Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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REFORMER EXERCISE APPARATUS ANCHOR BAR AND CARRIAGE
STOP ASSEMBLY
BALANCED BODY, INC., a United States national and resident, applicant for
all designated states except the US, and Ken ENDELMAN, Brian JANOWSKI and
Edward D. BARNARD, United States nationals and residents, applicant for the US
only is filing this application as a PCT application, claiming priority to US
Patent
Application No. 10/723,407 filed 25 Novenlber 2003, now US Patent No.
7,163,500
and US Patent Application No. 10/920,741 filed 17 August 2004, now US Patent
No.
7,288,05 3.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to the field of exercise equipinent in which
a
nlovable carriage is utilized to at least partially support a user's body,
commonly
referred to as a"reformer", and more particularly to a refonner having an
adjustable
spri_ng anehor bar and carriage stop assembly.
Description of the Related Art:
Joseph H. Pilates, in U. S. Pat. No. 1,621, 477, originally developed the
concept
of using a wheeled platfoi-m carriage connected to a resistance device such as
a set of
weights in conjunction with a stationary frame to provide a variable
resistance against
which a user could push with his/her feet or pull with the arms while in a
sitting or
recumbent position in order to exercise the major muscle groups of the user's
trunk,
legs and/or arins. Since that tune many changes and improvements in the design
of
such an apparatus were developed by Joseph Pilates, and more recently, have
been
evolved by his students and others. U. S. Pat. No. 5,066,005 and rny patents
referred to
above are representative of the current state of evolutionary development of
these
cllang-es that have taken place since 1927.
The current conventioilal apparatus is commonly referred to as a"refoi-nier'
whicli includes a wheeled platforin carriage which rides on a parallel rails
on or
forming part of a rectangular wooden or metal frame. The carriage is connected
to a
series of parallel springs or elastic members which are in turn connected to a
foot end
of the rectangular frame. The
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carriage rides on the rails or on tracks mounted to the inside of the longer
sides of the rectangular frame. This carriage typically includes a pair of
spaced, padded, upright shoulder stops and a head rest at one end to support
the shoulders and head of the user when he/she is reclined on the carriage.
An adjustable foot bar, foot support, or foot rest against which the user
places his/her feet is removably mounted to the foot end of the rectangular
frame. A spring support rod is positioned across the foot end between the
tracks by a spring su,pport bracket fastened to the frame. The rod typically
fits in one of three or four recesses or slots in the support bracket,
depending
on the size or ability of the user. Alternatively, the spring support rod may
be permanently fastened to the frame. The user can then push against the
foot rest to move the carriage along the track away from the foot rest against
spring tension to exercise the leg and foot muscle groups in accordance with
prescribed movement routines. Ropes connected to the head end of the
carriage via pulleys at the head end of the frame are used to exercise the
user's arm and torso muscle groups.
The carriage is prevented from moving close to the foot rest by a stop
pin fastened to the top of each track, against which the carriage abuts when
the carriage is at rest. Alternatively, the stop pin function may be performed
by a spring anchor bar and carriage stop member such as is disclosed in my
US Patent Nos. 6,120,425 and 6,338,704.
Many conventional reformer designs utilize a tubular anchor bar that
slips into slanted slots in a bracket fastened to the rails at the foot end of
the
frame. The slots permit a user to adjust the longitudinal position of the
anchor along the rails. This anchor bar is typically round in cross section.
Thus, when a user decides to change the number of springs attached to the
anchor bar, he or she must be careful not to remove all of the springs from
the anchor bar at the same time, because without some spring tension on at
least one hook, the anchor bar will simply rotate downward, positioning the
hooks toward the floor. Then the user must use one hand to rotate the bar so
that the hooks face the carriage, and use her other hand to fasten a spring
onto one of the hooks. Another drawback with the conventional round bar
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and slotted bracket spring anchor design is that the brackets are separate
components which must typically be installed at the foot end of the frame
over the rails.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention may be viewed as a reformer
exercise apparatus that preferably includes a wheeled carriage having a
generally flat top surface. The carriage is movably mounted on parallel track
members attached to or forming sides of a generally rectangular frame which
has a head end and a foot end. The carriage has a pair of shoulder stops
mounted thereto and a head rest between the shoulder stops that extends
outward from the carriage toward the head end of the frame. A plurality of
elastic members connected between the foot end and the carriage elastically
bias the carriage toward the foot end of the frame. A movable spring anchor
bar and carriage stop assembly is incorporated into and between the track
members at or adjacent the foot end of the rectangular frame'to anchor the
elastic members and position the carriage appropriately in relation to the
anchor bar.
The track members are preferably tubes, each having preferably a
rectangular cross section, that extend between the head end and the foot end
of the frame. Alternatively, each of the track members could have a "top hat"
or U shaped cross section such that, when fastened to the inside of the sides
of the frame, the track has a horizontal track surface for the carriage
support
rollers and a vertical side wall for the carriage guide rollers to ride
against.
The spring anchor bar and carriage stop assembly in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention involves the carriage, the tubular track
members and an elongated anchor bar having opposite ends that ride in
elongated slots in facing vertical side walls of the tubular track members.
More specifically, each track member has an elongated longitudinal keyway
slot formed adjacent the foot end of the track member in the inside wall of
the track member. Each keyway slot has a series of spaced gear teeth cutouts
that form spaced anchor bar stop portions. Each end of the anchor bar forms
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a key or tenon that rides within one of the elongated keyways such that the
anchor bar is carried by and captured between the spaced apart track
members by the keyed ends of the anchor bar.
When the anchor bar is captured in these slots, the anchor bar may be
rotated about its longitudinal axis between a locked position against the
walls of a pair of the teeth and an unlocked position with the tenons parallel
to the length of the slot. These teeth or stop portions are shaped to permit
rotation of the keyed end of the anchor bar between the locked and unlocked
positions when both ends are aligned in corresponding stop portions.
Between these stop portions, i.e., when the keyed ends are aligned parallel to
the length of the elongated keyway slots, the anchor bar keyed ends slide so
that a user can move the anchor bar back and forth toward and away from the
foot end of the frame between the sequential stop portions of the keyway
slots.
One preferred embodiment of the invention includes a carriage stop
bracket extending from the anchor bar toward the carriage that rotates with
the anchor bar to lock the anchor bar and carriage together when the anchor
bar is in the unlocked position. This same stop bracket maintains the
carriage at a predetermined minimum distance from the anchor bar, and
unlocks the carriage when the anchor bar is rotated to the locked position.
Another embodiment of the present invention is incorporated into a
reformer exercise apparatus in which the footbar may be positioned at either
the head end or the foot end of the frame as well as various points in between
via a support bracket assembly which slides in a T-slot along each of the
frame sides and includes both horizontal and vertical foot bar positions along
with various angular positions permitting the foot bar to be selectively
positioned in a plurality of vertical positions from the carriage and near
either the head or the foot end of the frame.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description when
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taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein particular
embodiments of the invention are disclosed as illustrative examples.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a reformer exercise apparatus in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention with portions of the
carriage in the retracted position against the carriage stops of the anchor
bar
and carriage stop assembly.
Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged perspective view of the foot end of the
reformer shown in FIG. 1.
Fig. 3 is a separate perspective view of the foot bar support asseinbly
shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 is a partial view of the reformer from inside the foot end of the
reformer shown in FIG. 1 with the right side of the fraine removed
illustrating the anchor bar in the locked position in dashed lines and in the
unlocked position in dotted lines.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a separate perspective view of the anchor bar and carriage
stop assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the anchor bar and carriage
stop assembly shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is an end view of one side of the assembly shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a separate perspective view of an anchor bar and carriage
stop assembly in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present
invention with the anchor bar in an unlocked, engaged position with the
carriage.
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Fig. 10 is a separate perspective view of the anchor bar and carriage
stop assembly shown in Fig. 9 with the anchor bar in the locked position and
disengaged from the carriage.
Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the anchor bar utilized in the anchor
bar and carriage stop assembly shown in Figs 9 and 10.
Fig. 12 is a foot end view of the anchor bar and carriage stop
assembly shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 13 is a separate perspective view of a further embodiment of the
anchor bar and carriage stop assembly in accordance with the present
invention with the anchor bar in an unlocked position.
Fig. 14 is a separate perspective view as in Fig. 13 with the anchor bar
in a locked position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An exercise apparatus 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention is shown in Figure 1. Exercise apparatus 10 comprises a
generally rectangular frame 12 having a head end 14 and a foot end 16 and a
pair of parallel track or rail members 18. The frame 12 may be a generally
rectangular wood frame with the track or rail members 18 fastened to the
insides of opposite side walls 20 of the frame 12, or the rail members 18
themselves may constitute the parallel side walls of the frame 12, as in a
reformer having a metal tubular frame. The apparatus 10 further comprises a
movable carriage 22 slidably or rollably disposed on the track members 18
for movement back and forth on the track members 18 between the head and
foot ends 14 and 16 respectively.
Each of the track members 18 in the reformer apparatus 10 in
accordance with the present invention is a metal tube that has a rectangular,
and preferably a generally square cross-sectional shape. These metal tubes
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are, in the embodiment illustrated, bolted or otherwise fastened to the inside
surfaces of the side walls 20 of the frame 12.
The carriage 22 includes a generally flat padded platform 24 for
supporting a user's body and has a pair of spaced apart shoulder stops 26
fastened to the upper surface of the platform 24 adjacent the head end of the
carriage 22 and a head rest 28 centered between the shoulder stops 26. The
head rest 28 may be hinged to the platform 24 such that it may be adjusted
between at least a raised and a lowered position. The head rest extends
outward from the platform 24 toward the head end of the frame 12.
Preferably the carriage 22 has four support wheels or rollers (not shown)
which support the carriage 22 on the horizontal top surface of the track
members 18 for movement back and forth on the track members 18 with
minimal friction. The carriage 22 also has 4 guide rollers 25 (Fig. 5) beneath
the platform 24 adjacent the support rollers that roll along the vertical
surface of the track members 18 to prevent binding of the carriage 22 on the
track members 18 or against the frame side walls 20. The guide and support
rollers are mounted to a square tubular member 27 fastened to the underside
of the platform 24. A plurality of elastic resistance members 30, typically
springs as shown in the Figures, are hooked to or otherwise fastened between
the foot end of the carriage 22 and the foot end 14 of the frame 12 such that
the carriage 22 is biased toward the foot end of the frame 12.
The foot bar assembly 32 comprises a generally U shaped foot bar 34,
preferably made of tubular aluminum, having a pair of spaced parallel leg
portions 36 and 38 and a foot bar portion 40 therebetween and a pair of
adjustable support bracket assemblies 42. A padded sleeve over the foot bar
portion 40 provides a cushion support for a user's foot. The foot bar support
bracket assembly 42 is separately shown in perspective separated from the
frame 12 in Fig. 3.
The foot bar portion 40 has a generally S shaped recurve region 44 at
each end thereof joining the leg portions 36 and 38 so that the straight
portion of the foot bar portion 40 extends fully across the rail members 18
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and, when the foot bar 34 is rotated so as to lie horizontally over the foot
end
16, the bar 34 clears the end 16. The recurve region 44 further provides a
more rigid structure to the foot bar 34 than a simple straight right angle
bend
between the leg and foot bar portions and provides clearance for a user's
ankles when the users feet are spaced apart on the bar 34. Referring now to
Fig. 3, at each distal end of the leg portions 36 and 38 is a transverse
bearing
sleeve 46. A pivot pin 48 is fastened through the sleeve 46 into a threaded
central bore in one of the support brackets 42. A spring loaded stop pin 50 is
fitted through a corresponding bore through each of the leg portions 36 and
38 spaced above the pivot sleeve 46. This stop pin 50 is used to adjust the
vertical position of the foot bar portion 40 of the bar 34 as more fully
described below.
Each of the support bracket assemblies 42 comprises an elongated
support bar 52 having a generally T shaped cross section sized
complementary to a T-slot 54 mounted along the length of the frame side
wa1120 so that the support bar 52 can slide back and forth in the T-slot 54
between the foot end 16 and the head end 14. Fastened to the base of the T
shaped cross section of the support bar 52 is a support plate 56 having an
elongated base portion 58 extending along the base of the support bar 52 and
an arcuate portion 53 extending parallel to the top of the support bar 52.
This arcuate portion 53 has a series of holes 55 spaced at different angles
from the horizontal plane through the central pivot pin 48. The holes 55 are
positioned to receive the spring loaded stop pin 50 to lock the position of
the
foot bar 34 at a particular desired height above the rail members 18. At least
one of the holes 55 is directly above the pivot pin 48 providing a vertical
position of the foot bar 34. Another of the holes 55 is horizontally aligned
with the central pivot pin 48 to completely collapse the foot bar 34 around
the foot end 16 of the frame 12. The stop pin 50 is activated by depressing a
lever 57 that pivots to lift the spring biased stop pin 50 out of one of the
holes 55 to permit the foot bar 34 to be rotated to a desired position. This
configuration permits the foot bar 34 to be positioned below the top of the
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reformer so that the entire upper surface of the reformer 10 may be utilized
without the foot bar 34.
At the other end of the base portion 58 of the support plate 56 is a
spring loaded stop pin assembly 59. The pin of the stop pin assembly 59
selectively fits into one of a plurality of horizontally spaced apart holes 51
in
the T slot 54. The support bar 52 of the foot bar assembly 32 slides along in
the T-slot 54. The spring loaded stop pin assembly 59 stops the support bar
52, and thus the foot bar assembly 32, at a desired position along the frame
wa1120. This configuration, with the T slot 54 extending the entire length of
the frame 12, facilitates a variety of new exercise possibilities that were
heretofore impossible with a foot bar 34 positionable only adjacent a foot
end of the frame of the reformer 10.
The reformer 10 incorporating embodiments of the present invention
is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The springs 30 are attached to an anchor
bar and carriage stop assembly 60 incorporated with the tracks 18 at the foot
end 16. The anchor bar and carriage stop assembly 60 adjustably anchors the
springs 30 to an anchor bar 62 at the foot end 16 of the frame 12 and
maintains a predetermined minimum distance between the carriage 22 and
the anchor bar 62 via at least one carriage stop member 64 attached to the
anchor bar 62. The anchor bar 62 is an elongated straight bar or tube that
may have a circular cross section. Alternatively, bar 62 may have a C shaped
cross section or other elongated closed or open shape.
The anchor bar and carriage stop assembly 60 in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention is separately shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The
assembly 60 includes the pair of spaced track members 18 and the anchor bar
62. The anchor bar 62 has an elongated carriage stop arm 64 adjacent each
end of the anchor bar 62. In the locked position, as will be explained in more
detail below with reference to Fig. 4, the distal end of the stop arm 64 abuts
against the carriage 22 to maintain a predetermined minimum distance
between the anchor bar 62 and the carriage 22. This stop arm 64 also acts as
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a lever to rotate the anchor bar from the locked position to the unlocked
position to permit the anchor bar 62 to be repositioned along the slot 66.
Each of the track members 18 has an elongated keyway slot 66 formed
in the inside wall of the tubular track member 18 adjacent the foot end 16 of
the frame 12. The portion of each track member 18 forming the keyway slot
66 includes a plurality of spaced gear teeth 68 defining anchor bar stop or
lock portions 70. Each end of the anchor bar 62 includes a generally
rectangular tenon 72 projecting axially as well as a projecting axle pin 74
extending from the distal end of the tenon 72. As is best seen in Fig. 7, the
proximal end of the stop arm 64 has an elongated generally rectangular slot
76 complementary in shape to the tenon 72 to receive the tenon 72
therethrough such that the stop arm 64 is held against the base of the tenon
72 and cannot rotate about the anchor bar 62. An elongated spacer arm 78
similarly has a slot sized to fit the spacer onto the tenon 72. A guide wheel
80 is fastened onto the axle 74 with a screw 82.
As can be seen in Fig. 7, the stop arms 64 are assembled onto the
tenons 72, the spacers installed next onto the tenons 72, and a guide wheel
80 is fastened to each of the axles 74. Finally, a series of spring anchor
hooks 83 are installed onto the anchor bar. The wheels 80 of this
subassembly are then dropped into the slots 84 in the top wall of the track
members 18 that join with the slots 66 so that the tenons 72 on the anchor
bar 62 fit into the slots 66 to complete the assembly of the anchor bar and
carriage stop assembly 60. In this configuration, the guide wheels 80 ride
between the top and bottom walls within the track members 18 to ensure that
the tenons 72 are substantially centered in the slots 66 so that the anchor
bar
62 will not bind in the track members 18 or slots 66. This can best be seen in
the end view of Fig. 8.
Operation of the assembly is best shown with reference to Figs. 4 and
5. In Fig. 4, the foot end 16 of the apparatus 10 is shown with the anchor
bar 62 positioned in both the locked position 86 and the unlocked position
88. The dashed lines 86 represent the anchor bar 62 in the locked position
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with the tenon 72 rotated so as to engage the teeth 68. In this position, note
that the parallel sides of the tenon 72 are about 60 degrees from horizontal,
thus preventing horizontal movement of the anchor bar 62.
The dotted lines 88 represent the anchor bar 62 in the unlocked
position, in which the parallel sides of the tenons 72 are parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the slot 66. In this rotational position, the anchor bar
62
is free to be moved from one lock portion to another lock portion. When the
particular desired position is reached, the user can rotate the lock arms 64
clockwise to lock the anchor bar 62 in position and permit the carriage stop
end 90 of the stop arms 64 to abut against a bumper 92 on the carriage 22 as
is shown in Fig. 5. In this position, when at least one spring 30 is attached
to
one of the hooks 83, the anchor bar 62 is positively locked in position. In
addition, even if no springs are attached, the anchor bar 62 is prevented from
rotating upward or counterclockwise the offset mass of the assembly due to
the elongated stop arms 64 projecting at right angles to the axis of rotation
of
the anchor bar 62.
Figures 9 through 12 show a reformer 10 incorporating another
preferred embodiment of an anchor bar and carriage stop assembly 100 in
accordance with the present invention. In Figures 9, 10 and 12, only a foot
end portion of the reformer 10, including one of the square tubular track
members 18 and a corner portion of a carriage 22, similar to that shown in
Figure 5, are shown in perspective view to facilitate explanation of this
embodiment 100.
Each of the track members 18 in the reformer apparatus 10 in
accordance with this embodiment of the present invention is, again, a metal
tube that has a rectangular, and preferably a generally square cross-sectional
shape. These metal tubes are, in the embodiment illustrated, bolted or
otherwise fastened to the inside surfaces of the side walls 20 of the frame
12.
Alternatively, it is to be understood that the track members 18 may perform
the support function of the side walls 20 in an all metal frame construction
of
the reformer, eliminating the need for separate side walls 20.
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The carriage 22 again includes a generally flat padded platform 24 for
supporting a user's body and has a pair of spaced apart shoulder stops 26
fastened to the upper surface of the platform 24 adjacent the head end of the
carriage 22 and a head rest 28 centered between the shoulder stops 26. The
head rest 28 may be hinged to the platform 24 such that it may be adjusted
between at least a raised and a lowered position. The head rest 28 extends
outward from the platform 24 toward the head end of the frame 12.
Preferably the carriage 22 has four support wheels or rollers 29 as shown in
dotted lines in Figures 9 and 10, and clearly shown in Figure 12. These
wheels 29 support the carriage 22 on the horizontal top surface of the track
members 18 as shown in Figure 12 for movement back and forth on the track
members 18 with minimal friction. The carriage 22 also has 4 guide rollers
25 beneath the platform 24 adjacent the support rollers 29 that roll along the
vertical inside surface of the track members 18 to prevent binding of the
carriage 22 on the track members 18 or binding against the frame side walls
20. The guide and support roller 25 and 29 are each mounted to a square
tubular member 27 fastened to and extending the length of the underside of
the platform 24. A carriage stop angle bracket 105 is vertically fastened at
the foot end of the carriage 22 to the foot end of each of the support tubular
members 27. The lower end of this bracket 105 extends below the foot end
of the tubular member 27 to which it is attached.
A plurality of elastic resistance members 30, typically springs as
shown in the Figures (see Figures 2 and 8), are hooked to or otherwise
fastened between the carriage 22 and the foot end 16 of the frame 12 such
that the carriage 22 is biased toward the foot end 16 of the frame 12. These
springs 30 are omitted from Figures 9-12 for clarity of the following
description.
The springs 30 are removably attached to anchor hooks 83 on an
anchor bar 102 forming part of the anchor bar and carriage stop assembly
100 incorporated with the tracks 18 at the foot end 16. The anchor bar and
carriage stop assembly 100 adjustably anchors the springs 30 at the foot end
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16 of the frame 12 and the assembly maintains a predetermined minimum
distance between the carriage 22 and the anchor bar 102 via at least one
carriage stop member 104 extending from the anchor bar 102 toward the
carriage 22. In this preferred embodiment 100, there are two pie-piece
shaped carriage stop members 104 that each engage one of the carriage stop
brackets 105 and form part of the assembly 100. An alternative embodiment,
not illustrated, may be constructed utilizing only a single carriage stop
member 104. In such an embodiment, the stop member 104 would be
positioned preferably adjacent the center spring 30 (see Figure 8) and a
single stop bracket similar to stop bracket 105 would preferably be fastened
to the central underside of the carriage 22 to engage with the stop member
104.
The anchor bar 102 is separately shown in the exploded view of
Figure 11. This bar 102 is basically an elongated straight bar or tube that
preferably has a circular cross section. Alternatively, bar 102 may have a
square or D shaped cross section or other elongated closed, solid or
internally open cross sectional shape. For example, bar 102 may be a tube
have a thickened wall portion where the anchor hooks 83 are fastened into
the bar 102.
Each end of the anchor bar 102 has a generally cylindrical cap 106
fastening one of the pie-piece shaped carriage stop members 104 thereto.
The cap 106 has an elongated tenon portion 108 and a cylindrical body
portion 110. The tenon portion 108 preferably has at least two parallel sides
and may have rounded ends joining the parallel sides of the tenon portion
108. The tenon portion abuts axially against the carriage stop member 104
and spaces the cylindrical body portion 110 from the carriage stop member
104. The cap 106 is fastened to the anchor bar 102 via a pair of countersunk
allen screws 112.
The cap 106 has a central axial recess or blind bore 114 that carries a
spring-loaded indexing ball 118 at the open end thereof. More particularly,
positioned in the bore 114 is a coil spring 116 that pushes against the ball
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118 captured within the open end of the bore 114 and extending out of the
cap 106. This ball 118 is designed to ride against the inner surface of the
outer vertical wall of the square rail tube track member 18 and then snap into
a detent or hole (not shown) in the outer wall of the track member 18 when
aligned directly opposite one of the locking portions 70 in the slot 66 in the
track member 18. This interaction gives a user a tactile feedback as to the
correct longitudinal positioning of the anchor bar 102 in each of the locking
portions 70.
The cylindrical body portion 110 of the cap 106 is preferably made of
or coated with a low friction, tough polymer material such as nylon so as to
easily slide within the track member 18 when the anchor bar 102 is installed
between the track members 18. To install the anchor bar 102, the caps 106
are inserted into the openings 84 in the track members 18 so that the tenons
108 are positioned for longitudinal translation in the slots 66 in the track
members 18.
The anchor bar 102 may alternatively be formed with the tenons 108
as integral part of the anchor bar 102. In this alternative, the cap 106 would
each be a cylindrical body without the tenon. In this alternative, the stop
member 104 would have an elongated slot to receive the tenon on the anchor
bar 102.
The carriage stop member 104 is preferably a flat, pie-piece shaped
sheet metal body that has a tapered proximal end 111 expanding to a larger
arcuate distal end 113. The tapered proximal end 111 is fastened to the
anchor bar 102. The edge of the arcuate distal end 113 follows an arc having
a radius about the center of the anchor bar 102. The arcuate distal end 113
also has a latch finger 114 projecting from a bottom end of the arcuate
portion of the distal end. This latch finger 114 is sized to engage with the
lower end of the stop angle bracket 105 fastened to the tubular member 27 on
the carriage 22 when the carriage 22 is retracted against the stop member 104
by the springs 30.
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The carriage stop member 104 spaces carriage 22 from the anchor bar
102. When the anchor bar 102 is rotated upward by a user as is shown in
Figures 9 and 12, the distal edge of the arcuate distal end 113 of the stop
member 104 continues to abut against the bracket 105 such that the
predetermined distance separating the carriage 22 from the anchor bar 102 is
maintained. When the anchor bar 102 is rotated fully upward such that the
sides of the tenons 108 are aligned parallel to the tracks 18 and thus
parallel
to the walls of the slots 66, the latch finger 114 has moved up, hooking
behind the lower edge of the bracket 105, thus locking the carriage 22 and
anchor bar 102 together. When this engaged position is reached, the anchor
bar 102 is now unlocked, permitting the connected anchor bar 102, springs
30, and carriage 22 to be moved together along the tracks 18 with the caps
106 sliding within the tracks 18 along the slots 66. As the anchor bar 102
moves within the slots 66, the indexing balls 118 slide along the inside of
the
outer walls of the tracks 18. When a locking portion is encountered, the
indexing balls drop into the recesses, indicating to the user that a locking
portion has been reached. At this point, a user can then rotate the anchor bar
102 downward from the unlocked position, shown in Figure 9, into the
locked position as shown in Figure 10. This action disengages the latch
finger 114 from the carriage stop bracket 105 while still maintaining the
minimum distance between the carriage 22 and the anchor bar 102.
A plastic cushion 120 is preferably mounted on the lower end of the
stop bracket 105 to cushion the impact of the carriage 22 with the stop
bracket 105 during operation of the exercise apparatus 10. This cushion 120
may cover just the lower end of the bracket 105, or may alternatively extend
fully up the rear face of the bracket 105. In the preferred embodiment
illustrated in Figures 9-12, each carriage stop member 104 has a handle 122
projecting laterally from the upper end of the arcuate portion.
This handle 122 may be a straight pin projecting from a rubber
bumper sleeve 124, or may have any other shape, such as a ring for the user
to grasp to rotate the anchor bar between the unlocked and locked positions.
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Alternatively, the handle 122 may located separate from the carriage stop
member 104. The handle 122 may be located directly on and project upward
from the anchor bar 102 itself, for example.
The present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described above. Many changes, alternatives, variations, and equivalents to
the various structures shown and described will be apparent to one skilled in
the art. For example, each of the track members could have a "top hat" or U
shaped cross section such that, when fastened to the inside of the sides of
the
frame, the track has a horizontal track surface for the carriage support
rollers
and a vertical side wall for the carriage guide rollers to ride against. The
anchor bar and carriage stop assembly may be designed for use in a reformer
apparatus as is disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,607,381 and 5,338,278. In
this instance, the tracks form tubular frame rails and the anchor bar slots
would simply be formed in the tubular frame rails. The foot bar support
assembly 42 would be mounted in T slots 54 fastened to the outside wall of
the tubular frame rails so that the foot bar assembly 32 may be positioned
anywhere along the length of the frame rails.
The anchor bar 62 may have a cross sectional shape other than circular
as shown and may be solid or hollow. The stop arms 64 may have different
shapes than a flat sheet metal shape as shown. These members may be
round and may be alternately fashioned from a single piece of material.
Similarly, the foot rest 32 and the foot rest support 38 may be made other
than as specifically shown and described. The wheel 80 may be replaced
with a sliding block arrangement in the tubular track member 18. Any such
arrangement to keep the anchor bar tenon essentially centered in the slot 66
may be used. The anchor hooks 83 may be devices such as cap posts, hooks,
rings, or other appropriately shaped members designed to receive or attach to
one end of each of the springs 30. Alternatively, the anchor devices may be
machined into the anchor bar 62.
The variations discussed above may also be incorporated with the
alternative embodiment of the anchor bar and carriage stop assembly 100
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shown in Figures 9-12. In addition, the shapes of the carriage stop bracket
and stop members may be other than as specifically described and shown.
For example, the caps 106 may incorporate rollers to facilitate smooth
movement within the tracks 18.
Various other types of elastic resistance elements such as elastic cords
may be substituted for springs 30. The carriage 22 may ride in a pair of
horizontally oriented "U" shaped channel tracks, with the slots 66 and 54
integrally formed in the bottom wall portion of the extrusion of the track
itself. A still further variation may include a pair of track members that
each have an upper vertical wall, a middle horizontal wall, and a lower
vertical wall, similar to a horizontally oriented "Z" shape cross-section with
the keyway slots 66 formed in the lower wall. In this case, the carriage would
roll along the middle wall and the upper wall would be fastened to the frame
12 of the reformer apparatus 10. In these alternatives, the anchor bar and
carriage stop assembly 100 would also be incorporated.
Another alternative embodiment 200 of the anchor bar and carriage
stop assembly of the present invention may have the stop bracket/latch
member and bracket 105 functions reversed. This alternative embodiment
200 is shown in Figures 13 and 14. In this embodiment 200, a free end 202
of an elongated bottom portion 204 of the metal angle stop bracket 206
extends toward and abuts against the anchor bar 102 when the springs 30
retract the carriage 22 toward the anchor bar 102. This stop bracket 206 may
alternatively be replaced by a bracket 105 shown in Figures 9-12, on which a
post may be fastened to the bottom portion thereof that projects toward the
anchor bar 102 like bottom portion 204 does. In such an alternative, the stop
members 104 would be omitted from the assembly and simply replaced by a
latch hook 208 that would fit within a hole or recess in the end of the post.
Again, contact between the anchor bar 102 and this bottom portion 204 or
post, in the alternative case, maintains the predetermined distance between
the anchor bar and the carriage.
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CA 02547265 2008-12-19
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The bottom portion 204 carries a cushion 210 at its distal end for contacting
the anchor bar 102. A preferably central handle post 212 on the anchor bar 102
is
grasped by the user to rotate the anchor bar 102 upward to the unlocked
position, i.e.,
to position the tenons 108 parallel within the slots 66 as discussed above. In
this
embodiment 200, the handle post 212 may be other than a straight rod. The
combination of the bracket 206, the anchor bar 102, and the latch members 208
maintain the predetermined minimum distance between the carriage 22 and anchor
bar 102 regardless of the position of the anchor bar 102 in the slots 66.
Accordingly, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically
described and shown herein with reference to the illustrated embodiments. The
present invention is not intendcd to be limited to the particular embodiments
illustrated but is intended to cover all such alternatives, modifications, and
equivalents
as n-iay be included. within the spirit and broad scope of the invention as
defined by
the following claims.
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