GB2379402A

GB2379402A - An exercise machine

Info

Publication number: GB2379402A
Application number: GB0213130A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David William Bean
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-08
Filing date: 2002-06-07
Publication date: 2003-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-06-07
Also published as: GB2379402B; GB0114056D0; GB0213130D0

Abstract

An exercise machine comprises a frame in which the resistance bar 1 is held on a vertical guide 3. A second frame is attached to the first via connectors 4, and passes through a base 7. The frames may move freely relatively to each other. A stand 9 supports the vertical guides. During use the bar is free to move both vertically and horizontally, and to describe a broadly circular path. Support means 6 hold the bar in place.

Description

A 3 Dimensional Exercise Apperatus This invention relates to a 3 Dimensional Exercise Apperatus There are many discusions arround the world, in magazines, gyms, retailers and the internet about the best type of equipment to use, free weights or machines. The general consensus is that a barbell (free weight) will give the best results regardless of the reason for training.

The reason for this is that it takes natural body movements to lift the weight. In other words the muscles involved in lifting a weight consist of the primary muscle and synergist or supporting muscles, i. e. for the bench press the primary muscles are those of the chest (pectorials) and the synergist or supporting muscles are mainly in the shoulders (deltoid) and back of the arms (tricepts). In other words they are three dimensional. However, a consiquence of this is that free weights are cumbersome and possibly dangerous. Energy also needs to be saved to make sure that the weight can be carefully placed on it's rests.

Machines however, isolate a muscle and even a specific area of a muscle, this does not mirror human kinesiology. The disadvantages here can result in unbalanced development around a joint and possibly injury.

Machines have fixed start and finish positions with adjustable handles that have a few positions to chose from. Whoever trains with a machine needs to over stretch or contort their body to fit the machine and when exercising they are governed by the machine, not how nature intended.

A machine will move in one range of motion making them one dimensional. They do however provide stability and safety as well as providing exercises unobtainable with free weights.

There are many manufacturers in this field and some, as mentioned at the begining are trying to develope equipment that performs the same as a free weight.

The most advanced company is in America, they have produced a 2 Dimensional machine. The benefit of this machine is that it has back and forth movement. However, it fails to recognise that a barbell is 3 Dimensional and that it is able to move 360 degrees in any plain i. e that there is tipping, lateral and left to right movement. In short it is only about 25% of the way to the point that the subject of this Patent application is at and their barbell still needs a conscious effort to be rested.

The aforementioned machine is basically an advancement on what is referred to as a Smith Machine. This has a bar moving in a single range of motion up and down between two fixed uprights. The weight is rested via hooks that rest on pegs or in holes sometimes in two further uprights. The weight is released by twisting the bar, placing a great deal

of unnessary stress on the wrists. There is no such twisting on the 3 dimensional exercise apperatus in this application.

Another company in America has produced what they claim to be a 'Natural Smith Machine'. They were the original inventors of the Smith Machine in the 60's and their'natural'version just moves in an arc whilst remaining horizontal. It does not tip or allow for any back and forth or left to right movement.

Another company have adapted a conventional selectorized weight stack In their leverage machines to move back and forth, but the bar does not tip and there is no left to right movement One more company produces a Safety Squat Machine. This has the tipping of the bar but no back and forth or left to right movement. The bar as in all previously described equipment is not instantly restable as it has the'hook in a hole'system. Further as the name suggests it is a singular exercise machine not multi faceted like the invention in this application.

According to the present invention there is provided a Three Dimensional

Exercise Apperatus comprising two or more vertical guide rails/shafts which are contained within further guide rail/shaft assemblies and deployed evenly either side of a base frame/chassis which also provides a platform to allow for circular motion of said vertical rails/shafts whist they remain vertical, a resistance bar in this case a straight bar is used for illustration purposes, two or more resistance bar carriers suitably adapted to rotably and spherically attach to the resistance bar at or adjacent the ends thereof and further adapted to enable extra resistance to be applied, a means to allow for sliding movement up and down the verticle guide rails/shafts of the resistance bar carriers, stands at the base of the vertical guide rails/shafts, two or more vertical guide rail carriers with provision to forceably raise the said rails/guides and stands with further adaption to enable the vertical guide rails and their carriers to slide back and forth along the length of two more front to rear facing horizontal base guide rails/shafts, four or more further horizontal base guide rails/shafts suitably adapted at one end of each, with the opposite ends facing each other in stationary carriers which are suitably adapted to allow for sliding movement, to be slidingly situated at right angles at or adjacent the ends thereof the front to rear facing rails/shafts, a base frame/chassis that retains or forms in part the aforementioned stationary carriers, an upper anti pivot guide rail assembly rotably connected at or adjacent the top of the vertical guide rails/shafts, two or more pullies attached at the top and base of the vertical rails/shafts with cables attached at one end to the resistance bar carriers and with handles at the other end, catchment means on all guide rails/shafts to arrest movement in any position, range of motion or combination of said motions, two or more catchment means of adjustable height and suitable material to provide a braking action releaseably secured to the vertical

guides/shafts by way of spring clamps, a series of holes in atleast two of the vertical guide rails/shafts to allow for catchment means to be placed in, a means to apply force to compress the spring clamps and catchment means suitably positioned on the resistance bar carriers, provision for the spring clamps and catchment means to be slidingly attached to the resistance bar carriers, a means to activate the spring clamps and catchment means via an actuator at or adjacent the ends of the resistance bar, an actuating plate situated on two or more sliding means fixed to every resistance bar carrier, an actuating lever of adjustable length which may also act solely as the catchment means, An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompaning drawings wherein :- Figure 1 shows the invention in perspective; and Figure 2 illustates the catchment means and their attachment and actuators Referring to the drawings an exercise apperatus comprises two or more vertical rails/shafts 3, their carriers 4 contained within further rail/shaft assemblies 5,8 & 10 situated either side of a base frame/chassis 7, a resistance bar 1 it's carriers 2, stands 9, sprung catchment means 6 as per Figure 1 In order to perform an exercise the sprung catchment means and rests are positioned at the lowest point of the exercise, the resistance bar 1 is then loaded with resistance (not shown) in this case conventional weight discs are used, extra discs may be added on means provided on the carriers (not shown). The user will then position themselves on the platform either by standing or by sitting or laying on a workout bench.

To commence the exercise the bar 1 is lifted of the rests which allows for upward motion of vertical guide rails/shafts lifting the stands 9 of the floor via the forceable means provided, as the exercise is performed the bar 1 will be moved in a range of motion most suited to any individual.

All sliding motion occurs simultainiously in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1 in order to keep the catchment means 6 in close proximity.

During any exercise the resistance bar carriers 2 slide up and down the vertical rails/shafts 3 which in turn slide back and forth on the base rails/shafts 8. If any side to side movement, lateral movement and/or movement away from horizontal and perpendicular of the bar 1 occurs in the course of an exercise the base rails/shafts 10 slide in the two or more stationary carriers 11.

When the resistance needs to be rested it can be pushed away and lowered to the rests 6.

The catchment means can be provided in two or more assemblies 15 as shown in Figure 2 wherein when the resistance bar 1 moves away from horizontal and perpendicular the actuating means move the actuating plate 13 in the direction of the arrow 16 on sliding means, this in turn activates the catchment means contained in the assemblies 15 via an actuating lever 14 of adjustable length. The lever itself can act as catchment means and will position itself in a series of holes (not shown) in the vertical rails/shafts. When the catchment means are fully applied the resistance bar carriers fall in the direction of the arrow 17 onto the rests and the bar 1 can be relinquished.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A three dimensional exercise machine comprising two or more vertical guide rails/shafts which are contained within further guide rail/shaft assemblies and deployed evenly either side of a base frame/chassis which also acts as a platform, to allow for circular motion of said rail/shafts whilst they remain vertical, a resistance bar, two or more carriers suitably adapted by spherically rotable means to attach to the resistance bar at or adjacent the ends thereof, stands at the base of the vertical rails/shafts, a means to forceably raise the vertical rails/shafts in their own carriers, said carriers to be suitably adapted to slide perpendicular along two or more base guide rails/shafts that lay front to back, further four or more base rails/shafts suitably adapted at or adjacent one end thereof via sliding connection and at right angles to the rails/shafts facing front to back, the opposite ends face each other within stationary carriers that may form or be retained within the base frame/chassis, an upper anti pivot guide rail/shaft assembly rotably connected at or adjacent the top of the vertical guide rails/shafts, two or more adjustable rests/catchment means releaseably secured to the vertical rails/shafts, a means to apply force to the catchment means suitably positioned on the resistance bar carriers, provision for two or more catchment means to be attached to the resistance bar carriers, a means to activate the catchment means via an actuator at or adjacent the ends of the resistance bar, an actuating plate situated on two or more sliding means on each resistance bar carrier, an actuating lever of adjustable length which may also act solely as the catchment means.

2 A three dimensional exercise apperatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein extra resistance holders are connected to the resistance bar carriers.

3 A three dimensional exercise apperatus as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 and all of it's components which can be manufactured using ferous and non ferous metals or a combination of both, plastics, rubbers nylons, polymers, injection moulding or any combination of all that may contain solid lubricants.

4 A three dimensional exercise apperatus as claimed in all precceeding claims which can be manufactured of a materal as claimed specifically in Claim 3 of any size, shape and section.

5 A three dimensional exercise apperatus as claimed in any or all preceding claims substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

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Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus that provides the user with unrestricted motion in all natural planes and further provides a resting/racking system for relinquishing a resistance earring bar comprising :-a resistance earring bar releaseably secured at or adjacent the ends thereof by rotational and spherical means to vertical motion carrages; a resting/racking activating mechanisum operable via spherical movement of the resistance bar containing atleast two tappered actuators adjacent the ends'of the resistance bar; actuating levers cooperable by said tappered actuators, sprung loaded and further adapted to slide on shafts attached at ninety degrees to said vertical motion carrages; resting pins of adjustable length by threaded means through said actuating levers.
2. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising : - a moveable releaseably secure framework of guide rails and or shafts containing vertical members and vertical member carrages ; said carrages suitably adapted to provide upwardly sprung linear motion to said members, said vertical members are capable of both independant and concurrent motion in any direction; anti pivot slide assembly rotationally attached at ninety degrees at or adjacent the top of said vertical members, horizontal lateral motion members; front to rear facing members releaseably attached at both ends at ninety degrees to one end of said horizontal lateral motion members; extra safety rests releaseably secured to said vertical members.
3. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as ciaimed in claim 1 and claim 2 wherein a base chassis is provided that also forms a raised platform for the user to position themself on, said base chassis further contains sliding means at or adjacent both front and rear of said base chassis for said lateral motion members to slide within.
4. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as claimed in all precceding claims wherein a variety of resistance earring bars may be suitably adapted for use in conjunction with.
5. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein a variety of means for providing resistance can be utalised.
6. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as claimed in claim 1 and claim 2 wherein holes are provided in said vertical members or additional supporting members for said adjustable pins to be pushed into via said activating mechanisum.

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7. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as claimed in all preceding claims wherein said activating mechanisum may be disgarded and said additional resting means become the primary rests for the resistance bar and it's carrages.
8. A Three Dimensional Exercise Apperatus as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and of the accompanying drawings.