US3734495A

US3734495A - A seat and leg operated load lifting device

Info

Publication number: US3734495A
Application number: US00192420A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Nist; J Quartz
Original assignee: Whittaker Corp
Current assignee: Whittaker Corp; US Philips Corp
Priority date: 1971-10-26
Filing date: 1971-10-26
Publication date: 1973-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-22

Abstract

An improved weight training device particularly adapted for exercise of the lower limbs includes a simple lever to the lower end of which are connected foot pedals. The lever is pivoted at about its midpoint and is telescopically extendable. The upper end of the lever is connected via a cable or chain to the upper end of a weight stack. Movement of the upper end of the lever by corresponding movement of the lower end of the lever in the opposite direction is accomplished by pushing against the foot pedals, so as to raise or lower the weight stack. The device includes a seat positioned a suitable distance from the foot pedals on the side opposite the stack.

Description

@fiiififi States Patent 1 Nist et ai.

1541 A SEAT AND LEG OPERATED LOAD LIFTING DEVICE [75] Inventors: Donald E. Nist, Pasadena; Jay H.

Quartz, Mar Vista, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Whittaker Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif,

22 Filed: Oct.26,l971

211 Appl.N0.: 192,420

UNITED STATES PATENTS Zinkin ..272/8l X 1 3,734,495 1 May 22, 1973 3,380,737 4/1968 Elia et al. ..272/72 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne [57] ABSTRACT An improved weight training device particularly adapted for exercise of the lower limbs includes a simple lever to the lower end of which are connected foot pedals. The lever is pivoted at about its midpoint and is telescopically extendable. The upper end of the lever is connected via a cable or chain to the upper end of a weight stack. Movement of the upper end of the lever by corresponding movement of the lower end of the lever in the opposite direction is accomplished by pushing against the foot pedals, so as to raise or lower the weight stack. The device includes a seat positioned a suitable distance from the foot pedals on the side opposite the stack.

A SEAT AND LEG OPERATED LOAD LIFTING DEVICE BACKGROUND 1. Field of Invention The present invention generally relates to weight training devices, particularly those for exercise of the lower limbs.

2. Prior Art Most of the exercising devices presently in use are relatively complicated in construction and are expensive. Those devices which are particularly adapted for exercise of the lower limbs usually employ a bar or seat or stool spaced from a pair of foot pedals interconnected to a stack of weights by means of an A-frame or bell crank or the like. In some instances, a complicated set of pulleys and cables is involved to translate the forward movement of the foot pedals to upward movement of the weight stack. However, although such devices generally are suitable for use in situations where a large initial outlay can be easily amortized by extensive use by a plurality of exercisers, there is a need for a more compact, simplified and less expensive device which has few moving parts and needs less than the usual amount of maintenance and care.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is inexpensive, employs few moving parts, can be made relatively compact with the weight stack close to the weight stack-moving components and user (to facilitate changing of the weights on the stack) and is more readily suitable as economy apparatus. A particularly desireable feature, although optional, is the telescoping upper arm of the lever employed in the device which permits a change in the effective force applicable through the lever. Preferably, weight selector means and an adjustable seat are also provided so that the device is completely adaptable to all ages and sizes of exercisers. In a simplified version of the device, guide means such as the usual type of pulleys seen in conventional devices are eliminated and the device can be made relatively narrower from the front to back so as to readily fit within the confined space usually associated with home use requirements.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the improved device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic fragmentary view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the upper telescoping portion of the lever means shown in FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the device of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 and 2 FIG. 1 schematically illustrates in perspective view a preferred embodiment of the improved weight training device of the invention. In this regard, a device is depicted which includes weight means in the form of a generally vertically oriented stack 12 of weights 13 such as are usually fabricated of cast iron, steel or the like and which are supported in position in device 10 by weight support means comprising a pair of vertical bars 14 and 16 extending through apertures 18 and 20 in stack 12. Bars 14 and 16 are secured at their upper and lower ends thereof to a frame 22, as shown in FIG.

l. A cross-member 23 is connected to bars 14 and 16 below stack 12 to support the same above the lower end of. frame 22. Frame 22, bars 14 and 16 and crossmember 23 can be fabricated of, for example, iron, structural steel or the like.

Frame 22 includes base members 24 vertical members 26, diagonal cross members 28 and a top frame member 30 interconnected as by welding or the like. Spaced forwardly of stack 12 and generally vertically oriented is a lever bar 32 pivotally connected at about its midpoint to a generally horizontally aligned lever support bar 34 secured to the upper end of front vertical members 26 of frame 22. The lower end 36 of bar 32 is spaced above the lower end of frame 22 and bears foot support means in the form of a pair of spaced pedals 38 interconnected with each other and bar 32 by a cross-brace 40. pedals 38 face outwardly from the front end of device 10, as shown in FIG. 1. The upper end 42 of lever bar 32 is hollow, as shown more particularly in FIG. 2, and includes a telescoping member 44 extendable upwardly therefrom. As is particularly shown in FIG. 2, member 44 is provided with a head 46 bearing an eye 48 for connection of lever 32 to weight stack 12, as more particularly described hereafter. Member 44 may be provided with a closed lower end 50 to increase its strength and both end 42 of bar 32 and member 44 preferably are provided with aligned apertures 52, as shown in FIG. 2, through which a pin 54 is releaseably disposed to secure member 44 in any desired extended or unextended position, such as that shown in FIG. 2. It will be understood that bar 32 and member 44 thereof can be fabricated of any suitable material such as steel or the like capable of exerting the required leverage without bending.

Stack 12 is provided with a pull bar 56 extending up through apertures 58 in the weights 13 of the stack. Apertures 60 are provided in the individual weights 13 of stack 12 and in bar 56 so that a selector pin 62 can be releaseably extended therethrough to permit lifting of any desired number of weights 13 from stack 12.

The upper end of bar 56 is connected to connecting means in the form of a cable (or chain or the like) 64 which is trained over a pulley 66 secured by braces 68 to top frame member 30, runs to eye 48 and is secured thereto by suitable means such as a hook or the like (not shown).

A body support means in the form of a seat 70 is provided with a bottom cushion 72 and backrest 74. Seat 70 is secured to a seat support frame 76 and seat 70 and frame 76 are provided with aligned apertures 78 therein through which a pin 80 can be disposed to releaseably position seat 70 any desired distance from pedals 38, so as to accommodate exercisers of various sizes and leg lengths.

With the device shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the exerciser can pre-select any desired weight (via the weight selector) to push with the legs. The effective force exerted through the lever bar 32 can also be adjusted by telescoping member 44 to the desired location and securing it in place by pin 54. Seat 70 is adjusted so that when the exerciser is seated he is at a comfortable distance from pedals 38 with his legs partially drawn up and his feet in contact with pedals 38. The exerciser then pushes his feet forward against pedals 38 to pivot the lower end of bar 32 towards device 10, causing the upper end of bar 32 to move towards the exerciser and pull up the preselected amount of weights 13 from stack 12. This affords valuable controlled leg exercise. Easing up of the pushing force lowers weights 13 on stack 12 and returns the exercisers legs to the starting position for a repeat of the exercise.

FIG. 3

FIG. 3 is the simplified version of the device of the invention. Components substantially identical to those of FIG. I bear in FIG. 3 the same numerals but are succeeded by the letter a. It will be noted from FIG. 3 that no pulley is interposed between the weight stack 12a and the upper end of lever bar 32a, which in this version does not include an extendable member. It will also be noted that weight stack 12a is supported higher above ground level in frame 220 than in device in order to minimize the angle between the upper end of bar 32a and the top of stack 12a. For this purpose, an inverted U-shaped support member 78 supports stack 12a in the desired starting position. Moreover, bars 14a and 16a are pivotally connected to the upper end of member 78 (by suitable pivot means) and they are joined together at their upper ends by a cross-member 80 to which a limit bar 82 is secured. Bar 82 extends rearwardly through member30a is provided at its rearward terminus with a stop 84. It will also be noted that frame 22a is narrower from front to back than is frame 22 and thus fits into a smaller space.

Use of device 10a is similar to that of device 10 in that forward movement of pedals 38a away from the exerciser causes pivoting of bar 32a so that the upper end thereof moves towards the exerciser, thus lifting that portion of stack 12a pinned by selector pin 62a to selector bar 56a through aperture 60a. Because of the angle of cable 64a between stack 12a and bar 32a, it is desireable to have stack 12a pivot forward when pedals 38a are pushed away from the exerciser. The described arrangement of components permits this to be carried out effectively. Stack 12a returns to an upright position when pedals 38a are permitted to return to the start position.

It will be understood that the present device can, if desired, be utilized for exercising of parts of the body other than the legs. Thus, the body support means of the device can be, for example, in the form of push blocks (not shown) against which the heels of the exerciser can be positioned and the exerciser can grasp with the hands the lower portion of the lever arm at any point below the pivot point and push away from him towardsthe device to exercise the arms and torso. An inclined plane or table can also be used in place of the seat, stool or bench. If desired, the lever can be placed higher above the bottom of the device to facilitate gripping its lower portion, and the exact positioning of the grip relative to the pivot point thereof will determine the effective force necessary to raise the weight stack. Moreover, the weight stack can be disposed in other than an upright position, if desired, in order to accommodate desired component alignments, etc. Accordingly, the present device is capable of a plurality of modifications for various exercising purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved weight training device comprising:

a. a weight stack comprising a plurality of stacked weights;

b. a frame;

0. a weight support connected to said stack and to said frame;

d. a generally horizontal lever support member connected to said frame;

e. a generally vertical lever bar pivotally connected to said support member for rotation therearound, said lever bar including at the upper end thereof a releasably telescoping lever extension member;

f. a pair of foot pedals connected to the lower end of said lever bar on the side thereof opposite said stack;

g. an elongated flexible connecting member interconnecting said weight support and said lever extension member; and, g

h. a seat spaced from, but adjacent to said device and on the same side thereof as said foot pedals.

2. The improved device of claim 1 wherein said device includes at least one pulley connected to said frame between said weight stack and said lever bar and over said elongated flexible connecting member is trained.

3. The improved device of claim 1 wherein said device includes an adjustable seat support connected to said frame and adapted to releasably position said seat in spaced relation to said foot pedals and wherein said extension member includes a tube slidably received within a cavity in the upper end of said lever bar and a pin releasably received within mating apertures extending through the sidewall of said tube and said upper end.

Claims

1. An improved weight training device comprising: a. a weight stack comprising a plurality of stacked weights; b. a frame; c. a weight support connected to said stack and to said frame; d. a generally horizontal lever support member connected to said frame; e. a generally vertical lever bar pivotally connected to said support member for rotation therearound, said lever bar including at the upper end thereof a releasably telescoping lever extension member; f. a pair of foot pedals connected to the lower end of said lever bar on the side thereof opposite said stack; g. an elongated flexible connecting member interconnecting said weight support and said lever extension member; and, h. a seat spaced from, but adjacent to said device and on the same side thereof as said foot pedals.