U.S. patent number 3,596,906 [Application Number 04/852,765] was granted by the patent office on 1971-08-03 for portable foldable exercise cot.
Invention is credited to James E. Parmer.
United States Patent |
3,596,906 |
Parmer |
August 3, 1971 |
PORTABLE FOLDABLE EXERCISE COT
Abstract
A safer, stronger, more portable exercise device of the type
supporting a jackknife motion cot on an M-shaped frame articulated
at the points of the M. A novel articulated joint mechanism in the
support frame, particularly at the superior points of the M, formed
by two adjacent superior arms of the M-shaped frame being pivotally
pinned together and having a cap stop member enclosing the pivot
joint, thereby strengthening the joints, makes the device safer to
operate, and permits it to be folded up into a more compact
space.
Inventors: |
Parmer; James E. (Phoenix,
AZ) |
Family
ID: |
25314148 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/852,765 |
Filed: |
August 25, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/142; 5/154;
297/316; 403/23; 403/52 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
23/03575 (20130101); A63B 2208/0252 (20130101); Y10T
403/32 (20150115); A63B 23/0233 (20130101); A63B
2210/50 (20130101); Y10T 403/17 (20150115); A63B
23/0211 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
23/02 (20060101); A63B 23/00 (20060101); A63b
023/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;272/58 ;5/67,151,154
;297/316 ;287/98,101,14 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Dror; Richard
Claims
Having fully described the presently preferred embodiment of my
invention, I CLAIM;
1. In a portable exercise device, comprising:
a cot having longitudinal side members with central elbows
permitting the ends of said cot to collapse inwardly toward each
other,
a foldable cot-support frame which, when extended, includes a
longitudinal M-shaped tubular member along each side of said cot,
each said M-shaped member including
four tubular segments connected by means of pivot pins passing
through adjacent ends thereof, and
stop means limiting the maximum angular displacement of said
tubular segments about said pivot pins, to retain said segments to
form said M-shaped member,
the improvements whereby the strength and safety of said device are
increased without loss of portability, said improvements
comprising:
cap member stop means having sidewalls and end walls, said cap
member enclosing the pivotally connected tubular segments with said
pivot pin journaled in said sidewalls, the end walls of said cap
member diverging outwardly at the maximum desired angular
displacement of said tubular segments to define stops limiting said
displacement to said desired maximum angle, the width of said cap
member being such that the adjacent ends of said segments are
positioned therewithin in side-by-side relation.
Description
This invention pertains to improvement in portable exercise
devices.
More specifically, the invention relates to improvements in
collapsible support frames for portable exercise devices.
Prior art devices, for example, the device shown in U.S. Pat. No.
213,889, issued Apr. 22, 1969, generally consist of a cot, hinged
in the middle to permit a two direction jackknife motion, a support
frame and means for suspending the cot from the support frame. The
support frame is hinged in various places so that it can be folded
up in a more compact shape.
Among the problems in the devices known to the prior art is the
problem of providing portability and compactness in an exercise
device. This has been met with limited degrees of success in
various ways, but all at either some sacrifice of strength or
safety or of portability. In one device of the prior art, a
dangerous scissors effect is created by the action of articulated
joints. Another problem of the prior art is that portions of a
tubular fitting have to be cut away in order to provide a
receptacle for a leg segment of the M-shaped support, and the pivot
pins have to be set extremely close to the end of a straight member
or segment of the M-shaped support device. Both of these
expediencies weaken the support.
Compactness is a highly desirable quality in such devices. When
assembled for use these devices are bulky and space consuming. It
is, therefore, necessary to disassemble them for storage and
shipment or make them foldable to achieve compactness. The space
taken by an article packaged for shipment is a prime factor in the
cost of shipping it and storing it. If a device can be folded to a
compact size, there is a saving in the time and expense involved in
assembling and disassembling the device for storage and shipment.
This quality of compactness is important not only to the
manufacturer, but also to the middleman and retailer of the device
and to the members of the public who ultimately use the device.
Exercise devices are intended for rugged use and it is therefore
important to build as much strength and ruggedness into the device
as possible.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide
improvements in known exercise devices which will make the
articulated joints of the separate members more rugged and
durable.
It is a further object of this invention to provide improvements in
the articulated joints of the support member which make the device
safer to handle and to operate.
It is further an object of this invention to render such prior art
exercise device more compact and more portable.
These and other, further, and more specific objects and advantages
of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in
the art from the following detailed description of the invention
taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exercise device in one position
of use.
FIG. 2 is a lateral view in section of one of the cap members and a
perspective view of the tubular segments of the M-shaped support
member and pivot pin within the cap member.
FIG. 3 is a view, rotated 90.degree. from the view of FIG. 2, of
the same cap member, tubular segments and pivot pin, with the cap
member in section .
Briefly, in accordance with my invention I provide improvements in
known exercise devices which include a cot member which has
longitudinal side frame members having central elbows articulated
to permit the ends of the cot to collapse inwardly toward each
other creating a jackknifing motion in both an up and down
direction. The cot is supported by a foldable cot support frame
which, when extended, includes a longitudinal M-shaped tubular
member along each side of the cot. Each M-shaped member is
comprised of four tubular segments connected by means of pivot pins
passing through the adjacent ends which form the points of the M.
The longitudinal side members of the cot and the two M-shaped
tubular members of the cot support frame are tied together by rigid
transverse members. These rigid transverse members also serve as
means of maintaining the proper spatial relationship between the
sides of the cot and the sides of the cot-support frame.
My invention is an improvement to the articulated joints of the
M-shaped cot support member, wherein I have provided a cap member
stop means having sidewalls and end walls. The cap members enclose
the ends of the tubular segments which are held together by pivot
pins journaled in the sidewalls of the cap member and the sides of
the tubular segments. The end walls of the cap members diverge
outwardly to define the limits of the maximum desired angular
displacement of the tubular segments forming the M. Thus, the end
walls define stops limiting the angular displacement of the joints
of the M.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the
exercise device in which a presently preferred embodiment of the
invention, chosen for purposes of illustration, is depicted. The
cot frame member 1 is constructed of chrome plated tubular steel.
The longitudinal side members 15 are pivotally connected by means
of a pivot pin 16 which joins the flattened ends 3 of the two
U-shaped tubular pieces, each of which forms the end member 14 and
one-half of each of the two longitudinal side members 15.
Canvas 5 is stretched over the side 15 and end frame members.
Semicircular holes are cut in the canvas at the central elbows 17
to permit freedom of movement at these points. Straps 6 made of
chrome plated steel are provided as means for the suspension of the
cot 1 upon a cot support member 2. The two ends of each strap 6 are
pivotally attached to the cot 1 and the cot support member 2. The
cot support member is constructed of chrome plated tubular steel
which forms an M-shaped member along each side of the cot. Each
M-shaped tubular member 2 is articulated at the points of the M.
The superior points 4 of the M are formed by the joinder of the
adjacent ends of any two segments 7 and 8 or 9 and 10 of the
M-shaped tubular member 2 by means of a pivot pin 11 which holds
the ends of said segments in side by side relationship, the pin 11
lying on a transverse axis relative to the length of the device.
This same pin 11 is also journaled in the sidewalls 18 of the cap
member 13. The cap member 13 is also made of chrome plated steel.
In the presently preferred embodiment of my invention the end walls
19 of the cap member diverge outwardly at an angle of 30.degree.
from the vertical. The restraining influence of the end walls 19 of
the cap member 13 serve as a stop means which limits the angular
displacement of the segments 7, 8, 9, 10 around the vertex of the
angle formed by the superior points of the M.
The inferior points of the M are articulated by means of a metal
tab 12 welded on to the shank of the member 9 at a suitable
distance above the bottom of the segment 9. The segment 8 is
pivotally connected at its lower end by means of a pin journaled
through the tab 12 and the sides of the segment 8.
* * * * *