Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing weight resistance
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-09
2001-01-30
Mulcahy, John (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing weight resistance
C482S100000, C482S136000, C482S145000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179757
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to exercise equipment and particularly to exercise equipment for muscles of the arms, shoulders, and back of the user.
In the field of body exercise and strength training, there is a need to exercise the upper body and arms under a resistive load. Various devices have been developed to provide a resistive force to the user as the user moves his or her arms from a position with the arms extended above the head to a position with the hands positioned below the shoulders. In such equipment, the resistance is routinely provided by an arrangement of cables and pulleys which vertically lift a stack of weights as the handles of the device are brought downward. In such devices, the resistance provided by the machine remains constant, regardless whether the user has the arms and shoulders in a relatively stronger or weaker position.
In other devices, free weights mount to lever arms at a relatively high position, requiring an attendant or the user to lift free weights high in the air to mount them to the apparatus. As the user pulls down on levers, the resistance provided by the weights varies little if any as the arms are moved from an overhead position to a position in front of the chest.
In other devices, elaborate counterbalance features are required in order to make the apparatus useful to those users with lesser upper body strength due to the weight of the weight bearing structure even when not loaded.
A need exists for an easily used, safe, pull-over exercise machine which can be used by persons of various strengths and sizes and which varies the resistive load to the muscles of the arms, shoulders and back as muscle strength and leverage decline, thereby improving exercise of the muscles over a range of motion of the arms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a safe and effective exercise machine which provides a varying resistance to the exercised muscles as the leverage and strength of the muscles increase or decrease over a range of motion. The invention provides an apparatus which safely exercises the muscles of the arms, shoulders and back as the arms are moved from a fully extended overhead position to a position with elbows at the side of the body. A base frame is provided with an inclined bench and seat mounted over it which allows a user to easily place himself or herself in position to exercise in a reclined position. The bench is inclined downwardly toward a first end of the base frame. A cushioned bar is mounted below the seat so that the user can place his or her legs around the cushioned bar and lock the bar behind the knees to restrain upward movement of the user's body when the loaded handles are pulled downward.
An upright support member is positioned on the base frame between the inclined bench and the second end of the base frame. Pivotally mounted to the top of the upright support is a moveable assembly which comprises a first lever and an arm mounted perpendicularly to the lever which extends away from the bench. At the free end of the arm is a transverse bar. Free weights may be selectively placed on the transverse bar as desired by the user to provide the preferred resistive load of the machine.
The arm of the moveable assembly is equipped with a downwardly depending stub arm to the side of which a roller is mounted. The roller may roll along the side of a rest support post mounted at the end of the frame to center the moveable assembly behind the user. The moveable assembly may be parked in a storage position with the roller resting in a cradle atop a rest support post mounted near the second end of the base. The first lever of the moveable assembly is provided with a cross member at its free end. The cross member is centered on the first lever and each end of the cross member has an elongate handle angularly extending from it toward the upper end of the bench.
After loading the transverse bar with free weights as desired, the user may position himself or herself on the machine, reach upwardly and grasp the elongate handles and pull down on the handles slightly to lift the roller from the cradle. The user then rotates the moveable assembly slightly so the roller is out of alignment with the cradle and then may fully extend the arms overhead to commence an exercise session. The exercise activity comprises alternately retracting and extending the arms to exercise the upper body muscles as the weights on the transverse bar are moved over a path which reduces the moment arm of the weights as the handles are pulled downward. When the exercise session is finished, the user retracts the handles part way and rotates the moveable assembly to alignment over the rest support and then lowers the roller into the cradle to rest the apparatus in its storage position.
It is an object of the invention to provide an overhead pull apparatus which eases in resistance as the arms are moved to positions of reduced strength and leverage.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an exercise apparatus which prevents the user from being displaced as the user pulls on the overhead pull levers.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an overhead pull apparatus which allows the user to remove the apparatus from a storage position while in position on the device ready to exercise.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an overhead pull exercise apparatus which may be used by persons of a wide variety of strengths and sizes.
These and other objects will be understood from review of the detailed description below.
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Harms Allan L.
Hwang Victor
Jam'n Fitness Corp.
Mulcahy John
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