US381187A - Rowing-machine - Google Patents

Description

'Unirse e STATES WILL'IAM'TRA'CY. A ND JACOB kH. TRACY, CF' vCAMBRIDi/in, MAssACHUsETTsg RowlNGeMACi-il'NE-:K

' ksrnerrre-A'rrorrfonti11gbariof Letters raten; 219.381,18?, dated Aprnl'l, leas.

. ApplicationfledlJanuary10,188B. Serial No.`260,3-i8. (Nc model.) Y i nx 7 To all 'whom timmy concern.- ,f' I' I Be it known that we, WILLIAM TRACY` and JACOB H. TRACY, of Cambridge, inthe county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have in.

vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rowing-Machines, of which the following 1s a description sufficiently full, clear, and eX- .f act to enable any person skilled in the art or vof this specification, in whichscience to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had lto the accompanying drawings, forming part Figure 1 is an isometricalperspeetive view of our improved rowingmachine represented in position-for use; Fig. 2, avertical longi-` tudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged transverse section-taken on line :t m in Fig-2;

I Vand Figs.y 4, 5, and 6, enlarged views showing certain details of construction.

Like letters andgures of reference indicate corresponding parts -in the drawings.

Our invention relates more especially to thaty class of rowing-*machines which are designed for the use-of oarsmen in practice. and by athletes and others for exercise 5 and it consists in certain novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, Ithe object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device vof this character than is now in ordinary use.

The ynature and operation of the improve-v ment will be readily understood by all conversant with' such matters froml the followingy `explanation:V

vIn the drawings, A represents the body of the machine, B thecarriage, and C the seat.

The body A is composed of heavy plank or timber of suitable length and preferably` of about the width of an ordinary rowing-shell, being designed to be secured to the door of a room in any convenient position.,Vf A centrally and horizontally arranged groove or chamber 45, is formed in the bodypA, said chamber ex 4adapted to run.

the different iiguresf Y VProjecting laterally l upon axles f,j on ,which are journaled groovedy wheels h, adaptedgto run onthe tracks e. The

body a of the carriage hasy its outer edge pro-v n Vvided with an upwardly-turnedllan'ge,-rg,jt0 prevent'the'seat C, hereinafterdescribed, from accidentally slipping from'saidfbody, thejends 'of said body beingpointed,` as shown at .ltin Fig. 1. A,horizontallyiarranged-bar, m, issecured to the forwardend, 7cof the carriageB',I

said bar, being supported atits outer end bya standard, d, and wheels h, which'vrun on the "A horizontally-arranged stoutcoiled spring,r 'I

D, is disposed inthe chamber 45 of thebody lA, one endjofv said spring being secured; to a hook, f, in the forward end of `said bodyand thejother endto' a similar hook, p, on fa downi wardly-projecting arm or brackeag, which issecuredtothe bar'm on the carriage B, near'i'ts inner end. y a l ,y

A bumper,E[, provided withan elastic cushion or'face,lr, adapted to engage the standard'` l dv on the bar m and stop the carriage, is secured A tothe forward end ofthe body A.

v The seat C is of the for-m ordinarily used in I 4 -rowing-shells and known as sliding seats,

being provided on its under side with two lon-` r gitudinally arranged shoes, t, adapted to slidey I' y in parallel grooves w, formed in the upper side of the body z of the carriage.

A foot-piece, K, provided with toelstraps l25 .n

inthe usual manner, near its outer end. 'i A from either side of the body z of the carriageB are three braces which form the outriggers Pof the machine, and fitted is securedto the bar vm in the usual manner in the outer end of 'each of saidV outriggers is arowlock, E, (see Fig. 5,) Y

which is preferably provided with a 'verticallyarranged antifriction roll, 27. t

` Oars 30, having the1r outer ends secured to rthe door 75 of the room by'means of balland`-"` socket joints 3l, (see Fig.y6,) are disposedinl the rowlocks E, andprovidedai their innerends with handles 35,' in the usual manner. l

In the use of oui` improvementthe oarsman. mounts the seat C and places his feet against they rest K, in the ordinary positionffor rowing, the oars 30 being grasped by their ,hair

dles 35'and strokes taken inthe usual manner.: 'y The o'ars 30 being jointed tothe door 75as` described, when a stroke is taken the carriage B will be forced backward on its tracks 'u lon the body A, the spring D being gradually distended by the force exerted on the oars as the carriage retreats, while at the same time the seat C will be caused to slide on its tracks w on the carriage B as the legs of the oarsman are straightened in making the stroke.

, In the recover the carriage is drawn back toits original position by the tension of the spring D, its progress being regulated by the speed with which the oarsman releases the strain on the oars.

The elastic cushion r on the bumper His designed to break the force with which the carriage strikes thebu m per on its return,when the recover is so rapid that the oars offer but little resistance to the contractile action of the spring.

The outer ends yof the oars may be pivoted or jointed to the floor by any suitable means; but We consider the ball-and-socket joint described preferable, as by its use the oarsman is enabled to practice feathering the oars and to exercise in substantially the same manner as when rowing on the water.

ythe following instrunientalities, to wit a body structed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

2. In a rowing-machine, the body A, provided with the tracks o and chamber 4v, in combination with the carriage B, provided with the bar m, standards d, wheels h, and grooves w, the outriggers P, securedto said carriage, the rowlocks E, mounted in said outriggers,

the foot rest K, secured-to said bar, the seat C, provided with runners t, adapted to slide in grooves in saidcarriage, the bumper H, secured to said body and provided with the cushion r, the spiral spring D, connecting said carriage and body, oars 30, mounted in said rowlocks and having their outer endsjointed to the floor by the ball-and-socket joint 31, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM TRACY. JACOB H. TRACY.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, E. M. SPINNEY.

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