US3636946A

US3636946A - Exercising apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3636946A
Application number: US872693A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peter S Hardy
Original assignee: SPEERLESS ALUMINUM FOUNDRY CO
Current assignee: SPEERLESS ALUMINUM FOUNDRY CO
Priority date: 1969-10-30
Filing date: 1969-10-30
Publication date: 1972-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-25

Abstract

An exercising apparatus includes a portable platform base having top and peripheral walls defining a recessed lower side, the top wall having mounted thereon right and left pairs of semispherical resilient members, so spaced that the right and left feet of the user, while in a standing or other suitable posture, are engaged with the respective pairs of semispherical members with one member beneath the arch and heel region of the foot and the other member beneath the toes, thereby providing exercising and massaging treatment for foot ailments, such as flat feet, swollen ankles, and the like. The spacing of the members of each pair of adjustable to accommodate different size feet. A roller is arranged transversely between the pairs of semispherical members for rotational engagement by a foot of the user with a forward and backward reciprocal massaging movement. For the purpose of additionally providing exercise for the arms and other parts of the body, a pair of elastic stretch bands are provided together with a pair of handgrip members, each band having a knoblike means at each of its ends for detachable connection in one of a series of notch formations in each of the handgrip members, enabling a handgrip member to be attached to one or both ends of one or both bands.

Description

llit @tatea att Hardy [151 madame 51 lawman [54] lEXIERCIlSIlNG APPARATUS Bridgeport, Conn. 06605 [22] Filed: Oct. 30, 11969 [21] Appl. No: 872,693

[52] ILLS. Cl ..l128/57, 128/25 B [51} llnt.Cl. ..A61h 111/00 [58] Field ofSearc ..l28/25 B, 60,57,6l,67

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Attorney-Mattern, Ware and Davis 1 i ABSTRACT An exercising apparatus includes a portable platform base having top and peripheral walls defining a recessed lower side, the top wall having mounted thereon right and left pairs of semispherical resilient members, so spaced that the right and left feet of the user, while in a standing or other suitable posture, are engaged with the respective pairs ofsemispherical members with one member beneath the arch and heel region of the foot and the other member beneath the toes, thereby providing exercising and massaging treatment for foot ailments, such as flat feet, swollen ankles, and the like. The spacing of the members of each pair of adjustable to accommodate different size feet. A roller is arranged transversely between the pairs of semispherical members for rotational engagement by a foot of the user with a forward and backward reciprocal massaging movement. For the purpose of additionally providing exercise for the arms and other parts of the body, a pair of elastic stretch bands are provided together with a pair of handgrip members, each band having a knoblike means at each of its ends for detachable connection in one ofa series of notch formations in each of the handgrip members, enabling a handgrip member to be attached to one or both ends ofone or both bands.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAMES 19 72 SHEET 1 BF 3 FIG. I

HNVENTOR PETER S. HARDY MATTER/V WARE 8 DAV/5 ATTORNEYS FATENTED JAN25IS72 35353 SHEET 2 0F 3 The present invention relates to an exercising apparatus, and has for an object to provide a compact, portable and inexpensive exercising apparatus for convenient home use, and which may be readily packed in a suitcase for use away from home at any place or time desired by the user.

A further object is to provide an exercising apparatus which while primarily intended for exercising and massaging the feet of the user includes auxiliary means for simultaneously exercising the arms and other parts of the body.

It is known that an effective means for exercising and massaging the feet consists of an arrangement of resilientspheres or spherical segments against which the feet may be worked, and it is a further object of the invention to provide an exercising apparatus comprising a platform base provided upon its upper side with right and left pairs of forward and rearward resilient semispherical members upon which the user may stand or implant his feet with the rearward members of each pair beneath the arch and heel region of each foot and the forward members under the toes.

It is also known that an effective means for exercising the arms and other parts of the body consists of stretch bands which may be stretched by pulling outwardly upon both ends or by pulling upon one end against a restraining force upon the other end, and it is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby stretch bands may be anchored at one end to the platform base in such manner that by pulling upon the other end to stretch the bands a counterforce may be exerted by the arms against the pressure of the feet upon the platform base, resulting in a coordinated exercising of the legs and arms as well as other parts of the body.

With the above and other objects in view, a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and particularly defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the exercising apparatus according to the invention showing the platform base, the stretch bands, and the handgrip members in separated relation;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the platform base;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the platform base;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line l-l of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the platform base;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and,

W0. h is a sectional view taken along the line h-h of FIG. 6 and showing in dot-anddash lines the manner in which the stretch bands are connected to the platform base.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, the components of the exercising apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprise a platform base lit), a pair of stretch bands ill-1111 adapted as will hereinafter more fully appear be anchored at one end to the platform base, and a pair of handgrip members l2-ll2 each adapted to be connected to an end of one or both ofthe stretch bands.

Further referring to FIGS. 243, the platform base It) preferably formed of cast aluminum is of generally trapezoidal shape in plan outline with parallel forward and rearward edges and rearwardly convergent side edges, and comprises a horizontal top wall 13 and a slightly outwardly inclined peripheral wall extending downwardly about its four sides so that it defines with the top wall a downwardly opening recessed underside, the lower edge of the peripheral wall being disposed in a horizontal plane so that when engaged with a floor or other horizontal supporting surface the top wall of the base is horizontally disposed.

The peripheral wall comprises a forward wall portion Ml, a rearward wall portion 15 parallel to the forward wall portion Ml and rearwardly convergent sidewall portions to and i7, the ends of the forward wall M being connected to the sidewalls l6 and l7 by rounded corner wall portions lift and W and the ends of the rearward wall portion 115 being connected to the sidewall portion l6 and i7 by rounded

corner wall portions

20 and 211 which project rearwardly relatively to the rearward wall portion 115.

Upon the upper side of the top wall Elli there are mounted right and left pairs of semispherical resilient cushion members 22 preferably of rubber of suitable texture to provide the necessary stability and resilience for carrying out the foot exercising and massaging purposes of the invention.

For the purpose of convenient attachment of the cushion members 22 to the platform base, each cushion member is provided at its under side with a centrally disposed cylindrical button projection 23 having a pair of projecting flanges 2I- 241 at opposite sides spaced downwardly from the under side of the cushion member and defining therewith a segmental peripheral groove for effecting a bayonet or breech-block type of interlocking connection of the cushion member to the base by a turn of the button projection in a hole provided for each cushion member in the top wall 13 of the base, the holes 25 for retaining the forward cushion members being substantially circular and having opposed notches 26-26 for receiving the flanges 24, and the holes 27 for retaining the rearward cushion members being elongated along the axes extending through the centers of the front and rear cushion members of each pair, so that in each case the button projection may be freely inserted in the hole and the cushion member turned 90 to bring the flanges 24 beneath the opposite sidewalls of the hole. As clearly shown in FIG. 5, the rear cushion members are adjustable in the elongated holes 27 so that the distance between the front and rear cushion members of each pair may be adjusted by the user of the apparatus to adjust the spacing of the cushion members to different size feet or to accommodate the apparatus to the particular desires of the user, it being pointed out that in employing this feature of the exercising apparatus the user stands upon or implants his feet upon the platform base with the arch and heel regions of the feet engaged with the rearward cushion members 22 and the toes engaged with the forward cushion members, thereupon working the feet with a kneading action against the cushion members.

Substantially centrally of the top wall l3 there is provided a rectangular opening 28 in which there is disposed a roller 29 mounted upon an axle 3t) journaled at its ends in upstanding lugs 3ll-3l integrally formed upon the upper side of the top wall R3 at the ends of the opening 28. The roller 29 may be formed of wood, semihard rubber or other suitable material, and being disposed transversely between the right and left pairs of cushion members 22 provides a means by which the user of the apparatus may massage the bottoms of his feet by moving the feet to and fro in pressing engagement with the roller.

At the rearward side of the platform base there are mounted in pairs of lugs 32 integrally formed upon the rearwardly pro jecting corner wall portions 20 and 21 a pair of rollers 3333 by means of which the platform base may be roller supported in an upright position upon its rearward side for a purpose hereinafter more fully pointed out.

Referring again to FIG. l, the stretch hands it which are preferably formed of rubber of suitable strength and elasticity have integrally formed upon each end a cylindrical T-form terminal knob 3d projecting at each side for the purpose of interlocking connection to the handgrip members l2 and the platform base 110. For this purpose the handgrip members comprise a substantially U-shaped frame preferably of cast aluminum having a transverse bar portion 35, side arm portions 36-36 and a handle 37 supported between the side arm portions upon an axle 3h. The bar portion 35 is substantially hook shaped in cross section and is provided with a series of spaced notches 39 in which the ends of the bands lll may be engaged with the terminal knobs M seated in the hooklike portions of the bar at each side of each notch. Reinforcing ribs Ml are formed at the inner side of the transverse bar substantially midway between the notches. Thus, each or both of the bands may be connected at one end to a handgrip member, while the other end is anchored to the platform base, as will more fully appear. Alternatively, a handgrip member may be attached to both ends of one or both bands for the purpose of carrying out a normal stretching exercise by pulling outwardly upon the bands. The use of either one or both bands in performing this type of exercise depends upon the desires and strength of the user, the employment of the two bands providing a stretch band exercising means for performing isometric arm exercises having twice the resistance of one band.

For the purpose of anchoring an end of one or both stretch bands 11 to the forward portion of the platform base 10, at a point between the right and left pairs of cushion members 22, a series of spaced notches 41 is provided in the front wall 14 which open to the lower edge of the front wall and extend for a short distance rearwardly into the top wall 13, each notch being adapted to receive an erid of a stretch band with the terminal knob 34 seated in the inside comer between the front wall and the top wall so that the band may be extended upwardly from the platform base, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 8, enabling the user by stretch pulling upwardly upon either one or both stretch bands to exert a counterforce against the pressure of the feet upon the platform base. The notch arrangement also permits a single stretch band to have both ends secured to the platform base with a loop of the stretch band extended upwardly from the platform base so that it may be gripped by one hand for stretching purposes. Reinforcing gusset braces 42 are integrally formed in the comer between the top and front walls substantially midway between the notches 41.

An alternative method of anchoring the stretch bands to the platform base is provided by a series of notches 43 in a wall portion 44 integrally formed upon the under side of the top wall rearwardly of the roller 29 and in forwardly spaced parallel relation to the rearward wall portion 15, and by means of which the end of a stretch band may be engaged in a notch 13 with its terminal knob hooked behind the wall 44, enabling the band to be carried forwardly beneath the roller 29 and then upwardly through the opening 28, as indicated in dot-anddash lines in FIG. 8, whereby stretching pull may be exerted by means of the handgrip attached to the free end of the band resulting in pulleylike rotation of the roller as an antifriction guide for the band.

By anchoring the two bands in this manner the exercising apparatus may be operated in a manner simulating rowing with the stretch bands functioning in simulation of a pair of oars. Such exercising may be carried out with the user either in a standing or seated posture. in the latter case, the user may be seated in a fixed position upon the floor or in a chair while the platform base may be roller supported in upright position upon the rollers 33, whereby it may have to-and-fro rolling movement as a result of forward pushing by the legs with the feet implanted upon the cushion members 22 to push the platform forwardly and rearward pulling upon the stretch bands in a manner simulating pulling upon a pair of oars to pull the platform rearwardly. While this exercising procedure simulates the body and muscle action employed in exercising in a scull or rowing machine, it is distinguished therefrom in that in a scull or rowing machine the user, instead of being seated in a stationery position, is seated upon a sliding seat which moves to and fro while the feet are braced against a fixed support.

At the under side of the top wall of the platform base there are provided a pair of reinforcing ribs 4545 extending between the front wall [4 and the notched wall 44 in parallel relation at each side of the roller opening 28. In addition to reinforcing the top wall these ribs divide the recessed under side of the platform base into compartments for the compact storage of the stretch bands and handgrips for convenient portability of the several components of the apparatus and packing in a suitcase or the like.

What I claim is:

l. A portable exercising apparatus comprising a floor-engaging platform base having a substantially horizontal upper side, upwardly projecting foot-exercising cushion means at the upper side of said platform base for engagement by the feet of the user, said platform base comprising a horizontal top wall and a downwardly extending peripheral wall having a floor-engaging lower edge disposed in a horizontal plane, said peripheral wall defining with said top wall a downwardly opening recess at the underside of said platform base.

2. A 'portable exercising apparatus comprising a floor-engaging platform base having a substantially horizontal upper side, upwardly projecting footexercising cushion means at the upper side of said platform base for engagement by the feet of the user, stretch band means comprising at least one elastic stretch band, and band connection means carried by said platform base for detachable connection of at least one end of said stretch band, whereby stretching pull upon said band exerts a counterforce upon said platform base in opposition to the pressure of the feet of the user upon said platform base.

3. A portable exercising apparatus as defined in claim 2, further characterized by a handgrip member detachably secured to at least one end of said stretch band.

4. A portable exercising apparatus comprising a floor-engaging platform base having a substantially horizontal upper side, upwardly projecting foot-exercising cushion means at the upper side of said platform base for engagement by the feet of the user, said foot exercising cushion means comprising right and left transversely spaced pairs of forward and rearward spaced resilient cushion members for respective engagement beneath the right and left feet of the user with the rearward members beneath the arch and heel regions of the feet and the forward members beneath the toes, stretch band means comprising at least one elastic stretch band, and band connecting means carried by said platform base at a point between said right and left pairs of cushion members for detachable connection of at least one end of said stretch band, whereby stretching pull upon said band exerts a counterforce upon said platform in opposition to the pressure of the feet of the user upon said platform base.

5. A portable exercising apparatus comprising a floor-engaging platform base having a substantially horizontal upper side, upwardly projecting foot-exercising cushion means at the upper side of said platform base for engagement by the feet of the user, said foot-exercising cushion means comprising right and left transversely spaced pairs of forward and rearward spaced resilient cushion members for respective engagement beneath the right and left feet of the user with the rearward members beneath the arch and heel regions of the feet and the forward members beneath the toes, and a roller mounted at the upper sides of said base for rotation about a horizontal axis transversely disposed between said right and left pairs of cushion members, stretch band means comprising at least one elastic stretch band, and band connecting means carried by said platform base at a point rearwardly of said roller for detachable connection of at least one end of said stretch band, whereby said band may be carried beneath said roller and in a direction therefrom away from the upper side of said platform base, and whereby stretching pull upon said band exerts a counterforce upon said platform in opposition to the pressure of the feet of the user upon said platform base.

6. A portable exercising apparatus as defined in claim 5, further characterized by roller means at the rearward side of said platform base for roller-supporting said platform base in a position with its upper side disposed substantially vertically.

7. A portable exercising apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said stretch band includes knob means at its ends, and wherein said band attaching means carried by said platform base comprises a series of transversely spaced notches for selectively receiving at least one of said knob means in hooked relation.

8. A portable exercising apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said band means includes knob means at its ends, and wherein said handgrip member includes a transverse bar portion having a series of transversely spaced notches for receiving at least one of said knob means in hooked relation.

M 3 I: W

Claims

1. A portable exercising apparatus comprising a floor-engaging platform base having a substantially horizontal upper side, upwardly projecting foot-exercising cushion means at the upper side of said platform base for engagement by the feet of the user, said platform base comprising a horizontal top wall and a downwardly extending peripheral wall having a floor-engaging lower edge disposed in a horizontal plane, said peripheral wall defining with said top wall a downwardly opening recess at the underside of said platform base.

2. A portable exercising apparatus comprising a floor-engaging platform base having a substantially horizontal upper side, upwardly projecting foot-exercising cushion means at the upper side of said platform base for engagement by the feet of the user, stretch band means comprising at least one elastic stretch band, and band connection means carried by said platform base for detachable connection of at least one end of said stretch band, whereby stretching pull upon said band exerts a counterforce upon said platform base in opposition to the pressure of the feet of the user upon said platform base.