US3369809A - Isometric type exercising device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1968 H. L. MORRILL, JR 3,369,809

ISOMETRIC TYPE EXERCISING DEVICE Filed May-l1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H G /0 INVENTOR. Marl. Maze/14d:

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 20, 1968 H. L. MORRILL, JR 3,369,809

ISOMETRIC TYPE EXERCISING DEVICE Filed May 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 f L L L. :o

HG a Z INVENTOR- /2 NW 22 #422) L. Mme/um L20 [7 P76. 6 BY ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,369,809 ISOMETRIC TYPE EXERCISING DEVICE Harry L. Morrill, Jr., P.O. Box 6467, Trails End Road, Marietta, Ga. 30060 Filed May 11, 1965, Ser. No. 454,805 4 Claims. (Cl. 272-79) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to exercising devices and more particularly to an exercising device adapted for both isometric and isotonic exercises.

Isometric exercising devices have been known gen erally in the prior art and customarily comprise springs or other elastic means against which the exerciser will pull or push. One difficulty common with all such devices is that the resilience of the elastic mechanism is preset and cannot be varied. Such characteristics customarily mean that an inexperienced exerciser is not sufliciently strong to operate the device while a person of great strength finds that the mechanism is no challenge. Another difficulty common with conventionally known isometric exercising devices is that they cannot be used for other forms of exercises, such as isotonic exercises. It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned difliculties.

It is an object of this invention to provide an exercising device which may be used to perform isometric exercises in which the resistance of the device depends upon the effort exerted by the exerciser.

Another object of this invention is to provide an exercising device which is adapted for both isometric exercises and isotonic exercises.

A further object of this invention is to provide an exercising device which is durable, compact, inexpensive and which requires no maintenance.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a platform which may accommodate a heavy portion of an exercisers body, at least one roller mounted on the platform, and a rope having handles at each end trained over the roller.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction and operation, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown preferred embodiments of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view of an exerciser utilizing one embodiment of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the exerciser of FIGURE 2 taken along line 3-3 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows;

3,369,809 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 FIGURE 4 is an enlarged plan view of one end of the platform shown in FIGURE 3, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 4 taken along line 5-5 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view of the device of FIGURE 4 taken along line 6-6 thereof and viewin: in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is a front view of an adjustable handle which may be used in conjunction with the exercising device shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view of the handle shown in FIGURE 7, taken along line 8-8 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view of another form of exercising device in accordance with the principles of the instant invention;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view of the exercising device shown in FIGURE 9 taken along line 1010 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged plan view of the platform shown in FIGURE 10 with certain parts being broken away for reasons of convenience; and

FIGURE 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the platform shown in FIGURE 11 taken along line 12-12 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like elements throughout the several views thereof, and particularly to FIGURES 1 to 8 inclusive, there is indicated generally at 10 an exercising device comprising a planar rectangular platform 12 having the rollers 14 mounted interiorly thereof, with a rope 16 having a bight portion thereof trained around the rollers 14.

Platform 12 comprises a rectangular wooden piece about 22 inches long, 3 inches wide, and /8 inch thick, having an opening 18 extending transversely therethrough, the opening having opposed ends communicating with the opposed sides of the platform 12 and positioned about one inch from the end of platform 12. Centrally located along the longitudinal axis of platform 12 is a slot 20 about inch deep which connects recesses 18, for, purposes more fully explained hereinafter. v I

As shown in FIGURES 4 to 6 inclusive, roller 14 is rotatably mounted on the transverse axis of platform 12 by a pin 22 which extends from one lateral edge of platform 12, transversely through the opening 18, back into platform 12 to a point adjacent the other lateral edge. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, roller 14 is adapted to freely rotate within the opening 18, and as such the diameter of the roller 14 is less than the thickness of the platform 12.

Roller 14 comprises a substantially cylindrical body having a peripheral indentation or continuous circumferential groove 24 which lies along the longitudinal axis of platform 12 to coincide with an extension of the slot 20, the latter having a depth suflicient to freely receive a portion of the rope for longitudinal movement therein, as shown in FIGURES l and 6.

In the operation of the basic exercising device, the platform 12 is placed on any convenient normally horizontal surface such as, for example, a floor indicated by reference numeral F. Thereafter, the user or exerciser mounts or stands on the platform 12 to clampingly engage the platform against the floor F. The user then grasps the ends of the rope 16 and pulls upwardly thereon with both hands as shown in FIGURE 1. In so doing, the exerciser will be performing an isometric exercise of the type commonly known. If the exerciser desires to perform an isotonic exercise, it is necessary only to pull upwardly with one hand and allow the other hand restin-gly to descend. Repeating this exercise with the hands alternating up and down movement provides an excellent isotonic exercise. As shown in FIGURE 1, handle means indicated generally at 26 may be provided on the ends of rope 16 to adjust the length thereof in order to exercise different muscles.

In providing an isotonic exercising device experience has shown that rope 16 suffers an undue amount of wear. It has been found that the cause of this wear is the rubbing of rope 16 against platform 12 as rope 16 engages and disengages roller 14. Accordingly, a vertical slot 28 is provided on the outermost edge of the opening 18 positioned on the longitudinal axis of platform 12 (FIGURE 4) and a slot 20 extends centrally of platform 12 further than does indentation 24 (FIGURE 6).

Referring now to FIGURES 7 and 8 there are shown enlarged views of handle means 26 which comprises a conveniently shaped wooden handle 28 having vertically spaced apart apertures 30 therein. Each of the apertures 30 comprises a centrally located minimum dimension with the aperture smoothingly diverging outwardly to the edges of handle 28. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 8 rope 16 is threaded through lower aperture 30, then looped about the upper edge of handle 28 and then threaded through upper aperture 30. There is thus provided a convenient means for adjusting the length of rope 16.

Referring now to FIGURES 9 to 12 inclusive, it is indicated generally at 32 another form of exercising device in accordance with the principles of the instant invention. Exercising device 32 comprises a rectangular planar platform 34 having an opening 36 located at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse planes of platform 34. A roller 38 is mounted Within recess 36 by a pin 40 in much the same manner that roller 14 is mounted in the opening 18. Roller 38 is provided with a centrally disposed peripheral indentation 42 for the reception of rope 16. A vertical slot 44 is positioned on each side of the opening 36 along the longitudinal axis of platform 34 to obviate any unnecessary wearing of rope 16 as previously discussed. It should be apparent that the operation and use of exercising device 32 is substantially the same as that of exercising device 10.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved exercising device which satisfies all the objects of the instant invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance. 7

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it will be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An exercising device to be mounted or stood upon to receive the entire weight of the body of the user, said device comprising:

an elongated substantially rectangular platform having a pair of opposed sides and ends, said platform being clampingly engageable between the feet of the user and a normally horizontal suport means to releasably secure said platform horizontally against its said support means;

said platform having an opening provided with a pair of opposed ends, said opening extending transverse ly through said platform and communicating at its said ends with the opposed sides of said platform;

a normally horizontal pin spanning said opening and having its ends fixedly secured in said platform;

a roller journalled for free rotation on said pin and being wholly disposed and contained within said opening, said roller having a continuous circumferential groove formed therein and opening in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said platform;

a length of rope, said rope having a bight portion trained about said roller and disposed in said groove, said bight portion being entirely contained within said opening and being freely movable therein, and said rope having a pair of opposed ends extending through said opening and beyond one side of said platform to be manually grasped and pulled by the user to apply tension on said rope; and

said platform having slot means formed therein communicating with said opening, said slot means confronting said roller groove in spaced relationship relative thereto, and said slot means extending from end to end of said opening to loosely receive an adjacent portion of said rope disposed proximate its bight portion therein to prevent undue frictional wear on said rope against an adjacent side of said opening as said rope is moved around said roller.

2. A device as described in claim 1 and handle means mounted on each rope end, said handle means including means to adjust the effective length of said rope.

3. An exercising device to be mounted or stood upon to receive the entire weight of the body of the user, said device comprising:

an elongated substantially rectangular platform having a pair of opposed sides and ends, said platform being clampingly engageable between the feet of the user and a normally horizontal support means to releasably secure said platform horizontally against its said support means;

said platform being provided with a transversely extending opening adjacent, respectively, each end of said platform and being inwardly spaced from its said adjacent end, each of said openings having opposed ends communicating, respectively, with the opposed sides of said platform;

a normally horizontal pin for each opening, each of said pins spanning its respective opening and having its ends fixedly secured in said platform;

a roller journalled for free rotation on, respectively, each of said pins, each of said rollers being Wholly disposed and contained within its respective associated opening, each of said rollers having a continuous circumferential groove formed therein and opening in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said platform;

said platform having first slot means formed therein communicating with, respectively, each of said openings, said first slot means confronting the roller groove of each roller in spaced relationship relative thereto, said first slot means extending from end to end of its associated opening;

said platform having second slot means formed therein and extending longitudinally thereof, said second slot means opening in one side of said platform and having opposed ends communicating with, respectively, each of said openings and the adjacent ends of said first slot means, said second slot means being aligned with said roller grooves;

a length of rope, said rope having a bight portion thereof disposed in said second slot means and extending into each of said openings, said bight portion further being trained about each of said rollers and disposed in the respective groove thereof, said bight portion being freely movable through said second slot means;

said rope having a pair of opposed ends each of which extends through one of said openings and beyond the other side of said platform to be manually grasped 5 6 and pulled by the user to apply tension on said rope; References Cited 33 1 1 I If f UNITED STATES PATENTS sal rst s 0t means oose y receiving p0 10118 0 sa1 rope therein which are proximate its said bight por- 3 22 2: 2? 7 3 tion to prevent undue frictional wear on said rope 5 3301555 1/1967 r "72 79 X against an adjacent side of each of said openings as 1 6 man said rope is pulled around said rollers.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 and DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Exammer.

handle means mounted on each rope end, said handle BARRY SHAY, Examinermeans including means to adjust the elfective length 10 BROWNE Assistant Examiner of said rope.

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