GB2065482A - Exercising bench - Google Patents

Abstract

The bench comprises an elongate supporting board or seat 4 mounted on a fixed base 3 and a frame 6 to support exercising apparatus such as weights, a horizontal crossbar or dipping bars, extending above the supporting board and supported by the base, the supporting board 4 being pivotable to different angular positions in relation to the base and being horizontally movable on the base relative to the frame. The supporting board preferably comprises a sliding portion 29 and a pivoting portion. This arrangement allows the supporting board to be moved to the correct horizontal and angular positions relative to the frame for any given exercise. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Physical exercising device This invention relates to an exercising machine of the type including a bench on which the user can lie, sit or kneel while carrying out various exercises using different parts of the apparatus.

In some known bench-type apparatus, the bench is pivoted and can be moved to different angles for different exercises or for variations of the same exercise. There is however a difficulty in that when the bench is raised it may not be in the bast horizontal position in relation to the piece of apparatus to be used, which itself is normally fixed. Also, different exercises require benches of different widths since in some the user sits astride the bench whereas in others the bench must support the shoulders or the user must grip the edges of the bench while sitting on it.

The present invention provides an exercising bench having an elongate supporting board or seat mounted on a fixed base and a frame to support weights or the like extending over the board or seat and supported by the base, the board or seat being pivotable to different angular positions in relation to the base, and being horizontally movable on the base relative to the frame. In this way, when the angular position of the board is varied to accommodate different exercises, its horizontal position in relation to the frame can also be adjusted.

The frame may be used for example to support weights to be lifted, dipping bars and a chinning bar.

For some exercises, the board may be arranged to pivot right up so that one end of it is supported by the frame itself.

Many different pieces of apparatus such as an abdominal curling board, a lat device and apparatus for exercising the calf and leg muscles may be added.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of exercising apparatus in accordance with the invention, with weights removed for clarity; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a part of the apparatus showing two possible positions for the supporting board in relation to the base; Figure 3 is a schematic view of supporting apparatus for the board and also showing the mounting of a leg exercising attachment; Figure 4 shows two possible positions of the supporting arrangement of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows in detail how cords used in the apparatus can be attached to different parts thereof in such away as to reduce the risk of fraying; Figure 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1,the abdominal board being shown on the other side for clarity;; Figure 7 is an end elevation of the apparatus as shown in Figure 7; Figure 8 is a schematic view showing part of a lat attachment in relation to the supporting board and abdominal board; Figure 9 is an exploded view showing how the supporting frame fits together and Figure 10 is a schematic view showing how a lat attachment can be added to the basic apparatus of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, the apparatus of the invention comprises a basic bench 2 having an elongate supporting frame 3 on which is mounted a padded seat or board 4.

The base also supports a frame 5 comprising a pair of uprights 6 secured to opposite sides of the base 3 by brackets 7. The uprights support a crossbar 8 which is of adjustable height. Each of the uprights 6 is provided with a number of holes 9 spaced at intervals, whereby various items of equipment on tubular sleeves can be fixed at chosen heights by pins such as 10.

The apparatus supported by the frame 5 includes an abdominal exercising board 11, of which one end rests on the floor while the other is hooked around the cross-bar 8. A strap 12 is secured to the board adjacent its upper end, so that the user can hook his feet under the strap to support himselfwhile lying on the board and performing body-curling exercises.

Also supported by the crossbar 8 is a pair of dipping bars 13, supported on the crossbar by tubular sleeves 14, to which they are welded, and by pins 15 which pass through respective holes in the sleeves and the crossbar. These can be used by laying the board 4 flat, kneeling on it and lifting the body up and down on the dipping bars. On each of the uprights 5 there is also provided a bar bell support 16. These supports are also welded to tubular sleeves and can be fixed at the desired height by pins 10.

For the "bench press" exercise, a bar bell with the desired weights attached is rested on the supports 16, the abdominal curling board 11 is removed and the padded board 4 is laid flat as will be described below in connection with Figures 3 and 4. The user lies on the board 4 with his shoulders approximately underthe bar bell. As can be seen clearly in Figure 3, the board 4 is widened at the end 17 which lies under the bar bell support so that the shoulders can be properly supported. The exercise is performed by raising and lowering the bar bell towards and away from the chest.

To preventthe user from being trapped underthe bar bell if he finds he cannot lift it anymore, safety stops 18 are provided, these also being of adjustable height by means of sliding sleeves 19 to which they are welded. These can be positioned just below the lowest point to which the bar bell is lowered during the exercise, ensuring that even if the barbell is dropped it will not fall on the users chest. The user can then either slide out from underthe barbell or rest until he is able to lift it again.

Also fitted to the basic bench 2 is a leg exercising machine 20 which is removably fitted into a vertical tube 22 attached to the basic bench by a projecting flange 21 and a bracket 26. The leg exercising device will be described in more detail below.

At the end of the basic bench opposite to the leg exercising device, another upright 25 also removably supported by the bench, supports a lat machine 23 and a calf exercising device 24, both of which will be described in more detail below.

Referring to Figure 2, two possible positions of the padded board 4 are shown. In both these positions, the board is supported by the crossbar 8, to which it is attached by a curled flange or hook 27 secured to the underside of the board by screws or the like. The pivoting portion of the board 4 is hingedly attached to a sliding portion 29, which is slidably secured to the base frame 3 by a flange 30 on its underside, allowing horizontal movement as shown in Figure 2.

In the position of the board shown in the broken lines in Figure 2, the board can be used for bench press exercises in the inclined position. It will be seen that because the portion 29 of the board can slide, the widened end 17 of the board is still in the correct horizontal position under the bar bell supports, whereas with conventional benches in which the padded board is fixed at one end the pivoting portion of the board swings away from the bar bell supports when raised. The board of the invention can be attached to the crossbar 18 in any vertical position thereof. Further, the crossbar 18 can be raised clear of the board which can then be laid flat or supported in a slightly inclined position as shown in Figure 1, supported by a pivoting bracket 31.

Figures 3 and 4 show the arrangement and work ing of the pivoting bracket 31. This bracket com prises two angle members 32 having respective aligned holes 33 therethrough. Connecting the angle member together at one end is a cylindrical bar 34, while their other ends are connected by an elongate flat stop 35.

The bracket 31 is secured in position by pins 36 which pass through the holes 33 and through respective aligned holes 37, allowing itto pivot between the positions shown as 1 and 2 in Figure 4. In the position 1, the cylindrical bar 34, which is short enough to pass between the two parallel upper bars of the base frame 3, in which the holes 37 are made, is positioned above these bars with the curled flange 27 on the underside of the board 4 hooked around it.

The flat stop member 35 bears against the undersides of the parallel upper bars 38 so as to prevent further pivoting of the bracket 31 in an anticlockwise direction as seen in Figure 1. The cylindrical bar 34 thus provides a solid support for the board 4 in a slightly inclined position.

In position 2 shown in Figure 4, the board 4 lies flat, the pivoting bracket 31 having swung round in a clockwise direction from position 1 so that both the cylindrical bar34 and the flat stop 35 lie below the parallel upper bar 38.

Figure 3 also shows how the leg exercising device is fitted. This device comprises a pair of angle mem bers 42 pivotally mounted on a supporting head 41 which in turn is mounted on a post 40 which has a lower portion 39 of reduced cross-section which fits into the upright tube 22.

The two angle members 42 support at their ends weight loading bars 43, 43A which have projecting ends on each side of the angle members for conventional disc weights to be attached. The weight loading bars 43, 43A are also provided with respective pads 44, 44A on each side of the angle members 42.

The arrangement can perhaps be most clearly seen in Figure 6. In one type of exercise, the user lies on the board 4 with his shins underthe pads 44 and lifts the weight loading bar 43 so that the angle members 42 pivot anticlockwise as shown in Figure 6. In another exercise the user sits on the widened end of the board 4, gripping the edges of the board, places his shins behind the pads 44A and lifts the weight loading bar 43A in this way. For both exercises, it is preferable to load both of the weight loading bars 43, 43A so as to obtain a balanced load. At the start of a lift, the weights on loading bar 43 are moving substantially vertically and thus constitute the major part of the load while those on the bar 43A start their movement in a horizontal direction.As the lift progresses, the movement of the loading bar 43 assumes an increasing horizontal component while that of 43A assumes an increasing vertical component.

Clearly the weights on the loading bars impose a greater load when moving in a substantially vertical direction then when moving in a horizontal one, and with both the bars loaded, the total power required in lifting remains steady.

Finally in connection with Figure 3, it will be seen that alternative holes 37A are provided spaced along the parallel upper bars of the frame 3, so that the position of the bracket 31 can be adjusted.

Figures 5 and 6 show in more detail the lat device 23 and the calf exercising device 24 mounted on the upright 25. Both make use of a pivoting lever 45 which at one end 46 is pivotally connected to the upright 25 and whose other end supports a weight loading bar 47.

The lat machine 23 further comprises an extension 48 to the upright 25, which supports a pulley 49.

Over thins pulley runs a cord 50, preferably of nylon or the like. At one end of the cord 50 is a handle 51 with two hand grips, while the other end of the cord is attached to the loading bar 47 on the lever 45. The lat machine is used by sitting astride the bench 2, gripping the handle 51 with both hands and pulling downwardly to lift the loading bar 47 which has been loaded with conventional disc weights (not shown).

The calf exercising device 24 comprises a basically rectangular frame 52 whose shape can best be seen in Figures 1 and 7. The upper end of this frame is pivotally attached to a sleeve 53 which is slidably mounted on the upright 25 and whose vertical position is adjustable. The calf exercising device can also be removed entirely from the upright 25 by first removing the other extension 48 and sliding the sleeve 53 off the top of the upright.

At the lower end of the frame 52 there are provided two shoulder pads 54. There is also a crossbar 55 (see Figure 1) to which is attached a cord 56 which is also preferably of nylon or the like. The other end of this cord is attached to a bar at a position 57 on the lever 45. Thus, upward pivoting of the frame 54 (clockwise as seen in Figure 6) to rest on the shoulders will eventually lift the lever 45 onto which suitable disc weights can be loaded.

The attachment of the cord 50 is shown in detail in Figure 5. Part 1 of this figure shows the attachment to the handle 51. The handle is provided with a sleeve 58 which has an eye 59 intgral therewith. The cord 50 passes through the eye, around the sleeve 58 and back through the eye 59 in the other direction, and is then knotted at 60.

The attachment of the other end of the cord 50 to the loading bar 57 is shown in part 2 of Figure 5. The cord passes under and around the loading bar 57 then through a hole 61 in the loading bar, its free end then being knotted at 62.

The method of attachment shown in Figure 5 protects the cord against fraying, since there are no sharp edges for the cord to rub against and as the loading bar 47 is raised the cord 50 unwinds slightly from the loading bar so that stress on this part of the cord is spread along a substantial portion of the length of the cord. Similarly, twisting of the handle 51 does not result in undue stress being applied to the cord at any one point.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7 the abdominal curling board 11 can be attached to the crossbar 8 on either side of the bench 2. If desired, two such boards could be attached at the same time, so that two people could carry out abdominal exercises simultaneously.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, upper extensions 63 can be added to the uprights 6, these upper extensions having further holes such as 9A enabling the crossbar to be moved right up to the position shown in broken lines and marked 8A. In the position 8A, the crossbar can be used as a chinning bar, the user kneeling on the widened portion of the bench, gripping the cross-bar with both hands and pulling himself up until his chin is level with the bar.

As can be seen in Figure 8, the pivotal connection of the lever 45 to the upright 25 is by way of a sleeve 64, whereby the lever 45 can be swung to one side to prevent it from interfering with for example the abdominal exercising board 11.

The assembly of various parts of the apparatus is shown more clearly in Figure 9. The uprights 6 are held in place by the brackets 7 which are secured to upper and lower bars 38, 38A respectively. These brackets comprise base plates 68, 68A secured to the bars 38, 38A by bolts or screws 70 which pass through the base plates 68, 68A and into holes 69, 69Ato secure the base plates at each end to the base frame of the bench. The brackets comprise outwardly extending converging portions 67, 67A which meet at their outer ends where they are welded to respective sleeve members 66, which are coaxially aligned and through which passes an upright 6, which is thus secured in a vertical position spaced laterally from the bench 2.

Figure 9 also shows in more detail the safety stops 18, the bar bell rests 16, the crossbar 8 and the dipping bars 13.

Also shown in Figure 9 is the fitting of an upper extension 63. This has a bottom portion 71 of reduced cross-section, which slides into the top of the upright 6 which is tubular.

As is shown in the Figure 10 the post 25 supporting the lat machine and the calf exercising machine, (the latter having been removed in this Figure) stands in a vertical tube 71 which is welded directly onto the base frame 3 of the bench. The post 25 has a bottom portion 72 of reduced cross-section which fits snugly into the tube 71 to prevent swaying or wobbling of the uprights 25.

It will therefore be seen that a comprehensive range of exercising devices can be provided on a single base frame, and that the mobility of the board orseat4 is such asto allow itto be positioned correctly for each of these exercises. Also, various parts of the apparatus can be detached when not in use so that they do not interfere with the particular exercise being carried out.

Claims (16)

1. An exercising bench having an elongate supporting board or seat mounted on a fixed base and a frame to support exercising apparatus extending above the supporting board and supported by the base, the supporting board being pivotable to different angular positions in relation to the base and being horizontally movable on the base relative to the frame.

2. An exercising bench according to Claim 1 wherein the supporting board comprises a sliding portion which is slidably secure to the fixed base and a pivoting portion which is hingedly attached to the said sliding portion.

3. An exercising bench according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the sliding portion is arranged to slide on a pair of parallel bars comprising part of the base and is slidably secured to the said bars by means of a flange on its under-side extending under the bars.

4. An exercising bench according to any preceding claim which further comprises a support bracket mounted on the base under the pivoting portion of the supporting board and movable between a first position in which it supports the board above the horizontal and second position in which it allows the board to lie flat.

5. An exercising bench according to Claim 4 wherein the support bracket is pivotally movable between its first and second positions.

6. An exercising bench according to Claim 5 wherein the support bracket is pivotally mounted between a pair of parallel bars forming the portion of the frame on which the supporting board slides, and comprises a pair of parallel bars forming the portion of the frame on which the supporting board slides, and comprises a pair of parallel angle members pivotally mounted at central portions thereof to rotate about a common axis and connected at one end by a bar short enough to allow it to pass between the said parallel bars of the base and adapted to engage the underside of the supporting board and at their opposite ends by a stop which cannot pass between the two said parallel bars of the base.

7. An exercising bench according to any one of Claims 4to 6 wherein the support bracket is movable between two or more horizontal positions on the base to support the supporting board at different angular positions.

8. An exercising bench according to any preced ing claim wherein the supporting board is wider at the free end of its pivoting portion than at its other end.

9. An exercising bench according to any preceding claim wherein the frame includes a horizontal bar extending above the supporting board at its free end.

10. An exercising bench according to Claim 9 wherein the pivoting portion of the supporting board is adapted to be raised above and rested on the said horizontal bar.

11. An exercising bench according to any preceding claim wherein the said frame includes a pair of rests for a barbell, one said rest being positioned on each side of the supporting board.

12. An exercising bench according to Claim 11 wherein a pair of safety stops are provided below the said barbell rests, the safety stops also being positioned on either side of the supporting board, at a higher level than the supporting board and extending beyond the ends of the barbell resits.

13. An exercising bench according to any preceding claim wherein a leg exercising device is provided at one end of the supporting board.

14. An exercising bench according to any preceding claim wherein a lat device for arm and shoulder exercises is provided at one end of the supporting board.

15. An exercising bench according to any preceding claim wherein a calf muscle exercising device is provided at one end of the supporting board.

16. An exercising device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.