US742393A - Exercising device. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903. W. H. GHELLIS & P. W. MoAN V ANNY. EXERGISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1902. no MODEL.

UNITED STATES;

iatented. October 27, 19031 PATENT OFFICE.

EXERClSliNG DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 742,393, dated October 27, 1903. Application filed February 14, 1992. Serial No. 94,121. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- j

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. CHELLIS and FRANK W. MCANANNY, citizens of the- United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Exercising Device, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to an improved exercising device.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device especially adapted for developing the muscles of the fingers, hand, and wrist, and also the forearm.

Another object of the invention is to provideadevice capable of performing the double function of 'an ordinary dumb-bell and of an elastic exercising device for the hand and fingers, thus providing means for developing muscles not brought into play by the use of either of these devices employed singly.

The accompanying drawing represents a front elevation of this improved exercising device having the parts thereof broken out to show the interior of the device at certain points, the dotted-line position showing the grip when compressed bythe hand of the user. This device embodies a grip or handle 10, adapted to be held'and supported in a per sons hand, and constitutes the handle of an ordinary dumb-bell. Thisgrip is providedwith oppositely-disposed screw-threaded tapered ends 11 and 12, to which are detachably connected the heads or weights 13 and 14 of the usual spherical form and having tapered screw-threaded apertures 15 and 16 for engaging the ends 11 and 12. Thishandle or grip 10 is also provided with openings 17 and 18, which are eularged on one side of the handle at 17 and 18' to form-seats for the spring, hereinafter to be described. Ayoke 20, preferably made approximately U -shaped and having the ends thereof bent at an angle to form opposing terminals 21, is slid ably mounted in the openings 17 and 18 of the handle 10. A roller is loosely mounted on the terminals 21 and is adapted to be held in the palm of the hand or grasped by the fingers, as desired, and forms an auxiliary grip or handle. This roller is preferably'made with curved ridges 31, which especially adapt it for use as a massage device, as it rolls in the hand under the gripping of the device by the user, and it may be used on any part of the body. A spring is disposed in close relation to the neck of the yoke throughout its length on that side of the grip 10 opposite the side to which the auxiliary grip 30 is disposed. This spring is preferably made spiral and wound or coiled around the curved or' neck portion of the yoke in a series of closelydisposed coils and has its ends, as 41, extended through the openings 17 and 18 in the handle or grip 10, to which they are attached by screws, as 33, engaging loops or eyes 32, into' which the terminals are formed. The terminal coils of the spring 40 rest in slight depressions surrounding the openings 17 and 18 and which have heretofore been designated as seats 18' and 17. This spring is preferably made of steel and of a size sufficient to exert considerable tension on the handle 10, it being coiled very closely on the yoke. This close coiling of the spring on the neck of the yoke causes it to act as a stop for regulating the extent of separation of the grips 10 and 30, one coil abutting against the other, as

shown, and preventing the yoke from passing through the openings 17 and 18 in backward direction beyond a predetermined point.

In the use of this device dumb-bell heads 13 and 14 of any desired size and weight are screwed onto the handle 10, the main grip is placed in the palm of. the hand, with the thumb engaging it, and the auxiliary or roller-grip is engaged by the fingers, and when pressure is exerted thereon a rolling grip is obtained. By reversing the device and placing the handle 30 in the palm, with the thumb engaging it and the main grip 10 engaged by the fingers, a straight-pulling grip is given the user. The dumb-bell heads being connected to the handle 10 during this operation requires. a certain weight to be upheld as well as a resisting tension to be overcome. The device may, however, be used with the heads detached therefrom. Especially is it desirable to so use it when first beginning to exercise, as the weight of the heads may overtax the strength of a novice. The dumb-bell heads 13 and 1 1 may be made of any desired material, either of wood or metal.

When it is desired to use the device simply as a dumb-bell for performing various exercises which do not require a resisting grasp of the hand, it is simply necessary to grasp the handle 10 in the usual way, the yoke and its spring and roller not interfering in any way with the use of the device in this connection. The coiling of the spring around the yoke-neck also keeps it outof the way of the thumb or fingers of the user when operating the device either as a dumb-bell or as a hand and finger exerciser.

This device is simple and convenient to handle and cheap to manufacture and combines all the advantages of a more cumbersome and expensive apparatus and also is adapted to perform the double function of a dumb-bell and hand and finger exerciser, either of which exercises may be performed without the means for performing the other exercise interfering with the exercise taken. It may also be used as a massage-roller. The yoke 20, being made U-shaped and having the spring held in close relation thereto throughout the neck portion thereof, offers a forcible and uniform resistance to the pull exerted by the grip on the handles 10 and 30. The spring being coiled around the yoke provides a resisting means which is compactly disposed and avoid looseness or vibratory movement.

Then the device is to be used as a massage-roller for massaging difierent parts of the body, the neck portion of the yoke is placed in the palm of the hand, and the sliding handle 10 is grasped by the fingers, the roller with its curved ribs being placed in contact with that portion to be operated on thereby.

We claim as our invention- 1. An exercising device comprisingaframe, a dumb-bell associated for sliding movement connected at its extremities to said main handle.

4:. In an exercising device, the combination of a handle having guide-openings therein, a curved yoke slidably mounted in said openings, a spring coiled around the curved portion of said yoke and attached to said handle, and an auxiliary handle connected with the terminals of said yoke.

5. In an exercising device, the combination of a main handle, a yoke slidably mounted in said handle, an auxiliary handle connected with said yoke, and a spiral spring closely coiled on the neck of said yoke and attached to said main handle.

6. The combination with a dumb-bell having detachable heads, of a U-shaped yoke slidably mounted in the handle of said dumbbell and having an auxiliary handle mounted on its terminal ends, and a spring coiled around the curved portion of said yoke and attached to said main handle.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have aifixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. CHELLIS. FRANK W. MCANANNY. Witnesses:

ALBERT L. ANDERSON, JOHN P. BARRY.

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