US85996A - butleb - Google Patents

Description

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nQP. BUTLER',A or jnos TON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 85,996, dated January 19, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN GYMNASTIC APPARATUS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making' part of the saigne.

Be it known-that I, D. P. BUTLER, of Boston, in the countyof Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invent-ed certain Improvements in the Details of Hygienic or Gymnastie Apparatus for lifting heavy weights g and I do hereby declare that theI following', taken in connection with the drawings v-,hich accompany and form part of this specification, is a description oi' my invention sufcient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

' This invention relates to improvements made by me in that class of hygienic or gymnastie apparatus for lifting heavy weights, for which Letters Patent of the United States were issued 'to me, June 6, 1865, and J une 19, 1866, numbered, respectively, 48,050 and 55,- 618; and

It consistsin various provisions, claimed beyond, for adapting the apparatus to the physicatconformation of' different persons.

Myimproved apparatus is shown in general elevation in Figure 1, various vertical sections, however, being shown in said View, to illustrate the details of construction' and arrangement.

The base of the apparatus is complex, it being made up of aA platform, a, and two frames, b and c, which frames are kept apart by springs d, which are rendered noiseless, and have their elasticity increased byv being cushioned on rubber pieces e.

The whole apparatus is adj usted so that the standing platform is made level by screws f, which work in nuts made 'fast to the frame b, said screws passing loosely through frame c, above which they can be easily reached and operated, and their ends bearing against metal pieces secured to the platform a, which serves to protect the floor or carpet onv which the apparatus stands.

The legs g stand on balls h, which are cushioned above and below on rubber in the legs and in the frame c, or the balls-themselves may be of rubber. I prefer to cup the legs and the frame, to confine the balls to a slight range of motion.

The legs sustain the frame t', nut-threads being formed in the frame to fit the screw-threads out on the upper part o f the legs.

. Where the screws'of the legs project above frame il, sleeves are provided to cover them.

Between the lower surface of frame i and the shoulders where the screw and body-part of the legs meet, short sections 7c of cylinders in pieces may be used, by the presence or absence of vwhich the length of the legs may be determined.

The frame l is supported on springs m, which are cushioned on rubber, like springs el, and for the same reasons.

Said frame is partially covered with two platforms n, on which, on rubber cushions placed thereon, a person may stand, to lift the weight which is supported on the spring o, by ame t, between the platforms fn.

The rod p, from which the weight q hangs suspended, is formed at its upper end into a stirrup, r, which surrounds the spring, while the lower end of rod p is provided with a long sleeve-nut, s, in which fits the screw t.

can be brought nearer the point of suspension, or the screw t can be turned in its nut s, so as to change the position of the weight, while changing the length of the suspensory p s t. V

The nut vu is to be used when it is-desirable to raise the weight, still keeping' the suspensory where, with but littleladjustment ofits length, it can, by turning, rest upon the rubber-supported step fu, to as to relieve the spring o from stress during the time when thee-pparatus isv not in use, so that the weights can be leiu on the suspeusory without injury to the spring The stirrup r has a conical pivot, w, which Venters a step, x, supported on a rubber cushion on spring o, the pivot being long enough to remain with its point within the stcp when the person lifting the weight shall have elevated it clear of the support of spring o, this rendering it certain that when the weight is lowered, it shall rest properly Von spring o.

The use ofthe stirrup does away'wlth the need of piercing the spring for the suspensory, at the same timel keeping the line of draught direct between the person and the weight.

The upper part of the pivot wis formed as a screw, sothat the parts through which a person exerts power to lift the weight may' be attached.

The piece to which the handle is applied, by' which a person lifts the weight, is formed at its upper end as astirrup, c', and at its lower end as a screw, b', which works in a sleeve-uut," c', which nut can be coupled at its lower end with the pivot w, as shown in the drawing.

By turning the screw b in its nut, the height of the lifting-handle above the standingplatform n can be regulated to suit any person.

The sleeve d is fixed to the stirrup al, and serves to protect the clothing of the person using the apparatus from being soiled upon the screw.

The outside of the nut c' being markedhwith divisions, as a scale, the position of the end of the sleeve, noted against `the divisions, will indicate the height of the handle.

As there areV persons of such conformation, that, in lifting, in the manner described in my aforesaid patents, they would, to prevent contact of the top bar ofthe stirrup a. with thebody, have to bend to an extent not compatible with the best results, I make some of my handles with a downward curve in their centre,'from the parts grasped by the hands, in order to compensate for disproportionateshortness in the arms of such persons.

rlhis peculiarity is one of my present improvements on the handle patented to me as aforesaid, under the number.55,618, and is shown in the detail marked A, as well as in fig. 1. Handles so made, however, have On the screw tis a nut, u, by turning which the weight to be in pairs, one right and one left, to effect the same object, which I get, where' the handle is not curved, by merely turning it.

Another improvement on my patented handle con'- sists in making a longitudinal depression along the middle of one side of each place where vthe handle is grasped, so as to receive the ends of the iingers, whereby a firmer and better hold of the handle is obtained.

This improvement is shown in .the detail B, which is a cross-section of the part ofthe handle where grasped; also in g. 1, and indetails A and C.

In the detail C, which shows, both in plan and in elevation, one f my lifting-handles, it will he observed that, while the general outline of the hand-end approximates parallelograms, it is made somewhat convex, the handle being largest at the centre of the grasp.

Where the handles are grasped by the hands, they are covered with leather or buckskin, and in the different views showing handles, will be seen scores or grooves in which the edges of the coverings 'are confined.

In ig'.1 it will'be4 seen that a spring is interposed between the top bar of the stirrnp a' and the handle. 'lhesprings referred to and' shown, with exception of spring o, which sustains the weight, are designed to yield to the force exerted by` the person lifting, so as t`o prevent jar or strain to' the system. Itis not designed' that al1 of thesprings sh'own should be made use of in one machine, but rather to illustrate Where springs may be so applied, that one of them or a set of them will produce the desired action. For example, if the set of springs marked d is'nsed, then the set m, and the spring with the handle, may be dispensed with.

The function of the balls h is to allow such a movement ofthe table, consequent upon the-position and movements of the person exerting a strain upon the weight, as will produce that relation of position between the person andthe weight most favorable to the, production of maximum effects from any given exertion. To keep the handlev from tipping or twisting'in the hands, it is pivoted on two centres, the lowerone being movable and forced up to itsV place in thesocket in the handle by the action of a spring contained ill-screw b. The handle, while thus prevented fromftippingv or turn sasso ingover in the hand, can swing freely around, so as to accommodate the positionsof the body of the lifter.

The long sleeve-nut s, besides serving the purposes before mentioned, provides for shortening and length,-

ening the suspensory, according as the legs y are shortcned or lengthened by presence or absence ofthe pieces 7c.

l. claim-' I. In alifting-apparatus, the employment of levellingscrews, in the manner substantially'as described.

2. Also, in combination with the frame i, an upper frame or platform, supported above frame t' by the interposition of springs m, so that when, in the act of lifting, the weight is taken frm frame i, the upper frame is depressed.

3. Also, the employment of spherical supports ina liftingapparatus, as described. I

4., Also, the employment ofthe screw t and nut sin suspending the Weight, so that the position of the weight can be changed by turning said screw, without change in the position of the handle, and by shortening the length ofthe snspensory; v

5V. Also, supporting' the weight on the nut u, so that the position ofthe weight can be changed without either shortening the length ofthe snspensory or changing the position of the handle.

6. Also, the employment of the pieces k, in connection with the screws on the legs, for making the legs changeable in length at will. p

7. Also, connecting theweight with the handle, through the medium of the stirrup r, arranged to sm'- round spring 0. v

8. Also, the erpnploymentoi` a sleeve covering the nut c', and moving with the screw b', so as to cover the screw and indicate the height of the handle, substantially irs-described. g l 9.' Also, a handle, made with a downward bend in the part which joins the hand-grasps, for'the purposel described.

10. Also, a handle, bearing in it depressions for the finger-ends, as desoribe'd.- p

. D. l?. BUTLER, Witnesses:

J. B, CROSBY, FBANors GoULn.

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