Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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IMPROVED EXERCISE ~CHINE
Backqround of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention -
~his inventi.on relates generally to exercising
apparatus and more particularly to a unique safety improvement
in exercising machines of the type wherein the body-engaging
means or lifting arm is telescopically interconnected with a
downwardly biased vertically reciprocative carriage.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art -
In exercising machines of the type described in
~ United States Letters Patents No. 3,635,472 and.3,971,555,
;~ there is provided an upright supporting structure having
. vertical track means, a vertically reciprocative carriage
" guided by the track means, weight means connected to the
carriage to bias it downwardly and body-en~a~ing means in the
form of a lifting arm which is releasably interconnected to
the carriage. In these devices, to accommodate different
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1 lifting arm starting heights the carriage is provided with a
- plurality of vertically spaced apart sockets adapted to tele-
scopically receive a socket-engaging portion formed on the
liting arm. The lifting arm itself comprises, in addltion
to the socket-engaging portion, handle portlons forn~ing a "V"
with the socket-engaging portion. The handle portions lie
in a plane above the plane in which the socket-engaging portion
is disposed. The lifting arm thusly configured coacts with
the vertically spaced sockets to provide a plurality of start-
ing heights. Additionally, by inverting the lifting arm sothat the handle portions lie in a plane below that of the
socket-engaging portion, further adjustment in vertical start-
ing height is possible.
In the machines described in the aforementioned
patents, as well as in vario~s other similar types of machines,
the lifting arm is typically locked against accidental removal
from the sockets by means of a removable pin which extends
through the socket and the socket-engaging portion of the lift-
ing arm. This arrangement has proved disadvantageous for
several reasons. For example, in practice the user of the
apparatus may lose the pin or neglect or forget to insert it
into the socket after the lifting arm is inserted. Additionally,
the locking pin may become worn through use and become suscept-
ible to failure under load. If the pin fails or is not properly
in place, when the carriage is lifted the liftina arm may
accidentally slip from the socket, causing severe injury to the
user of the machine.
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The unique safety latching device of the present in-
vention overcQme~ the aforementioned draw~acks of the pin lock
arrangement by pro~iding a failsa~e mech~nism for automatically
interlocking the lifting arm and the caxriage upon insertion of
the lifting arm into the carriage socket. The latching mechan-
ism of the present invention is integral with the lifting arm
so that it cannot be lost. It i5 structurally extremely sturdy
so that it will not fail during use~ Additionally, it is con-
structed so as to automatically and positively fall into locking
engagement with the carriage by force of gravity upon insertion
of the lifting arm into position relative to the carriage.
Summ~ry o~ the Invention
Briefly, the present invention seeks to provide an
improvement in exercising machines of the type embodying a
downwardly biased vertically reciprocative carriage having a
removable lifting arm telescopically interconnected thereto,
the improvement consisting in providing a lifting arm which
embodies a unique safety latching mechanism which enables the
lifting arm to be automatically and positively coupled with
the carriage in a manner as to preclude accidental decoupling
thereof.
Preferably the latching mechanism of the device is
` integrally connected to the lifting arm so that it cannot be
misplaced, lost, or separated therefrom.
The invention pertains to an exercising machine of
the type having an upright supporting structure, vertical
tracks associated with the upright supporting structure, and
a carriage which slides vertically upwardly and downwardly on
the vertical tracks. The carriage is provided with a plurality
of vertically spaced sockets and body-engaging means are
` removably connected to the carriage at any selected one of the
vertically spaced sockets. Adjustable resistance means are
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associated with the carriage to bias the carri?ge and body-
engaging means in a vertically downward direction. The improve-
ment in the machine pertains to a body-engaging means including
a lifting arm having a hollow socket-engaging portion telescopi-
ca]ly receivable in substantially a horizontal direction withinthe vertically spaced sockets, and safety latching means
comprising an elongated member mounted for pivotal movement
within the socket-engaging portion about a transversely extend-
ing substantially horizontally disposed axis. The elongated
member has oppositely disposed first and second ends spaced on
opposite sides of the horizontal axis. One of the ends pro-
trudes from an open free end of the socket-engaging portion and
has carriage-engaging means movable into latching engagement
with the carriage upon insertion of the socket-engaging portion
into the socket for locking the lifting arm against horizontal
movement relative to the socket in a reverse direction thereby
preventing accidental withdrawal from the socket. The other of
the ends of the elongated member is engagable to move the car-
riage engaging means out of latching engagement with the car-
riage.
Preferably the carriage-engaging means comprises
at least one outwardly extending hook shaped element adapted
to engage the carriage and the socket-engaging portion is
provided with at least one end receiving aperture disposed
proximate the second end of the elongated member and is adapted
to receive therethrough the extremity of the second end of the
elongated member when the hook shaped element is in engagement
with the carriage. One of the horizontally spaced apart ends
is of greater weight than the other.
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B~ief Pescription of the Drawin~s
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved
machine of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a mostly cross-sectional and enlarged
foreshortened view of the machine of Fig. 1 taken along line
2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view taken
along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 illustrating the construction of
the safety latching means of the invention.
Description of ~he-Preferred Embodiments
Referring to the drawings and particularly to
Fig. 1, the present improved exercising machine, designated
by the numeral 10, comprises an upright supporting structure
12, which includes a lower plate 14 provided with a multipli-
city of apertures 16 for attaching the unit to a floor or
other support.
Upright supporting structure 12 also comprises an
upper plate 20 including a back edge 22 having a downwardly
projecting lip portion 24 provided with a multiplicity of
apertures 26 for attachment to a wall or other support.
, Also forming a part of up~i~ht' supporting structure
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, 12 is a pair of upright guide or track members 28, each having
a lower portion 30 including an end 32 adapted to be attached
, as by welding to lower plate 14 at the location shown in Fig. 1.
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-1 Members 28 also have an upper portion 34 and an e~d 36 which
is attached as by welding to upper plate 20 at the locations
shown.
Referring also to Fig. 2, machine 10 can be seen to
include a vertically reciprocative carriage which is generally
designated 40. As best seen in Fig. 1, carriage 40 includes
a superstructure 42 made up of spaced apart upper and lower
transverse members 44 and 46 and cross-members 48. Affixed
to the forward face of superstructure 42 are vertically spaced
apart sockets 50 projecting forwardly of the carriage with each
having a central bore 52 extending therethrough. The purpose
of sockets 50 will be discussed in detail hereinafter.
Mounted for rotation at each end of transverse ~embers
44 and 46 are wheels 56 which are adapted to mate with and
roll smoothly along tracks 28 as carriage 40 is moved vertically.
Machine 10 also includes an adjustable resistance
means comprising a series of weights 58 stacked on top of one
another, the bottom one restina on a base pad 60 carried by
bottom plate 14. Each weight is ~rovided with a vertical
aperture 59 extending therethrough for the accommodation o~ a
vertically disposed selector ~ar 62 and its guide rods 64, the
purpose of which will presently be discussed. Each weight
also has an aperture 66 at right angles to the first mentioned
aperture and in horizontal alignment with apertures 68 provided
in selector ~ar 62. Thus each one of the apertures 66 is
- aligned with an aperture 68 and a pin 70 can be inserted there-
through so that only the weights above the pin, including the
one containing the pin, will be interconnected with the selector
bar.
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- 1 Selector bar 62 functions to interconnect the
carriage 40 and the resistance means and is provided with an
aperture 72 proximate its upper end for receiving a pin 74.
Pin 74, in turn, is receivable in an aperture 76 provided
proximate the lower edge of superstructure 42 of carriage 40.
Thus, when pin 74 is in place within aperture 72 of the selector
bar and aperture 76 of the carriage superstructure, the carriage
and selector bar are operably interconnected~
Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the novel
body-engaging means or lifting arm of the device, which means
comprises the improvement of the present invention, is
designated by the numeral 80. The lifting arm comprises the
socket-engaging portion 82 and the body-engaging portions 83.
The socket-enga~ing portion is adapted to be telescopically
receivable into the bore 52 of a selected socket 50 of the
carriage 40. The body-engaging portions consist of horizontal
coaxial handles 8g and shoulder-engaging portions 86 forming
a "V". Portions 86 extend out~ard]y from their apex 88 to
provide space to accommodate the head and neck of the user.
The apex 88 is rigidly attached to the outer portion of the
socket-engaging portion 82 so that the handles 84 lie in a
plane above the plane in which the socket engaging portion lies.
Thus the lifting arm 80 is bent as indicated at 90 (Fig. 2).
The bent lifting arm coacts with the plurality of sockets S0
to provide a plurality of starting heights to, in turn, permit
accomplishment of a plurality of exercises. For example, if a
man of medium height desired to perform a supine press, he
would insert the free end 92 of the lifting arm in the lowest
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~- 1 socket with the handles downward. Likewise, if a man of medium
height desired to perform a sitting press, he would insert the
end 92 of the lifting arm in center socket with the handles 84
upward. Similarly, if a man of medium height desired to perfoL^m
an upright rowj he would insert the end 92 of the lifting arm
in the center socket with the handles downward. Likewise, if a
man of medium height desired to perform a standing press, he
would insert the end 92 of the lifting a~m in the uppermost
socket with the handles 84 upward.
In order to prevent the accidental withdrawal of
the lifting arm from the selected socket 50 of the carriage 40,
there is provided a novel safety latching means-carried by
the socket-engaging portion 82 of the lifting arm~ As will
be more fully discussed hereinafter, the safety latching means
is movable into automatic latching engagement with the carriage
upon insertion of the socket-engaging portion of the lifting
: arm into the selected socket.
Turning to Figs. 2 and 3, the socket-engaging portion
82 of the lifting arm 80 can be seen to be of a hollow con-
struction open at the free end 92. In the form of the inventionshown in the drawings, the safety latching means comprises an
elongated member 94 mounted for pivotal movement withln the
socket-engaging portion about a transversely extending sub-
stantially horizontally disposed axis 96 defined by a pin 96a
carried by the lifting arm. Elongated member 94 comprises
first and second hooked end portions 98 and 100 respectively
disposed on opposite sides of axis 96. As best seen in Fig. 2,
each end portion has outwardly extending oppositely disposed
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--1 carriage interengaging means or arms 98a and 98b and 100a and
100b respe-tively.
One of the end portions of member ga, in this case
end portion 98, is of greater weight than the other end portio
so that it is constantly urged downwardly as viewed in Fig. 2
by the force of gravity. To achieve end portions of unequal
weight, member 94 may be provided with a plurality of weiqht
reduction openings such as openings 102. Additionally, if
desired, ballast may be added to one end of the member 94.
As illustrated in the drawings, member 94 is so con-
structed and arranged that end portion 98 protrudes from the
open free end 92 of the socket-engaging portion of the lifting
arm. When the lifting arm is in place within a socket 50
in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the interengaging means or arm
98a engages the rear face of socket 50 and acts as a locking
element to prevent withdrawal of the lifting arm from ~he
socket.
Provided intermediate the ends of socket-engaging
portion 82 and located to the right of axis 96 (Fig. 2) is at
least one aperture or slotted portion 104 so constructed and
arranged as to receive therethrough arm 100b of the second end
of member 94 when the member is in an at-rest position. In
the embodiment of the invention shown in Fi~. 2, socket-engaging
- portion 82 is also provided with a second aperture or slotted
portion 106 disposed directly below aperture 104. Aperture 106
; is so constructed and arranged as to receive arm 100a of member
94 when the member is pivoted about axis 96 in a clockwise
direction as viewed in Fig. 2. To limit the extent of pivotal
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~~ 1 movement of member 94, there is provided a transversely extend-
ing limit pin 108. Pin 108 is carried by the lifting arm and
is located intermediate end 92 and the pivotal axis 96. Pin
108 extends through an aperture 110 for~ed in member 94 which
aperture is of larger diameter than limit pin 108, thereby
limiting the extent to which member 94 can pivot about axis 96.
Operation
In operation, the trainee first decides how much
weight he desires to lift and sets pin 70 into a selected
aperture 66 in the series of adjustable weights 58. Apertures
66 have already been aligned with apertures 68 of the selector
bar so that pin 70 forms a joinder between the weights of the
series and the selector bar when such a selection is made.
~s previously mentioned, since the selector bar is
interconnected to carriage 40 by means of pin 74, when the
adjustable resistance means is connected to the selector bar,
the carriage will be downwardly biased. Next, depending upon
the exercise to be performed, the trainee inserts the free end
of the lifting arm into one of the vertically spaced sockets
50 of the carriage.
Referring to Fig. 2, it can be seen that during
insertion of the lifting arm into the socket, end 98 of
pivotally mounted member 94 will slide along the inside wall
of bore 52 formed in socket 50. Since end 98 is of greater
weight than end 100, when the lifting arm is fully inserted
into the socket, member 94 will pivot about axis 96 due to
the force of gravity and arm 98a will fall into the position
shown in Fig. 2 wherein it is in locking interengagement with
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--- 1 the rear face of the socket 50 of the carriage. At the same
time, end lOOb will move into its upper position with arm lOOb
protruding through aperture 104 formed in the lifting arm. In
this configuration, the locking arm is securely locked against
accidental withdrawal from the socket.
With the lifting arm thus securely loc~ed, upward
forces generated on the lifting arm by the trainee will cause
the carriage to move upwardly against the downward bias of the
weights. The wheeled carriage is, of course, guided by the
tracks and the selector bar is guided by the selector bar
guides 64.
To decouple the liftinq arm from the carriage, the
trainee must positively push downwardly on arm lOOb of member
94, causing the member to pivot about axis 96 to a centered
lS position so as to raise end 98 to a position where arm 98a will
clear the rear face of the socket. A rearward force generated
on the lifting arm will then permit its withdrawal from the
socket and its disconnection from the carriage.
~- It is to be appreciated that aue to the novel con-
struction of the safety latching means, it will operate in the
manner described whether the lifting arm is inserted with the
handle portions in an elevated or lowered plane relative to
the plane o the socket-engaging portion. For example, if the
lifting arm were to be inverted from the position shown in
Fig. 2 so that portion 83 éxtended angularly downwardly
rather than upwardly, upon insertion of the arm into a socket
50, locking arm 98b would,fall into a downward locking position
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- 1 relative to the carriage and arm lOOa would extend through
aperture 106 which would then be disposed on the top of the
lifting arm.
Having now described the invention in detail in
accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those
skilled in this art will have no difficulty in ma~ g ChallgeS
and modifications in the individual parts or their relative
assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions.
Such changes and modifications may be made without departing
from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in
the following claims.
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