Exercise machine

• US 7,988,605 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Ronald Wyeroski
• Original Assignee: James Ronald Wyeroski
• Inventors: Wyeroski, James Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Loan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ginsberg; Oren
• Application Number:
  US12/798,694
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482/51, 482/72, 482/92, 482114-121, 482/127, 2733176-3179, 273329-330, 473/142, 473/423, 473/431, 242/373, 242/375, 119/796, 280/807
• US Class Current: 482/120
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/015 including rotating or oscillating elements rubbing against fixed elements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/153 wound-up and unwound during exercise, e.g. from a reel
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/154 using special pulley-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/157 Ratchet-wheel links; Overrunning clutches; One-way clutches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/22 Resisting devices with rotary bodies A63B21/0608 takes precedence
• 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 2225/107 Resisting devices being of the same kind
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0355 A single apparatus used for either upper or lower limbs, i.e. with a set of support elements driven either by the upper or the lower limb or limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03566 the multiple stations having a common resistance device

Abstract

A resistance exercise machine, equipped with two different types of resistance disks. Both disk types apply a frictional resistive force in one direction only, created by tension by means of a pressure plate and brake disk arrangement varied by a tension knob. One disk type, provides circular motion type exercises, by using a mounted accessory to rotate the disk repeatedly. Disk can be adjusted to any angle relative to the user, by means of the universal frame assembly. The other disk type provides motion simulation type exercises by using a remote accessory, a cable, and a rewind arm assembly. Pulling against the cable, urges a pawl to engage a gear situated on the disk'"'"'s periphery, forcing the disk to rotate. Upon discontinuing the pull on the cable, the disk stops rotating, the pawl disengages the gear, and the rewind arm assembly rewinds the cable back onto the disk'"'"'s periphery.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus comprising:

a resistance disk with rotating pressure plates coaxially mounted on either side at a center portion of said resistance disk, said resistance disk is mounted for rotation about a threaded non-rotative spindle;

a bushing coaxially mounted in the center portion of said resistance disk for rotation about said non-rotative spindle;

a pair of coaxially mounted non-rotative brake disks of a tension assembly, in constant frictional contact with said rotating pressure plates, said non-rotative brake disks mounted on either side of said resistance disk for retarding the rotation of said resistance disk;

means for varying pressure applied to said non-rotative brake disks in frictional contact with said rotating pressure plates;

a washer of the tension assembly, coaxially mounted around said non-rotative spindle and on an underside of a tension knob;

a compression spring of the tension assembly, that is coaxially mounted around said non-rotative spindle, and between said tension knob and a top brake disk;

engaging means, situated around a periphery of said resistance disk, comprising a gear;

a channel situated around the periphery of said resistance disk;

a flexible cable, which temporarily rests along an inside of said channel on the periphery of said resistance disk that is used for rotation of said resistance disk in response to the pulling movement of said cable in an advanced direction by a user;

means for coupling said cable to the periphery of said resistance disk comprising a pawl, upon a start of pulling against said cable in order to rotate said resistance disk in the advanced direction, and for uncoupling said cable from the periphery of said resistance disk upon completion of pulling against said cable;

a small compression spring depressed by the pivoting motion of said pawl engaging said gear upon pulling against said cable in the advanced direction, then upon the completion of pulling against said cable, said depressed small compression spring expands outward urging said pawl to pivot and disengage said gear; and

a rewind arm mounted to pivot about said non-rotative spindle, and fastened to a coil spring preloaded with built up tension, that forces said rewind arm and disengaged pawl to rewind and pull said cable from an advanced position back to a retracted position within said channel on the periphery of said resistance disk when stopped, said built up tension in said coil spring is from preceding rotation of said resistance disk and said rewind arm rotating in unison in the advanced direction in response to the pulling movement of said cable by the user.

2. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for varying pressure applied to said non-rotative brake disk is said tension knob of the tension assembly, coaxially mounted to screw about said non-rotative spindle for varying the pressure applied to said non-rotative brake disks in frictional contact with said rotating pressure plates, the amount of said pressure being applied is indicated by a dial located on said tension knob.

3. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for coupling said cable to the periphery of said resistance disk is a pawl, teeth of said pawl can engage any portion of said gear on the periphery of said resistance disk upon the start of pulling against said cable in the advance direction in order to rotate said resistance disk, and upon the completion of pulling against said cable, said resistance disk immediately stops rotating and said pawl disengages from said gear.

4. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said constant frictional contact between said non-rotative brake disks and said rotating pressure plates retards the rotation of said resistance disk, applying a uniform resistive force against the pull of said cable.

5. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coil spring further comprising a coil spring housing.

6. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cable further comprising a connector situated at a free end for attaching a detachable accessory used to rotate said resistance disk from a remote position by pulling against said cable in the advanced direction, and a connector situated at the tail end of said cable is connected to said pawl by a of a cable connector.

7. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said connector situated at the free end of said cable further comprising a detachable bat simulator accessory comprising a cable connector that is slide adjustable along a bat simulator body, a knob that tightens said cable connector of said bat simulator in place, said bat simulator is about half the length of an average baseball bat as a result of excluding an outer end, but weighs as much as said average baseball bat by means of weights implanted inside said bat simulator body.

8. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said connector situated at the free end of said cable further comprising a detachable racket simulator accessory comprising a cable connector that is slide adjustable along a racket simulator body, a knob that tightens said cable connector of said racket simulator in place, said racket simulator is about half the length of an average tennis racket as a result of excluding an outer end, but weighs as much as said average tennis racket by means of weights implanted inside said racket simulator body.

9. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said connector situated at the free end of said cable further comprising a detachable two-way bar accessory comprising a lightweight tubular frame having two or more regularly spaced mounted rubber hand grips, said two-way bar accessory comprising two or more eye bolt cable connectors mounted on both the top and bottom sides of said two-way bar accessory at various points evenly spaced along a length of said tubular frame for connecting cables from two opposite directions.

10. The exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said threaded non-rotative spindle of said resistance disk is mountable to any one of the group consisting of:

a body harness, an object or surface with a mounting hole using a nut fastener, and a mounting bracket with a mounting hole that is mounted to another stationary or movable object or surface.