Digit gym for the exercise of hand and finger muscles

• US 6,036,621 A
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ted W. Hancock
• Original Assignee: Ted W. Hancock
• Inventors: Hancock, Ted W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US09/141,814
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 482/44, 482/47, 482/48, 482/49, 482/114, 482/121, 482/129, 482/130, 601/40, 84/467, 84/469
• US Class Current: 482/47
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/16 for hands or fingers for teaching typing G09B13/00

Abstract

A hand exerciser comprising a rigid elongated horizontal base whose undersurface is covered by a soft, corrugatued material. Across the top surface of the base are longitudinally affixed three support walls so as to define two equal exercise spaces between the support walls which are braced apart by abutting crossrods. Affixed to and rising above the support walls in similiar plane are four opposite side guide plates with aligned holes, slots, and notches through which a variety of various shapes and strengths of simultaneously and latitudinally strung reaches transverse for exercising against. Also, adjustable rods transverse for palm down bracing of the hands. Anchor and guide bolts secure and guide the reaches. One support wall additionally includes an overhang portion of a rigid material shaped so as to stagger the reaches and to which are affixed four modified guitar machine heads for tightening and lessening of reach tension. At the bottom of each exercise space are two raised platforms with slots therein into which removable rectangular tabs are inserted so as to define eight spaces between the rectangular tabs within which isometric abduction and adduction exercises are performed. Two of the raised platforms removable tabs are spaced to accommodate small to medium hands while the other two are for medium to large hands thus resulting in a device which can isolate all of the digit joints and provide flexion, extension, abduction or adduction exercises for strengthening all of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the hand.

Claims

1. A finger and hand exercise device comprising:

an elongate, rigid base having a longitudinal length sized to accommodate the width of at least two hands, said base having a top surface and an undersurface;

three support walls mounted to the top surface of said base, said support walls spaced equally to define two inner exercise spaces;

a plurality of reaches, at least one of said plurality of reaches selectively mounted to said support walls to extend substantially the longitudinal length of said base and across said exercise spaces;

means for guiding and securing said at least one mounted reach;

said guiding and securing means including a guide plate mounted to each said support wall, said guide plates having aligned apertures and slots therein;

at least one of said support walls further including means for adjusting the tension of each mounted reach; and

means for adjustably supporting at least one of the hands of a user at a level relative to said at least one mounted reach whereby a user'"'"'s hand is supported by said adjustable support means and a user is able to engage said at least one mounted reach in at least one of said exercise spaces with a portion of their hand or fingers and exercise muscles of their hand or fingers against the resistance to displacement provided by the tension of said at least one mounted reach.

2. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a soft material mounted to the undersurface of said base, said soft material having an exposed corrugated surface, wherein a user is able to engage the corrugated surface of said soft material with a portion of their hand in order to further exercise muscles of their hand or fingers.

3. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein said means for adjustably supporting at least one of the hands of a user comprises at least one rod, each rod selectively engaged with said guide plates.

4. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising cross bars mounted between said support walls to resist movement of said support walls towards each other caused by the tension of said at least one mounted reach.

5. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein said guiding and securing means further includes means for engaging said at least one mounted reach within at least one of said exercise spaces between said support walls.

6. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a spine affixed to said base and extending substantially the longitudinal length of said base.

7. The exercise device of claim 6, wherein said means for engaging said at least one mounted reach between said support walls comprises at least one anchor within each exercise space affixed to said spine.

8. The exercise device of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of platforms;

each said platform affixed to the top surface of said base;

said spine having a top surface at a height above the top surface of said base;

each said platform having a top surface at the same height above the top surface of said base as the top surface of said spine; and

each platform having a plurality of spaced slots therein.

9. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vertically oriented tabs mounted to the top surface of said base, said tabs equally distributed between said two exercise spaces, wherein spaces between said tabs are adapted to accommodate a user'"'"'s fingers for performing isometric abduction and adduction exercises.

10. The exercise device of claim 9, wherein said plurality of tabs comprises twenty tabs to create sixteen finger spaces.

11. The exercise device of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of platforms;

each of said platforms affixed to the top surface of said base;

each said platform having five spaced slots; and

each said slot receiving one of said plurality of tabs.

12. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of feet mounted thereto.