US2079594A

US2079594A - Exercising machine

Info

Publication number: US2079594A
Application number: US34103A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earle J Clem
Original assignee: VERN D HALL
Current assignee: VERN D HALL
Priority date: 1935-07-31
Filing date: 1935-07-31
Publication date: 1937-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1954-05-11

Description

May 11, 1937. E. J. CLEM EXERCISING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1935 Ti 6 H 00 a;

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES EXERCIS ING MACHINE Earle J. Clem, Decatur, Ark, assignor of forty per cent to Vern D. Hall, Decatur, Ark.

Application July 31, 1935, Serial No. 34,103

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-25) The invention relates to exercising machines, and has for its object to provide a device of this character having fluid cylinders controlling slidable members adapted to be grasped by the operator and means for alternately applying fluid pressure to opposite ends of adjacent cylinders for re- L versing the direction of movement of the slidable members thereby simultaneously applying force towards and away from the operator during the 10 operation of the machine.

A further object is to pivotally mount the horizontal portion of the machine so that the horizontal portion may assume a vertical position, thereby allowing the machine to be used as a leg exerciser, similar to a walking or running operation.

A further object is to provide the slidable members with hand grip members out of registration with each other and adapted to be gripped and pulled in directions opposed to their direction of movement so that the arms will cross during the exercising operation for insuring a positive movement and exercising of the muscles of the upper portion of the body.

A further object is to provide a reversible fluid motor having pipe connections with opposite ends of the cylinders and valve control mechanism reversed at the ends of the strokes of the slidable members for allowing the motor to apply fluid pressure to the opposite ends of adjacent cylinders, thereby causing a continuous reciprocation of the slidable members.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes.in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure. 1 is a perspective view of the exercising machine. V

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1, showing in dotted line position the forward handle for illustrating its relation to the handle on the other slide.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the main carriage of the device. 1

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the exercising machine, showing the same adjusted to a vertical position for a leg exercising operation.

.Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a conventional form of variable oildelivery pump.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I desighates the base of the exercising machine, 2 the standard therefor, and which standard preferably has slidably mounted therein a piston 3 on the upper end of which the exercising device is mounted. The standard 2 has connected thereto an air supply pipe 4, whereby air,.oil or any other fluid may be utilized for adjusting the exercising device to various elevations. In the following description, the device will be described as operated with a fluid, and it is to be understood that this fluid may be air, oil or any type of fluid.

Clamped to the standard 2 is an outwardly extending bracket 5, which bracket terminates in a motor and rotary pump supporting base 6, on which the motor I and the reversible fluid pump 8 is mounted. The pump 8 is driven by means of a belt ll connecting the same to the motor.

Pivotally and adjustably mounted on the upper end of the piston 3 at I0 and held by an adjusting clamp l l is the frame l2 of the exercising machine. It will be noted that the frame I2 may be not only adjusted to various horizontal elevations, but may be also adjusted and held at various inclinations, thereby allowing the adjustment of the device according to the height of the 2 operator, or the device to be tilted to a vertical position as shown in Figure 4 for leg exercising purposes. It is to be understood that any number of exercising machines may be used and the source of fluid supply may be obtained from a single reversible motor for operating all of the machines. In the illustration the motor is shown as a unit of the device.

The frame l2 has rigidly mounted in the transverse partitions l3 thereof spaced cylinders M which are slidably mounted pistons l5 which extend beyond the forward end of the frame I2, and are connected at Hi to the forward ends of the slides ll, which are slidably mounted in opposite sides of the frame l2 as clearly shown in Figure 2. The forward ends of the slide members H are provided with removable hand grip members l8 which are adapted to be alternately reciprocated away from and towards the operator with a positive pull on the arms of the operator or a push against the operator, thereby providing a positive power movement in both directions during the reciprocation of the pistons l5 and the slides I! carried thereby. When the device is used in a vertical position as shown in Figure 4 for a leg exercising operation the frame i2, with its slides i1, is tilted to a vertical position and foot receiving members If! are applied thereto, preferably by mounting the same on brackets 20 which are placed in the slides ll after the removal of the handle members I 8. When the device is used in this position the operator grasps the handle members 2| to steady himself during the leg exercising operation. It will be noted when in this position'the operator simulates a walking operation and that the legs are flexed against a positive up and down movement during the entire operation. When a standing still walking operation is desired the foot receiving members l9 are used with the frame [2 horizontally disposed, and as the foot receiving members l9 are mounted in the brackets 22 on the sides of the slides l1, it will be noted that they will be reciprocated for moving the legs positively forwardly and rearwardly and the operator may use leg force in opposition to this line of force for stretching and exercising the leg muscles.

Fluid is alternately forced into opposite ends of the cylinders M for moving their pistons I5 in opposite directions as clearly shown in full and dotted lines in Figure 3. To accomplish this result, the reversible fluid motor 8 is provided with

discharge pipes

23 and 24. The

discharge pipes

23 and 24 merge into

pipes

25 and 26. It will be noted that the

pipes

25 and 26 have their ends connected to and discharging into opposite ends of the adjacent cylinders l4 'so that the pistons within the adjacent cylinders it will be 4 moved in opposite directions'for moving the slides I! in opposite directions, as shown in Figure 3. As one of the slides I1 approaches the ends of its movement, one of the pins 21 engages the pivoted rock lever 28 and rocks the same, thereby imparts pulls on one of the connecting members 29, which are in turn connected to the arms 30 of the reversing shaft 3! ofthe reversible fluid motor 8, thereby causing the direction of fluid to be changed and pressure to be alternately applied to opposite cylinder ends through

discharge pipes

23 and 24 and pipes 25 and 2B. The members 29 may be rods or flexible members or they may be stretchable members for allowing an upward adjust'ment of the exercising device.

For exercising the arms and chest muscles the slides l1 are provided with hand gripped

members

32 and 33. The member 32 is removably mounted in a socket 34, while the member 33 is removably mounted in a socket 35, which is in turn adapted to be adjusted or placed in any of the apertures 36 for positioning the

handles

32 and 33 in relation toeach other. It will be noted that the handle 33 extends upwardly and transversely across the machine to a position where it would pass the handle 32 as. the slides l1 reciprocate.

In exercising the arms and chest the operator grasps the

handle members

32 and 33, and as the handles are reciprocated with the slides'l'l, the operator can tension the muscles against the reciprocating action or movement, thereby stretching all of the muscles and exercising the same. It will be noted that the handle members 33 can be adjusted so they will pass each other, thereby crossing the arms during the reciprocation of the slides. The reversing pins 21 may be adjusted to various positions in the apertures 31 of one of the slides IT for reversing or regulating the amount of travel of the slides.

From the above it will be seen that an exercising machine is provided which may be adapted to all exercising conditions for exercising arm and leg muscles and other muscles of the body, and the device is simple in construction, fluid operated and if desired may be used in series getting its fluid pressure from a central plant if desired. This is particularly desirable in gymnasiums where a number of machines could be used side by side.

Although a reversible pump is shown for purposes of illustration, and a variable oil delivery pump, it is to be understood that any kind of pump, whether reversible or not may be used, and any number of pumps. In Figure 5, in which a variable delivery reversible pump is shown, in operation, when two shafts in the pump 8a are in line as shown in Figure 5, both driver and cylinder barrel 8brevolve together about the same center and the pistons 8c lie quiet in the cylinder pumping no oil. When the movable shaft is shifted off-center in relation to the fixed one, as shown, the pistons move in and out as the cylinder barrel and driver revolve; thus, if the movable shaft is only slightly off center a very short stroke results and very little oil is pumped by the pistons. As

' the shaft is moved further off-center, the stroke of the pistons is correspondingly increased and the quantity of oil pumped also increased. If the shaft is moved to the left, the oilis drawn in through the upper passages in the cylinder barrel shaft and designated by the character 8d, and is forced out through the lower passages 8e. If the shaft is shifted to the right the oil is drawn into the lower passages Be, and out through the upper passages 8d of the shaft, thus, reversing the direction of the flow of oil in the pipes leading to and from the pump and from the other operating mechanism of the exercising device.

Although a particular type of reversible oil pump is described, applicant does not limit himself to any particular kind of pump.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. An exercising device comprising a base, an angularly adjustable frame carried by the base, slide bars mounted in said frame, means for reciprocating said slide bars in opposite directions, said means comprising a reversible fluid pump, cylinders carried by the frame, pistons within the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the slide bars, cross pipe connections between opposite ends of adjacent cylinders for moving the pistons in opposite directions, said crosspipe connections being connected to the reversible fluid pump and means carried byone of the slide bars for reversing the pump.

2. An exercising device comprising spaced reciprocating bars, a frame between said bars and in which said bars are slidably mounted, spaced cylinders carried by the frame between the reciprocating bars, pistons connected to ends of the reciprocating bars and extending into the cylinders, a fluid pump, cross connected pipe connections between the fluid pump and the cylinder ends and means actuated by the slidable bars for reversing the pump and the supply of fluid to the cross connecting pipes to the cylinders.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a standard on which the frame is pivotally mounted.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a stand on which the frame is pivotally mounted, a bracket carried by the stand and supporting the pump and flexible pipes forming the cross connecting means between the pump and the cylinders.

5. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a supporting standard to which the frame is pivotally connected, said pivotal connection between the frame and standard being formed so that the frame and slide bars carried thereby may assume a vertical position.

6. An exercising device comprising a supporting standard, a frame hingediy connected to the upper end of the standard, body engaging re-- spaced from the ends of the frame, means for alternately supplying fluid pressure to opposite ends of the cylinders for reciprocating the slide bars in opposite directions, and means controlled by one of the slide bars as its passes through its channel mount for reversing the direction of fluid flow to the ends of the spaced cylinders.

EARLE J. CHEM.