Spring pack
First Claim
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1. A variable resistance exercising device using a rod moveable in an exercising direction and a plurality of extension springs selectively deployable to resist movement of the rod in the exercising direction, the device comprising:
- a) a plurality of links interconnectable with the springs and arranged around the rod;
b) a dedicated one of the links being connected to the rod to move with the rod;
c) a remainder of the links being arranged in a stack extending from the connected.link toward a base in a direction opposite to the exercising motion;
d) each of the springs having a fixed end connected to the base and a moveable end operatively connected to one of the links;
e) the remaining links being formed to allow springs to pass through a link nearer to the base to reach a link arranged farther from the base;
f) each of the remaining links having a hole, and the rod having a series of holes registering with the link holes when the rod is in a home position;
g) a pin insertable through any one of the link holes into a corresponding rod hole to pin any one of the remaining links to the rod; and
h) any link disposed in the exercising direction from a pinned link being moved with the rod when the rod moves in the exercising direction, and any link disposed on a base side of a pinned link remaining in place when the rod moves in the exercising direction so that selecting the link to be pinned to the rod also selects the number of extension springs that are deployed to resist movement of the rod in the exercising direction without requiring any change in spring end connections.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variable spring resistance to movement of a rod uses a plurality of springs permanently connected between a base and a stack of end connector links extending in the direction of the rod movement. Selecting which of the links is connected to the rod then determines which of the springs are deployed to resist movement of the rod, without requiring any disconnection or reconnection of the springs. The selection can be made by a pin inserted through an aligned hole between a link and the rod.
37 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A variable resistance exercising device using a rod moveable in an exercising direction and a plurality of extension springs selectively deployable to resist movement of the rod in the exercising direction, the device comprising:
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a) a plurality of links interconnectable with the springs and arranged around the rod; b) a dedicated one of the links being connected to the rod to move with the rod; c) a remainder of the links being arranged in a stack extending from the connected.link toward a base in a direction opposite to the exercising motion; d) each of the springs having a fixed end connected to the base and a moveable end operatively connected to one of the links; e) the remaining links being formed to allow springs to pass through a link nearer to the base to reach a link arranged farther from the base; f) each of the remaining links having a hole, and the rod having a series of holes registering with the link holes when the rod is in a home position; g) a pin insertable through any one of the link holes into a corresponding rod hole to pin any one of the remaining links to the rod; and h) any link disposed in the exercising direction from a pinned link being moved with the rod when the rod moves in the exercising direction, and any link disposed on a base side of a pinned link remaining in place when the rod moves in the exercising direction so that selecting the link to be pinned to the rod also selects the number of extension springs that are deployed to resist movement of the rod in the exercising direction without requiring any change in spring end connections. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of selecting different numbers of extension springs to resist movement of a rod as it moves in an extending direction, the method comprising:
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a) operatively connecting each of the extension springs between a base and one of a plurality of selectable links arranged around the rod; b) attaching a selected one of the selectable links to the rod while leaving all but the selected one of the selectable links unattached to the rod; and c) moving the rod to extend with the rod any spring connected to the selected link and to any link on an extending direction side of the selected link, and not to extend with the rod any spring attached to any link on a base side of the selected link. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A spring deployment selector using a rod moveable in an exercising direction and a plurality of springs extendable in the exercising direction to resist movement of the rod, the selector comprising:
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a) each of the springs being connected between a fixed object and one of a plurality of selectable links arranged in a stack around the rod; b) any one of the selectable links being attachable to the rod when the rod is in a home position; c) attachment of a selected one of the selectable links to the rod determining which of the selectable links in the stack move with the rod in the exercising direction and which of the selectable links in the stack do not move with the rod in the exercising direction; and d) the selectable links are configured to allow springs to pass through links nearer to the fixed object to reach links farther from the fixed object. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A combination comprising:
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a plurality of spring links combined with a plurality of springs and a rod moveable in a resisted direction; each of the links having a hole and the rod having a corresponding plurality of holes registered with the link holes in a home position of the rod and the links; a pin insertable through a single link hole and into a rod hole to attach a selected one of the links to the rod; and the springs being operatively connected between the links and a fixed object so that connecting the selected one of the links to the rod determines which of the links move with the rod in the resisted direction and thereby establishes which of the springs resist movement of the; and the links are formed as extrusions that can be arranged in different orientations around the rod. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A variable spring resistance assembly using a plurality of springs and comprising:
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a) each of the springs having fixed ends connected to a fixed retainer and having moveable ends connected to a series of stacked and moveable links; b) a rod extending through the moveable links and being moveable in a resisted direction; and c) a plurality of the links being selectively connectable to the rod so that connecting a single selected one of the links to the rod determines the portion of the link stack that moves with the rod in the resisted direction and thereby determines that the springs connected to the moving portion of the link stack will resist movement of the rod in the resisted direction. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A spring resistance assembly deploying different numbers of springs to resist movement of a rod, the spring assembly comprising:
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a) at least one of a plurality of springs being connected to the rod to provide basic resistance to movement of the rod; b) the remaining plurality of springs being connected to a plurality of moveable end connectors that are selectively attachable to the rod so that without disconnecting or reconnecting any spring ends, different numbers of the remaining plurality of springs can be deployed to resist movement of the rod by means of varying the attachment of moveable end connectors to the; and c) the end connectors are configured to allow springs to pass through one end connector to reach another end connector. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification