CA1214478A - Multi-purpose exercise machine - Google Patents

Abstract

MULTI-PURPOSE EXERCISE MACHINE

ABSTRACT

This incention describes a multi-purpose machine designed to strengthen and exercise the machine of the back, torso, stomach and neck.

The machine consists of a seat mounted on a frame, with a moving arm pivoted on a vertical frame member and containing a padded bar against which a seated person can press with various portions of the anatomy in succession, in order to exercise different muscles.

Description

f~ 7 liNY~ENTlON ~lPPLll:ATlON
R~ULTI - PII~P~S113 3E~II~RCISE ~[AI:1311N~

ABSTRACr This inve~tion descl ibes a multi-purpose machi~e designed ~ stre~then and e~ercise the muscles o~ ~he bac~, torso, stomach a~d nec~.
The machi~e consists Or a sea~ moun~ed o~ a ~r~e, witb a moving arm photed on a vertical f~ne ~nember and containin~ a padded bar against which a s~atsd perso~
ca~ pr&ss with rarious portio~s of the anatomy i~ succession, in order to e~ercise di~re~t mllscl~s.

SP~CIFIC~TION
This invcntio~ rcla~es ~ a machine which is designed to stre~g~en the muscles ofths bsck, torsQ, ~t4mach and nec~c.
Speci~ically, the muscies of the followi~ par~ of the body c~ be e~ercised:
1. Lo~ver bac~ ( er~c~or spi~ )

2. Stomach ( rectus abdo~nlni3 3

3. Torso ( i~r~aLI and e~er~lal obliql~es ) ~1. Pelvis ( iliop~as ~
5. Upper bac~ and ~ack ( head e~nsors, 1eIOrS and l~teral fle~ors ) Th0ra are m~y p00ple suf~ring from co~mno~ b~c~ pain. ~ost medical s~e~ialists a~ree tha~ tho bssl lon~ ~rm ramady ~or commo~ back p~ is e~erci e d0si~ed to ~tre~hen ~e ~uscles of th~ bac~ (pri3~rily the lo~ver bas~ i.9. Uh~ erec~r spinae group 3 a~d ~hose oî the stomach - rectus abdomi~is. I~ is a~ ery bs~eficial ~o de~lop ~he oth~r mu~cles oî the torso, ~e i~ternal a~d e~ternal obliqu~s, a3 w~
the ~arg8 mu~cl~ of the polY~s, the iliopsoa~ ~y poo~le ~f~r wi~h pai~ and ~tiff~e~;s of thc upp~r bac~ s~d neck. The muscles~vhi3~ 0~ e ~he head - he~d fle~or~, extensors a~d lateral fle30rs haYe to b~ e~ercised and s~e~hened as well.
The gtre~thenillg of all tho~e ~nuscls~will help a porso~ better posturs, flatten ~B stomach, incr~ase in~r-~les~al pressllre a~d ~hereby all~ te com~on b~ck a~d n~ck ~ he cap~city ~or ~r~nuou~or~ or spo~withoutthe ~a~g~r of injury is al~ ~reatly e~hs~ced.
Possiblo e~isti~g method~ of e~ercise f~r those ml~scle eroups consist o~ ~e r~llO~g i ) Calisthc~ics - e~. sit-ups ii) Us~ofw0ig~ts-bs~b~s, d~lmbbell~, "h~ryha~d~" 0t~.
iii) Gy~ equipllne~t - D~odular machin~s requiring ~he use of ~Dols ~ convert from one functio~ to ~other 1~) Machines spociflc~Uy desi~ned ~or o~e luncaio~ o~ly i. e. o~e 3n~chlne for 3 mussle~ of ~e lo~ve.r bac~ o~ly, a~er X1~8Chi~e f~r e~ercis~
abdo~i:~sl ~uscl~s o~ly, etc.
.~

2 -~'Z1~8 In order to provide a~ resista:~ce for t~a muscles to be e~ercised, the abo~7e methods use weights, Nuid po~er cylinders, rubber bands (bungee cords), etc.
Calisthenic exercises ~re ~ood for cas diovascular activity but do not provid0 a means o~ "loadin~ up" or stimulatin~ in a 6~fe ~a~ler the back or stomach muscles to grow and strengthen. Sit-ups on an illclined board or with the addition of weights will strel~then the stomacll ~uscles but pu~ great strai~ o~ ligaments al~d san causeiJlju.ry.
~eights ca~ be used to strefigthen certRin musc~es or the body te~. biceps~ but it is impossible t4 use wei~hts s~f~ly ~without the use of machines) to stre~g~hen bsck and stomach muscles.
Gym e~uipment, ineluding multi-purpo~ machines, such as rowing m~chin~s, ca~ be con~ected in ~uch fashion ~s to be oî li~ted use to the bac~ ahd stom~ch muscles, usually by mealls of stimul~ g other muscle groups (as in rowing~. This ~ind of appar~us te~ds to be la~ge, heavy, e~pen~i~e, ~nd cu~berso~e ~ u~, usu~lly requiri~g the use of too1s to change f~rom o~e fu~c~on to another.
The las~ cat~gory are machines specifically desi~ed for s~ren~the~i~g one grcup of Jnuscl0s a~d tkl~y do sn escells~t job. Each ~achine can only do o~e function; for e~a~nple, she low b~c~ m~chine will only e~ercise the erector spi~ae group. For stomach ~uscles one ~ust purchase ~n abdomi~l machi~e. Thsy also tend to be e3pellsiYe, heavy a~d l~rge, ~aking up conside~ble floor sp~ce.
In the pre~rred embodiment ~he cl~imed in~e~tio~ i~ specific~lly d~sigIIed for strell~thening the bsck m~scl~s, the stomach :muscl0s as well as the o~her muscles of the torso and pelvis. It ch~ges ~rom one fu~ction to another euily, without the use of tools; it is li~ht ~1ass thsn 601bs.~ and cos~psct (48" ~ 20" z 1~" high~. Althou~h priD~ily desi8ned for home use, it ca~ be used by i~stitusions as well. It uses a sin~l~, engi~eer~d spring ~s the resistal~ce unitwith fflanunlly vari~bl~ ings. It provides an e~æe~ially con~t re~i~ce ~orce for the rull r~nge OE travel a~d 3chiaves this wi~hout costly c~s.Tl~e ~c~i~e offers the double ~e~0~it o~ positive work (e~ercise ~gainst ~ co~sta~t ~o~ce~ as we~l as ~eg~ive ~or~ - resisting ~e machine's restori~g forco. 1~ ~he alter~e e~nbsdiJnLe~ he cl~med i~el~n is chang~d ~rom a torso ( b~c~ and sto$nach ) ~u~cle e~erci~r to a n~ck a~d upper bac~
fflu~c1e str0n~the~in~ ~c~ine. This is accomplished withou~ tho use of too1~, ~ith~r by r~isLIlg the cushioned bar rrom tho middle of Ihe baclc ~o the head 1eYel or by cia~pin~ on ~ ~p~r~ stt6ch~e~t ~or th8t pUrpOg~!. The rost of the ~achine ~em~
unchang~d.

LIST OF DE~AWINGS
In dr~ gswhich illudra~ embodi~ents of the in~e~tio~:
Fl~. 1 is ~ plall Yie~v of l~e Prillcipal Embodiment Fl&. 2 is a side view of sa~e FIG. 3 is side ~iew of Alte~ e E~bodi~e~t A - use Or the machine f~r neck ~rcise~ by us~ ~sed p~dd~d bar.
FIG. ~4 is ~ ~ide vie~ of A1ternate Embodime~ B - use of the ~chille ~o~ neck e~ercises by wi~g ~ sep~rate ~tt~ch~e~t.

~ESCRIPTION OF THE lN~7~TION - PRE~D ~O~lME~T
See Fl~S. 1 and 2.
The machine consist3 of a metal frame ~1~ which re~ts on ~e floor A sea~ (2~ is centrally mounted on this frame for a person to sit on.A Yertical post (3) contains a bearine S4) for an arm t~) (moving in a ver~ical pl~ne) ~vhich is in~egral ~i~ the padded bar or bars (6). The r~nge of movemen~ of the moving arm is almost 90 degrees. The movi~g arm is connected via a cable ~7) running over three idler pulleys ~, 9 and 10) to a hinged notched spring ~rm (11). A large, horizontally mounted spring ~12) is attached at one end to ~he base îrame ( 1~ while the other end can bo ~anually moved fro~ one ~otch of the spring as~ (11) to a~o~er in order to vary ~he ~orce felt by the person pressing a~ainst the padded bar (6).
An impor~t feature consists Or using ~he speciflc ~eometf y o~ a l~near sprlng ~12~
co~nec~d to ~ leYer ~î a third ~pe Isprinæ, ar~n, item 11~ and a lever of ~e rirst type (movin~ n, item ~3 interconnected via a fle~ible ca~le orer pulley (3) in sllch ~ashion a.s to pro~ide an es~e~tially cot~ nt force at the ~nd o~ moYing ar~ 5) ,i.e.
p~dsd ba~ (6), despite a l~ne~r vari~tion of îorce ~ersus displac~snsnt for sprin~ (12).
T~isis accompJi~hed by the s~egic p~aci~e of puliey (8) ~ close pro~i~ity ts mo~i~g arm (S). As ~he ~m ro~tes, the connectioll point of cable (7) connected to its lower poi~t moYes higher and hi~her, decreaxing the right a~gle distsnce to bearing ~4), ~herefore decreasing the moment ~and thereby ~ f~rce) f~lt by the p~rson pre~ g a~ainst bar ~6). In this fashion, th~ ear increase iQ spring tension is appro~imately compensated by a decrease in t~o mon~e~lt ~rms:
i) Mo~rement Arm. item S
ii) Spring Arm, item 11 Talcen to~ether, Ihese efîects resul~ i~ an approxim~tely equal force ~ padded bar ~6~.

ALTERNAIEEl~BODIMENT A
See Fig. 3 as well as Figs. I ~d 2.
The Alternate E~bodi~nent A describes the con~e~io3l Or ~he ~achin& f~om a to~soe30rsiser to a ne~ ~nd upper back ~ersiser.
In the basic torso machine padded bar ~ is rigidly at~ched ~o moYi~g ar~ (5~
the Alter~ate l~bodie~ne ~ A, pa~ded bsr (63 is attsched ~ sliding bar ( 13~ ~hich slldes inside moYement a~m ~5) a~d is rigid~ clamped there~ by clamp S1~). This allows ~ hig~er ~ositio~ for padded bar (6~, ellabl~g a person to press again~t it with his or her head i~ order ~ eYercise tho ~eck ~d upper be~ck muscles.
To operate this feature, a per~n would set a lower ~alue o~ sprin,~ Çorce aQd ~rhile se~ted in t~e bac~ position, preæ ~ith the bac~ of ~is hesd agai~st the padded bar (6) so ss ~ e~ercise the ~leck a~d upper ~ac~ muscles. ~r several rep~ o~s he would then rotate 90 degrees on his seat and press item (6~, with t~e 3ide of his 3hea~ e~
rotate ag~in o~ the se~t ta the stomach position and press O]~ he padded b~r with his f~rehead. ~ ally, after several repetitions, he wQul~ rotste ~0 degrees o~l the seat by sgraddLi~g t,he vertissl post (33 s~d ~vould press ~vith ~e right sid~ o~ his he~d aga,~nst the padded bar (~.

ALIE~ATE E~IBODIMENT B
See FIG.4 as well as FIGS. I and 2.
The Alterna~e Embodimen~ B ~1 o describes the conversion of ~he machihe from a ~orso to a neck snd upper ~a~k exer iser ~u~ accomplishes ~hal by means of a separa e a.t~chment.
In lhe basic ~orso machine, padded bar (6) is rigidly a~tached to moving arm (5). In ~hc A1~crna~e Embodimenl B, an addi~ional L-shaped attachment (15) is adjustablyat~ached ~o moving arm (5) and clamped there~o by means Or clamp (14). This a~tachmenl (15) conlains a padd~d cushion (16 ) The operation of ~is feature is iden~ical to that described under Alterna~e Embodiment A.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A multi-purpose machine capable of exercising and strengthening the muscles of the lower back, by having a person. while seated, press with his or her back against a padded bar or bars connected to a spring via a notched lever, with each notch permitting a different spring force setting, said notched lever being connected via a cable to the bottom of the pivoting padded bar, the geometry being so chosen as to compensate for the increasing force of the spring as the padded bar is depressed, by decreasing the effective moment arm of the two said levers, the net effect being an essentially constant force at the padded bar over the full range of travel.

2. A machine as defined in Claim 1 but used for exercising and strengthening the abdominal and pelvic muscles, accomplished by having the person sit at 180 degrees to the position described in Claim 1 and pressing the padded bar with his or her chest or forward part of the shoulders.

3. A machine as defined in Claim 1 but used for exercising and strengthening the other muscles of the torso, achieved by having the person sit at 90 degrees to the position descried in Claim 1 above and pressing the padded bar with his or her underarm or upper arm, first the right side then the left side in succession.

4. A multi-purpose machine capable of exercising and strengthening the extension muscles of the upper back and neck by having a person, while seated, press with his or her back of the head against a padded bar connected to a spring via a notched lever, with each notch permitting a different spring force setting, said notched lever being connected via a cable to the bottom of the pivoting padded bar, the geometry being so chosen as to compensate for the increasing force of the spring as the padded bar is depressed, by decreasing the effective moment arm of the two said levers, the net effect being an essentially constant force at the padded bar over the full range of travel.

5. A machine as defined in Claim 4 but used for exercising and strengthening the flexion or forward muscles of the neck, accomplished by having the person sit at 180 degrees to the position described in Claim 4 and pressing the padded bar with his or her forehead.

6. A machine as define in Claim 4 but used for exercising and strengthening the side muscles of the neck, achieved by having the person sit at 90 degrees to the position described in Claim 4 above and pressing the padded bar with his or her side of the head, first the right side then the left side in succession.