US1853304A - Exerciser - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1932. F. G. FoLBx-:RTH ET ALv 1,853,304

EERGISER I Filed Sept. 27, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 n uw...nu................n.".

ATTOP/VES April 12, 1932. F. G. FOLBERTH E'r AL 1,353,304

EXERC I S ER Filed sept. 27. 1929 2 sneets-sheet 2 //V VE/V 70E S FEEDER/ck s. ,raaf/ww ATTORNEYS chine in folded or inoperative position, one

Wall of the cabinet being broken away to fvide an exercising machine which, when in.

Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED; STATES ln'rsli'l* OFFICE FREDERICK` G. rornnnm AND' WILLIAMVM. ronnnnfrm or cLEvnLAND, onro EXERCISER Application led September 27, 1929.V Serial No.'395,547w.

This `invention relates to exercising machines andl more particularly to the type of exercising `machine which imparts a vibratory movement to various portions of the 5 ybody through a fabric belt or the like.

An object of this invention is kto provide an` exercising, machine wherein the amplitude of the vibrations may be adjusted while themachine is in motion, and wherein the adjustment may be made by the user.

Another objectvof the invention'is to ar-J range the vibratory mechanism in such a manner that each end of the belt is pulled f inwardly with maximum rapidity and allowed to move outwardly more slowly, 1n order to obtain an improved exercising and massaging motion, irrespective of the amplitude of the'vibrations; f

Another object of the invention isto provide' an exercising machine that is selfbracing Vand which doesk not have to be secured to the floor, table, wall or the like. Another object of the inventionis to pro- VtheV operativefpositionhas none of the mechanical appearance that isr common to machines of this `type.

Another object'of the invention is .to provide an exercising machine which 1s relatively easy to construct and easyto manu-V facture.

Still other objects of the invention and the invention itself will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment reference drawings.

thereof, in which description, will be had'to the accompanying Iny the drawings: Fig'. l is a side view of an exerclsingmashow the Fig. 2 is asimilar view'of mechanism Y opened position ready .for operation,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the vibratory mechanism; Y

Fig. 4 i thereof;

Fig. u5

s an enlarged sideelevational view is another view of the vibratory jecting arms 9 terminating in aligned bearvthe machine in ed by a spacer- 24 similar to the spacer 19.

ymechanism showing the eect of an extreme mechanism. A platform 'is' hinged tothe bottom wall. at l and connected to the vrside walls by means of toggle links 6.` In its raised position `the platform is disposed immediately behind` and Vparallel with the doors 29 and 30, and .in its lowered position rests upon the floor to serve as' afstand for the user of the device.A Feet 7 aremounted onthe bottom of the cabinet and the outer surface of the platform 5to engage the floor.

The` vibratory mechanism, is supportedY froml the rear' wallof the cabinet by a bracket 8 having a pair lof forwardly pro-v4 ingsk 10. A shaft 11, carrying a pulley 12, is journaled in the bearings 10. Diametrically opposed crank pins 13 project from the opposite ends of the shaft .11, each crank pin carrying a connecting rod or link 1A.

The exterior surfaces of the bearings l() areshouldered toprovide reduced outer end portions 15,'k which serve as bearings for a pair of bell crank levers 16. Each of the bell crank leversis provided with twofangularly ldisposed arms 17 .and.18. A spacing member 19 having reduced threaded ends rigidly CIJ 'connects the arms 17. of the two levers. A f threaded Vmember 20, pivotally carried by the spacer 19Y at one end thereof, is disposed upon 90 a threaded shaft 21. i One end of the shaft is mountedupon the bracket 8 by meansl of a ball joint 22, and the opposite end is provided with ahand wheel 23 by which the shaft can be rotated to move the member 20 therealong and correspondingly rotate the bell crank levers 16 abouttheir bearings 15.

The outer ends of the arms 18 are connect- Thereduced ends Aof the spacer 24 are extendof the ,connectingllinkl4.moves;faster in pulled past the arms 18 to provide bearings for links 25, the outer ends of which are pivoted to the links 14 by means of connectors 26. The outer ends of the connectors 26 are formed as buttons to receive the ends of a flexible applicator belt 27.

It will be evident from the foregoing descriptionthati rotation of the shaft 11.by the electric motor 2 through the medium of the drive belt 28 will cause oscillation of the'links 25zaboutitheinpivots onitheispacer 24. :Such oscillation will be transmitted to the flexible applicator belt 27 as a longitudinal vibration, the amplitude of the vibration being determined by the length `ofthe horizontal Vcoin- .ponent .of the voscillatory .movement .of .the ends ofthe links 25. -Vhen:.the'bellcrank -levers areinthe position shown. in'Figure 4,

`.the `vibrations will `be `of large :amplitude,

because in this,position thelhorizontal component .of theoscillation ofthe .links'is large, as indicated'by .thefdistance a2. By .turning the hand :wheel .523 .to move .the .member 20 irearwardly, the 'bell crank levers `Will be rotated tothe pesitionsliowninFigure 5, in which .the horizontalcomponent ofthe vibrations,jindicatedbythe distance a1., is reduced .-'to afsmall amount. .Intermediate positions of .the bell mank levers .provide any degree otadjustmentdesired.

'It-.will'be noted that thelink 14 movesrear- Wardlyzwhenan. end ofthe belt-is being pulled inwardly, and vthat thellink 25.moves from a substantially vertical position-to .a rearward- 4lyinclined position. .It is `Well known that a .crank .and connecting frod Aproduces devia tions .fromfa simple' harmonic motion, due to the langularity of .the i crank, yand that such deviationsresiilt ina .faster lmovement ofthe reciprocating end .of the connecting .rod whilethe crankzmoves through the twox quadrants .nearest to the :reciprocating end .than when it .moves ythrough the two quadrants ffarthes't vfrom the reciprocatingend. Inaddition, when? the line ofmotion ofthe reciproi eating end ofthecraiik does. notfpass through thel center .ofthe circle definedbyi the .rotation of the crank, the twodead centers arenot. diainetrically .0ppose'dand the connecting .rod

:necessarily .moves .faster when .the ,crank moves .through theshorter distance `between dead centersthan .whenit movesthrough the longer distance, .the speed of rotation .ofthe crank being -assumed .to be .constant .at lall times. Y

'In 'Figure 4 of .the drawings .the `connectinglinkls shown at. one dead` centeixin full lines, andat the other. in dotted lines. The direction .of ,rotationofthe crankis indicated bythe arrowonthepulley l2. Itxwill'be seen thattlieangular distance fromthe. dottedline position to the .fiilllinefpositionis:less than the distance `from the flill flineto thedotted .line ,positiomand that consequently the fend form motion of the connecting rod produces a more rapid movement of the crank in such a quadrant. In other words, by reason of the .angularity of the.link-25, vthe fashmotion of .the;connecting'link 14 is multiplied,.and an extremely violent jerk isapplied to theend of'thebelt27, giving an'improved `exercising and massaging action. It Willbe `seen that .there are .three factors contributin .to the production of the quiekpull on-the elt; the `disposition of the connecting link 14 on the opposite side of the crank from the operating portion of the belt, the odset arc .through Which-the end of the connectingllink travels, andthe ;fact that all of the motion of thellink .25 occurs in a slow quadrant.

When itis desired to usethe exerciserthe door .is lowered Vto the position shown in Figure 2, yand ,the toggle brace .isgpressed vdown .to lockthe doorimposition. The user then stands upon the ydoor .5,.passes vtheapplicator belt..27 about his'body, and-connects the ends ofA the belt to the buttons 26. It will be seen thatwhen the userfleans againstthe belta couple is created-.tendingto .rotate .the cabinet about theypivotal connection 4. This couple is resisted by the brace V6. With this arrangement all yof the thrust. against 4the 'vibratory mechanism is taken up Within .the device, making external anchors unnecessary.

Although We have described one embodiment of the invention in-detail, itis .to be .understood that the specific terminology employed is not intended tobe restrictiveand that various modiiicationscan` be made without departing from the scope orfspirit `of the invention asfherein claimed. l

We claim a1. vIn an exercising machine, an oscillatory mechanism including a driven shaft, a pair of supports for said shaft, avpair of movable bell crank levers carried 'by said supports,

a pair of cranks secured to said shaftand a pair of connecting rods connected to said cranks, apair of links oscillatably carried rby a pair of ends of said bell'cranklevers and the .freeends of said links being connected to said lconnecting' rods, the point of-junctiou -of said links and rods beng adapted to vibrate a belt.

2. Inv anv exercis1ngmach1ne,'an oscillatory mechanism including a driven -shaft,.apair Vofsupports for said shaft,-.apair of movable bell crank levers carried by said supports, a pair of cranks secured to said shaft and al pair of connecting rods connected to said cranks, a pair of links oscillatably carried by a pair of ends of said bell crank levers and the free ends of said links being connected to said connecting rods, the other endsof said bell crank levers being adj ustably secured to said support.

3. In an exercising machine, an oscillatory mechanism including a driven shaft, a pair of supports for said shaft, a pair of movable bell crank levers carried by said supports, a pair of cranks secured to said shaft and a pair of connecting rods connected to said cranks,a pair of links oscillatably carried by a pair of ends of said bell crank levers and the free ends of said links being connected to said connecting rods,and means to adjustably hold the other ends of said bell crank' levers. i

4. In an exercising machine, an oscillatory mechanismy including a driven shaft, a pair of supports for said shaft, a pair of movable bell crank levers carried by said supports, a pair of cranks secured to said shaft and a pair of connectingrods connected to vsaid cranks, a pair of linksoscillatably carried by a pair of ends of said bell crank levers and the free ends of said links vbeing connected to said connecting rods, the point of junction of said links and rods being adapted to vibrate a belt, and means to change the position of said links from one plane to another.

5. Means for producing horizontal vibratory movement, ycomprising a support, a shaft journalled in said support and having a crank on one end, a bellcrank pivoted tosaid support and having a link pivoted to an end thereof, a connecting rod mounted on said crank and pivotally connected to the free end of said link, whereby rotation of said shaft produces oscillation of said link, and means for rotating said bell crank with respect to said support to vary the horizontal component of the oscillation of said link.

6. Means for producing horizontal vibratory movement, comprising a support, a shaft journalled in said support and carryingia crank, a bell crank rotatably mounted on a bearing co-aXial with said shaft, and having a linkpivoted to an end thereof, a connecting rod mounted on said crank and pivotally connectedto the free end of said link, whereby rotation of said shaft produces oscillation of said link, and means for rotating said bell crank with respect to said shaft to vary the' horizontal component of the oscillation of said link. Y y

7 An exerciser including a support, means adjustably mounted upon said support and carrying a pair of oscillatory links, a horizontally disposed flexible applicator belt having its ends carried by said links, means for oscillating said links, and means for adjusting said Erst mentioned means with respect

Images