Weight Shifting Mechanism For Exercising

Abstract

The user pushes against an arcuately movable pedal, the pedal being connected through a mechanism to pivot a weighted beam about a fixed fulcrum. A weight is guided for movement along the beam and is moved by a motor also supported on the beam. The motor and the beam are so mounted that positive or negative force bias can be imposed upon the object engaged by the user. A remote indicating means shows the position of the weight on the beam.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to exercising devices, particularly machines designed and intended for installation in gymnasiums, health spas and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for adjusting the load imposed on the object engaged and moved by the user of the exercising device.

One well-known system for adjusting the load comprises a stack of weight bars guided for vertical movement by guide pins. A flexible cable is connected at one end to the object moved by the user, and at the other end to a rod that passes through aligned openings in the stack of weight bars. A pin is used to connect one of the weight bars to the rod whereby that bar and all above it are lifted with the cable. Adjusting the weight load by this apparatus, although seemingly simple, is nonetheless considered too tedious by many users, especially women. Another problem is that the weight load cannot be adjusted through a continuous range.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a mechanism that can be adjusted through a continuous range in a simple manner such as the operation of pushbutton controls. Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of this character in which both positive and negative loads can be imposed upon the weight system. Still another object of this invention is to provide a weight mechanism of this character that can be connected to any exercising apparatus.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification, and which drawings are true scale. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of my invention incorporated in a typical exercising device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, alternate positions of the mechanism being shown in phantom lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, the framework of an exercising device is exposed to view, its enclosure having been removed. The framework includes a rectangular base 10 and a rectangular upright 12. The base includes side frame members 14 and 16, a central frame member 18 located between and paralleling the side frame members 14 and 16, as well as end frame members 20, 22 and 24. The upright 12 includes three posts 26, 28 and 30 respectively resting on the frame members 14, 16 and 18. The upright 12 also includes a bar 32 connecting the upper ends of the posts 26, 28 and 30. Braces 34, 36 and 38 are provided for the upright 12.

The central frame member 18, the brace 38 and the post 30 extend in a vertical plane that substantially bisects the framework. On one side the user is seated. On the other side is a weight system. A seat 40 is adjustably mounted on a base 42 for movement forwardly and rearwardly. Pedals 44 and 46 are mounted upon the upright 12 and positioned to be engaged by the feet of the seated user as shown in FIG. 3.

The pedals 44 and 46 are attached to a crossarm 48 (FIG. 1) carried at the lower end of a lever 50. The upper end of the lever 50 is connected to a shaft 52 supported for movement about a horizontal axis near the top of the upright 12. For this purpose, bearing blocks 54 and 56 are provided that are attached to the posts 28 and 30.

The weight system located on the other side of the framework includes a beam 58 that extends substantially the entire length of the base 10. The beam 58 is pivoted for movement about a transverse horizontal axis located near the back of the base 10. For this purpose, a bracket 60 is connected to the undersurface of the beam and attached to a shaft or fulcrum 62, the ends of which are supported by bearing blocks 64 and 66. The frame members 20 and 24 form stops, limiting opposite tilting movement of the beam 58. A weight assembly 68 is supported in such manner that it can be positioned wherever desired along the length of the beam 58.

The pedals 44 and 46 are connected to the beam 58 in such manner that movement of the pedals 44 and 46 away from the user results in the application of force to lift the beam 58 against the torque imposed by the weight assembly 68. For this purpose, a gear set 70 and 72 is provided as well as a sprocket wheel 74, a flexible chain 76 and a link 78. The end of the shaft 52 projects beyond the bearing block 56 and into the space between the posts 26 and 30 and above the beam 58. The gear 70 is carried on the end of the shaft 52. The gear 72 is mounted upon a shaft 80 supported by the bearing blocks 54 and 56 as well as a third bearing block 82 carried on the side post 26. One end of the flexible chain 76 is secured to the sprocket wheel 74, and the other end is attached to the link 78.

The link 78 is in the form of a square loop, the lower side of the loop being formed by a circular bar 84 that extends through a bearing bracket 86 depending from the beam 58. The looped configuration of the link 78 allows free passage of the weight assembly 68 to the forward end of the beam 58.

As the pedal lever 50 is moved angularly about its shaft 52 from the full-line position of FIG. 3 to the phantom-line position, the chain 76 wraps around the sprocket wheel 74 and the link 78 is lifted. When the lever is released, the chain 76 remains taut. Thus, in the rest position of the weight system in which the front end of the beam 58 contacts the base frame member 24, the pedal lever 50 is inclined toward the seat 40. The weight of the pedal lever 50, accordingly, imposes a torque sufficient to provide a slight force adequate to maintain the chain 76 taut.

The weight assembly 68 comprises two weight elements 88 and 90, each, in this instance, in the form of rectangular parallelepipeds. A top plate 92 connects the weight elements 88 and 90 and holds then in spaced parallel relationship. Rollers 94 and 96 are located between the spaced weight elements 88 and 90 and supported on fore-and-aft parallel axis 98 and 100 fitted to the elements. The rollers 94 and 96 rest on the upper surface of the beam 58, with a substantial portion of the weight elements 88 and 90 extending beneath the level of the axles 98 and 100 to provide stability.

In order to move the weight assembly 68, a motor 102 and a gear eduction mechanism 104 are provided. The motor and transmission mechanism are supported upon a pad 106 at the rear end of the beam 58. A lead screw 108 is mounted above the beam 58, with its ends supported by bearing blocks 110 and 112. The transmission mechanism 104 is coupled to the lead screw 108. The lead screw 108 threadedly engages a follower or nut 114 secured to the top of the connecting plate 92. Depending upon the direction of movement of the lead screw 108, the weight assembly 68 is shifted in one direction or the other.

Either the motor 102 or the transmission mechanism 104 is reversible. In the present example, the motor 102 is of the reversible type and controlled by pushbuttons 116 and 118 projecting from a switch housing 120 attached to the side of the seat base 42. The buttons 116 and 118 in a well understood manner operate switches to control the motor direction.

An indicator 122 operated by a flexible cable 124 connected to the transmission 104 shows the position of the weight assembly 68 along the beam 58. The indicator 122 may be calibrated in terms of weight or load.

When the weight assembly 68 is moved toward the fulcrum or shaft 62, the effort required to move the pedals 44 and 46 is small. When the weight assembly 68 is moved outwardly, the effort required is increased.

The extent of angular movement of the beam 58 is kept small by suitable choice of gear ratios.

The motor 102 and transmission 104 to some extent counterbalance the weight assembly 68. Accordingly, the beam 58 is in equilibrium when the weight assembly 68 is forward of the fulcrum 62. A negative bias can be imposed upon the weight system by moving the weight assembly 68 farther toward the rear end of the beam 58. By suitably choosing the position of the fulcrum relative to the weights of the motor 102 and transmission 104 and the weight assembly 68, the extent of the positive and negative biases can be determined. In the particular exercising device shown, a negative bias is not provided since the flexible characteristics of the chain 76 preclude this. However, in other applications where the connections between the object engaged by the user and the beam are rigid, the negative bias may provide for pulling as well as pushing operations.

Pushbuttons 126 and 128 control movement of the seat 40 so as to adjust its spacing from the pedals 44 and 46.

Claims

We claim:

1. In a weight mechanism for exercising apparatus having a part engaged by the user: a beam; means mounting the beam for angular movement about a substantially horizontal fulcrum axis; weight means mounted on the beam for movement therealong; reversible drive means mounted on the beam for shifting said weight means; remote control means for operating said reversible drive means to position said weight means through a continuous range; and linkage means for connecting the beam to said apparatus part.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 together with remote indicating means calibrated in weight and a flexible cable connected at one end to said reversible drive means to be moved thereby simultaneously with movement of said weight means and operatively connected at the other end to said remote indicating means to actuate the same.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said fulcrum axis is located intermediate the length of said beam, said drive means being located at one end of the beam and said weight means being movable continuously on opposite sides of a position in which said drive means and said weight means are counterbalanced.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 in which said linkage means includes a link of loop configuration connected to an intermediate portion of said beam and providing clearance for movement of said weight means therethrough.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 together with remote indicating means calibrated in weight and a flexible cable connected at one end to said reversible drive means to be moved thereby simultaneously with movement thereof said weight means and operatively connected at the other end to said remote indicating means to actuate the same.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said linkage means includes a link of loop configuration connected to an intermediate portion of said beam and providing clearance for movement of said weight means therethrough.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said drive means includes a lead screw paralleling said beam and a follower nut carried by said weight means and engaging said lead screw.

8. In a weight mechanism for exercising apparatus having a part engaged by the user: a beam; a narrow bracket depending from the beam; a fulcrum for said bracket providing movement of said beam about a substantially horizontal axis; a weight assembly having a pair of spaced weight elements connected together and extending on opposite sides of said beam; rollers carried by said weight elements and supporting said weight elements for movement along said beam; a lead screw paralleling said beam; a follower nut carried by said weight assembly and engaging said lead screw; reversible power means carried at one end of said beam for rotating said lead screw; remote control means for operating said power means; said weight assembly being movable through a continuous range in which said power means opposes and supplements the weight assembly in loading said beam; and a linkage for connecting the beam to said apparatus part, including a link of loop configuration through which said beam and lead screw extend and through which said weight assembly is movable, there being a narrow bracket depending from said beam and connected to the lower side of said link loop.