CA1284666C - Exercise apparatus - Google Patents
Exercise apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1284666C CA1284666C CA000543334A CA543334A CA1284666C CA 1284666 C CA1284666 C CA 1284666C CA 000543334 A CA000543334 A CA 000543334A CA 543334 A CA543334 A CA 543334A CA 1284666 C CA1284666 C CA 1284666C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cable
- exercise apparatus
- channel
- elastic
- sliding bracket
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Abstract
EXERCISE APPARATUS
Abstract of the Disclosure An elastic cable exerciser is mounted on an upright support permitting multi-level and directional stretching exercises from the support. The exerciser includes an elastic cable, grips secured to each end, a channel member fixed substan-tially vertically to the support. A connector for connecting the cable to the channel and allowing movement of the connector is provided. The exerciser is also provided with a support arm that is fixed by means of an adjustably positionable bracket to the channel. The support arm supports two independently, operable pulleys through which the intermediate portions of the elastic cable are reeved. The exerciser is also provided with a second adjustable height bracket which is mounted on the channel. The bracket supports a pair of pulleys. Cable intermediate portions are reeved through the second pulleys, permitting stretching exercises in the upward and outward direction with respect to the channel and wall. An elongated bar, including end provisions for engaging the cables and grips are provided. Belting is provided to connect the grips to the user's body, such as at the waist or ankle.
Abstract of the Disclosure An elastic cable exerciser is mounted on an upright support permitting multi-level and directional stretching exercises from the support. The exerciser includes an elastic cable, grips secured to each end, a channel member fixed substan-tially vertically to the support. A connector for connecting the cable to the channel and allowing movement of the connector is provided. The exerciser is also provided with a support arm that is fixed by means of an adjustably positionable bracket to the channel. The support arm supports two independently, operable pulleys through which the intermediate portions of the elastic cable are reeved. The exerciser is also provided with a second adjustable height bracket which is mounted on the channel. The bracket supports a pair of pulleys. Cable intermediate portions are reeved through the second pulleys, permitting stretching exercises in the upward and outward direction with respect to the channel and wall. An elongated bar, including end provisions for engaging the cables and grips are provided. Belting is provided to connect the grips to the user's body, such as at the waist or ankle.
Description
4~
Descriptlon EXERCISE APPARATUS
Technical Field The invention relates to an exercise apparatus tha-t includes an elastic -able and a pair of hand grips, one fixed to each cable end, providing a variety of tension-ing and stretching exercises. The invention furtherrelates to an exercise apparatus providing a variety of multi-level and multi-directional stretching exercises using a wall or elevated structure as a support for the elastic cable exerciser.
Background of the Invention Wall-mounted exercisers are well known and typically include one or more sets of paired wall or support frame mounted pulleys with vertically moving, track-mounted weights connected to the cables. The cables run through the pulleys. At the end of each cable, opposite the weights, is a hand grip that the user grasps.
The user performs exercises by pulling on the cables to lift the weights which move up and down in the tracks in response to the user's efforts.
A disadvantage of these traditional exercise machines is that they are bulky, requiring significant space for their associated weights, support structure and track structure. Secondly, these kinds of exercisers tend to be noisy, when the weights move up and down their sup-porting tracks and impact the bottom of the track, other weights or various metal stops.
A further disadvantage of traditional wall-mounted and frame-mounted weight systems is that their efficiency as a beneficial exercise is less than might otherwise be expected simply due to the mechanics of moving a weight. For example, once a user performing an exercisP
ini-tially moves the weight, -the resistance he/she experi-ences diminishes as the momentum of the weight is establish-ed and the mechanical advantage increases due to the changein position of the arms during the course of the movement.
Also, in returning the weight to the "at rest" position, there is a tendency to simply relax and let the weight drop, not only providing little exercise benefit, but also generating a fair amount of noise.
Disclosure of the Invention It is an advantage of the invention to provide a wall-mounted or supported exerciser that includes an elastic cable in place of the typical weights and fixed length cable of the prior art. The elastic cable is parti-cularly advantageous because its resistance increases as the user stretches the cable. The increasing resistance provides a reasonably constant overall benefit for a parti-cular movement, offsetting momentum and lever arm advan-tages that reduce the effectiveness of conventional weight lifting exercises. The exerciser provides both positive and negative resistance over a full range of multi-level, multi-directional motion.
It is a further advantage of the apparatus of the invention that the apparatus is virtually noiseless and requires substantially less room than conventional wall-mounted exercisers.
The exercise apparatus of the invention thus includes an elastic cable. Each end of the cable is pro-vided with a grip, preferably in the form of stirrups.
The exercise apparatus preferably includes an elongated channel member that is fixed vertically to a wall or other support.
The elastic cable is secured to a bracket which attaches, in a slidable manner, to the channel. The 4~
bracket is positioned generally at about mid-body or shoulder height of the user. The cable may be attached to -the bracket by means of a connector that includes one aperture for receiving the cable and an aperture for receiving a pin that mounts on the slidable bracket.
A support arm projects substantially perpendicu-larly from the channel. It is slidably positionable along the channel and is typically positioned on an upper portion of the channel at a height above the user.
A cable guide, in the form of a pair of pulleys is preferably connected to the support arm. With the center portion of the elastic cable secured to the sliding bracket, the intermediate portions of the cable are reeved through the support arm mounted pulleys. A user then employs the exerciser machine by pulling the grips outward-ly and downwardly with respect to the pulleys.
The apparatus may include a second moveable cable guide, such as a sliding bracket that is adjustably positionable along the channel and supports a second pair of pulleys. Preferably the bracket is located on the channel below the first bracket. In this arrangement, the intermediate portions of the cable are reeved through the lower pulleys, providing stretching in upward and outward direction with respect to the lower pulleys.
The exerciser preferably further includes an elongated bar that engages the cable and cable end grips in a manner that holds the two cable stirrups in a fixed spaced relationship for groups of exercises such as, for example, a bench press-type exercise.
An attachment belt is provided for connecting the stirrups to, for example, a user's ankle for a group of leg exercises or the like.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure l is an isometric view of the exercise apparatus of the invention showing an elastic cable posi-4~
tioned for one group of exercises and, in phantom lines,two o-ther cables (shown substantially foreshortened) posi-tioned for other groups of exercises.
Figure 2 ls a partial top plan view of the exercise apparatus of Figure 1 mounted to a wall struc-ture.
Figure 3 is an enlarged isometric view of a slid-ing bracket and cable connector of the invention.
Figure 4 is an isometric view of a sliding bracket, connector, and pulley assembly for guiding the cable.
Figure 5 is a partial isometric view of the exer-cise apparatus of the invention of Figure 1 including,in combination with the elastic cable, an exercise bar and, in phantom lines, a belt for attaching the cable to a user's ankle or the like.
Best Mode for Carrving Out the Invention Referring to Figure 1, the exerciser 10 includes an elongated, elastic cable 11. The cable 11 is preferably an elastic tubing made of a material having a tensile strength of above 3,000 psi and an elongation character-istic above 700%.
Each end of the elastic cable 11 is attached to a grip such as stirrups 12 and 13. The stirrups each include a handle portion, such as bar 17, such that is grasped by a user's hand during an exercise.
A central portion of the cable 11 is engaged by a connecting member, preferably a relatively rigid connector 14 that includes a first aperture 15 at one end for receiv-ing the cable. The aperture 15 includes a wall surface forming a sufficiently extended and curved bearing surface such that the cable is not overstressed where it passes through aperture 15 during use. The aperture is sized to permit sliding movement of the cable through the aperture.
A second aperture is provi.ded .in the oppos:i te end of the connector strap.
'l'he cable is connectecl to an elevate~ support, such as, channel 21. Referri.ng to F:i,gure 2, the channel 2:L is preferab:ly vert;cally secured such as by rastening i,t to an upr;ght support, such as wal,:l. 24. In its pre~er-red form the channel ;nc:l,udes, when vlewed i,n cross-secti~n, a base port;,on 25 that is fixed to the supporting wa~1 such as by lag screws 26 or the like. The channel preerabl,y includes a pai.r of projecting si,dewalls 27 extend,i.ng outwardly from the base 25. Connected to the ends of the sidewa~ls 27 is a second pair o.f flanges 28 :forming the front face of the channeL. A pair o~ short f:Langes 29 exLend :inward:l.y from the race Or the channel to Form bearing rails.
The eJastic cab:l.e i,s secured to the channel such as by the use oE the connector l4 and s:liding bracket 19.
'.I'he bracket L9, preferabJ,y includes a base portion 20 for engaging the face of channel member 21. A pair of spaced side plates 22 extend outwardly from the base 20. A pair of apertures 23, one ln each side plate 22, receive pin 18.
The pin 1~ passes through the second aperture in the connector 14 to secure -the elastic cab:Le to the bracket 19.
~pertures, such as aperture 32, are provided in the bracket base 20 to allow passage of a astener, such as threaded bol,t 33 through the base. The bolt passes into a threaded aperture 31 in a bearing plate, such as beari.ng pl,a-te 30.
The arrangement is such that the bracket 19 may be posi-tioned anywhere along the channel 21 by simply loosening the bolts such as bolt 33 and sliding the bracket 19 along the channel 21 and then re-tightening the bolts to secure the bracket 19 to the channel 21.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the exerciser also preferably includes a support arm 40 that is fixed to and projects substantially perpendicu:Larly from the channel member 21. Preferably, the support arm 40 is connected to tj~isj the channel member 21 by means of a bracket 41 having a vertically adjustable fastening sys-tem substantially identical in construction that for the bracket 19 described above. The support arm bracket 41 includes a pair of spaced flanges 42 that are provided with a plurality of apertures 43 for receiving fasteners 44 to secure the support arm 40 in place. Preferably, the support arm 40 is a U-shaped channel member. The support arm 40 preferably projects substantially horizontally from the channel 21 and is typically located substantially above the bracket 19 at a height somewhat higher than the user. The support arm 40 and the channel 21 are secured against rotation by a pair of lateral braces 50. Preferably, the braces include an aperture 51 through which the bolts which secure the bracket 41 to the channel 21 pass. The ends 53 of the lateral braces 50 are designed to fit snugly against the wall 24 when the securing bolts 33 for the bracket support arm 41 are tightened.
Cable guides, such as pulleys 58, are connected to the support arm. The pulleys are independently mounted in a spaced relationship to each other. The pulleys are secured to connector 55. Connector 55 is pivotably secured, such as by pin 56, to the support arm 40. Pin 56 i9 received in apertures 57 in the support arm. Preferab-ly, the position of the pulleys along the support arm may be varied, such as by the use of additional pairs of holes spaced along the support arm. Each pulley is fastened to the connector by means of a pivot pin arrangement that allows free, independent pivoting movement of the pulleys and is similar to the structure shown in Figure 4. Each pulley is provided with a housing which is preferably provided with a slot of selected width which allows reeving of the cable 11 onto the pulley 58 by stretching the cable until it thins down and sliding the cable into the pulley unit through the slot.
f~4~
Thus, in a preferred conf iguration for a variety of exercises, a center portion of the cable is secured by the connector 14 to the bracket 19 which is located, for example, at about waist level. The ends of the cable are 5 reeved through the pulleys 58 mounted upon the support arm 40. The user may then grasp the stirrups 12 and 13 and move them under tension downwardly with respect to the support arm 40 and generally outwardly with respect to the 10 channel 21 and wall 24. The direction o~ the tensioned cable may be adjusted by altering the height of the support arm 19, altering the position of the pulleys 58 along the support arm, and varying the positioning of the user ' s body.
The tension encountered during any given exercise movement 15 may be adjusted by varying the distance between the bracket 19 and the pulleys 58.
Another group of exercises is provided for by providing a second sliding bracket 65, with a second set of cable guides, which is preferably located below the first 20 bracket 19 at a selectable location along the channel 21.
The sliding bracket 65, and its connection to the channel are preferably identical to that of the f irst bracket 19.
The cable guide, is preferably in the form of a second connector 67 and pulley combination. The connector 67 is 25 preferably identical to connector 55, and is pivotably connected to the bracket 65, such as by pin 68. The pulleys 69 are supported in housings 70 having openings 73 permitting the cables to be reeved over the pulleys as discussed above. The housings are rotatably mounted on 30 pins 71. Pins 71 are in turn pivotally mounted on connec-tor 67, by pins 72 passing through pins 71.
Referring to Figure 1, the elastic cable 11 for this group of exercises is, as before, secured in place by means of connector 14 to the f irst bracket 19. The intermediate 35 portions of the cable are reeved through the pulleys, as shown by the phantom lines, and outwardly from the wall 24.
This conf iguration permits the user to stretch the stirrups 4~
l~ in an upwardly ancl outwardl~ direc-tinn with respec-t to the pulleys.
Referr-ing t-o Figllre '" -the e~ercise apparatus of the invention preferably -Fur-t~ler includes an elongated bard 80 that engages -the cable arld Gable end grips in a manner that holds the two cable stirrups in a fixed spaced relationship for groups of exercises such a~, for example, a bench press-type exercise. The bar 80 is, for example, of a desi~n similar to those described b~
the present inventor in his prior paten-ts U.S. 4,326,708; U.S.
4,198,835 and U.S. 4,316,610 and preferably of the type described in his U.S. patent No. 4,779,867 issued October 5, 1988 entitled Elastic Cable Exerciser.
Each end of the bar 80 is provided with a provision for captively engaging the cable, preferably a U-shaped yoke 81 that receives the cable 11 and guides it about the bar ends such that the stirrups 12 and 13 are held in a separated position. A pari, of projections 82 in the yoke opening allow the resil-ient cable to squeeze between them into the yoke 81, retaining the cable in the yoke, particularly when the cable is unstressed, as shown in Figure 5 during setup for an exercise. The yoke 81 also preferably includes opposed pairs of projections 83 that extend from the bar 80 for insuring that the cable, when under tension during exercise, does not slip over the bar ends. The bar 80 is additionally provided with a socket 84 at each end of the bar.
The sockets 84 are aligned and adjacent the cable retaining yoke 81 such that each socket 84 receives and captively engages stirrup surfaces to hold the stirrup 12 and 13 fixed to the bar when the cable is unstressed. The stirruP sockets help A
4t~
stabilize the exerciser during positioning of its elements during setup for an exercise.
Again referring to Figure 5, the exercise apparatus is shown, by means of phantom lines, in combina-tion with an adjustable, attachment bel-t 90 that provides for connecting the stirrups 12 and 13 to, for example, a user's ankle for a group of leg exercises or the like. The belt 90 may also be fastened abo~t a user's waist for tread-mill type running exercises against the stretched cable with the cable secured to bracket 19. The user may attach both stirrups to the belt or only one stirrup.
Where one stirrup is attached to or gripped by the user, the o-ther stirrup and cable end may be reeved lS through a pulley in the lower bracket 65. Pulling upon one end of -the cable will result in the other stirrup end engaging the pulley and, thus, securing the cable end in place.
The adjustability of the positions of the compo-nents in the apparatus relative to each other and the useris important in directing the tensioning effort to a parti-cular muscle group or simply adjusting the exercising apparatus to the particular physical characteristics of the user.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
Descriptlon EXERCISE APPARATUS
Technical Field The invention relates to an exercise apparatus tha-t includes an elastic -able and a pair of hand grips, one fixed to each cable end, providing a variety of tension-ing and stretching exercises. The invention furtherrelates to an exercise apparatus providing a variety of multi-level and multi-directional stretching exercises using a wall or elevated structure as a support for the elastic cable exerciser.
Background of the Invention Wall-mounted exercisers are well known and typically include one or more sets of paired wall or support frame mounted pulleys with vertically moving, track-mounted weights connected to the cables. The cables run through the pulleys. At the end of each cable, opposite the weights, is a hand grip that the user grasps.
The user performs exercises by pulling on the cables to lift the weights which move up and down in the tracks in response to the user's efforts.
A disadvantage of these traditional exercise machines is that they are bulky, requiring significant space for their associated weights, support structure and track structure. Secondly, these kinds of exercisers tend to be noisy, when the weights move up and down their sup-porting tracks and impact the bottom of the track, other weights or various metal stops.
A further disadvantage of traditional wall-mounted and frame-mounted weight systems is that their efficiency as a beneficial exercise is less than might otherwise be expected simply due to the mechanics of moving a weight. For example, once a user performing an exercisP
ini-tially moves the weight, -the resistance he/she experi-ences diminishes as the momentum of the weight is establish-ed and the mechanical advantage increases due to the changein position of the arms during the course of the movement.
Also, in returning the weight to the "at rest" position, there is a tendency to simply relax and let the weight drop, not only providing little exercise benefit, but also generating a fair amount of noise.
Disclosure of the Invention It is an advantage of the invention to provide a wall-mounted or supported exerciser that includes an elastic cable in place of the typical weights and fixed length cable of the prior art. The elastic cable is parti-cularly advantageous because its resistance increases as the user stretches the cable. The increasing resistance provides a reasonably constant overall benefit for a parti-cular movement, offsetting momentum and lever arm advan-tages that reduce the effectiveness of conventional weight lifting exercises. The exerciser provides both positive and negative resistance over a full range of multi-level, multi-directional motion.
It is a further advantage of the apparatus of the invention that the apparatus is virtually noiseless and requires substantially less room than conventional wall-mounted exercisers.
The exercise apparatus of the invention thus includes an elastic cable. Each end of the cable is pro-vided with a grip, preferably in the form of stirrups.
The exercise apparatus preferably includes an elongated channel member that is fixed vertically to a wall or other support.
The elastic cable is secured to a bracket which attaches, in a slidable manner, to the channel. The 4~
bracket is positioned generally at about mid-body or shoulder height of the user. The cable may be attached to -the bracket by means of a connector that includes one aperture for receiving the cable and an aperture for receiving a pin that mounts on the slidable bracket.
A support arm projects substantially perpendicu-larly from the channel. It is slidably positionable along the channel and is typically positioned on an upper portion of the channel at a height above the user.
A cable guide, in the form of a pair of pulleys is preferably connected to the support arm. With the center portion of the elastic cable secured to the sliding bracket, the intermediate portions of the cable are reeved through the support arm mounted pulleys. A user then employs the exerciser machine by pulling the grips outward-ly and downwardly with respect to the pulleys.
The apparatus may include a second moveable cable guide, such as a sliding bracket that is adjustably positionable along the channel and supports a second pair of pulleys. Preferably the bracket is located on the channel below the first bracket. In this arrangement, the intermediate portions of the cable are reeved through the lower pulleys, providing stretching in upward and outward direction with respect to the lower pulleys.
The exerciser preferably further includes an elongated bar that engages the cable and cable end grips in a manner that holds the two cable stirrups in a fixed spaced relationship for groups of exercises such as, for example, a bench press-type exercise.
An attachment belt is provided for connecting the stirrups to, for example, a user's ankle for a group of leg exercises or the like.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure l is an isometric view of the exercise apparatus of the invention showing an elastic cable posi-4~
tioned for one group of exercises and, in phantom lines,two o-ther cables (shown substantially foreshortened) posi-tioned for other groups of exercises.
Figure 2 ls a partial top plan view of the exercise apparatus of Figure 1 mounted to a wall struc-ture.
Figure 3 is an enlarged isometric view of a slid-ing bracket and cable connector of the invention.
Figure 4 is an isometric view of a sliding bracket, connector, and pulley assembly for guiding the cable.
Figure 5 is a partial isometric view of the exer-cise apparatus of the invention of Figure 1 including,in combination with the elastic cable, an exercise bar and, in phantom lines, a belt for attaching the cable to a user's ankle or the like.
Best Mode for Carrving Out the Invention Referring to Figure 1, the exerciser 10 includes an elongated, elastic cable 11. The cable 11 is preferably an elastic tubing made of a material having a tensile strength of above 3,000 psi and an elongation character-istic above 700%.
Each end of the elastic cable 11 is attached to a grip such as stirrups 12 and 13. The stirrups each include a handle portion, such as bar 17, such that is grasped by a user's hand during an exercise.
A central portion of the cable 11 is engaged by a connecting member, preferably a relatively rigid connector 14 that includes a first aperture 15 at one end for receiv-ing the cable. The aperture 15 includes a wall surface forming a sufficiently extended and curved bearing surface such that the cable is not overstressed where it passes through aperture 15 during use. The aperture is sized to permit sliding movement of the cable through the aperture.
A second aperture is provi.ded .in the oppos:i te end of the connector strap.
'l'he cable is connectecl to an elevate~ support, such as, channel 21. Referri.ng to F:i,gure 2, the channel 2:L is preferab:ly vert;cally secured such as by rastening i,t to an upr;ght support, such as wal,:l. 24. In its pre~er-red form the channel ;nc:l,udes, when vlewed i,n cross-secti~n, a base port;,on 25 that is fixed to the supporting wa~1 such as by lag screws 26 or the like. The channel preerabl,y includes a pai.r of projecting si,dewalls 27 extend,i.ng outwardly from the base 25. Connected to the ends of the sidewa~ls 27 is a second pair o.f flanges 28 :forming the front face of the channeL. A pair o~ short f:Langes 29 exLend :inward:l.y from the race Or the channel to Form bearing rails.
The eJastic cab:l.e i,s secured to the channel such as by the use oE the connector l4 and s:liding bracket 19.
'.I'he bracket L9, preferabJ,y includes a base portion 20 for engaging the face of channel member 21. A pair of spaced side plates 22 extend outwardly from the base 20. A pair of apertures 23, one ln each side plate 22, receive pin 18.
The pin 1~ passes through the second aperture in the connector 14 to secure -the elastic cab:Le to the bracket 19.
~pertures, such as aperture 32, are provided in the bracket base 20 to allow passage of a astener, such as threaded bol,t 33 through the base. The bolt passes into a threaded aperture 31 in a bearing plate, such as beari.ng pl,a-te 30.
The arrangement is such that the bracket 19 may be posi-tioned anywhere along the channel 21 by simply loosening the bolts such as bolt 33 and sliding the bracket 19 along the channel 21 and then re-tightening the bolts to secure the bracket 19 to the channel 21.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the exerciser also preferably includes a support arm 40 that is fixed to and projects substantially perpendicu:Larly from the channel member 21. Preferably, the support arm 40 is connected to tj~isj the channel member 21 by means of a bracket 41 having a vertically adjustable fastening sys-tem substantially identical in construction that for the bracket 19 described above. The support arm bracket 41 includes a pair of spaced flanges 42 that are provided with a plurality of apertures 43 for receiving fasteners 44 to secure the support arm 40 in place. Preferably, the support arm 40 is a U-shaped channel member. The support arm 40 preferably projects substantially horizontally from the channel 21 and is typically located substantially above the bracket 19 at a height somewhat higher than the user. The support arm 40 and the channel 21 are secured against rotation by a pair of lateral braces 50. Preferably, the braces include an aperture 51 through which the bolts which secure the bracket 41 to the channel 21 pass. The ends 53 of the lateral braces 50 are designed to fit snugly against the wall 24 when the securing bolts 33 for the bracket support arm 41 are tightened.
Cable guides, such as pulleys 58, are connected to the support arm. The pulleys are independently mounted in a spaced relationship to each other. The pulleys are secured to connector 55. Connector 55 is pivotably secured, such as by pin 56, to the support arm 40. Pin 56 i9 received in apertures 57 in the support arm. Preferab-ly, the position of the pulleys along the support arm may be varied, such as by the use of additional pairs of holes spaced along the support arm. Each pulley is fastened to the connector by means of a pivot pin arrangement that allows free, independent pivoting movement of the pulleys and is similar to the structure shown in Figure 4. Each pulley is provided with a housing which is preferably provided with a slot of selected width which allows reeving of the cable 11 onto the pulley 58 by stretching the cable until it thins down and sliding the cable into the pulley unit through the slot.
f~4~
Thus, in a preferred conf iguration for a variety of exercises, a center portion of the cable is secured by the connector 14 to the bracket 19 which is located, for example, at about waist level. The ends of the cable are 5 reeved through the pulleys 58 mounted upon the support arm 40. The user may then grasp the stirrups 12 and 13 and move them under tension downwardly with respect to the support arm 40 and generally outwardly with respect to the 10 channel 21 and wall 24. The direction o~ the tensioned cable may be adjusted by altering the height of the support arm 19, altering the position of the pulleys 58 along the support arm, and varying the positioning of the user ' s body.
The tension encountered during any given exercise movement 15 may be adjusted by varying the distance between the bracket 19 and the pulleys 58.
Another group of exercises is provided for by providing a second sliding bracket 65, with a second set of cable guides, which is preferably located below the first 20 bracket 19 at a selectable location along the channel 21.
The sliding bracket 65, and its connection to the channel are preferably identical to that of the f irst bracket 19.
The cable guide, is preferably in the form of a second connector 67 and pulley combination. The connector 67 is 25 preferably identical to connector 55, and is pivotably connected to the bracket 65, such as by pin 68. The pulleys 69 are supported in housings 70 having openings 73 permitting the cables to be reeved over the pulleys as discussed above. The housings are rotatably mounted on 30 pins 71. Pins 71 are in turn pivotally mounted on connec-tor 67, by pins 72 passing through pins 71.
Referring to Figure 1, the elastic cable 11 for this group of exercises is, as before, secured in place by means of connector 14 to the f irst bracket 19. The intermediate 35 portions of the cable are reeved through the pulleys, as shown by the phantom lines, and outwardly from the wall 24.
This conf iguration permits the user to stretch the stirrups 4~
l~ in an upwardly ancl outwardl~ direc-tinn with respec-t to the pulleys.
Referr-ing t-o Figllre '" -the e~ercise apparatus of the invention preferably -Fur-t~ler includes an elongated bard 80 that engages -the cable arld Gable end grips in a manner that holds the two cable stirrups in a fixed spaced relationship for groups of exercises such a~, for example, a bench press-type exercise. The bar 80 is, for example, of a desi~n similar to those described b~
the present inventor in his prior paten-ts U.S. 4,326,708; U.S.
4,198,835 and U.S. 4,316,610 and preferably of the type described in his U.S. patent No. 4,779,867 issued October 5, 1988 entitled Elastic Cable Exerciser.
Each end of the bar 80 is provided with a provision for captively engaging the cable, preferably a U-shaped yoke 81 that receives the cable 11 and guides it about the bar ends such that the stirrups 12 and 13 are held in a separated position. A pari, of projections 82 in the yoke opening allow the resil-ient cable to squeeze between them into the yoke 81, retaining the cable in the yoke, particularly when the cable is unstressed, as shown in Figure 5 during setup for an exercise. The yoke 81 also preferably includes opposed pairs of projections 83 that extend from the bar 80 for insuring that the cable, when under tension during exercise, does not slip over the bar ends. The bar 80 is additionally provided with a socket 84 at each end of the bar.
The sockets 84 are aligned and adjacent the cable retaining yoke 81 such that each socket 84 receives and captively engages stirrup surfaces to hold the stirrup 12 and 13 fixed to the bar when the cable is unstressed. The stirruP sockets help A
4t~
stabilize the exerciser during positioning of its elements during setup for an exercise.
Again referring to Figure 5, the exercise apparatus is shown, by means of phantom lines, in combina-tion with an adjustable, attachment bel-t 90 that provides for connecting the stirrups 12 and 13 to, for example, a user's ankle for a group of leg exercises or the like. The belt 90 may also be fastened abo~t a user's waist for tread-mill type running exercises against the stretched cable with the cable secured to bracket 19. The user may attach both stirrups to the belt or only one stirrup.
Where one stirrup is attached to or gripped by the user, the o-ther stirrup and cable end may be reeved lS through a pulley in the lower bracket 65. Pulling upon one end of -the cable will result in the other stirrup end engaging the pulley and, thus, securing the cable end in place.
The adjustability of the positions of the compo-nents in the apparatus relative to each other and the useris important in directing the tensioning effort to a parti-cular muscle group or simply adjusting the exercising apparatus to the particular physical characteristics of the user.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
Claims (21)
1. An exercise apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongated elastic cable having two ends and a central section between the ends, and at least one end having a grip attached;
(b) an upright support member;
(c) a connecting member attached to the upright sup-port member for securing the central section of the elastic cable to the support member; and (d) a cable guide located above the connecting mem-ber and including means for slidably securing the elastic cable at a point between the central section and the grip such that the grip may be grasped and moved under tension downwardly with respect to the cable guides during exercise.
(a) an elongated elastic cable having two ends and a central section between the ends, and at least one end having a grip attached;
(b) an upright support member;
(c) a connecting member attached to the upright sup-port member for securing the central section of the elastic cable to the support member; and (d) a cable guide located above the connecting mem-ber and including means for slidably securing the elastic cable at a point between the central section and the grip such that the grip may be grasped and moved under tension downwardly with respect to the cable guides during exercise.
2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cable guide is mounted on a support arm connected to and projecting outwardly from the upright support member.
3. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein the position of the connecting member on the upright support member is vertically adjustable.
4. The exercise apparatus of claim 2 wherein the position of the support arm on the upright support member is vertically adjustable.
5. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second connecting member attached to the upright support member and having means for slidably securing the elas-tic cable at a point between the central section and the grip such that the cable may be slidably secured to either the cable guide or the second connecting member for use with different exercises.
6. The exercise apparatus of claim 5 wherein the position of the second connecting member on the upright support member is vertically adjustable.
7. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for comfortably attaching the elastic cable to parts of the body other than the hands.
8. An exercise apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongated elastic cable having two ends and a central section, each end having a grip attached;
(b) an upright support channel vertically secured to a support member;
(c) a connecting member attached to the upright sup-port channels and having an aperture for securing the central section of the cable to the support member; and (d) two cable guides located above the connecting member and including means for releasably and slidably securing the elastic cable at points between the central section and the grips such that the grips may be grasped and moved under tension downwardly with respect to the cable guides during exercise.
(a) an elongated elastic cable having two ends and a central section, each end having a grip attached;
(b) an upright support channel vertically secured to a support member;
(c) a connecting member attached to the upright sup-port channels and having an aperture for securing the central section of the cable to the support member; and (d) two cable guides located above the connecting member and including means for releasably and slidably securing the elastic cable at points between the central section and the grips such that the grips may be grasped and moved under tension downwardly with respect to the cable guides during exercise.
9. The exercise apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cable guides are mounted on a support arm connected to and projecting outwardly from the upright support member.
10. The exercise apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cable guides are pulleys.
11. The exercise apparatus of claim 8 wherein the connecting member comprises a sliding bracket slidably mounted on the upright support channel, and a connector which is pivot-ally connected to the sliding bracket and which contains the aperture for securing the central section of the cable.
12 12. The exercise apparatus of claim 9 wherein the support arm is connected to the upright support channel by means of a sliding bracket which is slidably mounted on the support channel.
13. The exercise apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a set of second cable guides attached to the upright support channel, including means for releasably and slidably securing the elastic cable at points between the central sec-tion and the grips such that the cable may be slidably secured to either the first set of cable guides or the second set for use with different exercises.
14. The exercise apparatus of claim 13 wherein the second cable guides are attached to the upright support channel by means of a sliding bracket which is slidably mounted on the support channel.
15. The exercise apparatus of claim 13 wherein the cable guides are pulleys.
16. The exercise apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an adjustable attachment belt for attaching at least one end of the cable to a part of the body other than the hands for use during exercise.
17. The exercise apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an elongated bar having means at its ends for securing each end of the elastic cable near the grips so that exercises may be performed by moving the bar with the cables under tension.
18. An exercise apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongated elastic cable having two ends and a central section, each end having a grip attached;
(b) an upright support channel vertically secured to a support member and comprising a base portion fixed to the support member; projecting sidewalls extending outwardly from the support member; flanges extending inwardly from the sidewalls, forming a front face; and short flanges extending backwardly from the front face, forming bearing rails;
(c) a first sliding bracket slidably mounted on the support channel comprising a base which rides on the front face of the support channel, the base having apertures for bolts to fasten the sliding bracket to the support channel, and further comprising spaced side plates extending outwardly from the base with pin-receiving apertures, the bracket being positionable at various points along the channel;
(d) an elongated rigid connector having a first aperture in one end for attachment to the first sliding bracket by aligning the aperture with the apertures in the sidewalls of the bracket and inserting a pin through the apertures, the connector further comprising a second aperture at the other end for receiving and slidably securing the elastic cable, the second aperture having a wall surface forming a sufficiently extended and curved bearing surface so that the cable is not overstressed when under tension;
(e) a support arm extending substantially perpendicu-lar to and outwardly from the support channel, and slidably attached to the support channel by means of a second sliding bracket substantially the same as the first sliding bracket, and slidably mounted on the support channel above the first sliding bracket; and (f) a cable guide comprising a cable guide connector which is pivotally attached to the support arm and which may be located in several different locations on the arm, and two pul-leys which are pivotally attached to the cable guide connector such that they can pivot independently of each other, the pulleys having openings for insertion of the elastic cable, such that when the elastic cable is inserted into the pulleys at points between the central section and the grips, the grips may be grasped and moved under tension downwardly with respect to the cable guides during exercise.
(a) an elongated elastic cable having two ends and a central section, each end having a grip attached;
(b) an upright support channel vertically secured to a support member and comprising a base portion fixed to the support member; projecting sidewalls extending outwardly from the support member; flanges extending inwardly from the sidewalls, forming a front face; and short flanges extending backwardly from the front face, forming bearing rails;
(c) a first sliding bracket slidably mounted on the support channel comprising a base which rides on the front face of the support channel, the base having apertures for bolts to fasten the sliding bracket to the support channel, and further comprising spaced side plates extending outwardly from the base with pin-receiving apertures, the bracket being positionable at various points along the channel;
(d) an elongated rigid connector having a first aperture in one end for attachment to the first sliding bracket by aligning the aperture with the apertures in the sidewalls of the bracket and inserting a pin through the apertures, the connector further comprising a second aperture at the other end for receiving and slidably securing the elastic cable, the second aperture having a wall surface forming a sufficiently extended and curved bearing surface so that the cable is not overstressed when under tension;
(e) a support arm extending substantially perpendicu-lar to and outwardly from the support channel, and slidably attached to the support channel by means of a second sliding bracket substantially the same as the first sliding bracket, and slidably mounted on the support channel above the first sliding bracket; and (f) a cable guide comprising a cable guide connector which is pivotally attached to the support arm and which may be located in several different locations on the arm, and two pul-leys which are pivotally attached to the cable guide connector such that they can pivot independently of each other, the pulleys having openings for insertion of the elastic cable, such that when the elastic cable is inserted into the pulleys at points between the central section and the grips, the grips may be grasped and moved under tension downwardly with respect to the cable guides during exercise.
19. The exercise apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a second cable guide which is substantially the same as the first cable guide and is pivotally attached to a third sliding bracket substantially the same as the first sliding bracket, the third sliding bracket being slidably mounted on the support channel below the first sliding bracket, such that the elastic cable can be interchangeably inserted in the first or the second cable guide for use with different exercises.
20. The exercise apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an elongated bar having means at its ends for securing each end of the elastic cable near the grips so that exercises may be performed by moving the bar with the cables under tension.
21. The exercise apparatus of claim 18 wherein the elastic cable is an elastic tubing with a tensile strength greater than 3000 p.s.i. and an elongation characteristic of greater than 700%.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US89275986A | 1986-08-01 | 1986-08-01 | |
| US892,759 | 1986-08-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1284666C true CA1284666C (en) | 1991-06-04 |
Family
ID=25400445
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000543334A Expired - Lifetime CA1284666C (en) | 1986-08-01 | 1987-07-29 | Exercise apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1284666C (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US11123596B2 (en) | 2016-03-07 | 2021-09-21 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Exercise apparatus |
| US11141620B2 (en) | 2017-05-08 | 2021-10-12 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Seated exercise device |
| US11452898B2 (en) | 2016-08-17 | 2022-09-27 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Resistance-generating device, exercise apparatus, and method |
-
1987
- 1987-07-29 CA CA000543334A patent/CA1284666C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US11123596B2 (en) | 2016-03-07 | 2021-09-21 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Exercise apparatus |
| US11819727B2 (en) | 2016-03-07 | 2023-11-21 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Resistance-based exercise apparatus |
| US11452898B2 (en) | 2016-08-17 | 2022-09-27 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Resistance-generating device, exercise apparatus, and method |
| US11141620B2 (en) | 2017-05-08 | 2021-10-12 | 1195143 B.C. Ltd. | Seated exercise device |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKLA | Lapsed |