US1982843A - Health glider - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1934. v E, v, TRAVER 1,982,843

HEALTH GLIDER Filed June 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fdwagq 1/. 77'arer E. V. TRAVER HEALTH GLIDER Dec. 4 1934.

Filed June 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IEEQKIF ATTO R N EY Patented Dec. 4, 1934 PATENT OFFICE:

HEALTH GLIDER Edward V. Traver, New York, N. Y.-

Application June 19, 1934, Serial No. 731,292

7 Claims.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an exerciser in which one may exercise with a ski stride, and which may also be used for rowing and general exercising.

5 The invention is a pair of blocks slidable in waxed'grooves having means holding the feet upon the blocks and also having a seat adapted to be placed upon the blocks, and a resiliently held strap by which one may draw himself back 10 and forth while seated upon the seat on the 7373 blocks.

Exercisers of different types have been provided, and some have used blocks having a parallel movement, however, these blocks have been provided with rollers somewhat similar to roller LII. skates, whereas the skiing stride requires a sliding movement, so that it is desired to use blocks, and preferably wood blocks in wood grooves, with the grooves thoroughly waxed so that a free sliding action may be obtained.

" The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an exerciser with devices for holding the feet in which the devices may be moved back and forth with a sliding movement to represent the ski stride.

Another object is to provide an exerciser having sliding blocks in parallel grooves with means by which one may support himself by the hands while exercising. V

A further object is to provide an exerciser 25:51 having sliding blocks in parallel grooves in which means may be placed upon the blocks to cause the blocks to move back and forth together in order to obtain a rowing action.

And a further object is to provide an exerciser 331 having blocks slidable in parallel grooves in which resilient means is provided for exercising the upper part of the body with, or independent of, the ski stride.

, And a still further object is to provide an exerciser developing a ski stride which is simple and inexpensive.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a base having grooves therein with blocks having means holding the feet thereon slidable in said grooves, a seat adapted to be placed on said box, foot rests at the ends of said grooves, and a resiliently held handle extending from one end of said base toward the center thereof.

i Other features and advantagesof the invention will appear from the following'description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein: Figure l is a view showing a simple form of the device in which the grooves are formed of wood strips mounted upon metallic cross members.

Figure 2 is a detailshowing a section thru one end of one of the grooves, showing a bumper adapted "to be placed in the ends of the grooves. 00

Figure 3 is a detail also showing a section thru one end of one of the grooves, in which a bumper is shown inthe end of the groove and a foot rest is provided extending upward from the end of the device.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing an alternate design in which a bar on the end of a strap is resiliently held so that it extends upward from one end of the device.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section thru one 70 of the grooves showing another alternate design in which a seat may be provided, legs of which may be placedin openings in the blocks to provide a rowing exerciser.

Figure 6 is a cross section thru the device showing another alternate design in which flanges are provided in the lower edges of the blocks to hold the blocks in recesses in the sides of the grooves. V

Figure "7 is a cross section thru one side of the device showing another alternate design in which the blocks areprovided with flanges at their upper edges, which are slidable on the upper edges of the tracks.

Figure '8 is a detail showing an alternate design in which the sliders are slidable on beams forming tracks.

Figure 9 is a view showing the sliders shown in Figure 8. a

Figure 10 is a detail showing another alternate design in which the sliders are held on the tracks.

Figure 11 is a detail showing another alternate design in which the sliders are slidable on'a base and the base .is provided with beads forming guides for the sliders.

In the drawings the device is shown as it may be made wherein numerals 1 and 2 indicate the sliding blocks, numerals 3-and 4 the tracks in which the grooves are formed, and numeral 5'base members upon which thetrack may be mounted.

The blocks 1 and 2 may be made of any material, or of any size or shape, and may be pro-' vided with any means on their upper surfaces for holding the feet. It is preferred to make these blocks of wood and use toe'straps 6 at the forward ends, with straps 7 extending backward therefrom adapted to: be placed around the heels. These straps may be attached to or mounted upon the blocks in any manner, and it will beunderstood that any other means may be used for holding the feet upon the blocks. The straps shown in Figure 1 are similar to those used on skis, and these may be attached to the blocks in the same manner as ski straps. In this design the tracks 3 and 4 are made of wood beams with grooves 8 and 9 formed therein and in this design these grooves are straight and parallel with the blocks 1 and'2, free to slideb ack and forth therein. The surfaces of the grooves8 and 9 may be waxed or treated in any manner to provide a sliding surface, or any means may be used for providing a sliding contact between the blocks and grooves. The tracks 3 and 4 may also be of any other material, and this may be formed or shaped in any manner. In this design the tracks 3 and 4 are mounted upon channel shape base members 5, and these may be provided with feet or legs 10, which may be held in the members 5 by any means and which may be made of rubber or any material preferably having slight resiliency.

The device shown in Figure 1 is also provided with posts 11 having knobs 12 at their upper ends forming handles, one of which may be gripped and held by each hand in order to steady the body as the feet are being moved backward and forward on the blocks. These posts 11 are removably held in openings 13 in ends 14 of a cross bar 15, however, it will be understood that they may be held to the sides of the tracks in any manner or by any means, and it will also be understood that they may be omitted, as shown in Figure 4. The device mayor may not be provided with the cross bar 15, and the members 11 may be placed therein or removed therefrom, as may be desired.

The exerciser shown in Figure 1 is of the most simple design, and the tracks are shown without bumpers in the ends in order toillustrate that I181 01' by any means.

the device may be used in this manner, however, it will be understood that substantially all devices will be made with bumpers 16 in the ends of the grooves positioned to be engaged by the "'1 blocks 1 and 2 as the blocks are moved backward and forward. These bumpers may be of any type or design, and may be mounted in the tracks in any manner. In the design shown in Figure 2 the blocks 17 are placed in the ends of the grooves and the bumpers 16 are mounted in recesses 18 in the faces of the blocks. The blocks 17 may, however, extend continuously across the ends of the device forming strips, as indicated by the numeral 19 and shown in Figure 4, and the bumpers 16 may be mounted in or on these strips.

' in Figure 1, or may be of any type or design, and

may be arranged in any manner. It will also be understood that the members 20 may be made of any material and may be attached to, or mounted upon, the end of the device in any man- These members may also be provided in theform of blocks, as indicated by the numeral 3 and shown in Figure 5, and these blocks may be hinged to the ends of the device by hinges 24,'so that they may be folded to flat positions upon the upper surfaces of the device to facilitate shipping, or when not in use.

In the design shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the blocks are provided with openings 25 in which legs 26 of a seat 27 may be placed with the blocks in corresponding positions in the grooves, and a person using the device may sit upon the seat with the feet upon the foot rests, so that they may move the seat back and forth with the blocks sliding in the grooves. In this design the device may be, provided with a handle bar 28 on the end of a strap or web 29, which may extend over a roller 30 at one end of the device, and the opposite end of which may be connected to springs springs will draw the bar backward to the position shown. This bar may be resiliently held in any other manner or by any means, and may be located at either end or at anypoint on the device. With a person sitting upon the seat with the feet upon the foot rests and the bar 28 gripped by the hands, the complete rowing action may be obtained by pulling upon the bar and releasing the same.

It will also be understood that the seat may be omitted and the device used by placing the feet upon the blocks and gripping the bar 28 in the hands, or the feet may be placed upon anypart of the device with the bar 28 gripped by the hands. When using the device in this manner it may be desired to raise the bar 28, and. therefore, a buckle 34 is shown in the strap 29 in dotted lines in Figure 5, by which the length of the strap may be adjusted so that the bar 28 may be raised to any desired position. This buckle, however, may be omitted in the design shown in Figure 51, and it will be understood that it may or may not be used, as may be desired.

In the design shown in Figure 6 the lower edges of the blocks, which are indicated by the numeral 35, are provided with flanges 36, and the grooves are provided with recesses 37 to accommodate the flanges, which will prevent the blocks being raised out of the grooves, and it will be understood that any means may be used for holding the blocks in the grooves of the tracks. In thisdesign the device is shown as one complete member with a base 38 and with grooves 39 formed in projections 40 extending upward from the base. It will, therefore, be understood that the device may be formed of one continuous board, or may be built up with a pluralityof strips or may be made of metal formed or shaped in any manner, or may be made of a combination of wood and metal, as shown in Figure 1. a

In the design shown in Figure 7 the upper surfaces of the blocks are provided with flanges 41, which extend over the surfaces 42 of the members in which the grooves 43 are formed, and it will be noted that the lower ends of the blocks terminate short of the bottoms of the grooves, so that the blocks, which are indicated by the numeral 44, will ride upon the upper surfaces 42 thru the flanges 41. It will, therefore, be understood that the blocks may be mounted in or upon the grooves, or arranged in any manner to provide a free or sliding contact, so that a free sliding action may be obtained.

In thedesign shown in Figure 8 the device is formed with a base'45 and tracks 46"mounted upon the base which may be made integral therewith, as shown in Figure 9, in which the tracks are indicated by thev numeral 4'7, or attached thereto, as shown in Figure 8. These tracks may be of any type or design and may be made of any material. Sliders 48 are mounted upon the tracks and these may readily slide backward and forward upon the tracks, which may be waxed or provided with any means to facilitate sliding thereon. The sliders 48 may be provided with straps similar to the straps 6 shown in Figure 1, or any means may be used for holding thefeet thereon.

In the design shown in Figure 10, the tracks are provided with grooves 50 into which projections 51 of sliders 52 may extend, as shown, to hold the sliders upon the tracks. It will be understood that any means may be used for holding the sliders downward upon'the tracks orrails, and the holding means may be made integral with the sliders or rails, or attached thereto.

In the design shown in Figure 1 1, sliders 53 bear directly upon a base 54, and these may be held in position by guides 55, so that they will move backward and forward in straight lines. The guides 55 may. be attached to the base in any manner, and the guides and slide-rs may be of any shape or design.

It will be understood that other changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the proportionate sizes of the device, as it will be understood that the tracks may be longer or shorter, or may be comparatively narrow, or of a greater width to accommodate comparatively thin or stout people, another change may be in the use of other means for obtaining a sliding contact between the feet and tracks, another may be in the use of other means for supporting or holding the person exercising upon the device, and still another may be in the use of the device for other exercises than those shown and described.

The construction may be readily understood from the foregoing description. In use the device may be provided as shown and described, and it will be noted that by placing the feet upon the blocks and moving the feet backward and forward similar to the stride used in skiing, it will develop the muscles in the legs the same as skiing, and alsoassist in developing the ski stride, which will facilitate learning to ski.

In addition to the ski stride, the blocks may be used substantially the same as walking or running, and by using the seat or any means for holding the blocks together, rowing or other exercises may be performed upon the device. The device may also be used in combination with other similar devices and may be made comparatively long, so that any number of persons may use one track, as in a class, or any number of the devices may be used side by side, or in combination, or attached to the same base.

The essential feature of this device is the sliding action, as wood blocks sliding in wood grooves provide a unique movement that may be described as the ski stride, and these blocks are, therefore, made without rollers or wheels, and also without any mechanical devices connected to or made integral with the sliders. This sliding action is comparatively new in a device of this nature and is particularly beneficial for reducmovement of said members being resisted solely by frictional contact of same in the guides.

2. An exercising means comprising a pair of guides disposed in spaced parallel relation to each other, means for holding said guides in spaced apart relation, and foot supporting members slidable in said guides independent of each other, movement of said members being resisted solely by frictional contact of same in the guides.

3. An exercising means comprising a supporting means, parallel guides carried by the supporting means, foot supporting members slidable in said guides independent of each other, movement of said members being resisted solely by frictional contact of same in the guides, and stops for limiting the movement of the members.

4. An exercising means comprising a supporting means, parallel guides carried by the supporting means, foot supporting members slidable 1% in said guides independent of each other, movement of said members being resisted solely by frictional contact of same in the guides, and means carried by each member for releasably fastening a foot thereto.

5. An exercising means comprising a supporting means, parallel guides carried by the supporting means, and foot supporting members slidable in said guides independent of each other, movement of said members being resisted solely by frictional contact of same with the guides, said guides comprising a pair of elongated U- shaped channels open at the top.

6. An exercising means comprising a supporting means, parallel guides carried by the supporting means, and foot supporting members slidable in said guides independent of each other, movement of said members being resisted solely by frictional contact of same with the guides, said guides comprising a pair of elongated bars and said members having a channel to engage about said bars for holding said members against lateral movement while permitting longitudinal movement under frictional resistance of said members with said guides. I

7. An exercising means comprising a supporting means, parallel guides carried by the supporting means, and foot supporting members slidable in said guides independent of each other, movement of said members being resisted solely 135 by frictional contact of same with the guides, said guides comprising a pair of elongated bars provided on opposite sides thereof with longitudinal grooves, and said members including channelled bodies having opposed longitudinal 140 ribs engageable in said longitudinal grooves.

EDWARD V. TRAVER.

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