US3782722A

US3782722A - Variable friction-resistance rope exercising device

Info

Publication number: US3782722A
Application number: US00262147A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Webb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-06-12
Filing date: 1972-06-12
Publication date: 1974-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-01
Also published as: JPS4932495A

Abstract

A variable friction-resistance rope exercising device having a shaft with an eyelet at one end and a turn knob mounted at the other end. The knob has apertures therethrough to enable free ends of a rope to be threaded through the apertures, a rope is spiralled around the shaft and through the eyelet so that a user can pull alternately on the ends against the friction developed between the rope and the shaft. The knob is spring biased outwardly away from the eyelet to connect with the shaft so that no rotation of the knob with respect to the shaft will be permitted during the pulling on the free ends of the rope. To increase the number of turns of the rope on the shaft the knob is pushed inwardly against the bias of a spring to disconnect the knob from the shaft and then the knob is rotated. When it is desired to release the frictional resistance, the user holds onto the knob and pulls on both free ends of the rope to pull the shaft toward the knob compressing the spring to disconnect the shaft from the knob.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Webb 1 1 VARIABLE FRlCTlON-RESISTANCE ROPE EXERCISING DEVICE Ronald W. Webb, N. 7106 Winston Dr., Spokane, Wash.

[22] Filed: June 12, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 262,147

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 272/79 A, 272/D1G. 5, 188/651 [51] Int. Cl A63b 21/00 [58] Field of Search 272/D1G. 3, 79 A,

Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne Att0rneyGreek Wells et a1.

[ Jan. 1,1974

[ ABSTRACT A variable friction-resistance rope exercising device having a shaft with an eyelet at one end and a turn knob mounted at the other end. The knob has apertures therethrough to enable free ends of a, rope to be threaded through the apertures, a rope is spiralled around the shaft and through the eyelet so that a user can pull alternately on the ends against the friction developed between the rope and the shaft. The knob is spring biased outwardly away from the eyelet to connect with the shaft so that no rotation of the knob with respect to the shaft will be permitted during the pulling on the free ends of the rope. To increase the number of turns of the rope on the shaft the knob is pushed inwardly against the bias of a spring to disconnect the knob from the shaft and then the knob is rotated. When it is desired to release the frictional resistance, the user holds onto the knob and pulls on both free ends of the rope to pull the shaft toward the knob compressing the spring to disconnect the shaft from the knob.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 11974 SiEEY 10F '2 VARIABLE FRICTION-RESISTANCE ROPE EXERCISING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to friction-resistance devices and more particularly to exercising devices utilizing the friction-resistance principle.

Friction-resistance devices have been known and utilized at least since the 19th Century. U.S. Pat-- -Boucherville No. 147,828 (1874), Brooke No. 303,052 (1884), Van Scoy No. 425,716 (1890), Ross No. 434,888 (1890), Leffelman No. 779,550 (1905), disclose the use of the friction-resistant principle in rope brakes for fire escape mechanisms. The purpose and functions of such devices is to impede without arresting the movement of a rope relative to the device by causing it to pass around a metal shaft or post.

With the advent of the industrial society and the availability of more leisure time, it has been desirable to utilize the friction-resistant principle in exercising devices. Examples of exercising devices that utilize the friction-resistant principle are illustrated in US Pat. Nos. 3,197,204; 3,411,776; 3,460,392; 3,462,142; 3,498,608; 3,506,262, 3,519,269; 3,510,132; 3,532,189; 3,550,449; and 3,591,174. All of these devices utilize the well-known concept of wrapping a section of a rope around a shaft or drum1ike element in which the amount of resistance friction increases with the grip angle of the rope and the number of turns in which the rope is wrapped around the shaft.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a variable resistance rope exercising device that varies the rope-shaft friction-resistance. The device can be easily returned to its original position without having to backstep the device through each of the stages through which it has progressed.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a unique rope exercising device utilizing the frictionresistance principle in which a resistance varying mechanism is utilized which will not release during the exercising operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a exercising device using the variable resistance principle in which the device is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is quite reliable to operate.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon the reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a variable-resistance rope exercising device embodying the principal features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the rope exercising device;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cut-away perspective view illustrating the interior of the device;

FIG. 6 is a condensed longitudinal cross-sectional view specifically illustrating a releasable locking mechanism with the rope removed;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal view of the releasable locking mechanism shown in a release position; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 except showing the releasable locking mechanism in a lock position however rotated from the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Now referring to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a variable friction-resistance rope exercising device generally designated by the numeral 10 that is supported by support means 9 in the form of a strap which may be hooked or attached to a rigid structure during use. Exercising device 10 includes a rope 11 having an end section 12 and an end section 13 with a continuous intermediate section 14. The exercising device 10 is operated by pulling on either end section 12, 13 and slowly moving the rope through the device at preset pulling force levels. The exercising device 10 is designed to be able to vary the friction-resistance exerted on the rope to increase or decrease the pulling force required to pull the rope through the exercising device.

One of the principal elements of the exercising device 10 is an elongated shaft 16 (FIGS. 5 and 6) that has an exterior cylindrical surface 18 between

ends

20 and 21. The end 20 has an eyelet 22 formed thereon having an eyelet hole 23 extending therethrough transverse to the axis of the shaft. The eyelet hole 23 has a rope receiving portion 24 and a contiguous strap receiving portion 26.

Transverse grooves

28 and 29 are formed in the side of the eyelet 22 transverse to the axis of the shaft. The

grooves

28 and 29 are diametrically opposed to each other.

The shaft end 21 has a stub section 32 having a reduced diameter forming a shaft shoulder 33. The reduced stub section 32' has a cylindrical bearing surface 34.

An additional important feature of the exercising device 10 is a knob 36 that is mounted on the end 21 of the shaft for rotation or turning about the shaft axis and for axial movement on the reduced stub section in a limited stroke. The knob 36 has a cylindrical shape with a cylindrical exterior surface 38 extending between end surfaces 40 and 41. The end surface 40 faces the eylet end 21. The knob 36 has a longitudinal or axial bore 43 formed therein to receive the stub section 32 of the shaft to enable the knob to turn or rotate about the shaft axis and to enable the knob to move (slide) to a limited degree axially on the reduced stub. The knob 36 has a counterbore 44 (FIGS. 6 and 8) formed in the end surface 40 coaxially with the bore 43 forming a first knob shoulder 45. The diameter of the counterbore 44 is less than the diameter of the shaft 16. A second counterbore 46 is formed in the end surface 40 coaxially with the bore 43 forming a second shoulder 4?. The second counterbore 46 has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft 16 so that a portion of the knob 36 extends toward the eyelet end 2] forward of the shaft shoulder 33 to cover the shaft shoulder. The end surface 40 is forward of the shaft shoulder 33.

The knob 36 has rope guide apertures 48 and 49 (FIGS. 5-8) extending therethrough in an axial direction with the shaft axis diametrically opposed from each other. The

guide apertures

48 and 49 have flared

openings

51 and 52 respectively communicating with the end surface 40.

The exercising device includes spring means 54 (FIGS. 6-8) operatively positioned between the shaft and the knob to bias the knob outwardly to an extended axial position. Specifically the spring means includes a compression spring 56 mounted about the stub section 32 with one end engaging the shaft shoulder 33 and the other end engaging the shoulder 45 of the knob. The compression spring 56 biases the knob 36 in an axial direction to the extended position. By pushing the knob 36 against the action of the spring to compress the spring 56, one is able to move the knob to a limited degree axially toward the eyelet end 21.

One of the principal features of this invention is the provision of a releasable locking means 58 operatively interconnecting the shaft and the knob 36 for locking the knob to the shaft at various angular settings of the knob when the knob is in the extended axial position and for enabling the knob to be turned relative to the shaft to other angular settings when the knob is pushed from the extended position toward the eyelet end against the bias of the spring 56.

The releasable locking means 58 include mating elements on the shaft and the knob in which the mating elements engage each other when the knob is in the extended axial position. Specifically, the mating elements include one or more radial projections 61 affixed to the end of the shaft 21 and projecting radially outward from the bearing surface 54. Specifically in this embodiment the radial projection 61 includes a pin that extends diametrically through the end 21 providing two radial projections at its end. The corresponding mating elements include angularly spaced grooves 62 formed in the end surface 41 in which the angularly spaced grooves 62 correspond to the desired number of knob settings in one revolution.

The exercising device 10 includes a shroud 64 that encloses the shaft 16. The shroud 64 includes a reduced end 65 (FIGS. 1 and 4) that encloses the eyelet end 20. The reduced end 65 has a strap opening 67 to enable the strap to extend outward for attaching to a rigid support. The shroud 64 has a tubular section 80 that extends from the reduced end 65 to an open end 82 terminating adjacent the knob 36. The open end 82 is encircled by a rim 83. To prevent the shroud 64 from rotating relative to the shaft, the interior of the shroud 64 is provided with longitudinal diametrically opposed grooves or slots 84 formed by shoulders 85 to receive the eyelet 22 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Within the slots 84, transverse ribs 87 (FIG. 6) are provided to snap into the

grooves

28 and 29 during assembly to prevent the shroud 64 from moving axially with respect to the shaft 16.

lndicia means 88 (FIG. 1) is included on the exterior of the shroud 64 adjacent the open end 82 and on the knob 36 to visually display the angular position of the knob with respect to the shaft so that a user of the exercising device will have an indication of the frictional resistance setting. Specifically, the indicia includes an annular scale 90 circumscribing the open end 82 and a pointer 92 formed on the cylindrical surface 38 of the knob 36 with the pointer 92 facing the scale 90.

During the operation of the exercising device the rope 11 is threaded through the exercising device with the continuous intermediate section 14 extending through one of the

guide apertures

48 or 49 and along the shaft surface in a first flight and with a second flight interconnected to the first flight through the eyelet hole 23 and extending in the opposite axial direction from the eyelet 22 along the shaft 16 and out through the other guide aperture. The end sections 12 and 13 extend outward from the knob 36 to enable the user to grab or hold onto one of the end sections 12 and 13.

During the use of the exercising device 10, the knob 36 is originally positioned at a zero orientation in which the rope flights are in a rather straight line between the

guide apertures

48 and 49 and the eyelet 22. To apply frictional resistance to the rope, the operator pushes the knob 36 inwardly toward the eyelet end 22 to disengage the radial projections 61 from the grooves 62 to enable the knob to be turned to a desired angular orientation. As the knob 36 is turned, the flights are formed in a spiral orientation about the shaft to increase the frictional engagement between the shaft and the rope. The greater the angular displacement from the zero setting, the greater the frictional resistance. Stated in another way; the greater the grip angle of the rope to the shaft axis the greater frictional-resistance one will have to overcome when pulling on one of the rope ends. To increase the force required to pull the rope through the exercising device one merely pushes the knob in and rotates it in a desired direction to increase the resistance. When it is desired to release the frictional resistance, the operator merely holds onto the knob and pulls on both end sections 12 and 13 simultaneously to cause the rope to pull the shaft toward the knob 36 compressing the spring 56 to release the releasable locking means 58. When the releasable locking means 58 is released the shaft will rotate rapidly until the zero position is obtained. In this manner it is relatively easy to clear the device and to begin the exercises at a lower level.

It should be understood that the above described embodiment is simply illustrative of the principles of this invention and that numerous other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, only the following claims are intended to define this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A variable friction-resistance rope exercising device, comprising:

a friction shaft having an eyelet formed at one end thereof;

a control knob connected to the other end of the shaft for turning movement relative to the shaft about the shaft axis and for limited axial movement relative to the shaft along the shaft axis;

a spring means positioned between the shaft and the knob for biasing the knob axially away from the eyelet end to an extended axial position;

said knob having two rope guide apertures extending axially therethrough;

a single continuous section of rope having one flight extending" into one of the apertures and along and in frictional engagement with the shaft between the knob and the eyelet in one axial direction and a second flight interconnecting the first flight through the eyelet and extending back along and in frictional engagement with the shaft in the other axial direction and out through the other guide aperture so that as the control knob is turned with respect to the shaft from a zero angular setting the rope flights will automatically, spirally wind about the shaft varying the sliding frictional-resistance between the rope and the shaft in relation to the degree of angular displacement of the knob from the zero angular setting; and

means for connecting the knob and the shaft, during an exercise program by the knob being forced to an extended axial position away from the eyelet under bias of the spring means thus enabling the knob to turn freely on to the shaft and for disconnecting the knob and the shaft by manually pushing the knob inwardly from the extended position toward the eyelet against the biasing of the spring means so that turning of the knob when connected to the shaft will vary the number of turns of rope and thus vary the frictional-resistance between the shaft and the rope.

2. The exercising device as defined in claim 1 wherein the other end of the shaft has a reduced diameter stub section having a shaft shoulder and wherein the knob has a bore therein slidably receiving the stub section to enable the knob to be turned and pushed axially on the reduced diameter section of the shaft, said knob having a first counterbore formed therein forming a knob shoulder opposing the shaft shoulder and wherein the spring means includes a compression spring mounted about the reduced diameter section of the shaft and bearing against said shoulders to bias the knob to the extended axial position.

3. The exercising device as defined in claim 2 wherein the means for connecting and disconnecting the knob from the shaft includes mating elements on the stub section of the shaft and the knob which engage each other when the knob is in the extended axial position and which are disengage from each other when the knob is pushed to compress the spring and thereby move the knob from the extended axial position to enable the knob to be turned freely.

4. The exercising device as defined in claim 3 wherein the mating elements include a radial projection on the stub section of the shaft and a plurality of matching angularly spaced grooves in the knob for receiving the radial projection when the knob is in the extended axial position.

5. The exercising device as defined in claim 1 wherein the shaft has a prescribed diameter and wherein the knob has a second counterbore formed therein with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft with a portion of the knob surrounding the counterbore and extending toward the eyelet and beyond the shoulder shaft.

6. The exercising device as defined in claim 1 further comprising a shroud encloses the eyelet and surrounds the shaft and terminates in a rim adjacent the knob in which the rim has a scale thereon corresponding to an angular knob setting and wherein the knob has a pointer means thereon opposite the scale for indicating the frictional-resistance of the device at various knob settings.

Claims

1. A variable friction-resistance rope exercising device, comprising: a friction shaft having an eyelet formed at one end thereof; a control knob connected to the other end of the shaft for turning movement relative to the shaft about the shaft axis and for limited axial movement relative to the shaft along the shaft axis; a spring means positioned between the shaft and the knob for biasing the knob axially away from the eyelet end to an extended axial position; said knob having two rope guide apertures extending axially therethrough; a single continuous section of rope having one flight extending into one of the apertures and along and in frictional engagement with the shaft between the knob and the eyelet in one axial direction and a second flight interconnecting the first flight through the eyelet and extending back along and in frictional engagement with the shaft in the other axial direction and out through the other guide aperture so that as the control knob is turned with respect to the shaft from a zero angular setting the rope flights will automatically, spirally wind about the shaft varying the sliding frictionalresistance between the rope and the shaft in relation to the degree of angular displacement of the knob from the zero angular setting; and a means for connecting the knob and the shaft, during an exercise program by the knob being forced to an extended axial position away from the eyelet under bias of the spring means thus enabling the knob to turn freely on to the shaft and for disconnecting the knob and the shaft by manually pushing the knob inwardly from the extended position toward the eyelet against the biasing of the spring means so that turning of the knob when connected to the shaft will vary the number of turns of rope and thus vary the frictional-resistance between the shaft and the rope.