US3759511A - Adjustable friction type exercising device - Google Patents

A device for exercising the muscles of the legs, which simulates the striding movement which occurs during actual running. A body support frame is provided having a pair of foot engaging pendulum arms mounted thereon for movement through predetermined arcuate paths of travel with an adjustable friction developing mechanism being operatively associated with an arcuate sector to offer resistance to movements of the arms. The device offers substantially a constant resistive force throughout the entire range of thrust movement during extension of a user''s leg and provides substantially unrestricted leg movement in the opposite direction during retraction of a user''s leg.

United States Patent 1 Zinkin et al.

[ ADJUSTABLE FRICTION TYPE EXERCISING DEVICE [76] Inventors: De Wayne Zinkin, 2751 Lerwick Rd, Sacramento; Cliff J. Coker, 16727 Bolera Ln., Huntington Beach; Kenneth A. Gustatson, 9981 Platanel Dr., Villa Park, all of Calif.

[22] Filed: Mar. 29, 1971 [21] App]. N0.: 128,982

[52] US. Cl. 272/58, 272/79 R, 272/DIG. 3,

272/73, 272/DIG. 5

272/73, 79 R, 80, DIG. 3, DIG. 5, DIG. 4, DIG. 6; 46/1 R; 35/29 B; 128/25 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,259,385 7/1966 Boren 272/73 1,902,694 ,3/1933 272/58 3,103,357 9/1963 272/58 X 326,247 9/1885 Root 272/71 [1 1 3,759,511 [451 Sept. 18,1973

3,528,653 9/1970 Stuckenschneider 272/79 R 3,074,716 1/1963 Mitchel et a1 272/71 3,216,722 1/l965 Odom 272/73 3,572,699 3/1971 Nies 272/73 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne Attorney-Huebner & Worrel [57] ABSTRACT A device for exercising the muscles of the legs, which simulates the striding movement which occurs during actual running. A body support frame is provided having a pair of foot engaging pendulum arms mounted thereon for movement through predetermined arcuate paths of travel with an adjustable friction developing v mechanism being operatively associated with an arcuate sector to offer resistance to movements of the arms. The device offers substantially a constant resistive force throughout the entire range of thrust movement during extension of a users leg and provides substantially unrestricted leg movement in the opposite direction during retraction of a user's leg.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED SE?! 8 I975 SHEET 2 BF 2 DE may/v5 Z/NK/A CLIFF J COKER KENNETH A. GUSTAFSON INVENTORY MfM A TTOPNEVS ADJUSTABLE FRICTION TYPE EXERCISING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The benefits of participating in a regular exercise program in order to maintain good heath and improve muscle tone are well-known. Jogging is becoming an increasingly popular form of exercise to strengthen the muscles of the body, particularly in the legs. Of course, when jogging, one extends and lifts each of his legs in an alternating fashion. When extending ones legs, there is a distinct tendency to stress a group of muscles frequently referred to as the extensor muscles, while in lifting ones legs, there is a tendency to stress an op posed muscle group, known as the flexor muscles. Included in the extensor muscle group are the muscles identified as gluteus muscles. medium and maximus, sartoris, rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus latralis, gastrocnemius, and soleus, while within the flexor muscle group there is included the tensor fascia lata, biceps femoris, semitendinous, semimembranousus, and tibialis anterior muscles. Thus, that through running or jogging, the extensor and flexor muscles are cyclically stressed in an alternating fashion. Outdoor jogging is not always possible because of adverse weather conditions, limitations on time or lack of sapce in the more crowded urban areas. This is a particularly onerous problem during travel in outer space with the increased duration of such space flights. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the occupants of the proposed space platforms may spend months and even years in an environment where normal exercise such as running is not possible. Under such conditions where running cannot be conveniently accomplished, many people merely run in place indoors which, although better than no exercise at all, does not precisely simulate actual running. The substantially straight, vertical movement of the legs produces a detrimental impact shock upwardly through the legs and throughout the entire body and does not permit any desirable stretching of the leg muscles which normally occurs with the striding movement during actual running. The preferred running exercise, however, can only be accomplished by relatively healthy people and is, of course, impossible for many persons having some type of muscle damage, disease, atrophy, or the like which frequently can be improved by a therapeutically graded exercise program. No exercise device presently available is capable of permitting the user precisely to duplicate the striding movements of natural running or precisely to vary the amount of resistance imposed upon the legs during such movement. Accordingly, none of the prior devices is adapted for universal use over the varied and wide range of exercise programs attainable with the device of the present invention.

Conventional leg exercise devices are generally of two types, the first of which is commonly known as a leg press which employs weights to provide a resistive force during repetitive extensions of the legs. These devices do not even attempt to simulate leg movement during running and, while weights can be added or subtracted, the geometry of the connecting linkage between the user and the weights is usually such that the force imposed upon the user varies somewhat from the,

beginning of the stroke or press to near the end thereof. Furthermore, the weights are gravity-returned which imposes an additional force on the users legs unlike running wherein during upward retraction of the legs there is no force imposed thereon other than their own weight. Because of the weight problem, such devices cannot be used in space travel vehicles and are, of course, completely useless in the non-gravitational environment encountered in space. Other types of leg exercise devices generally include bicycle and treadmills that attempt to simulate normal leg movement during running. Bicycle pedaling, however, only involves a substantially vertical movement of the legs similar to running in place while treadmills afford only a substantially linear shuffling movement and are unable to supply the usual resistance encountered during actual running. Therefore, the various devices heretofore employed in exercising the legs do not cause the extensor and flexor muscle groups to be stressed in a manner which duplicates the stressing of these muscles encountered when running or jogging.

Accordingly, it is the purpose of the instant invention to provide an exercising device which can be employed for stressing the major leg muscle groups in a manner consistent with the manner in which they are stressed when performing an act of running or jogging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved exercise device. 7

Another object is to provide such an improved exercise device which is particularly adapted for use in ex ercising the muscles of the legs.

Another object is to provide an exercise device of the character described which is versatile and readily adapted for virtually all exercise programs involving the legs.

Another object is to provide an improved exercise device which substantially simulates the striding movement occurring during running.

Another object is to provide an improved exercise device which is capable of precisely adjusting the resistance imposed upon the legs of the user during such striding movement without the use of weights.

Another object is to provide an improved exercise device in which the resistance imposed upon the legs of the user is substantially constant throughout the entire range of leg movement.

Another object is to provide an improved exercise device which utilizes a body support frame on which the user can assume a forwardly inclined position to simulate the attitude of the body when running.

Another object is to provide an improved exercise device which may be quickly and conveniently converted to support the body of the user in a seated position.

Another object is to provide an improved exercise device which is safe, convenient in. use, and which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the present inven tion will subsequently become more clearly apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise device embodying the principles of the present invention with the body of a user disposed thereon in a forwardly inclined dashed-line position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the exercise device of FIG. 1 with the user shown in an alternate dashed-line sitting position.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the exercise device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the exercise device, taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

In view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the structure of the present invention provides an improved exercise device which permits a user substantially to simulate the forwardly inclined attitude and leg striding movement occurring in actual running. The resistive force to such movement is substantially constant throughout the entire range of leg movement, which resistance may be varied from no resistance to a predetermined maximum resistance. The exercise device of the present invention is quickly and easily converted between a condition permitting the user to assume a running position to a condition permitting the user to be disposed in a seated position thereon without any modification of the structure. In both positions, the device may also be employed in the same manner as a conventional leg press. Accordingly, there is provided by the present invention an improved exercise device which may be employed for virtually any use involving exercises of Jhe legs.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the illustrative details disclosed.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An exercising device comprising:

A. support means for supporting a users torso in forward-running attitude wherein a users torso is forwardly inclined and downwardly facing B. confining means for confining the movement of a users feet to oscillatory motion along an arcuate path having a radius extending to an oscillatory axis paralleling the axis of the hip joints and disposed above and rearwardly of the knee joints of the user as the user cyclically applies rearwardly directed thrusting forces and forwardly directed lifting forces to each foot; and

C. restraining means for applying to each foot a restraining force of a constant magnitude acting in opposition to said thrusting forces.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said confining means includes a pair of depending arms supported for independent oscillation about said axis.

3. 'The device of claim 2, wherein said restraining means includes unidirectional force dissipating means for dissipating said thrusting'forces.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said confining means further includes a pair of stirrups for separately securing a users feet to the distal end portions of said pair of arms.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said support means is disposed forwardly and above said stirrups so that the instantaneous included angle defined by a line ex tended from the hips to the feet of the user and thence to the axis about which the arms are oscillated is an acute angle.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein said support means includes a support pad for said torso inclined from horizontal at approximately 60 and a pair of upright handles fixed forwardly of said plate and adapted to be grasped by the user.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said support pad horizontal. includes a pivotal portion adapted to be pivoted in a 9. The device of claim 2, wherein said support means vertical plane about a horizontal axis. includes a pair of rigidly supported handles adapted to 8. The device of claim 2, wherein said support means be grasped by the user.

includes a support pad for said torso inclined from the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFECATE 0F CGRRECTION Patent No. 3,759,511 mLMmL Invent0r(s) Dewayne Zinkin; Cliff J. Coker; and Kenneth A.

' V Gustatson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below;

Column 1, line 0, delete 'i'hea'th" and insert health--;

line 34, after. "facing" insert Signed and sealed this 25th day of December 1973.

(SEAL) Attest: r

EDWARD M.FLETCHE R,JR. I RENE D. TEGTMEYER "Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1OSO (10-69) UsCOIMM-DC 00376-1 69 -k q.s. covenant PRINTING OFFICE: up: o-ase-su,