US92793A - Improvement in spring elfting-apfasattts - Google Patents

Description

D. P. BUTLER, OF BSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 92,793, dated July 20, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING- :LETTING-APPARATUS.

" The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making part of the same.

1' o all whom-'lt may concern Be it known that I, D. P. BUTLER, of Boston, in the county of Suiiblk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Spring Lifting-Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form g part of this specification, is a description of my invention suliicient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

In the construction of hygienic apparatus, to be used for the development of muscular power, and where the force is exerted to lift, it is customary to provide for gradual development of' the lifting-power, by means of series of weights, as is fully shown in the United States Letters Patent, N os. 48,050, 85,596, aud 87,- 465, granted to me.

In one kind of weight-lifting apparatus employed by me, I so construct and arrange the various parts, that the weights may be raised by lifting upon two rods rising from opposite ends of the weight-supporting device, or by lifting upon one centre-rod, rising from the centre ofsuchweight-supporting device, a lifter-bar being passed through an eye at the top of this centrerod, said bar being thrust between the legs, and being grasped at its opposite ends by the hands ofthe lifter, one before his body and one behind. This I call a side and centre lifting-apparatus.

My present improvements have particular reference to such side and k centre-lifting, substituting, however, for weights, a system or series of springs, against the stress of whicl the muscular power is exerted precisely in the same manner as in lifting weights.

Strictly speaking, the force thus exerted against the springs is not lifting as it is the stress of the springs thatis overcome, and not the force of gravity, but as the motions ofthe body are the same as in liiting, Land the apparatus is to appearance not unlike the weightlifting apparatus, I term the apparatus a spring lifting-apparatus, and shall'describe it as such.

My invention consists primarily in combining, with a platform or stand, a spring-plate, held in normal position by a series of springs, and having at its opposite ends, vertical rods. for side-lifting, or at its centre a vertical rod for centre-lifting, or both the centre and the side lifting-rods, the springs being compressed by muscular exertion.

The invention also embraces various details of construction and arrangement, which will be fully set forth in the following description of the drawing, in which drawing- A shows a vertical longitudinal and central section ofthe apparatus.

B, a verticaland central cross-section thereof.

C, an isometrical perspective, the platform beingre-l moved. l

va denotes a bed, upon which rests a series of strong springs, b, which support upon their tops a platform, c, for the lifter to stand upon, the springs forming a yielding cushion for the platform, but the pressure exerted by them may he such that they will not be materially depressed .by the weight of the person or the -force he exerts in lifting.

Screw-spindles, rl, extend through the springs, and through the platform, having nuts, e, upon their outer ends, the screws and nuts preventing the platform from rising, and permitting it to fall by compression of the springs upon which it rests.

Upon thel bed a rests a long plate or bar, f, and upon this I stand a series of springs, g h, as seen at C, two or more of these springs, ll h, being upon opposite sides of the plate, and the others, g, being distributed along the centre of the plate, in the direction of its length.

The centre lifting-rod 'i may pass through one of these springs, andthe side lifting-rods la, through two others of them, while through cach of the others passes a spindle, l, fixed to the bed.

The foot of the centrc-rod z' is fixed to the bed, but the two side rods, l.: k, pass, at their lower ends, through slots m, the foot of each rod beingprovided with two nuts, one above and one below the slot, which permit the rods to move toward or from the centre-rod, but retain the connection of'the rods to the plate.

The top o f each spring, g h., or a cap, or washer, resting thereon, presses directly against the bottom of the platform, as seen at A and B.

When the apparatus is to be used, the person stands upon the platform c, and grasp's'the two handles'n n, ofthe side rods, if hev wishes to side-lift, or passes the bar o between his legs, and 'grasps its opposite ends with his two hands, if he wishes to centrelift,first bringing the handles to such position that he slightly bends his legs at the knees to establish his grasp.

' He then straightens his body to its full height, in doing which he draws up the spng-plate j, by compressing thel springs g h against the platform above them, or between the plate fand the platform.

The intensity ofthe springs lb may be `such-that the platform c will not move materially in distance under the strain exerted in lifting upon the side or centrerods.

In lifting upon the side rods, they are slid to or from the centre-rod, in accordance with the size of the lifter or his breadth of shoulders, the rods sliding through slots p, cnt through the platform.

The position of the lifter-bar, or of the handles 7nl 11, above the platform, is adjusted in accordance 'with the height or length of limbs of the lifter, the shank of each handle, n, or of the lifter-bar, being adjusted for this purpose, by means of a screw, r, working in a nut-thread, cut in the lifter-rod, as in my Weight-lifting apparatus.

end of each spring may be cushioned against a rubber washer, or against rubber tubing, pressed into a recess bored in the adjacent surface of the lied, platform, or spring-plate.

. In the use of this apparatus, it will be obvious that witha series of gauged springs upon the plate f, or upon both the plate e and the platform b, a certain fixed force will be exerted in lifting the'plate a certain distance, or the distance required to straighten the body, and a force in proportion thereto, up to the point where the limbs and body become erect, and this force, so exerted, may be read by a suitable index, the same as is the stress exerted by the weight in weighing with spring-balances or scales.

Now by taking away springs, or by adding more springs, or by using interchangeable springs, of less or lgreater intensity, the power required in lifting may be graduated the same as in Weight-lifting.

`To increase the number of springs, or to remove or i the expended force expands instead of compresses or contracts tbc springs, but I prefer the arrangement shown. i

I claim a spring lifting-apparatus, in which the muscular force is exerted against a s'eries of springs, substantially asidescm'bed.

Also, in combination with the series of lifter-springs g h, t-be'side and centre lifter-rods, substantially as described.

Also, in combination with the lifter-rods, lifter-plate, and springs h i, the platform c, supported upon springs, substantially as described.

D. I. BUTLER.

Witnesses J. B. CROSBY,

FRANCIS GoULD.

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