US2565348A - Exercising machine - Google Patents

Description

g- Jill951 E. w. BROCKMAN ET AL 2,565,348

EXERCISING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23, 1948 I 4 Sheets-Sheet l E. w. BROCKMAN ET AL 2,565,348

Aug. 21, 1951 EXERCISING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1948 8" @951 E. w. BROCKMAN ET AL 2,565,348

EXERCISING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 55 i 57 @(Jyfi 56 g- 1951 E. w. BROCKMAN ETAL 2,565,348

EXERCISING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 23, 1948 Patented Aug. 21, 1951 EXERCISING MACHINE Emory W. Brockman, Hartsville, and William L. Parsons, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa., assignors, by \mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of the United States Application November 23, 1948, Serial No. 61,714

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in exercising machines.v The principal object of the present invention is to provide an exercising machine which effectively affords the muscular activity suitable to physical therapy needs.

Another object of the invention is to supply a machine of the type described which may be adjusted readily to meet the needs of individuals with functional limitations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character set forth which incorporates with hand controlled adjustments to allow for various arm and leg lengths of users.

Another object and highly important object of the invention is to provide an exercising machine having the foregoing characteristics which embodies easily controlled adjustments to regulate the degree and location of the activity. In order to satisfactorily control the location and degree of exercise activity, it is essential to maintain one part of the body in a fixed position and radiate the activity from this fixed point. Since the hip joints are "the central hinge of the body structure, only by keeping the seat stationaryand having all movement related to this fixed point is it possible to definitely control the amount of activity and the parts of the body in which it is localized. v V

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the stated type which may be operated either as a passive exerciser by power or manually by the user.

A further and important object of the inyention is to provide a machine as set forth wherein the drives to the pedals and handles are con; structedand arranged to provide a constantly changing relationship between the pedals; and handles. Y

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a machine having the foregoing features and characteristics which is pleasing in appearance, quiet and efficient in operation and free from vibration.

These and other objects of the invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are hereinafter fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an exercising machine made in accordance with the present invention showing a person seated thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the exercising machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevational view of the machine with a portion of the casing thereof broken away to illustrate the construction and arrangement of certain of the operating elements disposed interiorly thereof;

Fig. 4. is a detached view in perspective showing the drive motor and mounting bracket therefor;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the drive transmission of the exercising machine, the coverplate of the transmission housing having been removed to better illustrate the construction and arrangement of the gearing and linkage therein;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the transmission housing a portion of which has been broken away to further illustrate the construction and arrangement of the gearing and connections therein;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 11, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8, Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an exercising machine showing a modified arrangement of the drive transmission;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the disclosure in Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a detached view in perspective of a bell crank lever embodied in the modified trans mission mechanism shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an exercising machine made according to the present invention comprises a hollow base structure In including a continuous enclosing side wall portion II and a top portion 12. Feet 13 of rubber or other resilient material are secured to the bottom edge of the wall ll of the base which is adapted to rest upon the floor or other fiat supporting surface.

The base Ill mounts a relatively fixed seat M which is secured at the upper end of a tubular sleeve l5 that receives telescopically therein a rod or support l5 which is fixedly secured to the upper surface of the base top portion I 2 so as to extend obliquely upward therefrom as illustrated. The relative position telescopically of the tube l5 and support rod 16 are adjustable through the medium of a lock screw I! to permit the seat I4 to be adjusted to the desired height with respect to pedals hereinafter described.

Secured internally of the base III to the underside of the top portion l2 thereof is a substantially closed transmission housing l8 including vertically extending parallel spaced side walls l9 and 20, the latter being removable and serving as a cover. Extending transversely of the housing [8 adjacent the lower rearward corner thereof is a drive shaft 21 which has its opposite end portions rotatably mounted in the housing sidewalls l9 and 2G. The shaft 2! extends a short distance laterally beyond the housing wall 20 and has fixedly secured thereon a pulley 22 of predetermined diameter.

Preferably the pulley 22 is of relatively heavy construction and functions in the manner of a fly-wheel when rotationally driven. The circumference of the pulley 22 is grooved as shown to receive therein a V-belt 23 which is in turn driven from a relatively smaller pulley 24 secured on the drive shaft of an electric motor or other source of rotational power 25. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the motor 25 is supported from the rear wall of the transmission housing l8 by means of a bracket structure 26, for example, constructed and adapted to support the motor 25 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

Fixedly mounted upon the drive shaft 2| within the housing I8 is a gear 2'! which is meshed with a gear 28. This gear 28 is fixed upon an idler shaft 29 which extends transversely of the housing I 8 parallel to the drive shaft 2! and has its opposite ends journaled in the housing side walls I9 and 20 as shown, for example in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Also secured upon the shaft 29 is another gear 3!] which is meshed with a gear 3| fixed upon an idler shaft 32 that likewise extends transversely of the housing [8 with its opposite ends journaled in the housing side walls '19 and 2D.

The gear 3! in turn is meshed with a gear 33 which is mounted on a tubular sleeve 34. The sleeve 34 extends transversely of the housing It and has its opposite ends rotationally journaled in the side walls is and 26 of the housing. The sleeve 34 is keyed or otherwise secured rotationally to a pedal shaft 35 which is adapted to be slidably inserted through the sleeve and housing. As shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the opposite ends of the pedal shaft 35 are designed to project laterally from opposite sides of the housing I8 and have fixedly secured thereon pedal shanks 36. The pedals or foot supports 31 on the pedal shanks 35 are provided with spring clips 38 which are constructed and operable to engage over and retain users feet of various sizes firmly in position upon the pedals. In addition, the pedal shanks 35 are readily detachable from the pedal shaft 35 in order that pedal shanks of various lengths may be mounted on the shaft '35 as required.

From the foregoing it will be aparent that the motor 25 will operate through the belt 23 to drive the fly-wheel pulley 22 and its shaft 2| with the result that the said shaft '21 will operate through the train of gears 21, 28, 30, 3'! and 33 to rotationally drive the pedals 35 at a predetermined rate of speed. The transmission is designed with reference to a predetermined pitch diameter gearing so that the relationship between pedalspeed and oscillation of handle can be varied, either faster or slower by changing the gear combination without changing the center distances of the .journal bores in the housing.

Mounted for oscillatory movement toward and away from the fixed seat 14 is ahandle structure 40. This handle structure All includes a goose neck 4| which has one end thereof adjustably secured by means of a hand screw 42 in the upper end of a tubular sleeve 43. Likewise adjustably secured as at 44 to the other end of the goose neck 4| is a handle bar member 4-5 having opposite lateral extensions 45 provided at their extremities with handgrips 4'! which preferably are rotationally mounted upon the said extensions 46.

The sleeve 43 in turn is adjustably mounted, for example, by means of a hand screw t3 upon a rod or support 49 which has its lower end threaded in or otherwise secured to the semicircular portion 50 of a mounting member 5!. The member 51 is rotatably mounted upon a transversely extending shaft 52 that has its opposite ends supported in the opposite side walls l9 and 20 of the housing !8. The semi-circular portion M of the member 5| projects through a slot or opening in the top portion 52 of the base Ill and cooperable with said portion 53 is a cap or seal 53 which serves to prevent the entrance of dust and other foreign matter into the transmission housing l8 and also prevents oil leakage therefrom.

Depending from the handle mounting 5: below the shaft 52 is an arm 54 and the handle structure 46 previously described is oscillated toward and away from the fixed seat M about the axis of the shaft 52 through connections to the arm 54 from an eccentric 55 which is mounted on the aforesaid shaft 32. Thus, the eccentric 55 has a forwardly extending'arm portion 55 which has its outer end pivotally connectedby a pin 51 to one end of a link 58 which has its other end pivotally connected b a pin 59 to the arm 54. The pin 5'! is carried by the spaced arm portions 68 of a rocker 5| having a sleeve portion 62 which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 63 extending transversely of the housing I8 and having its opposite ends supported in the housing side walls 49 and 29.

The construction and arrangement of the drives to the pedal shanks '36 and to the handle structure 40 are such that the pedals are rotated slightly in excess of a complete number of revolutions for each complete oscillatory stroke of the handle structure 40. By this arrangement, instead of providing a fixed relationship between the pedals and handle, it will be apparent that there is provided a constantly changing relationship between the pedals and handle. Furthermore, by the described construction and arrangement it will be apparent that the relative speeds of operation of the pedals and handle may be varied as desired Without altering the ratio between the drives merely by varying the diameters of the pulleys 22 and '24. In addition, the construction and arrangement of the drives is such that the device may be pedaled manually, the fiy-wheel effect produced by the pulley 22 providing smoothness and adequate momentum to such manual operation. Th mountings on the top portion I2 of the base [0 for the seat and its support as well as for the handle structure 40 may be concealed and the general appearance of the machine improved by providing in "the top of the base a cap or cover C, for example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Alternatively, the base ID and cover C may be a unitary structure such as a single or one-piece casting.

A modification of the drive to the handle structure is shown in Figs. 9, l0 and 11 of the drawings. In the modification there illustrated, the arm 64 is disposed circumferentially of the eccentric 65 approximately from the shaft 32 and extends or projects upwardly through a slot or opening in the top of the transmission housing 66. The free end of the eccentric arm fi l is piv otally connected by means of a pin 61 intermediate the forwardly extending bifurcatedportions 68 of one arm 69 of a rocker member 10.,The rocker has its centralportion in the form of a sleeve II which is rotatably supported upon a pin 12 which is supported in spaced parallelears 13 provided on the top surface of the transmission housing 6's. The rocker. ll) also has a depending arm portion 14 arranged at right angles with respect to the aforesaid arm portion-69 and the free end of the depending arm 14 i pivotally connected, for example, by means of a pin 15 to the inner bifurcatedend portion lli of a, link H. The forward end of the linkv "is pivotally con-iv nected, for example, by means of a pin l8 to the lower end portion of a handle structure 80 at a point above the pivot fil thereof. As in the case of the embodiment first described, the exposed operating members may be enclosed and the general appearance improved by providing a cap or cover therefor such as, for example, the cover C shown in. Fig. 1.of the drawings and previously referred to. i

From the foregoing description, it will be ap: parent that the invention provides a novel exercising machine which affords effective muscular activity suitable to physicaltherapy needs. The invention also providesan exercising machine the elements of which are readily adjustable to meet the needs of individuals with functional limitations and also to allow for various arm and leg lengths of the users. Furthermore, the invention provides a machine affording regulation of the degree and location of the exercising activity and wherein the drives to the pedals and handle are constructed and arranged so that there is aconstantly changing relationship between them. In addition, the invention afford a machine which may be operated either as a passive exerciser by power or manually by the user, andwhich is pleasing in appearance, quiet and efficient in operation, and free from vibration.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosures and changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An exercising machine comprising a base having a relatively fixed seat adjustably supported therefrom, a pivoted handle extending upwardly from the base for oscillatory movement toward and away from the seat, a transmission housing supported by said base, a pedal shaft supported by said housing, pedals mounted on the opposite end portions of said pedal shaft, a rotat able drive shaft supported by the housing and extending exteriorly thereof, a flywheel fixed on said drive shaft exteriorly of said housing, power means operatively connected to the flywheel to rotationally drive the flywheel and said drive shaft, at least one idler shaft transversely within the housing having geared connection with said drive shaft and said pedal shaft so that the former operates to drive the latter at a predetermined rate of speed, an eccentric on said idler shaft, and connections between said eccentric and said handle to oscillate the handle.

2. An exercising machine comprising a base having a relatively fixed seat adjustably supported therefrom, a pivoted handl extending upwardly from the base for oscillatory movement toward and away from the seat, a transmission 6 housing supported by said base, a pedal shaft supported, by said housing, pedals mounted on the opposite end portions of said pedal shaft, a rotatable drive shaft supported by the housing and extending exteriorly thereof, a flywheel fixed on said drive shaft exteriorly of said housing, power means operatively connected to the flywheel to rotationally drive the flywheel and said drive shaft, at least one idler shaft supported by the housing having geared connection with said drive shaft and said pedal shaft so that the former operates to drive the latter at a predetermined rate of speed, an eccentric on said idler shaft, and connections between said eccentric and said handle to oscillate the handle, the construction and arrangement of the drives to the pedals and handle being such that the pedals rotate slightly in excess of a whole number of revolutions for each complete stroke of the handle to thereby provide a constantly changing relationship between the pedals and handle during operation of the machine.

3. An exercising machine comprising a base having a relatively fixed seat adjustably supported therefrom, a pivoted handle extending upwardly from the base for oscillatory movement toward and away from the seat, a transmission housing supported by said base, a pedal shaft extending transversely through said housing, pedals mounted on the opposite end portions of said pedal shaft, 'a rotatable drive shaft transversely of the housing extending exteriorly thereof, a flywheel fixed on said drive shaft exteriorly of said housing, power means operatively connected to the flywheel to rotationally drive the flywheel and said drive shaft, at least one idler. shaft transversely within the housing having geared connection with said drive shaft and said pedal shaft so that the former operates to drive the latter at a predetermined rate of speed, an, eccentric on said idler shaft having an arm extending therefrom, a pivotally mounted rocker member having said eccentric arm connected thereto, and a link connected to said rocker and to said handle to oscillate the handle.

4. An exercising machine comprising a base having a relatively fixed seat adjustably supported therefrom, a pivoted handle extending upwardly from the base for oscillatory movement toward and away from the seat, a transmission housing supported by said base, a pedal shaft extending transversely through said housing pedals mounted on the opposite end portions of said pedal shaft, resilient clips associated with said pedals operable to engage and retain feet of various sizes firmly upon said pedals, a rotatable drive shaft transversely of the housing extending exteriorly thereof, a flywheel fixed on said drive shaft exteriorly of said housing, power means operatively connected to the flywheel to rotationally drive the flywheel and said drive shaft, at least one idler shaft transversely within the housing having geared connection with said drive shaft and said pedal shaft so that the former operates to drive the latter at a predetermined rate of speed, an eccentric on said idler shaft having an arm extending therefrom, a pivotally mounted rocker member having said eccentric arm connected thereto, and a link connected to said rocker and to said handle to oscillate the handle, the construction and arrangement of the drive to the pedals and to the handle being such that the pedals rotate slightly in excess of a whole number of revolutions for each complete stroke of the handle to thereby provide a conamazes stantly changing relationship between the pedals and handle during operation of the machine.

5. An exercising machine comprising a base having a relatively fixed seat adjustably supported from the base, a transmission housing mounted internally of said base, a handle structure pivoted internally of said housing and extending upwardly from the base for oscillatory movement toward and away from the seat, a pedal shaft extending transversely through said housing, pedals mounted on the opposite end portions of said pedal shaft, a rotatable drive shaft transversely of the housing extending exteriorly thereof, a flywheel fixed on said drive shaft exteriorly of said housing, power means mounted internally of the base and operatively connected to the flywheel to rotationally drive the flywheel and said drive shaft, at least one idler shaft transversely within the housing having geared connection with said drive shaft and said pedal shaft so that the former operates to drive the latter at a predetermined rate of speed, an eccentric on said idler shaft having an arm extending within said housing in the direction of the handle pivot therein, a rocker member pivotally mounted in said housing and having said eccentric arm pivotally connected thereto, and a link pivotally connected to said rocker and to the mounting bracket of said handle to oscillate the handle.

6. An exercising machine as claimed in claim wherein the construction and arrangement of the drives to the pedals and the handle are such that the pedals rotate slightly in excess of a whole number of revolutions for each complete stroke of the handle to thereby provide a constantly changing relationship between the pedals and handle during operation of the machine.

'7. An exercising machine comprising a hollow base having a relatively fixed seat adjustahly supported from the base structure, a transmission housing mounted internally of said base, .a handie structure pivoted to the base and extending upwardly therefrom for oscillatory movement toward and away from the seat, a pedal shaft supported by said housing, pedals mounted on the opposite end portions of said pedal shaft, a rotatable drive shaft supported by the housing and extending exteriorly thereof, a flywheel fixed on said drive shaft exteriorly of said housing, power means mounted internally of the base and operatively connected to the flywheel to rotationally drive the flywheel and said drive shaft, at least one idler shaft supported by the housing having geared connection with said drive shaft and said pedal shaft so that the former operates to drive the latter at a predetermined rate of speed, an eccentric on said idler shaft having an arm extending upwardly and outwardly of said housing, a rocker member pivotally mounted on and exteriorly of said housing and having said eccentric arm pivotally .connected thereto, and a link pivotally connected to said rocker and to said handle to oscillate the handle.

8. An exercising machine as claimed in claim '7 wherein the construction .and arrangement of the drive to the pedals and to the handle are such that the pedals rotate slightly in excess of a whole number of revolutions for each complete stroke of the handle to thereby provide a constantly changing relationship between the pedals and handle during operation of the machine.

EMORY W. BROCKMAN.

'L. PARSONS, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,320,489 Turner V- -.V J une 1, 1943 2,406,344 Bergfors Aug. 27, 1946

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