WALKER-ANDREWS REHABILITATION RUG MARK 11

By MARGARET WALKER, M.A.O.T. D I I -'ll

WALKER-ANDREWS REHABILITATION RUG LOOM MARK 11

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Page

Acknowledgements 4

Introduction and Main Features

Description 7

Details of Assembly and Maintenance 8

Beater mechanism and modifications 10

Heddle mechanism 12

Weaving and Scope of Work 12

Therapeutic Value 13

Summary and Progress Chart 15 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the Nottingham Hand crafl Company for asking me to w rite this booklet. H aving completed this task, I a m thoroughl y convinced that weav ing is s till a most u seful craft in many Departments, especiall y with a loom specificall y designed for our work. The o ri ginal Walker- Andrews Rug Loom h as now been considerably modified in the li ght of experi ence gained fro m practica l use, and these modificati ons have greatl y improved its therapeutic va lue. I woul d like to tha nk my coll eagues a t L odge Moor Hospital, Sheffi eld, for their help and advice in writing this bookl et a nd also those patients w ho assisted me in testing the loom. I hope that other Occupati ona l Therapists w ill find this bookl et of interest a nd assistance.

Marga ret W alker. M.A.O.T. WALKER -ANDREWS REHABILITATION RUG LOOM MARK 11 INTRODUCTION The Wa lk er-Andrews Rehabilita ti on Rug Loom is ba~ i ca ll y a conve ntiona l rug loom t o which essenti al m odi fica ti ons have been made to ensure maximum use from a therapeutic point of view. The dimensions a re unchanged from the p rev ious model except for the height, w hich h as been increased sli ghtl y to g ive a longer r ange of movement to th e bea ter. The loom as a w hole has been sli ghtl y tilted forward , bringing the front into a more vertical l ine, whi ch impr ove~ the exercise obta ined a nd red uces the tendency of the loom t o move steadily away from the weaver. Main Features I. Resistance to beating ca n be appli ed to e ither the .. up" or .. down " movement, thus increasing the scope o f its remed ial va lue. 2. T he poi nt of pivot of the beater h as been lowered. hence doubling th e dis tance through whi ch the travels. This has resulted , firstl y in the ra nge of m ovement bei ng doubled, whilst secondly, a longer piece of weaving may be completed before it is necessa ry to roll on the warp; this additi ona l weaving may be ca rried out. a lthough still maintain ing a reasonable ra nge of exercise, a good tension on the warp and an adequate . 3. A mechanism i s incorporated to maintain the shed during weaving, however short the exposed warp. T his improves the stand ard of the pa tient's weaving, a nd the possibi lity of mak ing mista kes is red uced; instead of the shed slowly closing itself w hilst the pati ent struggles to th row the shu tt le-a fa ul t of the p revious model- the hedd le f ra mes are now held firml y in position. 4. A locking mechanism on each end of the beater h olds it securely up in posit ion, however great th e resista nce d uring weaving. This is an improvement on the ea rlier m odel, whi ch h ad onl y o ne catch in the centre o f the beater. 5. F our weights are suppli ed wi th the loom, na mely 2), 5. 10 a nd 15 lbs. it is therefore possible to va ry the resistance from 0 to 32\ lbs. The ba r weights a re posi ti oned either above or below the beater a nd held i n place by bolts and wing nuts. Should a ll the weights be req uired both positions must be used. Posts have been situated a t the rea r of the loom fo r storage purposes. 6. Foot p eda ls are s uppli ed shoul d the loom be required f or use in a conventional m anner. They a re used in the norma l way in place of the heddle mechanism changing the shed, a lthough it will still be necessary to release the fo r every s hed . L oom cord is suppli ed and the pedals a re tied up normall y in the required positions. Plate 1 No . Description

I. Cloth Ba rs 2. Ro ll ers 3. Loom Side Fra mes 4. Batten/ Beater 5. Heddle Guide Fra me 6. Shed Changing Bar 6a. Heddle Ex tension 7. Heddle Mecha nism R elease Toggle 8. Heddle Mecha ni sm L ever Arm 9. Beater M echa nis m 10. Beater M echa nism Catch 11 . Beater M echa nism R elease 12. Attach W eights here 13. Weight 14. Reed 15 . Beater Stop 16. Weight Sto rage Posts 17. Spare Weights 18. Positio n of Pulley 19. Foot Pedals 20. Pedal Bar ASSEMBLY AND MAINTENANCE To Assemble the Loom Remove all contents o f the c rate and check that all pieces are present, then l ay them out with reference to Plate A in the order they will be required :- Right hand side frame; 2 cloth bars; rear pedal bar; 3 wedges; bottom roll er; heddle movement; 3 wedges; beater; top roller; pedals, loom card; weights; 2 s hed sticks; 12 warp sticks; 2 s ti ck shuttles. It is si mpl er if two people a re a ble to assemble the loom together; however, it is possible to do the job single-hand ed. A ma ll et a nd a block of wood should be used f or t apping the wedges into position. Some of the parts a re la belled :- A,A., B,B., etc., and where this is so it will help to avoid confusion in assembling if these are matched. I. Take the ri ght-hand side frame a nd lean it upright against the wa ll , wi th space on ei ther sid e. (Outerside facing the wall). 2. Insert both cloth bars into the front upright, noting that r ounded edges face the front (match l etters), then insert rear pedal bar into the lower frame member. Tap in 3 wedges to hold secure. 3. Place ratchet end of bottom roller in position (metal catch should be up), a ttach h andle. 4. Tap left-hand side frame into position to within i"· 5. Stand behind the loom h olding the heddle movement. the two heddle frames on t op of each other, with the shed changing bar at the bottom. Pass the hedd le movement between the two side frames. Locate the two copper pegs into the copper lined ho les in the heddle g uides. lt wi ll now be necessary to tap the second side frame further into position and almost h ome before the heddle frames can be situated from the front in the heddle guides. 6. T ap side frames home a nd secure with last 3 wedges. 7. Again, stand behind the loom, holding the beater and pass this between the s ide frames. The beater pivots on a bolt at each end. The bolts a re now inserted in this o rder :- Side frame; washer; beater; washer; wing nut. Push beater up into top position and adjust the beater release mechanism. Make sure the cord is round the pulleys as shown in plates 2 a nd 2A. It is important to a djust the tension so that it is equal at both ends with no s lack when at rest, but not so tight that the hooks are pu ll ed out of contact. 8. Drop the top r oll er into position and insert the pegs to secure it ; attach h andle. 9. Attach the pedals. The pivoting bar is assembled as follows :­ Through block on pedal bar; one pedal; s quare block; second pedal; bl ock on peda l bar. Insert peg supplied. If pedals are to be used, tie in position on heddle movement with loom card supplied. 10. Tie up heddle release rnechani~m. The toggle should hang as high as possible and centrall y. The cord at each end passes over the pulleys. (lt should not be so tight that the peg~ are pulled back when at rest). 11. Weights fit on peg on rear pedal bar when not in use. The loom is now ready for use .

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Plate A 2 side frames with heddle guides and Beater (reed not shown) heddle release mechanism attached Heddle movement 2 bolts for beater arms From t tor- 2 pedals with loom cord 1 rear pedal bar 6 wedges 2 cloth bars 4 bar weights 2 rollers with ratchet wheels and warp 2! lb 5 lb 10 lb 15 lb sticks ,, 2 handles and 2 pegs [or rollers 2 stick shuttles 2 shed sticks I 2 warp sticks (not shown) MAINTENANCE lf the hedd le movement is stiff, a little soap applied to the ends of the heddle frames and inside the guides wi ll help. A regular spot of oil on the pulleys will make for free r movement. lt is important that the tension on the co rds shou ld be adjusted regularly to take up any stretch and the cords shou ld be checked for wear and replaced to avoid accidents. SPECIFICATION Hei"ht 7' 2" Depth 3' 6" Widi.h 3' 6" (weaving width from 27") Net Weight 140lbs. approx. 9 BEATER MECHANISM On each end of the beater there is a metal hook (Part 10) with a corresponding hook on the side frame; these click together when the beater is raised to the highest position, thus securely holding it up until it is manually released. To lower the beater, the release knob (Part I I) is pushed in, thus releasing the two hooks. When pressure is removed from the release knob, the bottom hook returns to the correct position ready for contact with the top h ook when the beater is ra ised. ll is important that equal tension is maintained at both ends of the mechanism, otherwise one end will tend to be released before the other, thus putting unnecessary strain on the beater: this particularly applies if all the weights are on. The tension should be correctly adjusted when the loom i s assembled and later, as and when r eq uired . The best place to make the adjustment is where the fle xible cord joins the bottom of the hook. (See Plates 2 a nd 2A).

Plate 2

1 Press here to rel ease bea1er

Plate 2a

I View of Beater from Below Part 10--q 10 BEATER MODIFICATION T he standa rd Wa lker-Andrews Loom Mark 11 is not supplied with a resistance applied to the down beat. However, the beater is now made longer at each end to a ll ow sufficient clearance for the additiona l rope and weight. All that i s required is a c up hook to be screwed into the beater a nd one into the loom sid e frame to take a pulley (see Pl ate 3). The ropes a nd weights, such as lead shot or sandbags, which a re probably already in use in the Department , will be quite satisfactory.

Plate 3 11 HEDDLE MECHANISM T his consists o f a s pring loaded ba r which shoots illlo one of two holes in the heddle e xtension (Pa rt 6a), whi ch i s a llached t o the bollom of the heddle frame (Part 5); it is according to the s hed, whether the bollom h eddle frame is in the f ront or r ea r position. When pulling the release toggle, it moves the lever arm (Part 8) which draws the rod back and frees the heddle fra me. As soon as the mechanism is a ll owed to relax, the sp ring pushes the rod th rough into a locating hole. The mechani sm i s repea ted on b oth sides of th e heddle g uid e. When weaving. it is necessary to pull the release toggle w ith one hand while the o ther grasps the shed changing ba r (Pa rt 6) and either push or pull altern ately, according to the s hed r equired. Obviously this is a definite bilateral movement. (See Plate 4 ).

Pl ate 4 WEAVING PROCEDURE I. Release heddle mechanism and push shed changi ng bar in fo r first shed. 2. T hrow the shullle. 3. R elease the bea ter a nd beat. 4. Return the beater t o the " Up " position. 5. Release heddle mechansim and pull shed changing ba r out fo r second shed. 12 SCOPE OF WORK Despite the current trend to find our exercise in industrial activities ra ther than in traditional crafts, there still are many patients who enjoy weaving. The rug loom can be used progress ively throughout a patient's treatment. However, it is doubtful if even the most ardent would relish six months o f rug production. Why not, therefore, use the loom f or other types of weaving than rugs? In additi on t o the usual reed supplied with the rug loom, namely a 6 dentage, various dentage reeds are also available. One point to bear in mind is that one ca nnot have a weight of 301bs. crash ing down onto a fine cotton weft. This ca n be overcome by progressing the weaving as well as the exercise: initially when no resi stance is required, fine work can be done, e.g., a stole or cushion cover: this can be foll owed by towelling, or bath ma ts using nytrim, a nd then a rriving a t rugs by the time max imum resistance is req uired. THERAPEUTIC VALUE Therapeutic Application The main therapeutic va lue of this piece of equipment is for the shoulder girdle, although it is also a useful form of trea tment for spina l injuries a nd elbows. Conditions whi ch affect the shoulder gird le- (trauma, degenerative conditions a nd postural defects)-involve not onl y the gleno-humeral joint and its movements, but a lso those of the sca pul a, as these a re cl osely associated . Similarly injuries to the a rm a nd forea rm will a lso affect th e shoulder girdle because of the position of immobiliza tion. Flexion of the gleno-humeral joint is a llied to protracti on and lateral rotation of the scapula, and beyond 90°, latera l r otati on of the humerus. Extension of the gleno-humeral joint is allied to retraction and medial rotati on of the sca pula , with some medial rota ti on of the humerus. All these movements a re used in the norma l functioning o f the ha nd and arm, a nd it is therefore essentia l that they should be re-educated . When usi ng the rug loom, a ll these movements come into pl ay, plus shoulder abducti on (particularly in throwing the ). spina l extension. a nd elbow extension and ftexion. The main exercise is to be found in beating, and depending o n the disa bility. resista nce can be added to whichever m ovement is desired. o r t o both alternatel y. Up Beat Provides exercise for protractors and lateral rotators of the g leno­ humera l joints. elbow extensors a nd spina l ex tensors. Muscles involved: Serratus ant erior Trapezius Deltoid Supraspinatus Infraspinatus Pectoralis major and minor Coroco-brachi a li s Triceps Anconeus Spinal Extensors plus: Wrist Flexors a nd Extensors and Postural Muscles 13 Down Beat Provides exercise for retractors and medial r otators o f the scapula. extensors and medial rotators o f the gleno-humeral joint, elbow flexors, abdominals a nd finger flexors. Muscles involved : Pectoralis major Finger flexors Deltoid Latissimus dorsi Teres major Rhomboids Brachia-radiali s Brachialis Abdomina Is Wrist extenso rs plus: Subscapularis Biceps Triceps Postural muscles Long forearm muscles A better exercise in a wider range is obta ined if the ha nd s a re placed toward s the ends of the beater ra ther than towa rds the centre. Some suitable conditions I. Injuries around the should er j oint :- a) Fractures of the Clavicle. Scapula. upper third of Humerus b) Di slocation of shoulder. 2. Injuries a round the elbow joint :- a) Fractures of l ower third of Humerus, Olecra non. head of Radius, shaft of Humerus. 3. Stiff shoulder :- frozen shoulder: hemiplegia. 4. Postural defects. 5. Thoracoplasty, chest conditions. 6. Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc and fractured vertebrae (without cord lesion) . 7. Brachi al plexus lesions and Periphera l nerve injuries. e.g. Circum­ fle x, Musc ul o-cutaneous, Radi al nerve (late stage). 8. Poli omyelitis, Peripheral N euritis. 9. Spinal injuries. Work on the rug loom can b e very s trenuous a nd should be graded with care; it is important that the therapist, by usi ng it herself. is thoroughly fa mili ar with the loom and its possibilities before treating a pa ti ent. The decision concerning which movement to use in any particul ar case, must be taken by the therapist in the li ght of her knowledge regarding operati ve proced ures, p osition of immobilisation used, and the patient's disability a nd stage of recovery. It is important that the patient should start in a good positi on. tucked well under the loom, and the back well supported. It is advisable to bolt the loom t o the fl oor if possible, and the use of the Camden Multi-Purpose Stool is recommended or. if not available. some other adjustable seat. For a very tall patient the loom can be raised even higher on blocks for maximum stretch, o r the small patient can use a ra ised sea t. 14 ., I I

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Published by Messrs . Nottingham Handcraft Company, Nottingham, England Prinled by M essrs. J. & J. Vice Limited, Nottingham, England 16 r ~·

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