CROSS COUNTRY SKIING MACHINE SIMULATOR

EXERCISEUR SIMULANT LE SKI DE RANDONNEE

English Abstract

INVENTION APPLICATION
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING MACHINE
SIMULATOR

ABSTRACT

This invention describes a cross country skiing exerciser consisting if a
metal frame which contains four tracks on which four carriages slide: two
for the trainee's feet and two for his ski poles, all said carriages being
interconnected via a flexible steel cable running over a plurality of pulleys
in such manner as to simulate cross country skiing.


SPECIFICATION

Medical and fitness authorities agree that the best cardiovascular exercise
is cross country skiing. Some of the reasons are:
1. Rapid rise in heart rate and oxygen consumption.
2. More muscles involved than in almost any other sport.
3. Stand up exercise--works some of the largest muscles in the body for
greater oxygen consumption.
4. Fluid, natural movements, akin to long stride walking.
5. Less boring, people will exercise longer.
6. Non jarring, far easier on joints and ligaments than jogging or
jumping in place.
7. Promotes flexibility of the joints because of the large number of
joints being flexed.

The present invention relates to a machine which closely simulates the
movements of a cross country skier. The machine can be used indoors to
train for cross country skiing in the off-season or to train for cardiovascular
(aerobic) fitness and can be used by men and women of all ages.

Most fitness machines presently on the market exercise only one or two
muscle groups. For example, bicycle exercises work only on leg muscles.
Rowing machines use primarily the arms and upper thigh muscles
(quadriceps). Good aerobic exercise such as jogging or jumping in place are
very hard on the joints and can lead to serious injury.

Next to cross country skiing, the best cardiovascular training can be
achieved in a cross country skiing simulator such as the one described
here.

Claims

CLAIMS

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
priviledge is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An exercising device used to simulate the motions of cross country
skiing and consisting of a rectangular frame with five longitudinal tracks
on which four carriages slide, two centrally positioned longer carriages
designated as foot pads and serving as supports for the trainnee's feet
and rolling on a plurality of rollers each, and the other two shorter,
outwardly positioned carriages, one to the right of the foot pads, the other
to the left, said shorter carriages being designated as pole carriages and
being used as supports for ski poles and gliding on low friction surfaces
such as teflon on steel or some other suitable low friction, non-wearing
material combinations, all said four carriages being interconnected via a
single, flexible, steel cable running over a plurality of pulleys, said pulleys
being strategically located so that when the left foot pad moves forward,
the right pole carriage moves forward also, while at the same time the
right foot pad moves rearward together with the left pole carriage, the
purpose of the arrangement being to vary the resistance felt at the said
four carriages in direct proportion to the downward force being applied by
the trainee on the ski poles.

2. An exercising machine as described in Claim 1 above except that to each
of the two aforementioned pole carriages, a plurality of rollers and a
centrally guided spring or springs or other resilient member or members
are added, the purpose being to separate the two following distinct
functions, one function being provided by the said rollers supporting and
guiding the said pole carriages whereas the second function being
performed by the centrally guided springs or resilient members which,
being inserted between the ski poles and the friction surfaces, are
employed to provide a more gradual proportionality between the
downward travel of the ski poles, as the springs are being depressed and
the applied force felt at the friction surfaces, the net result being smoother,
less jerky resistance as felt by the trainee at all four carriages.

3. An exercising machine as described in claim 2 above except that no
friction device at all is employed, the resistance to motion resulting strictly
from the frictional resistance of the rollers running on their tracks, said
frictional resistance being controlled over a limited range by varying
either the speed of movement or the length of the stride of the trainee's
legs, or both.

Description

-- 122567


P~IO~ A~T
Prior art wa3 se~rched and the following Canadi~ patents are bein8 cited:
1,077,988 issued 80-05-20 to Pa~18.
1,079,319 i~sued 80-06-10 to Dur~t.
Al~o the following US p~tent3:
3,71 I,089 is~ued Jan. 1973 to Reinh~rd
3,941,377 is~ued M~r. 1976 to Lie.

Althou8h all of the above mention~d patents de~l ~rith ~he wlbiect ~
~imula~ skiiDg, none ~ them fairly suggest or desibe ~he pre~ent
invention.
The Pauls patent oDme~ perhaps close~t to the pre~ent invention but dif~ers
m~ edly from it i~ that it uæs a~tual ski8 Of' iong ~ieoe8 0~ wood (0~1
wbich the trai~ee stalld~) ru~ ovsr statio~ary rollers and ~fering
re~tawe to motion only to the ~Ici ~oving backward~, wherea~ the
pres~nt inve~tion provides friclional red~tanoe to ~oth fo~ward and
b~ rard movement ~ order to ~hlmoe the traiDing v~lue and keop the
~achine ~imple.

LIST OP DI~INGS
The rcllo~in~ dr~uing~ illu~r~te embodime~t~ ~ the i~ention:
Fig. 1 i~ a plan view ot tho Preferred Embodiment.
Pig 2 i~ a cross ~ectio~ ~ same.
Fig 3 i~ a plan ~iew af Alternate Bmbodiment ~ or B - addi~ion af rollers
to Pole Carriages 5 and 6.
Fig 4 is a cro~s ~eclion ~ same.
Fig 5 i~ a l~itudinal sectio~ through a typical Pole C~rriage 5 or 6,
~howing the relati~nship af spring 13 to fricti~n pad or pads lO aDd its
supportiD~ member 14, a~ arrangement wbi~h is e~dwive to Alter~a~
Fmb~iment A.

S674

DESCRlPTIOli OF THE IIIVEIITIO~ - PI~EFERRED Eh~BODI}~ENT
~Fig. 1 ~ ~
The machine consists of a met~l fran~e 1 comprising five tracks on which
four carriages slide. The ~arriages are in~erco~nected ~ means of a
fle2 :ible, plastic coated steel cable 7 gui~ed over eight idler pulleys 4.
Two ca rriagesJ designa~ed Left Foot Pad ~ and ~ight Foot ~ 3 serYe as
supports for ~he kainee's feet,. These ~rriages roll on rollers 9.
The o~er ~ ~rriages, designa~ed Left Pole Carriage 5 and Right Pole
Carri~ge 6 ~ide o~ low friction pads 10 and haYe holes into which ski
poles 11 can ~e inserted.
A~ the beginni~g of e~ercise~ a~ll four carriages are lined up abre~ at t~e
mid po~ition of t~aYel.

OPE~TIOII OF T~ A~IIlIE
The trainee s~eps onto t~e foot pads, and inserts the ski pole ~ps into the
pole c3~riage holes. Any ski poles c~n be used: cross country or downhill.
He ~en be~ns 1;4 operate t~e mac~ine: as he slides his left foot fon~rdthe right Ioot slides backward due to the interconnecting ca~le, ~ich also
~ings tbe right slci pole carriage forw~d and the left one rearward. When
the end of the stroke is re~ched, ~e operation is fait~fully reYersed,
duplicating t~e motions used in cross coun~ry sl~iing.
Great care w~s ta~en to simulate the condi~ons encountered in actual
skiing:
a. l~e foot pads moYe on rollers in order to duplica~e the low friction
conditions of skis sliding on packed snow.
b. The ski pole carriages slide on fri~tion pads and the trainee has to e~rt
a ce~tain amount of force pus~ing downward ~nd re~ward wit~ ~e ski
poles. Be~use of sliding friction, t~e force of friction resisting the
mo~em~tis dir~dy pro~ional to t~e downward force applied. l~us,
the ~ra~ee conkols the amou~t of force ~ be overcome by his mus~les ~in
pus~ing ~nd pulling all four c~rriage~) simply ~ ~arying ~e force w~
whic~ ~e leans on ~is poles.

1~5~;7~


Becau~e o~ the fle~ible steel cable which interconnects all four carriage~,
the total foroe of friction to be overoome b~y the ~ystem is distributed by
the trainee (oonsciolJsly or unconsciously) in wch fashion as to produoe
oplimum training. For e~ample, if he wishes to e~erciæ his arms more, he
can let his feet glide ~nd he pushes backwards harder with his arm
muscles. Or he c~n pre~s downward~ ~ith his arms (but not backwards)
and let his legs push and pull the foot pads, to si~nulate wet snow
conditions. Hill climbing can be simulated by pre~sing hard with the ski
poles bot~ down~vards and backwards.

ALTI;RNAl'E I~lBt)Dl~ (Fig. 3, 4 8~ 5)
In this embodiment, the machine is the same ~s described In the preferred
embodiment e~oept that pole carriages 5 and 6 are each mounted on four
r~ller~ 8. The~e roller~ are ~imilar to tho~e uæd on the foot pad~ eIoept
smaller in diameter. The friction devioe is no~v modified so that as ~pring
13 (oentrally guided by means ~ bushing 12) is compres~ed, a
progre~sivsly greater foroe is applied to friction pad or pads 10, said
friction pad or pads being dependably mounted onto member 14. Thi~
arrangeme~ erfectively 3eparates the t~vo functions: the rollers 8
~upporting ~nd guiding the pole ~rri~8e~ for ~mooth, rapid movement alld
tbe spring loading all~wing a variable friction foroe, proportional to the
d~wnward pu~hing effort ~f the ski pole~.

ALT~NAT~ I~IBODIYI~NT B ~ Fig.3 & ~
In this embodiment, the machine i8 the same as described }n ~1~BODIM13NT
above eIoept that there i8 no friction devioe at all. The re~istanoe to
motion comes from the frictional resistanoe ~ the rollers running on their
trac~s; greater resist~moe can be achieved by increasing the speed ol
movement, the length of the stride, OF both.