US3218065A

US3218065A - Exercise device with treadable base

Info

Publication number: US3218065A
Application number: US257280A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph W Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-02-08
Filing date: 1963-02-08
Publication date: 1965-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-16

Description

Nov. 16, 1965 J. w. ANDERSON 3,218,065

EXERCISE DEVICE WITH TREADABLE BASE Filed Feb. 8, 1963 IN VENTOR.

JG SEPH W. HNDERSUN AQMW M :must stoop in order to pass thereunder. areattached to the vertical elements to permit a person United States Patent 3,218,065 EXERCISE DEVICE WITH TREADABLE BASE Joseph W. Anderson, Magnolia, NJ. (E. 9th St, Barnegat Light, NJ.) Filed Feb. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 257,280 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-57) their homes or oflice and do not have the proper equipment at home.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel exercise device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved exercise device designed to encourage a person 'to participate in exercises involving bending and stooping.

' .It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved exercise device for bending and stooping which is adapted for use by people of different heights.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved exercise device for bending and stooping which is adapted to be stored in a relatively small space when not in use. In accordance with the present invention, an exercise device for bending and stooping exercises is provided.

'The device includes one or more horizontal bars suitably supported by vertical elements. The horizontal bar may be adjustable in height and is disposed so that a person Arm supports to hold on for support while passing under the horizontal bar.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent and suggest themselves to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification and claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and

FIGURE 2 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

In order to stay physically fit, it is necessary for a person to take a variety of different types of exercises in order that different parts of the body be exercised. For example, simple deep knee bending exercises and the like have proven eifective to exercise certain parts of the body but not sufficient for other parts of the body.

- stooping exercises is illustrated.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 1, a person is illustrated passing through a bending and stooping exercise device 10. A plurality of horizontal members or

bars

12, 14, 16 and 18 are supported by a plurality of vertical support members or

bars

20, 22, 24 and 26.

The

vertical members

20, 22, 24 and 26 are dimen- 3,218,055 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 sioned to slide within

tubular members

28, 30, 32 and 34, respectively. The

tubular members

28 and 34 may be welded or otherwise fixedly mounted to a base member 36. The tubular members 30 and 32 are suitably mounted to the base member 38.

The

tubular members

28, 30, 32 and 34 include apertures for receiving screw elements, such as the screw element 40. The screw elements, such as the screw element 40, are adapted to pass through the apertures in the tubular members and through selected apertures, such as the aperture 42, of the vertical members. After passing through the apertures in the tubular elements and the vertical members, the screws may be secured in place by bolts, such as the bolt 44.

The heights of the horizontal members are adjustable by moving the vertical members into or out of the tubular elements at different lengths. During the height adjustments of the horizontal members, the screws and bolts are first removed and then replaced through the proper apertures in the vertical members to give the desired heights.

Of course, the means for providing the height adjustments need not involve tubular elements, as illustrated. The elements may actually be fiat stock having apertures therein with one or more screws and bolts being inserted and secured through the appropriate apertures to provide the desired heights.

An additional horizontal member 46 providing an arm rest is connected between the

vertical members

24 and 26 and an additional horizontal member 48 providing a second armrest is connected between the

vertical members

20 and 22. These additional horizontal members act as gripping or support elements for a person passing through the exercise device 10 in the manner illustrated.

The upper horizontal members 14 and 18 are provided with

hinges

50 and 52, respectively. The additional lower

horizontal support members

46 and 48 are also provided with hinges 54 and 56, respectively. The

hinges may include locking elements (not illustrated) to maintain the hinges in locked positions when the exercise device is in use.

The

hinges

50, 52, 54 and 56 permit the exercise device 10 to be folded into a collapsed position. The

hinges

50 and 52 are adapted to be folded inward and the hinges 54 and 56 may be folded upward. It is seen, therefore, that, when not in use, the exercise device 10 may be folded and stored in a relatively small space, such as inside a closet in the home, for example,

The base elements 36 and 38 may be made relatively flat. These elements may serve as providing rigid mechanical connections for the exercise device. In some cases, a person passing through the exercise device 10 may actually wish to step on the base elements. Stepping on the base elements prevents the exercise device from being lifted away from the ground in case a person accidentally pushes up against any of the upper

horizontal members

12,14, 16 or 18.

The exercise device embodying the present invention, it is seen, may be used by persons of different heights by merely adjusting the heights of the upper horizontal members. A typical height of the upper horizontal members would be about 40 inches. It is likely that even at its highest height, the height of the upper horizontal members would not exceed much beyond 4 feet or be lower than 32 inches at its lowermost position. Devices exceedingthe heights of the average person, i.e., those devices under which persons may walk without bending or stooping, are not contemplated by the present invention. In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the width and length of the exercise device were approximately 28 inches.

It is conceivable that the exercise device of the present invention may be made without the height adjustment feature. For example, a device having a fixed height of 40 inches with a width and height of 28 inches may be acceptable to a majority of the adult group likely to purchase an exercise device involving the present invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, it is seen that the person must stoop or bend in order to pass through the exercise device. This causes the inner muscles associated with the body to expand and contract. In passing through the exercise device, a person may take a giant step. This permits the leg muscles of a person to be exercised. In addition, the stooping and bending exercises the arm muscles, as the hands grip the lower horizontal members. Thus it is seen that many, if not most, of the muscles in the human body may be exercised by the relatively simple bending and stooping techniques made possible through the present invention.

The components comprising the exercise device may include relatively light tubing or fiat stock, such as aluminum or other suitable material. Making the device relatively light makes it possible for a person, such as a housewife, to fold and move the device to different parts of the home.

The device may be placedin a convenient place in the home where a person generally passes a number of times during the day, at a doorway for example. With the exercise device acting as a reminder, a person becomes inclined to take exercises since he doesnt have to take time out from his other activities.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 2, a somewhat different form of a bending and stooping exercise device is illustrated. The exercise device 60 includes a horizontal bar member 62 suit-ably supported by

support elements

64, 66, 68 and '70. The elements 64 and 66, forming a triangular shape when expanded, are adapted to ride up and down into tubular elements 72 and '74, respectively. Likewise, the support elements 68 and 71 are adapted to be moved up and down into the

tubular elements

76 and 78, respectively.

The

elements

72, 74, 76 and 78 are welded or otherwise secured to

base elements

80, 82, 84 and 86, respectively. The

support elements

64, 66, 68 and 70 are held in predetermined positions by means of screws, such as the screw 88, passing through apertures in the tubular elements and support members, with the screws being held in place by means of bolts, such as the bolt 90.

Bolts

92 and 94 are provided to help prevent the sup port members from being spread apart too far. Gripping elements 96 and 98 are provided to permit a person to grip for support while passing under the horizontal bar 62, during a bending or stooping exercise.

The exercise device 6d includes many of the features of the device it of FIGURE 1. For example, the members 96 and 98 include

suitable hinges

100 and 102, respectively, to permit the device to be folded for convenient storage. A single horizontal bar 62 makes the exercise of bending and stooping less strenuous than if the device of FIGURE 1, involving a plurality of horizontal members, were employed.

The present invention has provided a relatively simple exercise device which may be placed at any convenient place around the average home. For example, if the device is placed adjacent a door a person will be encouraged to bend and stoop to pass thereunder. Thus, the average housewife for example, will get a certain amount of exercise without taking time out.

At certain times, if it is desirable to store the exercise device of the present invention, it may conveniently be folded and stored in a relatively small space.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the vertical and horizontal members may be made of separate pieces suitably welded or connected together or may be made of a single piece bent into the positions illustrated. If no height adjustments are provided, a sin le bent piece or tubing or fiat stock may be bent to provide two vertical elements, one f the horizontal elements and one of the base elements.

Various other mechanical variations may of course be made to facilitate the manufacture of the exercise devices illustrated. Various diilerent types of metals or other materials may be used for the parts making up the devices embodying the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercise device for practicing bending and stooping exercises comprising a plurality of horizontal bars, at least two pairs of vertical elements for supporting said horizontal bars, means attached to said vertical elements for adjusting the lengths thereof to thereby adjust the heights of said horizontal bars, a first base element connected between the extreme ends of said first pair of vertical elements opposite to said horizontal bars, a second base element connected between the extreme ends of the other pair of said vertical elements opposite to said horizontal bars, said base elements adapted to he stepped upon by a person passing under said horizontal bars to maintain said exercise device securely in place during an exercise operation, a pair of arm supports attached to said vertical members to permit a person pass ing under said horizontal bars to rest thereon when performing a bending and stooping exercise by passing through said exercise device, and said horizontal bars being disposed to have a height less than the height of a person utilizing said exercising device.

2. A foldable exercise device for practicing bonding and stooping exercises comprising a plurality of tubular horizontal elements, at least two pairs of tubular vertical elements for supporting said horizontal elements, said vertical elements including a plurality of apertures, tubular base elements slidably attached to said vertical elements, each of said tubular base elements including a pair of apertures, securing means adapted to fit through the apertures of said tubular base elements and selected apertures of said vertical elements for adjusting the total lengths of said tubular base and vertical elements to thereby adjust the heights of said horizontal elements, a first substantially flat base element connected between the extreme ends of one of said pair of tubular base elements opposite to said horizontal bars, a second substantially fiat element connected between the extreme ends of the other of said pairs of tubular base elements opposite to said horizontal bars, said base elements adapted to he stepped on by a person passing under said horizontal bars to maintain said exercise device'securely in place during an exercise operation when a person passes through said exercise device, a pair of arm supports attached to said vertical members to permit a person passing under said horizontal bars to rest thereon when performing a bending and stooping exercise, and said horizontal bars being disposed to have a maximum height less than the height of a person utilizing said exercise device.

References ijited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,611 6/1951 Borgrnan 182l79 2,648,539 8/1953 Packer 272-60 2,812,016 11/1957 Abdallah 272-60 X 3,071,204 1/ 1963 Piltingsrud 18227 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. AN EXERCISE DEVICE FOR PRACTICING BENDING AND STOOPING EXERCISES COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL BARS, AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF VERTICAL ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HORIZONTAL BARS, MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID VERTICAL ELEMENTS FOR ADJUSTING THE LENGTHS THEREOF TO THEREBY ADJUST THE HEIGHTS OF SAID HORIZONTAL BARS, A FIRST BASE ELEMENT CONNECTED BETWEEN THE EXTREME ENDS OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF VERTICAL ELEMENTS OPPOSITE TO SAID HORIZONTAL BARS, A SECOND BASE ELEMENT CONNECTED BETWEEN THE EXTREME ENDS OF THE OTHER PAIR OF SAID VERTICAL ELEMENTS OPPOSITE TO SAID HORIZONTAL BARS, SAID BASE ELEMENTS ADAPTED TO BE STEPPED UPON BY A PERSON PASSING UNDER SAID HORIZONTAL BARS TO MAINTAIN SAID EXERCISE DEVICE SECURELY IN PLACE DURING AN EXERCISE OPERATION, A PAIR OF ARM SUPPORTS ATTACHED TO SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS TO PERMIT A PERSON PASSING UNDER SAID HORIZONTAL BARS TO REST THEREON WHEN PERFORMING A BENDING AND STOPPING EXERCISE BY PASSING THROUGH SAID EXERCISE DEVICE, AND SAID HORIZONTAL BARS BEING DISPOSED TO HAVE A MAXIMUM HEIGHT LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF A PERSON UTILIZING SAID EXERCISING DEVICE.