US3536326A - Elastic cable push and pull exercising device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1970 G. A. YATRIDES 3,536,326.

ELASTIC CABLE PUSH AND FULL EXERCISING DEVICE Filed May 24, 1967 United States Patent 3,536,326 ELASTIC CABLE PUSH AND PULL EXERCISIN G DEVICE Georges Alexandre Yatrides, 2 Rue Pierre Termier, Grenoble, France Filed May 24, 1967, Ser. No. 640,897 Claims priority, application France, June 3, 1966, 4,952, Patent 1,500,018 Int. Cl. A63b 21/02 US. Cl. 272-82 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device comprising a frame having four arms and carrying a pulley wheel at the end of each arm. An elastic cable passes over the four pulley wheels. A persons muscles may be exercized by either pushing two opposed stretches of the cable toward each other, or pulling them away from each other.

Exercising devices for exercising the muscles by pushing and pulling are well known. Such devices commonly comprise two telescopic tubes containing a compression spring, the free end of each tube terminating in a handle, the handles being connected by a non-elastic cable in the form of an endless loop which has two lengths on opposite sides of the telescopic tubes. This device allows a large number of symmetrical movements to be made but it has the disadvantages that the range of exercises which can be carried out with it is very limited, and that the spring rapidly loses resilience and has a limited stroke of compression which becomes inadequate when the trainee acquires strength.

Furthermore, it comprises parts which slide one into the other, which may over a long period give rise to operating difliculties.

The aim of the invention is to provide a robust exercising device, particularly simple to make, and which has practically no limits as regards the exercises which can be carried out with it.

The exercising device according to the invention is notably characterized in that it comprises a rigid frame with a plurality of free ends encircled by an endless elastic cable resiliently pressing against said ends.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following description, given as an example, and with reference to the attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the exercising device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same device.

Referring to the attached drawing, an exercising device according to the invention comprises a rigid frame 1 having four arms terminating in free ends 2, 3, 4 and 5 arranged in one plane at the corners of a rectangle. At each end 2-5 is a pulley wheel numbered respectively 6, 7, '8 and 9, articulated around an axis which is at right-angles to the plane of free ends 25. On these pulley wheels 6-9 is mounted a slightly stretched elastic cable 10, the sections of which between said pulleys have been marked 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d.

In the device built as described, the frame 1 is a moulded X-shaped member. The opposing arms 1a, 1b on the one hand, and 1c, 1d on the other hand, of this member are preferably curved towards the outside so as to increase the free space between them.

The exercising device as described is appropriate for exercise entailing generally symmetrical efforts applied to two opposing cable sections. The device according to the invention, by reason of its extended shape, is particularly suited to exercises in which opposed sections "Ice are pulled apart (position 10'a, 10'b) or in which they are brought together (position 10"a, 10"b) using the two short lengths 10a, 10b of cable (opposite the two free spaces between branches 1a and 1b and 1c and .1d of the frame). The longer sections 10c, 10d of the cable are more especially intended for exercises in which they are pulled apart (position 10'c, 10'd) and involving traction (as shown by arrows f and f).

A representative exercising device according to the invention was 91 cm. long and 27 cm. wide. The frame was made from moulded aluminium alloy and its weight was 2.2 kilograms.

The elastic cable was made from a specially robust rubber; the characteristics of this cable present coeflicients of elasticity which are variable depending on whether the device is intended for a trained sportsman or otherwise, or for a man, woman or child. A cable for a trained sportsman possessed, in the operation zone, a coefiicient of elasticity such that it would stretch about 0.5 to 2% per kilogram of traction applied, a cable for a man at the beginning of training had a coefficient of 2 to 5% per kilogram of traction, while a cable for a woman or child presented a coefiicient up to 15% per kilogram of traction.

Generally speaking, the endless loop elastic cable was preferably mounted under a tension of 5 to 15 kg. corresponding to an elongation of 10 to 40%.

'In the case of a cable for a trained sportsman the weight of the cable was 0.5 to 0.7 kg. so that the total weight of the device was about 2.7 to 2.9 kg.

The geometrical dimensions of the device as mentioned above correspond to those of a man of average size, but obviously models of greater or smaller dimensions can be made for various human sizes including those of children of different ages.

It was found that the elongated rectangular shape provided advantages in operation and ease of handling, but a square shape may also be envisaged although this takes up more room.

The framework may be made lighter by using materials other than metal, for example, certain plastic materials, or even wood.

A simplified form, which is less efiicient in respect of the necessary displacement of the cable on the ends of the arms when it is used consists in not having pulley wheels to carry the cable but simply smooth grooves in which the elastic cable runs. When the cable is not resiliently pressed against the ends of the frame, it may be locked on those ends by locking means, for instance, by rings.

The cable may advantageously be provided with rings such as 11 at either extremity of the length 10a or 10b, between which it may be gripped, which rings prevent the rotation of the cable with respect to the frame.

The rigid frame may have a plurality of arm ends located or not in a plane. The arm ends of the frame may constitute the corners of any polygon. The cable may be made with any elastomeric material, caoutchouc, latex or elastic plastic material.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercising device comprising a rigid frame having a plurality of pairs of arms projecting outwardly from a central core and terminating in free ends, and elastic means extending around said frame and between the free ends of said arms, said free ends being provided with guide means for receiving said elastic means and said elastic means defining with each of said pairs of arms an opening large enough to receive a human hand.

2. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 in which said guide means are rollers mounted to rotate about substantially parallel axes.

3 3. An exercising device as claimed in claim 2 in which said arms lie in a common plane and said axes are perpendicular to said plane.

4. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 having exactly four arms.

5. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 in which the ends of said arms define the corners of a rectangle having two long and two short sides.

6. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 in which said elastic means is under tension when in position around said arm ends.

7. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 having exactly four arms defining the corners of a rectangle having two long and two short sides, said guide means being 4 rollers mounted to rotate about axes perpendicular to the plane of said rectangle and said elastic means being under tension when in position on said rollers.

8. An exercising device as claimed in claim 7 in which said elastic means is an endless band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,570 1/1915 Sandow 27282 1,556,496 10/1925 Davis 272 80 1,884,392 10/ 1932 Treat 272-82 2,829,891 4/1958 Ludwig 2721 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner

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