Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The invention provides a mechanical device
which is adapted for doing, with a pair of ski and
suitable shoes, a presoaking exercise particularly
suitable for a cross -country running ski ~langlauf)
training. To be efficiently done, cross-country running
ski, like any other sport, needs suitable physical training.
In fact, this sport requires first of all physical strength
and training of the leg and arm muscles, especially
when an athlete desires to cover a long distance, comprise
in flat stretches and uphill and downhill stretches.
Presently, the preparation for this sport
takes place mainly in a gymnasium and comprises special
free-standing exercises for strengthening the leg
and arm muscles and for causing certain particular
muscles to work under conditions simulating the actual
conditions.
Specific devices adapted for a cross-country
ski facing training are not known to the Applicant,
and do not appear to be on the market, so that those
desiring to have recourse to the aid of mechanical
devices are compelled to use an exorcise bicycle, a
rowing machine or the like, but all these deviees,although
athletically preparing certain muscles, do not simulate
the actual conditions that are produced when engaging
in crosscountry ski racing.
A matter of particular importance is the
coordination of the arm and leg movements, which in
cross-country ski facing is carried out in a quite
particular manner, and certainly differs, for example,
from movements which are obtained with a rowing machine.
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The object of the present invention is a
mechanical device for simulating with the utmost accuracy
coordinated leg and arm movements typical of cross-country
ski; and particularly the alternating step which is
the typical movement performed on flat or slightly
sloping ground.
A further object of the invention is that
the gymnastic leg and arm movement is to be performed
while wearing skis and boots, and while gripping the
ski poles, in order to create with the utmost possible
accuracy the effective operating conditions.
These objects are attained by a manually
movable implement comprising a frame which is formed
by four longitudinal tubular members, preferably square
or rectangular in cross-section, and by two connecting
cross bars, and is characterized in that two saddles
which are slid able on the intermediate tubular members,
and support a pair of skis, perform alternately opposite
forward and backward movements according to an adjustable
excursion thereof, the said saddles being connected
with only one flexible driving means sliding under
the frame on suitable guides, so that to a forward
movement in one direction of one of the skis there
corresponds an equal backward movement in the opposite
direction of the other ski.
According to the invention, the two outer
tubular members of the device, which are parallel to
the intermediate tubular members, carry two slides
which are slid able on the said tubular members. Connected
by means of a hinge to each one of the slides there
is a small socket for receiving the point of a ski
pole. Also, the slides are fastened to the flexible
means consisting of a chain, a rope, or a toothed belt,
whereby they are given as well an alternate discordant
movement.
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The movements of the skis fastened to the
saddles and of the ski poles fixed to the slides, which
are coordinated by the flexible means located under
the frame, exactly reproduce the arm and leg movements
typical of the alternating step in cross-country skiing.
According to a broad aspect of the present
invention there is provided a device for presoaking
training for cross-country skiing. The device comprises
four parallel tubular members preferably rectangular
or square in cross-section and including two lateral
and two intermediate members. The four tubular members
are rigidly mounted on two cross bars. Two saddles
are slid able on the intermediate tubular members. The
saddles perform movements of the same length but in
opposite directions up to an adjustable maximum length
of travel. The saddles are connected with a single
flexible driving means sliding under the frame on guides.
Two slides are slid able on the lateral tubular members
and are connected through hinges to ski pole supports
performing discordant movements of the same length
as the movements of the ski-carrying saddles. The
slides are also connected with the flexible means.
`- A rail is formed by two main tubular supports hingedly
connected -to a forward cross bar of the device. A
C-shaped tubular bar is fitted into the free ends of
the main tubular supports and are upwardly pull able
and lockable in position by means of two collars provided
at the free ends of the main tubular supports, the
latter being liftable through the unlocking and rollicking
of two snap rings which by means of hinges are connected
to rods, which in turn are also connected by means
of hinges to horizontal bars welded to the forward
cross bar.
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Other features and advantages of the device
of the invention will become more clearly apparent
from the hollowing description of a preferred embodiment,
given by way of a non-limiting example, and shown in
the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device
without the safety rail;
FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 show two different
ways of attaching the stop members limiting the travel
of the saddles;
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing one
of the two ski-carrying saddles;
FIGURE 5 diagrammatically shows the path
of the flexible means located under the frame, with
which the slides and the saddles are connected;
FIGURE 6 is a sectional view showing one
slide with the socket for receiving one ski pole; and
FIGURE 7 is a further partial view of the
device showing the safety rail.
Referring to Figure 5 and to Figure 1, a
flexible means 1 which may be a rope of wire or synthetic
fiber, a chain, or a belt with or without teeth, runs
along a closed path and is supported by a pair of pulleys
2 secured to the ends of a tubular member 6, the pair
of pulleys 3 secured to the ends of a tubular member
7, a pair of pulleys 4 secured to the ends of a tubular
member 8 r and a pair of pulleys 5 secured to the ends
of a tubular member 9. Saddles 10 and 11 which are
slid able on the tubular members 7 and 8, and slides
12 and 13 which are slid able on the tubular members
6 and 9, are connected with the flexible means 1 through
mechanical devices to be described later. Thus, to
a forward movement in one direction of, for example,
the saddle 10, there corresponds an equal forward movement
of the slide 12, while a backward movement of the same
length of the saddle 11 and the slide 13 occurs simulate-
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nuzzle. Therefore, by fastening with suitable means the skis onto the saddles 10 and 11 and the ski poles
onto the lateral slides, the alternating step typical
of cross-country ski racing will be reproduced.
Actually, a person who mounts the device
and locks his shoes to the special ski fasteners attached
to the saddles, and inserts the ski poles into the
sockets carried by the lateral slides, once he has made
a single forward or backward movement with one foot,
is induced by the device to move his legs and arms
according to the alternating step.
Figure 4 shows the connection between one
tubular member and one saddle, and between one saddle
and the rope. More particularly, the saddle 11 is
formed by a shopped plate which is slid able on the
tubular member 7 having a rectangular cross-section,
with the aid of a pair of rollers 14 and 15, provided
with shoulders, and pivoted onto the saddle and roll
on the upper surface of the tubular member 7.
Provided at the lower end of the plate is
a further guide roller 16 also pivoted onto the saddle
11, which contributes in a determinative manner to
the straight sliding motion of the saddle. A flat
plate 17 provided with threaded bores 18, in which
screws are received for clamping the platelet 19 against
the rope 1, is located at the bottom of the tubular
member 7 and is welded to the saddle 11. Thus, the
connection between the saddle 11 and the lower rope
1 is ensured.
At its top the saddle 11 has two angles 20
and 21 which are welded to this saddle and are provided
with screws 22 and 23 for fastening the ski placed
on the saddle. It is important that the saddles 10
and 11 be provided with limit stop members, whereby
the pace of the person using the gymnastic device will
not exceed his physical possibilities. This is important
particularly for children or generally for short-legged
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persons. Therefore, two limit stop members 24 are
provided, which are placed at a same distance from the
cross bars, and are arranged between the saddle-carrying
tubular members so as to overlap same. Far the operation
of the thus conceived device only one limit stop member
would be required, since the two saddles 10 and 11
alternately abut against one limit stop 24.
The fact that instead of only one, two limit
stop members are provided arises from the need of render-
in the device as safe as possible, and free from any
risks deriving, for example, from having been unsafely
locked in position one limit stop.
In Figure 2 there is shown the limit stop
member 24, which consists of a bar having two C-shaped
recesses, such that the bar can be placed astride of
the tubular members 7 and 8. In the case of Figure
2, the locking in position of the limit stop member
24 is effected through the pressure exerted by the
tightened screws 25 and 26.
A variant shown in Figure 3 provides for
the bar 24 to be blocked by means of screws which are
received in matching bores 27 and 28 in the bar-supporting
tubular members 7 and 8.
As above mentioned, the slides 12 and 13
carry the sockets into which the ski poles are to be
inserted. As particularly shown in Figure 6, the slide
12, which by means of a Teflon* bearing 36 is slid able
on the tubular member 6, has an attachment member 29
to which a shaped socket 30 capable of receiving the
point of a ski pole 31, is hingedly connected at 35.
A screw 32 guarantees the fastening to the socket
of the ski pole.
* Registered trademark
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The driving of the slides is achieved by
means of shaped platelets which clamp the underside
of the rope 1, and which are secured with screws to
each slide. In Figure 6, the slide 12 is made integral
with the driving rope 1 by means of the shaped platelet
37 which sets the rope against the slide when the screws
38 and 39 are tightened.
By such a connection, the ski pole has only
two degrees of freedom, which correspond to the reciprocal
tying straight motion of the slide 12 and to the pivoting
of the socket 30 about the hinge 35.
The gymnastic device is provided with a further
safety device consisting of an adjustable tubular rail
having its upper end approximately at the level of
the waist of the person using the device. This rail,
which as a whole is designated by 40 in Figure 7, is
formed by two tubular main supports 41 and 42 which
are hingedly connected at 44 and 45, respectively,
to the fore cross bar 43 of the device, and by a C-shaped
tubular bar 46 having its ends fitted into the tubular
supports 41 and 42. The tubular bar 46 is adjustable
in height by pulling up and fixing same by means of
two lockable collars 47 and 48 with a known toggle
device.
Moreover, the rail 40 is liftable according
to particular requirements and in relation to the user
by unlocking the rings 49 and 50 which, through a hinge,
are respectively connected to the rods So and 52, and
are also provided with locking toggle means. The rods
51 and 52 are in turn hingedly connected at 53 and
54, each to one bar 55, 56 welded to the cross bar
43. Thus, once the rings 49 and 50 have been unlocked,
the rail 40 can be pivoted both forward and backward
about the hinges 44 and 45, and once the preferred
position has been set up, rollicking of the rings 49
and 50 guarantees the stability of the selected position.
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The necessity of the rail I resides in the
fact that the person being trained on the device may
happen to make some impetuous movements, with the result
of throwing his body out of balance in the forward
direction, so that it is important for the tubular
bar 46 of the rail to provide additional support for
the body.
It will be understood that numerous changes
of constructional nature may be made in the device
without departing from the invention. Such changes
may relate to the mode of fastening the saddles and
the slides to the flexible means which, as disclosed,
may be a rope, a chain, or a belt with or without teeth;
the number and the shape of the rollers for the saddles
may be changed; and the rollers for the saddles may
be replaced with equivalent mechanical means.
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