circuit means having manually-operable switch means for energizing said electric motor means to cause rotation of said motor means output shaft, and positive-responsive switch means responsive to the angular position of said motor means output shaft for deenergizing said motor means at a predetermined angular position of said motor means output shaft, so that said motor means output shaft makes substantially one full revolution of 360° after energization of the motor means by said manually-operable switch means.

Claim 7

The combination claimed in claim 5 wherein said manually-operable switch means is coupled in series-circuit with said electric motor means across the voltage supply source, and said position-responsive switch means comprises a cam follower switch coupled in parallel-circuit with said manually-operable switch means, and a rotatable cam for controlling the operation of said cam follower switch, said cam being mounted on said motor means output shaft for rotation therewith and having a configuration which actuates said cam follower switch at said predetermined angular position of the motor means output shaft, so that said electric motor means is energized through said cam follower switch for all angular positions of the motor means output shaft except said predetermined angular position.

Claim 8

The combination claimed in claim 5 wherein said one end of the crank is provided with clamping means for mounting said one crank end on the cocking shaft of the table, and said electric motor means is mounted on a support bracket having means thereon for mounting the bracket on the support frame of the table, so that said combination is adapted for field installation on chiropractic tables of the type having a manually-operable cocking shaft.

Claim 9

The combination claimed in claim 6 wherein said manually-operable switch means comprises a foot-operated switch.

Claim 10

The combination claimed in claim 6 wherein said manually-operable switch means comprises a pair of foot-operated switches coupled in parallel-circuit with said cam follower switch, and said electric circuit means includes a master manually-operable disconnect switch coupled in series circuit with said electric motor means and said parallel-coupled foot operated switches.

Claim 11

The combination claimed in claim 6 wherein said electric motor means comprises an electric motor having a rotatable output shaft, and a speed-reducing gear train connected between said electric motor output shaft and said rotatable disk member of the eccentric, to thereby reduce the speed at which the pelvic support member is cocked.

Claim 12

A cocking device for chiropractic tables of the type having a pivotally mounted pelvic support section adapted to be cocked to an elevated position by rotation of a cocking shaft through a predetermined angle of rotation and tripped to a dropped position by chiropractic pelvic thrusts comprising electric motor means adapted to be mounted on the table, said motor means having a rotary output shaft; a crank having one end thereof adapted to be mounted on the cocking shaft for rotation of the cocking shaft; an eccentric linkage having a rotatable disk member mounted on the motor means output shaft for rotation thereby, said disk member having a pin eccentrically mounted thereon, and connecting means having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said pin and the other end thereof mounted on the other end of said crank for unidirectionally transmitting the reciprocating component of motion of the pin to said other end of the crank to rotate the cocking shaft through the predetermined angle of rotation; and motor control means controlled by foot-operated switch means for energizing said motor means to cause the output shaft thereof to make a single revolution of substantially 360° in response to actuation of the switch means, to thereby cock the pelvic support section.

Claim 13

A cocking device for chiropractic tables of the type having a pivotally mounted pelvic support section adapted to be cocked to an elevated position by rotation of a cocking shaft through a predetermined angle of rotation and tripped to a dropped position by chiropractic pelvic thrusts comprising electric motor means adapted to be mounted on the table, said motor means having a rotary output shaft; a crank having one end thereof adapted to be mounted on the cocking shaft for rotation of the cocking shaft; an eccentric linkage having a rotatable disk member mounted on the motor means output shaft for rotation thereby, said disk member having a pin eccentrically mounted thereon, and connecting means having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said pin and the other end thereof mounted on the other end of said crank for unidirectionally transmitting the reciprocating component of motion of the pin to said other end of the crank to rotate the cocking shaft through the predetermined angle of rotation; and motor control means controlled by foot-operated switch means for energizing said motor means to cause the output shaft thereof to make a single revolution of substantially 360° in response to actuation of the switch means, to thereby cock the pelvic support section.