Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Descriptlon
EXERCISE APPARATUS
Technical Field
The invention relates to an exercise apparatus
tha-t includes an elastic -able and a pair of hand grips,
one fixed to each cable end, providing a variety of tension-
ing and stretching exercises. The invention furtherrelates to an exercise apparatus providing a variety of
multi-level and multi-directional stretching exercises
using a wall or elevated structure as a support for the
elastic cable exerciser.
Background of the Invention
Wall-mounted exercisers are well known and
typically include one or more sets of paired wall or
support frame mounted pulleys with vertically moving,
track-mounted weights connected to the cables. The cables
run through the pulleys. At the end of each cable,
opposite the weights, is a hand grip that the user grasps.
The user performs exercises by pulling on the cables to
lift the weights which move up and down in the tracks in
response to the user's efforts.
A disadvantage of these traditional exercise
machines is that they are bulky, requiring significant
space for their associated weights, support structure and
track structure. Secondly, these kinds of exercisers tend
to be noisy, when the weights move up and down their sup-
porting tracks and impact the bottom of the track, other
weights or various metal stops.
A further disadvantage of traditional wall-
mounted and frame-mounted weight systems is that their
efficiency as a beneficial exercise is less than might
otherwise be expected simply due to the mechanics of moving
a weight. For example, once a user performing an exercisP
ini-tially moves the weight, -the resistance he/she experi-
ences diminishes as the momentum of the weight is establish-
ed and the mechanical advantage increases due to the changein position of the arms during the course of the movement.
Also, in returning the weight to the "at rest" position,
there is a tendency to simply relax and let the weight
drop, not only providing little exercise benefit, but also
generating a fair amount of noise.
Disclosure of the Invention
It is an advantage of the invention to provide a
wall-mounted or supported exerciser that includes an
elastic cable in place of the typical weights and fixed
length cable of the prior art. The elastic cable is parti-
cularly advantageous because its resistance increases as
the user stretches the cable. The increasing resistance
provides a reasonably constant overall benefit for a parti-
cular movement, offsetting momentum and lever arm advan-
tages that reduce the effectiveness of conventional weight
lifting exercises. The exerciser provides both positive
and negative resistance over a full range of multi-level,
multi-directional motion.
It is a further advantage of the apparatus of the
invention that the apparatus is virtually noiseless and
requires substantially less room than conventional wall-
mounted exercisers.
The exercise apparatus of the invention thus
includes an elastic cable. Each end of the cable is pro-
vided with a grip, preferably in the form of stirrups.
The exercise apparatus preferably includes an
elongated channel member that is fixed vertically to a wall
or other support.
The elastic cable is secured to a bracket which
attaches, in a slidable manner, to the channel. The
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bracket is positioned generally at about mid-body or
shoulder height of the user. The cable may be attached to
-the bracket by means of a connector that includes one
aperture for receiving the cable and an aperture for
receiving a pin that mounts on the slidable bracket.
A support arm projects substantially perpendicu-
larly from the channel. It is slidably positionable along
the channel and is typically positioned on an upper portion
of the channel at a height above the user.
A cable guide, in the form of a pair of pulleys
is preferably connected to the support arm. With the
center portion of the elastic cable secured to the sliding
bracket, the intermediate portions of the cable are reeved
through the support arm mounted pulleys. A user then
employs the exerciser machine by pulling the grips outward-
ly and downwardly with respect to the pulleys.
The apparatus may include a second moveable
cable guide, such as a sliding bracket that is adjustably
positionable along the channel and supports a second pair
of pulleys. Preferably the bracket is located on the
channel below the first bracket. In this arrangement, the
intermediate portions of the cable are reeved through the
lower pulleys, providing stretching in upward and outward
direction with respect to the lower pulleys.
The exerciser preferably further includes an
elongated bar that engages the cable and cable end grips in
a manner that holds the two cable stirrups in a fixed
spaced relationship for groups of exercises such as, for
example, a bench press-type exercise.
An attachment belt is provided for connecting the
stirrups to, for example, a user's ankle for a group of leg
exercises or the like.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure l is an isometric view of the exercise
apparatus of the invention showing an elastic cable posi-
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tioned for one group of exercises and, in phantom lines,two o-ther cables (shown substantially foreshortened) posi-
tioned for other groups of exercises.
Figure 2 ls a partial top plan view of the
exercise apparatus of Figure 1 mounted to a wall struc-
ture.
Figure 3 is an enlarged isometric view of a slid-
ing bracket and cable connector of the invention.
Figure 4 is an isometric view of a sliding
bracket, connector, and pulley assembly for guiding the
cable.
Figure 5 is a partial isometric view of the exer-
cise apparatus of the invention of Figure 1 including,in
combination with the elastic cable, an exercise bar and, in
phantom lines, a belt for attaching the cable to a user's
ankle or the like.
Best Mode for Carrving Out the Invention
Referring to Figure 1, the exerciser 10 includes
an elongated, elastic cable 11. The cable 11 is preferably
an elastic tubing made of a material having a tensile
strength of above 3,000 psi and an elongation character-
istic above 700%.
Each end of the elastic cable 11 is attached to a
grip such as stirrups 12 and 13. The stirrups each include
a handle portion, such as bar 17, such that is grasped by
a user's hand during an exercise.
A central portion of the cable 11 is engaged by a
connecting member, preferably a relatively rigid connector
14 that includes a first aperture 15 at one end for receiv-
ing the cable. The aperture 15 includes a wall surface
forming a sufficiently extended and curved bearing surface
such that the cable is not overstressed where it passes
through aperture 15 during use. The aperture is sized to
permit sliding movement of the cable through the aperture.
A second aperture is provi.ded .in the oppos:i te end of the
connector strap.
'l'he cable is connectecl to an elevate~ support,
such as, channel 21. Referri.ng to F:i,gure 2, the channel
2:L is preferab:ly vert;cally secured such as by rastening
i,t to an upr;ght support, such as wal,:l. 24. In its pre~er-
red form the channel ;nc:l,udes, when vlewed i,n cross-
secti~n, a base port;,on 25 that is fixed to the supporting
wa~1 such as by lag screws 26 or the like. The channel
preerabl,y includes a pai.r of projecting si,dewalls 27
extend,i.ng outwardly from the base 25. Connected to the
ends of the sidewa~ls 27 is a second pair o.f flanges 28
:forming the front face of the channeL. A pair o~ short
f:Langes 29 exLend :inward:l.y from the race Or the channel to
Form bearing rails.
The eJastic cab:l.e i,s secured to the channel such
as by the use oE the connector l4 and s:liding bracket 19.
'.I'he bracket L9, preferabJ,y includes a base portion 20 for
engaging the face of channel member 21. A pair of spaced
side plates 22 extend outwardly from the base 20. A pair
of apertures 23, one ln each side plate 22, receive pin 18.
The pin 1~ passes through the second aperture in the
connector 14 to secure -the elastic cab:Le to the bracket 19.
~pertures, such as aperture 32, are provided in the bracket
base 20 to allow passage of a astener, such as threaded
bol,t 33 through the base. The bolt passes into a threaded
aperture 31 in a bearing plate, such as beari.ng pl,a-te 30.
The arrangement is such that the bracket 19 may be posi-
tioned anywhere along the channel 21 by simply loosening
the bolts such as bolt 33 and sliding the bracket 19 along
the channel 21 and then re-tightening the bolts to secure
the bracket 19 to the channel 21.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the exerciser also
preferably includes a support arm 40 that is fixed to and
projects substantially perpendicu:Larly from the channel
member 21. Preferably, the support arm 40 is connected to
tj~isj
the channel member 21 by means of a bracket 41 having a
vertically adjustable fastening sys-tem substantially
identical in construction that for the bracket 19 described
above. The support arm bracket 41 includes a pair of
spaced flanges 42 that are provided with a plurality of
apertures 43 for receiving fasteners 44 to secure the
support arm 40 in place. Preferably, the support arm 40 is
a U-shaped channel member. The support arm 40 preferably
projects substantially horizontally from the channel 21 and
is typically located substantially above the bracket 19 at
a height somewhat higher than the user. The support arm 40
and the channel 21 are secured against rotation by a pair
of lateral braces 50. Preferably, the braces include an
aperture 51 through which the bolts which secure the
bracket 41 to the channel 21 pass. The ends 53 of the
lateral braces 50 are designed to fit snugly against the
wall 24 when the securing bolts 33 for the bracket support
arm 41 are tightened.
Cable guides, such as pulleys 58, are connected
to the support arm. The pulleys are independently mounted
in a spaced relationship to each other. The pulleys are
secured to connector 55. Connector 55 is pivotably
secured, such as by pin 56, to the support arm 40. Pin 56
i9 received in apertures 57 in the support arm. Preferab-
ly, the position of the pulleys along the support arm may
be varied, such as by the use of additional pairs of holes
spaced along the support arm. Each pulley is fastened to
the connector by means of a pivot pin arrangement that
allows free, independent pivoting movement of the pulleys
and is similar to the structure shown in Figure 4. Each
pulley is provided with a housing which is preferably
provided with a slot of selected width which allows reeving
of the cable 11 onto the pulley 58 by stretching the cable
until it thins down and sliding the cable into the pulley
unit through the slot.
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Thus, in a preferred conf iguration for a variety
of exercises, a center portion of the cable is secured by
the connector 14 to the bracket 19 which is located, for
example, at about waist level. The ends of the cable are
5 reeved through the pulleys 58 mounted upon the support arm
40. The user may then grasp the stirrups 12 and 13 and
move them under tension downwardly with respect to the
support arm 40 and generally outwardly with respect to the
10 channel 21 and wall 24. The direction o~ the tensioned
cable may be adjusted by altering the height of the support
arm 19, altering the position of the pulleys 58 along the
support arm, and varying the positioning of the user ' s body.
The tension encountered during any given exercise movement
15 may be adjusted by varying the distance between the bracket
19 and the pulleys 58.
Another group of exercises is provided for by
providing a second sliding bracket 65, with a second set of
cable guides, which is preferably located below the first
20 bracket 19 at a selectable location along the channel 21.
The sliding bracket 65, and its connection to the channel
are preferably identical to that of the f irst bracket 19.
The cable guide, is preferably in the form of a second
connector 67 and pulley combination. The connector 67 is
25 preferably identical to connector 55, and is pivotably
connected to the bracket 65, such as by pin 68. The
pulleys 69 are supported in housings 70 having openings
73 permitting the cables to be reeved over the pulleys as
discussed above. The housings are rotatably mounted on
30 pins 71. Pins 71 are in turn pivotally mounted on connec-
tor 67, by pins 72 passing through pins 71.
Referring to Figure 1, the elastic cable 11 for this group
of exercises is, as before, secured in place by means of
connector 14 to the f irst bracket 19. The intermediate
35 portions of the cable are reeved through the pulleys, as
shown by the phantom lines, and outwardly from the wall 24.
This conf iguration permits the user to stretch the stirrups
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l~ in an upwardly ancl outwardl~ direc-tinn with respec-t to the
pulleys.
Referr-ing t-o Figllre '" -the e~ercise apparatus of the
invention preferably -Fur-t~ler includes an elongated bard 80 that
engages -the cable arld Gable end grips in a manner that holds the
two cable stirrups in a fixed spaced relationship for groups of
exercises such a~, for example, a bench press-type exercise. The
bar 80 is, for example, of a desi~n similar to those described b~
the present inventor in his prior paten-ts U.S. 4,326,708; U.S.
4,198,835 and U.S. 4,316,610 and preferably of the type described
in his U.S. patent No. 4,779,867 issued October 5, 1988 entitled
Elastic Cable Exerciser.
Each end of the bar 80 is provided with a provision for
captively engaging the cable, preferably a U-shaped yoke 81 that
receives the cable 11 and guides it about the bar ends such that
the stirrups 12 and 13 are held in a separated position. A pari,
of projections 82 in the yoke opening allow the resil-ient cable
to squeeze between them into the yoke 81, retaining the cable in
the yoke, particularly when the cable is unstressed, as shown in
Figure 5 during setup for an exercise. The yoke 81 also
preferably includes opposed pairs of projections 83 that extend
from the bar 80 for insuring that the cable, when under tension
during exercise, does not slip over the bar ends. The bar 80 is
additionally provided with a socket 84 at each end of the bar.
The sockets 84 are aligned and adjacent the cable retaining yoke
81 such that each socket 84 receives and captively engages
stirrup surfaces to hold the stirrup 12 and 13 fixed to the bar
when the cable is unstressed. The stirruP sockets help
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stabilize the exerciser during positioning of its elements
during setup for an exercise.
Again referring to Figure 5, the exercise
apparatus is shown, by means of phantom lines, in combina-
tion with an adjustable, attachment bel-t 90 that provides
for connecting the stirrups 12 and 13 to, for example, a
user's ankle for a group of leg exercises or the like. The
belt 90 may also be fastened abo~t a user's waist for
tread-mill type running exercises against the stretched
cable with the cable secured to bracket 19. The user may
attach both stirrups to the belt or only one stirrup.
Where one stirrup is attached to or gripped by
the user, the o-ther stirrup and cable end may be reeved
lS through a pulley in the lower bracket 65. Pulling upon one
end of -the cable will result in the other stirrup end
engaging the pulley and, thus, securing the cable end in
place.
The adjustability of the positions of the compo-
nents in the apparatus relative to each other and the useris important in directing the tensioning effort to a parti-
cular muscle group or simply adjusting the exercising
apparatus to the particular physical characteristics of the
user.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that,
although embodiments of the invention have been described
herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications
may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of
the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited
except as by the appended claims.
