Portable pull-up apparatus and associated method

• US 7,837,602 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Drybread
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Drybread
• Inventors: Drybread, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DONNELLY, JEROME W
• Application Number:
  US12/618,344
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 482/102, 482/907, 482/77, 482/95, 482/148, 482/904
• US Class Current: 482/102
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00181 comprising additional means assisting the user to overcome part of the resisting force, i.e. assisted-active exercising
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0628 for vertical array of weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/1627 for anchoring on or between the vertical posts of a door frame
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4043 Free movement, i.e. the only restriction coming from the resistance A63B21/00043, A63B21/072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03541 Moving independently from each other A63B22/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/12 for upper limbs or related muscles, e.g. chest, upper back or shoulder muscles bench press exercises A63B21/078; for teaching music G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1218 Chinning, pull-up, i.e. concentric movement

Abstract

A portable pull-up apparatus may include a plurality of hollow support poles and a plurality of pulley wheel sections. A pull-up bar may further be horizontally placed on top of the support poles. Weights may further be situated within an interior of the support poles. A plurality of cables provided with handles adapted to be gripped by a user may be wrapped about the pulley wheel sections such that the distal ends of the cables are guided inside the support poles respectively. A plurality of selector rods may be through the weight groups. A plurality of anchor pins may be positioned to lock selected weights. Further resistance bands may be situated within the interior of the support poles. In this way, corresponding resistance band groups may cooperate with corresponding weight groups to create a unique tension force opposing vertical displacement of the distal end of the cables respectively.

Claims

1. A portable pull-up apparatus for assisting a user to perform pull-up exercises between a framed opening, said portable pull-up apparatus comprising:

a plurality of hollow support poles spaced apart and registered parallel to each other;

a plurality of pulley wheel sections attached to top ends of said support poles respectively;

a pull-up bar horizontally placed on top of said support poles and adapted to be frictionally engaged within the framed opening such that said pull-up bar is registered perpendicular to said support poles;

first and second groups of weights situated within an interior of said support poles respectively;

a plurality of cables each having a proximal end situated exterior of said support poles and provided with a handle adapted to be gripped by the user, said cables being wrapped about said pulley wheel sections such that distal ends of said cables are guided inside said support poles respectively;

a plurality of selector rods attached to distal ends of said cables and being positioned through said first and second weight groups respectively;

a plurality of anchor pins positioned through said selector rods respectively and thereby locking selected weights of said first and second weight groups to said selector rod; and

first and second groups of resistance bands anchored to said first and second weight groups respectively;

wherein corresponding ones of said first and second resistance band groups cooperate with corresponding ones of said first and second weight groups and thereby create a unique tension force opposing vertical displacement of said distal end of said cables respectively.

2. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said distal end of said cables are provided with a hook attached thereto, said hooks being coupled to said selector rods and remaining spaced above said first and second weight groups.

3. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said cables is independently displaced along a longitudinal length of a corresponding one of said support poles and thereby causes corresponding ones of said first and second weight and resistance band groups to vertically travel along said longitudinal length of said first and second poles respectively.

4. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first and second weight groups are vertically stacked within said interiors of said first and second support poles respectively.

5. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of anchor brackets positioned within said support poles respectively, wherein first and second ones of said anchor brackets are statically mated to said first and second resistance band groups respectively.

6. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 1, wherein selected ones of said resistance bands in each of said first and second resistance band groups remains at an equilibrium position when corresponding ones of said weights in each of said first and second weight groups are not anchored to said selectors rods respectively.

7. A portable pull-up apparatus for assisting a user to perform pull-up exercises between a framed opening, said portable pull-up apparatus comprising:

a plurality of hollow support poles spaced apart and registered parallel to each other;

a plurality of pulley wheel sections attached to top ends of said support poles respectively;

a pull-up bar horizontally placed on top of said support poles and adapted to be frictionally engaged within the framed opening such that said pull-up bar is registered perpendicular to said support poles;

first and second groups of weights situated within an interior of said support poles respectively;

a plurality of cables each having a proximal end situated exterior of said support poles and provided with a handle adapted to be gripped by the user, said cables being wrapped about said pulley wheel sections such that distal ends of said cables are guided inside said support poles respectively;

a plurality of selector rods attached to said distal ends of said cables and being positioned through said first and second weight groups respectively;

a plurality of anchor pins positioned through said selector rods respectively and thereby locking selected weights of said first and second weight groups to said selector rod; and

first and second groups of resistance bands situated within said interior of said support poles respectively such that said first and second resistance band groups are anchored to said first and second weight groups respectively;

wherein corresponding ones of said first and second resistance band groups cooperate with corresponding ones of said first and second weight groups and thereby create a unique tension force opposing vertical displacement of said distal end of said cables respectively.

8. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 7, wherein each said distal end of said cables are provided with a hook attached thereto, said hooks being coupled to said selector rods and remaining spaced above said first and second weight groups.

9. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of said cables is independently displaced along a longitudinal length of a corresponding one of said support poles and thereby causes corresponding ones of said first and second weight and resistance band groups to vertically travel along said longitudinal length of said first and second poles respectively.

10. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first and second weight groups are vertically stacked within said interiors of said first and second support poles respectively.

11. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of anchor brackets positioned within said support poles respectively, wherein first and second ones of said anchor brackets are statically mated to said first and second resistance band groups respectively.

12. The portable pull-up apparatus of claim 7, wherein selected ones of said resistance bands in each of said first and second resistance band groups remains at an equilibrium position when corresponding ones of said weights in each of said first and second weight groups are not anchored to said selectors rods respectively.

13. A method of utilizing a portable pull-up apparatus for assisting a user to perform pull-up exercises between a framed opening, said method comprising the chronological steps of:

providing and spacing apart a plurality of hollow support poles;

registering said support poles parallel to each other;

providing and attaching a plurality of pulley wheel sections to top ends of said support poles respectively;

providing and registering said pull-up bar perpendicular to said support poles by horizontally placing a pull-up bar on top of said support poles;

frictionally engaging said pull-up bar within the framed opening;

providing and situating first and second groups of weights within an interior of said support poles respectively;

providing and situating proximal ends of a plurality of cables exterior of said support poles;

providing and attaching a handle to each said proximal end of said cables respectively;

guiding said distal ends of said cables inside said support poles by wrapping said cables about said pulley wheel sections respectively;

providing and positioning a plurality of selector rods through said first and second weight groups by respectively attaching said selector rods to distal ends of said cables;

locking selected weights of said first and second weight groups to said selector rods by providing and positioning a plurality of anchor pins through said selector rods respectively;

providing and anchoring first and second resistance band groups to said first and second weight groups respectively by situating said first and second resistance band groups within said interior of said support poles respectively; and

creating a unique tension force opposing vertical displacement of each said respective distal end of said cables by cooperating corresponding ones of said first and second resistance band groups with corresponding ones of said first and second weight groups.