Pulley operated exercising device

Abstract

 The device relates to variable resistance execise machines. A weight stack 18 is movable along a substantially vertical guide 23, 24 and a carriage, connected to the weight stack, is movable along a second guide track 19 inclined to the substantially vertical guide 23, 24. The user power is applied to the weight stack through a cable 52 and pulley 28, 31 system and a guide 51 is provided to maintain the variable resistance throughout the motion.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to variable resistance exercising machines.

[0002] In co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. 119,087 filed February 6, 1980, entitled "Weight Lifting Device" assigned to the assignee of the present application, there was disclosed a novel mechanism for providing variable resistance exercise for muscle development.

[0003] The exercise of different muscle sets requires different motions and it has been extremely difficult to translate the requisite muscle motion to a weight stack while maintaining a variable resistance to the operator's motion.

[0004] In machines which have been employed for exercising chest and pectoral muscles the various mechanisms of the prior art have resorted to cams or levers. As a consequence the parts have been difficult to fabricate, complicated to assemble, and difficult to maintain.

[0005] As an illustration the provision of cams has led to assymmetrical structures and these have been particularly difficult.

[0006] In other structures where the structures are simple they have not provided a variable resistance throughout the workload travel and, as a consequence, the user of the machine has had to start with greater loads than required. This requires a greater weight stack and greater expense.

[0007] In the structure of the present invention no levers or cams are employed. Accordingly, the present invention provides an exercise machine comprising: a frame; a substantially vertical guide; a weight stack reciprocally movable along said substantially vertical guide; a second guide extending upwardly in a direction inclined to said substantially vertical guide; a carriage reciprocally movable along said second guide; a rigid link hingedly connected between said weight stack and said carriage; movable user means; and cable and pulley means connecting said user means and said carriage whereby said weight stack means.moves in response to movement of said user means and provides a variable resistance to movement of said user means.

[0008] A specific embodiment according to the present invention, as employed in a chest and pectoral exercise machine, will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view from the front, partially broken away, of a chest and pectoral muscle exercise machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 and shows the relative positions of the different components;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a weight stack and pulley system of the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a pulley system and user arm as employed in the machine of previous figures and serves to illustrate the relative motion of the several parts illustrated.

[0009] Referring now to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 an exercise machine in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated at 10.

[0010] As shown the machine comprises a frame 11 with a base 12 on one side of which a pedestal 13 with a seat 14 is secured.

[0011] From the base 12 vertical members 15, 16 and 17 rise to support a weight stack 18, a carriage track 19 and a user arm frame 20. Weight stack 18 comprises a series of vertically aligned weights such as 21 and 22 which ride on vertical rods 23 and 24 and which are removably and selectively connected by a pin 25 to be moved by the user.

[0012] Weight stack 18 is connected by a linking arm to a carriage 27 which rides on the inclined track 19. Carriage 27 is provided on its upper surface with a pulley 28. Adjacent the upper end of track 19 a second pulley 29 is mounted at right angles to pulley 28.

[0013] Guide rods 23 and 24 are secured at their lower end to base 12 and at their upper end to user arm frame 20, and adjacent their respective tops to further pulleys 30 and 31.

[0014] The user arm frame 20 comprises a pair of vertically spaced rectangular frames 32 and 33 mounted on vertical members 15 and 16. On the user end of user arm frame 20 a pair of spaced apart user arms 40 and 41 are pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis on pintles 70 and 71. Each arm is secured in a depending manner from a crank 50 which is in turn pivotally mounted between the members 32 and 33 so that they may rotate freely in their respective pivots. On each of cranks 50 an arcuate channel 51 is provided and at the outer end a collar and nut are provided to effect securement of the respective adjacent ends of a pulley cable 52. On the lower ends of 40 and 41 pads 42 and 43 are provided and a back pad 53 is mounted on a post 54 which extends from pedestal 13.

[0015] Cable 52 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 extends around their respective arcuate members 51, round pulleys 30 and 31, over pulley 29 and pulley 28. When arms 40 and 41 are pivoted by the user then the rotation of the arms causes the pulley cable 52 to raise carriage 27 and weight stack 18.

[0016] As the weight stack 18 rises by virtue of the relationship between the inclined track 19, arm 26 and carriage 27 the resistance will be increased to the user as the weight travels up the carriage and the pivoted link 26 whose angle relative to the weight stack varies as the carriage moves up the track 19. However, it is essential that the cable 52 be maintained at a constant distance from the respective fulcrums 70 and 71.

[0017] In Fig. 4 the two arms 40 and 41 are shown in solid outline in the initial starting position and the dotted outline shows the arms 40 and 41 in actuated positions. The lower -position is a half rotated position and the upper position is fully rotated. As the arms are rotated by the user cable 52, it is engaged with a channel on the arcuate member 51 and is pulled round. Arcuate member 51 maintains cable 52 at a constant distance from the respective pivots 70 and 71 apart from maintaining cable 52 in true alignment with the pulleys 30 and 31. It has been found that if the cable distance from the pivots is not maintained the variable resistance of the weight stack is not maintained. The crank form of the arms 40 and 41 may be varied however it will be apparent that the lever length from the main axis of the arms to the fulcrum or pivots 70 and 71 will vary the force required to lift the weight stack and this should not be so great as to preclude use by persons of lesser strength.

[0018] From the foregoing it will be noted that the present structure provides an exercise machine of the pulley type which has a variable resistance function capable of application to all manners of exercise machines to accomodate different muscles. For example the present structure may be modified to accommodate leg curl and thigh extensions, dorsal exercises, arm curls or pulley machines which have not heretofore provided variable resistance without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An exercise machine comprising a frame, a substantially vertical guide, a weight stack reciprocally movable along said substantially vertical guide., a second guide extending upwardly in a direction inclined to said substantially vertical guide, a carriage reciprocally movable along said second guide, a rigid link himgedly connected between said weight stack and said carriage movable use means, and cable and pulley means connecting said use: means and said carriage whereby said weight stack means moves in response to movement of said use:means and provides a variable resistance to movement of said user means.

2. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the force required of a user varies increasingly in response to upward movement of said weight stack.

3. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said cable and pulley means further includes cable guide means for maintaining a variable increase in the force required of a user to move said weight stack upward.

4. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 3 wherein movable user means is connected to said frame for movement about a fulcrum, and means for maintaining said cable at a constant distance from said fulcrum throughout movement of said user means.

5. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the force required of a user varies increasingly in response to upward movement of said weight stack.

6. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said maintaining means includes cable guide means, integrally part of the user means, for maintaining a variable increase in the force required of a user to move said weight stack upward.

7. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said pulley means includes at least one pulley having an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of said fulcrum.

8. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said pulley means includes at least one pulley having an axis of rotation coincidental with said fulcrum.

9. An exercise machine as claimed in Claim 3 or 6 wherein said cable guide means comprises an arcuate channel engageable with said cable.

Drawing