CN103648592B - fitness exercise equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A fitness exercise device has a generally rectangular frame. Each rail portion of the frame has a vertical outer wall, an integral downwardly sloping inner wall, and an outwardly opening slot therebetween that is hidden. A foot bar support assembly movably supported by each outwardly opening slot supports the foot bar. Each foot bar support assembly has an elongated slide plate movably supported within the slot, a hook plate secured to the slide plate, and a foot bar support arm rotatably and slidably secured to the hook plate. A pair of tubular risers each having an upper roller therein at the head end of the frame guide the end of the arm cord to a cord retraction assembly mounted on the carriage. The retraction assembly releases the cord by pivoting either shoulder stop toward the foot end of the frame.

Description

fitness exercise equipment

Background technique

This disclosure relates to exercise equipment. Specifically, it relates to a fitness exercise device with a new contemporary structure, which has a number of unique innovations.

Background technique

Originating from Joseph Pilates, exercise machines utilized while playing sports are usually implemented on stationary equipment known as gym machines. A traditional gym machine has a rectangular wooden or metal frame that supports two parallel rails or tracks. The wheeled carriages are supported on rails and are resiliently pressed towards the foot ends of the frame by one or more resilient members (typically coil springs). The user sits or lies on the bracket and pushes against the foot support bars at the end of the foot to move the bracket away from and towards the end of the foot. Alternatively, the user can grip the ends of a pair of cords or straps that pass through pulleys at the head end of the frame and connect to the bracket, similarly pulling the bracket away from or toward the foot end of the frame.

An important aspect of Pilates training is central musculature stability. Exercising on an exercise machine is ideally performed by a user who is concerned with body symmetry and symmetrical body movement and proper torso alignment during exercise. It is often somewhat difficult for the user to feel when he or she is properly centered on the exercise machine and applying the same amount of force with both arms or legs during the desired movement. Additionally, either the user must dismount from the exercise machine, or the instructor must change the position of the foot support bars when a different exercise may be required. This is at least inconvenient for the user. Also, the user must then reposition his or her body on the brace to restore proper alignment.

The ends of the arm ropes are usually tucked through holes in the carrying platform to keep them away from the user or hang over the side of the carriage. So they can be dragged on the floor under the brackets. There is also difficulty for the user to adjust the arm cord length while lying on the exercise machine bracket. The user typically has to sit up, adjust the arm cord length in the stop cleat, and then reposition herself in the cradle surface.

The rails on which the carriages rest are usually horizontal surfaces that collect dust and dirt over time, so the rollers and tracks must be cleaned frequently. Also, the user must take care not to let his or her clothing hang down the guide rails to prevent such clothing from interfering with the operation of the carrying rollers.

Accordingly, there is a need for exercise equipment that is straightforward to use, easily adjusted by the user without dismounting from the exercise machine bracket, and that overcomes the disadvantages described above.

Contents of the invention

Fitness exercise equipment according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a generally rectangular frame having a pair of parallel spaced side rail portions, a head end, and a foot end. A movable carriage is provided which is supported by the side rail portions for moving the carriage between the head end and the foot end. A biasing member, such as one or more coil springs, is connected between the bracket and the foot end of the frame for biasing the bracket toward the foot end of the frame. Foot support members, such as foot bars, are supported by the side rail portions of the frame.

Each side rail portion of the frame has a vertical outer wall and an integral horizontal top wall incorporated in an inwardly and downwardly sloping inner wall. Each side rail portion has a downwardly extending intermediate wall between the outer wall and the inner wall for supporting the foot support member. The intermediate wall has a longitudinally extending upper raised portion and a longitudinally extending lower raised portion with an outwardly opening slot formed facing the outer wall between the longitudinally extending upper raised portion and the longitudinally extending lower raised portion. Each side rail portion includes a horizontal wall between the inner wall and the intermediate wall.

The intermediate wall has a lower end forming a horizontal track for supporting the carriage. Moreover, this lower portion of the intermediate wall also provides lateral support for the guide rollers on the carriage to guide its movement between the head end and the foot end of the frame.

One end of each foot support member is movably supported in an outwardly opening slot between the upper and lower raised portions of the intermediate wall. Furthermore, the intermediate wall includes a plurality of features, preferably notches, for discretely positioning the foot support members along the length of the side rail members of the frame.

The foot support assembly preferably includes a foot bar. A foot bar is supported at each end by a foot bar support assembly movably supported by each outwardly opening slot in the side rail portion of the frame. Each foot pole support assembly includes an elongated slide plate movably supported in a slot, a hook pad fastened to the slide plate, and a foot pole support arm having a structure fastened to a foot pole. One of the ends and a portion rotatably and slidably secured to the hook pad.

The slide plate is an elongated member having opposing ends each supporting a roller for travel over the bottom surface of an outwardly opening slot in the intermediate wall of the side rail portion of the exercise machine frame. The slide plate preferably has at least one roller for support on the vertical surface of the intermediate wall within the slot.

The foot bar support arm has a bottom end fastened to one foot bar end. The upper end of the foot bar support arm has an engagement member for selectively engaging a discrete component of the hook pad as the foot bar is slid upwardly for rotation about the hook pad. The hook pad has an upper edge having a plurality of discrete components at spaced apart locations for selectively engaging a portion of the foot bar support arm to position the foot at a predetermined angle from the plane of the upper surface of the exercise machine frame pole.

Each discrete part is preferably a notch having a different shape. Each notch corresponds to a specific angular position of the foot bar relative to the frame. Each hook pad preferably also has an L-shaped slot for receiving an engagement member on the foot bar support arm. The L-shaped notch positions the foot bar at a lower level than the upper frame surface and provides the user with a handle bar at the foot end of the frame for easy transport. Preferably, the foot bar support arm supports a generally cylindrical pin for engaging a separate component, ie a notch in the hook pad.

In another aspect, the present disclosure describes a foot bar assembly for use on fitness exercise equipment that includes a generally rectangular frame having parallel sides, a head end, and a foot end, each side having a An outwardly opening slot extending along at least a portion of the side. The foot bar assembly includes: a generally U-shaped foot bar having a first end and a second end; an elongated slide plate movably supported within each slot; a hook pad secured to each slide plate a plate; and a foot bar support arm rotatably secured to each hook pad and to one of the first end and the second end of the foot bar.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a fitness exercise device is disclosed having a generally rectangular frame and foot bars supported by the frame for use on the head and foot ends of the frame. The carriage moving therebetween is supported on parallel spaced side rail portions of the frame, wherein the head end of the frame has a pair of spaced apart vertical holes formed therein and an arm rope support lifter disposed in each hole. Each rope-supported elevator includes a hollow cylindrical tube supporting a first roller therein near the bottom end of the tube, a second roller rotatably supported within the upper end of the tube, and an adjacent second roller A guide for guiding the arm rope around the second roller.

Preferably, in one embodiment, the bottom end of the tube is open to receive an arm cord therethrough and the upper end comprises a top comprising a dome shape with an opening therethrough , for the arm rope to come out of the tube. The top of the tube preferably also has a pair of spaced guides adjacent the opening and the second roller, and may also have a horizontal guide between the spaced guides. In some embodiments, the guides are rollers. The riser tube may also include an inner rope guide plate above the first roller for guiding the arm rope over the first roller. The riser top is detachable from and rotatably secured to the riser tube. Also, the top may include a pair of spaced guides adjacent the opening for smooth passage of the arm cord. In another embodiment, the arm rope may be routed through the side of the tube just below the upper roller or pulley. A pair of guide rollers are preferably disposed adjacent the opening through which the arm cord exits the tube. The riser top can again be detachable from the riser tube as a bracket assembly.

In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to fitness exercise equipment that includes an arm cord retraction assembly mounted to a bottom side surface of a bracket. The retraction assembly has a pair of cord retractors, each having a stationary frame supporting therein rotatable spring biased reels connected to the free ends of one arm cord, each reel having a toothed outer rim.

The retraction assembly also includes a pair of toothed locking members that are rotatably mounted to the bottom side of the bracket and are mechanically coupled together such that rotation of one locking member out of engagement with the teeth of one toothed outer rim causes the other to engage. One locking member rotates out of engagement with the teeth of the toothed outer rim of the other spring biased spool.

The retraction assembly also has an actuator connected to a locking member operable to rotate the locking member into and out of engagement with the toothed rim of the retraction spool. The actuator is preferably resiliently biased out of engagement with the locking member.

In one embodiment of the fitness exercise device according to the present disclosure, the actuator is incorporated in a pair of spaced shoulder stops extending from the upper surface of the bracket. Each shoulder stop is rotatably mounted to the carriage, preferably for rotation about a horizontal axis. The actuator may be an elongated pin member extending downwardly from the shoulder stop, through an aperture in the bracket, and protruding therefrom to engage a locking member. Pivotal movement, ie, rotation, of either shoulder stop by the user about its axis toward the foot end of the frame engages the actuator with one locking member, which in turn causes disengagement of both locking members Toothed outer rim. Preferably, a spring is connected to each locking member, which biases each locking member into engagement with a retraction spool.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, an arm cord retraction kit for retrofitting conventional fitness exercise equipment is provided. The components in this kit are designed to attach to the gym bracket. The kit includes: a pair of cord retractors, each having a fixed frame for mounting to the underside surface of the exercise machine bracket, each frame supporting therein a rotatable spring bias attachable to the free end of the arm cord type reels, each reel has a toothed outer rim; a pair of toothed locking members for pivotally mounted to the bottom side surface of the bracket, wherein the locking members are mechanically connected together so that a locking rotation of a member out of tooth engagement with the toothed outer rim causes the other locking member to rotate out of engagement with the teeth of the other spring biased spool's toothed outer rim; and an actuator for mounting on a shoulder stop Engages a locking member upon reaching the exercise machine bracket.

In another aspect of the fitness exercise device of the present disclosure, the bracket includes an internally adjustable headrest. The bracket includes a generally rectangular frame, a generally rectangular plate body secured to the frame, a generally trapezoidal headrest plate hinged to the body. A shaped upper pad is secured to the upper surface of the body and the headrest.

In yet another aspect of the fitness exercise device of the present disclosure, the frame preferably includes replaceable legs positioned at corners of the generally rectangular frame. Each leg has an outer surface shape that is complementary to the shape of the corner. Each leg has an upper end shape configured to fit within a complementary recess in the bottom side surface of the frame. Each leg is secured to a protrusion of the frame by a single bolt that passes perpendicularly through the leg into a corresponding boss in the frame. The bottom end of each leg includes foot pads that facilitate overlapping of the equipment with each other through the outer corners of the head end of the exercise machine and the outer corners of the upright platform at the foot end of the exercise machine to the feet in each foot pad Engagement in the pad recess is achieved.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a resilient resistance member may be secured between the foot bar support assembly and the head end of the exercise machine frame. When the foot bar assembly is free to move along the side rails of the frame, it is resiliently pressed against the head end of the exercise machine frame. In this configuration, the foot bar assembly can be grasped by the user's hands while sitting or lying on the bracket, and the foot bar assembly is pulled along the rails toward the bracket against resistance, either alone or with the The leg extensions at the foot ends of the exercise machine frame work together for a variety of upper body exercises. Alternatively, elastic resistance members may be secured between the foot bar assembly and the foot end of the frame to facilitate a similar exercise from the foot end of the frame by pulling the foot bar assembly toward the bracket.

Description of drawings

The present disclosure will be better understood and objects in addition to those set forth above will become apparent when the ensuing detailed description is considered. This description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of fitness exercise equipment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isolated perspective view of the frame of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure.

3 is a cross-sectional view of one side rail member of the frame taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 .

4 is a partial perspective view of a foot end of an exercise machine according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an isolated perspective view of a foot bar for use with the fitness exercise device shown in FIG. 1 .

6 is an external perspective view of a right side rail member foot bar support assembly according to the present disclosure.

7 is an inside perspective view of the right side rail member foot bar support assembly shown in FIG. 6 .

8 is a cross-sectional view of the left side rail member taken along line 3-3 shown in FIG. 2, showing the arrangement of the foot post support assembly supported therein.

9 is a cross-sectional view of the fitness exercise device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 1 .

10 is a partial perspective view of the head end of the exercise device shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 11 is an isolated perspective view of the lifter lower pulley assembly used in the head end of the apparatus shown in FIG. 10 .

12 is an isolated exploded perspective view of a bracket of the fitness exercise device shown in FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure.

13 is a bottom plan view of the head end of the bracket shown in FIG. 1 showing the cord retraction mechanism locking member engaged with the cord retraction reel according to the present disclosure.

14 is a bottom plan view of the head end of the bracket as shown in FIG. 13 with the locking member engaged with the cord retraction reel.

15 is a cross-sectional view through the bracket, taken along line 15-15 in FIG. 14 .

16 is a bottom side perspective view of a bracket with a cord retraction system according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 17 is a bottom side view as shown in Figure 17, showing the cord retraction system in the released position.

18 is a bottom perspective view of the head end of an alternative bracket according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the head end of the bracket shown in FIG. 18 .

20 is a side view of the head end of the bracket shown in FIG. 18 with the head restraint in the first raised position.

21 is a side view of the head end of the bracket shown in FIG. 18 with the head restraint in a second raised position.

22 is a perspective view of the head end of an alternative exercise machine according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 is an isolated internal exploded view of the head end assembly of the alternative exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

FIG. 24 is an isolated internal exploded view of the foot end assembly of the alternative exercise machine shown in FIG. 22. FIG.

25 is a cross-sectional view of one of the two frame side rails of the alternative exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

FIG. 26 is an isolated assembled perspective view of the riser used in the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of the lifter shown in FIG. 26 .

28 is a partial cross-sectional view of the riser shown in FIG. 26 installed in the head receptacle of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

29 is an isolated interior perspective view of the foot bar support assembly used in the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

FIG. 30 is an external perspective view of the foot pole support assembly shown in FIG. 29 .

31 is an isolated bottom perspective view of the cradle frame assembly of the cradle shown in FIG. 22 .

32 is a bottom perspective view of the support pad removed from the bracket shown in FIG. 22. FIG.

33 is an isolated perspective view of a shoulder rest for use in the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

34 is an upper partial exploded view of the bracket of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 .

Figure 35 is an upside down view of the bracket removed from the exercise machine shown in Figure 22, showing the cord retraction system according to this alternative embodiment.

36 is a bottom plan view of the head end of the bracket shown in FIG. 35 with the cord retraction system in the cord locked position.

Figure 37 is the same view as in Figure 36 with the cord retraction system in the cord release position.

Figure 38 is a perspective view of the head end of the bracket with the head restraint in the lowered position.

39 is a perspective view of the pair of exercise machines shown in FIG. 22 in a stacked configuration for storage.

40 is a perspective view of the underside of the head end of the bracket showing the lifter and shoulder stop ready for installation in the stored position as shown in FIG. 39 .

41 is a perspective view of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 including an optional vertical ladder tower and mat modification in accordance with the present disclosure.

42 is a perspective view of a trapezoidal tower receptacle aligned on the end of one of the side rails of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 41 for connection to a head end protrusion.

43 is a cross-sectional view through the trapezoidal tower receptacle of the tower shown in FIG. 41 .

44 is a partial cross-sectional view through one of the riser bosses at the head end of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 41 showing an alternative lower pulley bracket installed therein.

45 is a perspective view of an exercise machine as in FIG. 22 with an alternative vertical ladder tower and mat modification in accordance with the present disclosure.

46 is a perspective view of the handle end of an arm cord for an exercise machine according to the present disclosure.

47 is a perspective view as in FIG. 46 with the handle attached to the arm cord according to the present disclosure.

48 is a perspective view of the exercise machine shown in FIG. 22 with the diving board mounted at the foot ends of the exercise machine frame.

Figure 49 is an enlarged, vertical, partial cross-sectional view through one of the two struts supporting the diving board mounted at the foot ends of the exercise machine frame.

detailed description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that the disclosed technology may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the disclosed technology.

A perspective view of one embodiment of fitness exercise device 100 is shown in FIG. 1 . Device 100 includes a generally rectangular frame 102 having a head end 104 and a foot end 106 . The ends 104 and 106 are separated by a pair of rail members 108 . Bracket 110 is movably supported on track member 108 for forward and backward movement between ends 104 and 106 of frame 102 .

The foot bar 111 is positioned near the foot end 106 of the frame 102 . As will be described in detail below, the foot bar 111 is supported by rail members 108 . The head end 104 of the frame 102 preferably supports a removable pair of spaced apart vertical arm rope support lifters 112 . These lifters 112 guide the arm ropes 114 from the bracket 110 to rope end loops 116 or handles for the user's hands to use in various exercises. As shown in FIG. 1 , end ring 116 may be conveniently positioned over shoulder stop 118 when not in use. The bracket 110 is resiliently pressed toward the foot end 116 of the frame 102 by one or more resilient members, such as a spring 120 .

A separate perspective view of frame 102 is shown in FIG. 2 . Each of the head end 104, the foot end 106, and the side rail members 108 have similar outer surface shapes that blend smoothly together. This shape includes a vertical outer wall 122 combined with a horizontal top wall 124 combined with a downwardly and inwardly sloped inner wall 126 . The inner wall 126 is integrated into a vertical skirt 128 . Thus, the overall frame 102 includes a vertical outer wall 122 , a downwardly and inwardly sloped inner wall 126 and a vertical skirt 128 .

Head end 104 and foot end 106 have curved outer ends 107 that bend into and smoothly engage side rail members 108 . The head end 104 also includes a boss for receiving the lifter 112 . Foot end 106 has an anchor support plate 121 spanning between curved ends 107 for supporting the end of a biasing member or spring 120 to bias bracket 110 as described above.

Extending downwardly from each curved end 107 is a vertical leg 129 of complementary shape. These legs 129 can be removed to place the ends 104 and 106 of the frame 102 on a flat surface, such as the floor. Legs 129 may be interchanged with longer or shorter legs to vary the height of device 100 above such a floor support surface.

A cross-sectional view of side rail member 108 is shown in FIG. 3 . Each rail member 108 is preferably an aluminum protrusion having the same cross-sectional shape. As noted above, the rail member 108 has a vertical outer wall 122 that incorporates into a horizontal top wall 124 , then into a downwardly sloping inner wall 126 , and then into a vertical skirt 128 . End members 104 and 106 have the same external shape, but differ internally from side rail member 108 .

As in FIG. 3 , each side rail member 108 has a vertical intermediate wall 130 positioned between the sloped inner wall 126 and the vertical outer wall 122 . The intermediate wall 130 has an outwardly facing longitudinally extending upper raised portion 132 and an outwardly facing longitudinally extending lower raised portion 134 parallel to the upper raised portion 132 . Together with the intermediate wall 130, the upper raised portion 132 and the lower raised portion 134 form an outwardly opening slot 136 therebetween. As will be described in more detail below, the slot 136 receives and supports a foot pole support assembly therein. Between the intermediate wall 130 and the sloped inner wall 126 is an upper horizontal support wall 138 . The support wall 138 extends along the length of the rail member 108 and provides torsional rigidity to the structure of the rail member 108 . The horizontal bottom 140 of the intermediate wall 130 serves as a support for the set of wheels supporting the carriage 110 . The upper wall 138 also serves as an upper guide for the carriage support wheels on the track member 108 . Furthermore, the intermediate wall 130 between the upper wall 138 and the lower wall 140 and the skirt 128 serves as a lateral guide for the bracket 110 .

The upper raised portion 132 preferably has a vertical portion 142 extending downward parallel to the intermediate wall 130 . The vertical portion 142 is used to provide lateral support for the foot support assembly described more fully below. Also, the lower raised portion 134 may include an index rail 144 extending downward. Alternatively, index rail 144 may be mounted along the length of rail member 108 by a separate, replaceable metal index rail supported in boss 134 .

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the foot end 106 of the frame 102 . The foot end 106 supports an anchor plate 121 for receiving the free ends of one or more springs 120 . Each of the plurality of spaced apart hourglass barrel pins 148 is positioned to receive a loop on the spring 120 to secure the spring 120 to the foot end 106 of the frame 102 . Each of these pins 148 is preferably tapered upwardly and inwardly from its base to the waist at a first angle from the central axis of the pin and then outwardly at a second angle greater than the first angle so that when placed on the pin The free end of the spring on 148 is held securely at the waist of the pin 148 when tensioned.

Each corner of frame 102 formed by ends 104 and 106 includes a curved vertical outer wall 122 , a top wall 124 and an inwardly sloped inner wall 126 . Preferably, the inner wall 126 terminates in a lower vertical skirt 128 . The foot end 106 also includes two spaced apart tubular foot support bosses 146 formed therein. These foot support bosses 146 are used to support a flat, generally rectangular foot platform (not shown) commonly referred to as a "diving board". This diving board is a rectangular board having two parallel spaced apart support posts fitted to the foot support bosses 146 .

The foot bar shown in FIG. 11 will now be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 . The foot bar 111 is the part of the foot support assembly that cannot be seen in FIG. 1 . The foot bar 111 is shown separately in FIG. 5 . The foot bar 111 has a central horizontal foot support portion 150 located on two parallel leg portions 152 . Each leg portion 152 terminates in a connection portion 154 secured to one of the two foot bar support assemblies 170 .

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the connection portion 154 is bolted or otherwise secured to the bottom end 156 of the elongated foot bar support arm 158 . The arm 158, best shown in FIG. The arm 158 also has a closed pivot slot 162 extending radially parallel to the leg portion 152 of the foot bar 111 and spaced from where the connection portion 154 of the foot bar 111 connects to the arm 158 .

The foot support assembly of the exercise machine 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a left foot bar support assembly 170 , a foot bar 111 and a right foot bar support assembly 170 . 6 and 7 are upside down perspective views of the right foot post support assembly 170 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Each leg 152 of foot bar 111 is supported by a foot bar support assembly 170 . As best shown in FIG. 6 , assembly 170 includes foot bar support arm 158 to which foot bar 111 is attached, slide 172 supported in slot 136 in side rail member 108 and rigidly tightened. Secured to the gib pad 174 of the slider 172 . The hook pad 174 has a series of features, preferably slots or notches 176 , 178 , 180 , 182 and 184 spaced along the upper edge of the hook pad 174 . Pin 161 protruding outwardly from upper end 160 of foot bar support arm 158 fits in one of these notches 176 - 184 to position foot bar 111 at a specific target angular position relative to frame 102 of exercise machine 100 .

The foot bar support arm 158 is slidably and pivotally connected to the hook pad 174 by a bolt 186 and a square bushing 188 . Sleeve 188 is supported between and along parallel sides of recess 190 in arm 158 around pivot slot 162 . Since the foot bar 111 is fastened to the arm 158 , when the user lifts the foot bar 111 , the support arm 158 travels up and down the slot 162 . In turn, the pin 161 projecting outwardly from the upper end 160 of the support arm 158 is raised out of a slot along the upper edge of the hook pad 174 . When lifting in this manner, the user can then rotate foot bar 111 about pivot bolt 186 to a different one of slots 176 , 178 , 180 , 182 or 184 to reposition foot bar 111 . When the foot bar 111 is lowered, the pin 161 slides in a slot to secure the foot bar 111 in place.

End slots or notches 176 and 184 are of particular importance in embodiment 100 . When both pins 161 of foot bar 111 are positioned in slots 176 , foot bar 111 is rotatably positioned below the upper surface of frame 102 and beyond the foot end of frame 102 . In this position, the foot bar 111 can be used as a handle for lifting the end of the foot of the exercise machine 100 . To ensure that the foot bar 111 does not disengage from the slot 176 , the end of the slot 176 is hooked up, as can be seen in FIG. 6 , to securely engage the pin 161 at the closed end of the slot 176 . To disengage the foot bar 111 from this slot 176, the foot bar 111 must be pushed down and pulled back (away from the foot end) to align the pin 161 with the widened slot entrance. Foot bar 111 may then be rotated upward and lifted out of slot 176 and repositioned into a different one of slots 178 , 180 , 182 and 184 .

The forwardmost slot 184 in the hook pad 174 is used to position the foot support assembly including each of the assembly 170 and the foot bar 111 together for translation along the rail member 108 . When the foot bar 111 is raised and rotated clockwise, as seen in FIG. 6 , the arm 158 rotates clockwise around the bolt 186 until the pin 161 engages the front end of the hook pad 174 (towards the head end 104 ). Projecting surface 192 . In this position, a shoulder 194 on the support arm 158 engages a detent 196 that passes through a slot 198 in the hook pad 174 . Lock pin 196 protrudes through hook pad 174 from lock arm 200 , best seen in FIG. 7 . When the foot bar 111 is subsequently lowered, the shoulder 194 of the arm 158 pushes the locking pin 196 downward.

Locking arm 200 is an elongated rod having one end rotatably secured to the inner side of hook pad 174 . The locking arm 200 is rotatable in a plane parallel to the inner surface of the hook pad 174 . The other end of the locking arm 200 has a locking portion 202 that engages a complementary shaped index feature in the rail member 108 to lock the assembly 170 at a selected position along the rail member 108 . The locking arm 200 is spring biased upward via the spring member 201 to maintain the locking portion 202 of the locking arm 200 engaging the indexing features of the indexing rail 144 in the rail member 108 .

When the foot bar 111 is positioned in the slot 184 with the pin 161, and the foot bar 111 is pushed down to position the pin 161 at the bottom of the slot 184, the locking pin 196 is also pushed down, rotating the locking arm 200 And move the locking part 202 out of engagement with the indexing part of the indexing guide rail 144 in the guide rail member 108 . With the locking portion 202 disengaged from the rail member 108 , the foot bar 111 can be moved towards or away from the foot end 106 of the frame 102 via the roller 206 . In fact, the foot bar 111 can be moved completely to the opposite end of the rail member 108 as desired.

Slide assembly 172 is best seen in the view of FIG. 7 , which is an interior perspective view of foot bar support assembly 170 shown in FIG. 6 supported in right side rail member 108 . Slide assembly 172 includes an elongated slide plate 204 that is preferably bolted or otherwise secured to hook pad 174 . The slide plate 204 is supported in the slot 136 in the rail member 108 with the hook pad 174 and the adjacent foot bar support arm 158 disposed in the free/open space between the outer wall 122 and the intermediate wall 130 of the rail member 108 Inside. It will be appreciated that another mirrored foot support assembly 170 is provided in the other (left) rail member 108 .

A cross-sectional view of the left side rail member 108 as in FIG. 3 with the left foot bar support assembly 170 supported in the slot 136 is shown in FIG. 8 . All of the components of assembly 170 are disposed between outer wall 122 and intermediate wall 130 of rail 108 . The complete foot post support assembly 170 is thus hidden from view from a user seated in the cradle 110 . It will be appreciated that the right foot bar support assembly 170 in the right side rail member 108 is similarly configured. Accordingly, the component parts of assembly 170 are interchangeable or radial. For example, the foot bar support arm 158 and the hook pad 174 are mirrored. The remainder of the component parts of assembly 170 are interchangeable.

Turning now to FIG. 7 , the slide plate 204 is supported in the slot 136 by front and rear support rollers 206 that roll along the bottom surface of the slot 136 . Guide rollers 208 , which rotate about a vertical axis passing through slide plate 204 , are preferably mounted adjacent to each support roller 206 . Guide roller 208 rolls along the inside surface of slot 136 in rail member 108 to guide support assembly 170 and thus foot bar 111 as it translates (ie, rolls) back and forth along rail member 108 .

The backup rollers 206 are preferably bearing-supported polymer wheels rotatably supported on horizontal axles. The polymer wheels are sized and shaped to fit within the slot 136 and roll smoothly within the slot 136 . Guide rollers 208 may be nylon or other polymer rollers supported in slide plate 204 by vertical axles.

Another cross-sectional view through left side rail member 108 of apparatus 100 as in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 9 , taken along line 9 - 9 of FIG. 1 . This view shows the foot support assembly 170 supported within the rail member 108 and the wheeled support arrangement for the carriage 110 . Specifically, the generally rectangular carriage 110 has four support wheels 210, one adjacent a corner, and preferably at least two carriage guide wheels 212 positioned along one side of the carriage 110, also supported on the rail members 108. In the space between the intermediate wall 130 , the inclined inner wall 126 , the skirt 128 and the bottom 140 of the intermediate wall 130 . The support wheels 210 roll on the bottom 140 .

The guide wheels 212 roll between the intermediate wall 130 and the skirt 128 of the inner wall 126 to maintain the track of the carriage 110 as it moves between the foot end 106 and the head end 104 of the frame 102 . Due to the guiding configuration of the rail members 108, only two guide wheels 212, each along only one side, need guide the movement of the carriage 110. The guide wheels 212 are provided in only one rail member 108 . However, three or four guide wheels 212 may be provided in the carriage 110 in an alternating configuration.

Thus, in the exercise machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, both support for the bracket 110 and support for the foot bars 111 are provided by the structure below and supported within the side rail members 108, and So hidden from outside view. This arrangement presents a clean, uncluttered appearance to exercise device 100 and minimizes the surface area that can collect dust over time. Also, in order to provide a user of exercise device 100 with direct foot bar position feedback, a “J” shaped indicator member 214 is secured to one or both slide plates 172 . The distal end 216 of the indicator 214 extends around the bottom edge and upper outer side of the side rail members 108 to provide an indication of the position of the foot support assembly to a user of the exercise machine 100 . Corresponding markings (not shown) may be provided along the outer wall 122 for use by the user in positioning the foot bar 111 at a preselected location along the frame 102 .

A notch 178 in the hook pad 174 is used to position the foot bar 111 at the lowest position on the frame 102 . Notch 180 places foot bar 111 at an intermediate height above frame 102 . The notch 182 corresponds to the substantially vertical foot bar 111 , and thus corresponds to its uppermost position above the frame 102 . Alternatively, additional notches may be provided to facilitate positioning of additional foot bars. However, the low, middle, and high bits are believed to be sufficient for most users of device 100.

A low friction layer 218 of polymer sheet material (shown in FIG. 6 ) is adhered to the outer surface of the hook pad 174 between the hook pad 174 and the support arm 158 . This layer reduces any friction between the arm and the plate during rotation of the foot bar 111 between the notches 176 , 178 , 180 , 182 and 184 . Alternatively, low friction layer 218 may be applied to the inner surface of arm 158 . Further, optionally, a low friction layer 218 may be applied to both of these bonding surfaces.

The structure of the foot support assembly may vary from what may be specifically illustrated and described. For example, rollers 206 and 208 may be replaced with sheets of low friction material to allow slide plate 204 to slide easily along slot 136 . The configuration of the support arm 158, hook pad 174, and slide plate 172 may vary from that of the exemplary embodiment shown. Further, other structures may be used to engage and disengage the assembly 170 having components located in the rail members 108 of the frame 102 .

Referring back to FIG. 1 , at the head end 104 of the exercise device 100, there are two spaced lifters 112 for guiding the arm cords 114 from the bracket 110 to the head end 104 and then to the end of the arm cords. Ring 116. Referring now to FIG. 10 , which is a proximal perspective view of one lifter 112 at the head end 104 , each of these lifters 112 includes a lower pulley assembly 220 fastened to each end near the head end 104 . In the tubular lifter boss 222 formed by each bent end 107. Each lifter 112 also includes a hollow tubular body 224 , the bottom end of which fits within the tubular lifter boss 222 . The upper end 228 of the lifter tubular body 224 supports a cylindrical roller head 230 . The roller head 230 comprises a tubular body 232 fitted in or integrally formed with the body 224 . The tubular body 232 has an elongated hole 234 through its side. A pair of vertically aligned guide rollers 236 are mounted to head 230 on either side of aperture 234 . Mounted within the tubular body 232 behind the aperture 234 and transversely across the tubular body 232 is a horizontal cable pulley or roller 238 .

The lower pulley assembly 220 is shown alone in perspective view in FIG. 11 . The lower pulley assembly 220 has a flanged cylinder 240 secured to the bottom of the boss 222 . Supported within the cylinder 240 is a horizontal pivot pulley 242 and an inclined rope guide disc 244 . Guide disc 244 is positioned in body 240 above wheel 242 at an angle of about 45 degrees. Holes 246 are provided in disc 244 along a lower edge of disc 244 . This hole 246 is positioned just above the perimeter of the pulley 242 so that the free end of the arm rope 114 lowered into the lifter 112 through the hole 234 in the head assembly 230 is guided onto the roller 238 and down through the tubular body 224 And through hole 246 , and through pulley 242 . As described in detail below, a user may grasp the free end of the cord 114 and secure the cord to the bracket 110 .

Head assembly 230 may be fixed to tubular body 224 , or alternatively, may be bearing-supported thereon such that it is free to rotate about a vertical axis passing through lifter 112 . Each guide roller adjacent the hole 234 may be mounted on a fixed vertical pin, or otherwise bearingly supported, so that the cord 114 may be pulled through the hole 234 with minimal resistance or friction. Since the movement of the carriage 110 is always toward or away from the head end 104 of the frame 102 , the bottom or lower pulley 242 is oriented such that its axis is normal to the rail member 108 .

An exploded perspective view of bracket 110 is shown in isolation in FIG. 12 . Bracket 110 includes a generally rectangular frame 250 , a rectangular support platform 252 , a padded upper platform 254 and a pair of shoulder stops 118 . The frame 250 has a vertical upper support plate 258 , a vertical head end plate 260 and a vertical spring support plate 262 all fastened to the side support plates 258 . All of these plates 258, 260 and 262 may also be fastened to the underside of the support platform 252 to provide a rigid load bearing structure. The spring support plate 262 supports one end of each bias spring 120 . The other end of each spring 120 may be removably secured to a fixed pin 148 to vary the spring bias, ie, the spring tension, between the bracket 110 and the foot end 106 of the frame 102 . Each side support plate 258 supports platforms 252 and 254 and provides a mounting flange for supporting wheels 210 and guide wheels 212 . The head end plate 260 has a pair of spaced openings 264 therethrough which serve as guides for the arm cords (not shown in FIG. 12 ).

The support platform 252 has a pair of shoulder stop supports 266 secured to its upper surface. Each of these support means 266 has a vertical hole 268 therethrough, and each vertical hole supports therein a crosshead pin 270 (FIG. show). Aperture 268 extends through support device 266 and through support platform 252 .

FIG. 15 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view through carriage 110 with padded upper platform 254 not shown. As can be seen in this view, the crosshead pin 270 acts as a fulcrum for the shoulder stop bar 272 . Positioning a biasing device 274 such as a retractable rubber tube against the rod 272 provides a spring force on the rod 272 to maintain the rod 272 oriented vertically and flush with the left side of the hole 268 . However, when the user pulls the top of the shoulder stop 118 toward the foot end of the frame 102, (as shown), the stop rotates about the crosshead pin 270, compressing the biasing device 274, and moving the rod The bottom end 276 of 272 presses against the head end of frame 102 (to the right in FIG. 15 ).

A bottom plan view of the head end of the bracket 110 is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 . These two views illustrate the configuration of the cord retraction mechanism 280 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For clarity, the arm tether 114 is not shown in this view. For each cord 114, a cord retraction mechanism 280 includes a spring biased reel housing 282 secured to the support plate 252, a spring biased cord reel 284 rotatably supported in the housing 282 and adjacent to the reel housing 282. A toothed plate lock arm 286 is rotatably secured to the bottom side surface of the support plate 252 .

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the two housings 282 of the cord retraction mechanism 280 are mounted side by side on the bottom side surface of the platform 252 . The two locking arms 286 are preferably plate members secured for rotation about pivot pins 288 adjacent the reel housing 282 so that they can rotate in the plane of the bottom side surface of the support platform 252 . Each locking arm 286 is preferably an elongated plate-shaped body having a toothed end 290 and an opposite coupling end 292 . The locking arms 286 are preferably mirror images of each other such that opposite coupling ends 292 of each locking arm plate 286 are movably engaged with each other to couple the locking arms 286 together below the support platform 252 .

The toothed end 290 of each locking arm 286 engages a notch in a component in an edge of an adjacent cord reel 284 in an adjacent reel housing 282 . The toothed end 290 of each locking arm 286 also has a hook 294 that engages the bottom end 276 of the rod 272 of the shoulder stop 118 . FIG. 13 shows the shoulder stop 118 in the normal position, and thus the bottom end 276 of the rod 272 is not engaged with the hook 294 of either locking arm 286 . One or more springs (not shown) are used to bias the two locking arms 286 into engagement with the spool 284 . With the arm 286 in this position, the arm cord 114 cannot retract from the spool 284 . They are locked.

FIG. 14 shows the configuration when the left bottom end 276 of the rod 272 of the right shoulder stop 118 is engaged with the hook 294 of the left locking arm 286 . This causes locking arm 286 to rotate clockwise about pin 288 , pulling toothed end 290 out of engagement with spool 284 in FIG. 14 . Simultaneously, clockwise rotation of the left locking arm 286 causes the right locking arm 286 to rotate counterclockwise through the linkage link 292 . This rotation similarly causes the toothed end 290 of the right locking arm 286 to rotate out of engagement with its adjacent spool 284 . Thus, pulling either shoulder stop 118 toward the foot end 106 of the frame 102 by the user will cause both locking arms 286 to disengage from the spool 284, allowing the user to adjust the length of either or both arm cords as desired. Once the shoulder stop 118 is released, the locking arm 286 re-engages the reel 284 to lock the reel and thus the arm cord 114 to the bracket 110 .

Retrofit arm cord retraction mechanism kits for conventional exercise machines are also contemplated in accordance with the present disclosure. Such a kit would include proper installation instructions, two reel housings 282 with closed arm cord reels 284, a pair of locking arms 286, replacement shoulder stops 118, two shoulder stop supports 266 and a pair of pivot pins 288 for securing the locking arm 286 to the bracket.

16 and 17 illustrate an alternative cord retraction mechanism 300 mounted under bracket 110 in accordance with the present disclosure. For clarity, the arm tether 114 is also not shown in this view. For each of the cables 114, the cable retraction mechanism 300 includes a spring biased cable reel 302 mounted below the support plate 252, in this embodiment, for being supported around the secondary support plate 252 on the bracket 306 and the load frame side. The horizontal axle 304 between the support plates 258 rotates. The rope reel 302 has a brake portion 308 and a rope support portion 310 . One end (not shown) of the rope 114 is secured to the rope support 310 of the reel 302 and is wound around the rope support 310 . As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the two spools 302 of the cord retraction mechanism 300 are optionally mounted side-by-side below the bottom side surface of the platform 252 .

Wrapped around the gate portion 308 of each spool 302 is a cable 312 secured at one end to the support plate 252 and at the other end to an end 318 of a pair of crossing lever arms 314 . As in the previously described embodiments, the other end 320 of each lever arm 314 is positioned to engage the bottom end 276 of the rod 272 of one of the shoulder stops 118 .

Similar to the previously described embodiment of the retraction mechanism 280, the two lever arms 314 are preferably separate members, each secured for rotation about a separate pivot pin 322, and in a scissors fashion at a common pin 324. Crossed and rotatably fixed together such that they can rotate about pins 322 and 324 in a plane parallel to the bottom side surface of support platform 252 .

The end 318 of each lever arm 314 is under the tension of the spring 326 during normal gym operation. This spring 326 pulls the lever arm 314 towards the head end of the bracket 110 and thus pulls the cable 312 to tension the cable 312 around its gate 308 of the spool 302 preventing the spool 302 from rotating. When a user on the exercise machine 100 pulls (tilts) a shoulder stop 118 toward the foot end 106 of the exercise machine frame 102, as shown in FIG. direction to release the tension on the brake wire 312. When the gate is thus released, the user can retract more of the cord 114 or allow the internal spring in the reel 302 to rotate the reel 302 and slack in the cord 114 . When the user releases the shoulder stop 118 , the spring 326 pulls the cable 312 again to stop the rotation of the spool 302 , thus securing the cable 114 to the bracket 110 .

Again, for such an alternative retraction system 300, retrofit arm cord retraction mechanism kits for conventional exercise machines are also contemplated in accordance with the present disclosure. Such a kit would include two retraction reels 302, axle 304 and bracket 306, brake wire 312, pair of crossed lever arms 314, spring 326, replacement shoulder stop 118, two shoulder stop supports 266. A pair of pivot pins 322 for securing the lever arm 314 to the bracket 110 and suitable installation instructions.

In an optional configuration of exercise machine bracket 110 according to the present disclosure, an adjustable head restraint may be integrated into the structure. Partial bottom views of the head end of this alternative embodiment of the bracket 110 are shown in FIGS. 18 , 19 , 20 and 21 . In this embodiment, on top of the carrier frame 250 , the support plate 252 has a trapezoidal extension 350 extending towards the head end of the frame 102 . The padded upper panel 254 has the same overall shape as the first embodiment shown in FIG. .

An adjustable headrest support plate 358 is secured to the support plate 252 below the headrest portion 354 . The extension 350 has an elongated vertical slot 357 therethrough that is preferably centered between the sides of the extension 350 . The support plate 358 has a transverse groove 360 therein that supports an L-shaped head restraint adjustment bar 362 sandwiched between the formation 360 and the extension 350 . Connected to the rod 362 is a cam block 364 extending through the slot 357 . Rotation of the handle portion of the lever 362 forces the cam block 364 to rotate on the articulated headrest portion 354 . As the cam block 364 is rotated by rotation of the lever 362, the headrest portion 354 moves between the positions shown in FIGS. 19-21. In particular, FIG. 19 shows the headrest portion 354 in the downward position. FIG. 20 shows the headrest portion 354 in the first raised position with the rod 362 rotated approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise. FIG. 21 shows the head restraint portion in the second raised position with the rod 362 rotated a further 90 degrees counterclockwise. In this embodiment, cam block 364 provides three stable positions. Also, note in Figures 16 and 17 that the head restraint adjustment lever (not numbered) is shown with two handle ends rather than just one handle end as in Figures 18-21. Other configurations are also within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the cam block 364 can be smoothly curved without flats for a particular headrest height, and the rod 362 can be configured to provide frictional retention so that the headrest portion 354 can be held at any desired height. Alternatively, the cam block may be configured with four or more flat areas, each corresponding to a different raised height.

A perspective view of another embodiment of a fitness exercise device 400 according to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 22 . Device 400 includes a generally rectangular frame 402 having a head end 404 and a foot end 406 . Ends 404 and 406 are separated by a pair of rail members 408 . Bracket 410 is movably supported on track member 408 for forward and backward movement between ends 404 and 406 of frame 402 .

Foot bar 411 is positioned near foot end 406 of frame 402 . The foot bar 411 is supported by rail members 408, as will be described in detail below. The head end 404 of the frame 402 preferably supports a removable pair of spaced vertical arm rope support lifters 412 . These lifters 412 guide the arm ropes 414 from the bracket 110 to rope end loops 416 or handles for the user's hands to use in various exercises. When not in use, end ring 416 may be conveniently positioned over shoulder stop 418 as shown in FIG. 22 . Bracket 410 is resiliently pressed toward foot end 416 of frame 402 by one or more resilient members, such as spring 420 .

The outside of the frame 402 has the same shape as the frame 102 shown in FIG. 2 . Each of the head end 404, foot end 406, and side rail members 408 have similar outer surface shapes that blend smoothly together.

An isolated interior perspective view of tip assembly 404 is shown in FIG. 23 . The head end assembly includes an end protrusion 500 having a leg portion 502 and a horizontal stepped support plate 421 . As in the first embodiment, the outer shape of the protrusion 500 includes a vertical outer wall 422 combined with a horizontal top wall 424 combined with a downwardly and inwardly sloping inner wall 426 . The inner wall 426 is integrated into a vertical skirt 428 . The vertical skirt 428 is connected to the horizontal stepped support plate 421 .

Both head end 404 and foot end 406 have outer end plates 407 that mate with and connect to side rail members 408 via alignment pins 409 and threaded connections (not shown). Head end 404 protrusion 500 also includes a vertical tubular boss 506 adjacent the curved corner for receiving lifter 412 . A pair of threaded hand bolts 413 inserted from below secure the lifter 412 into the boss 506 . Upright platform 415 is secured to and above stepped support plate 421 .

Extending downward from each curved end of the protrusion 500 is a vertical leg 429 of complementary shape. These legs 429 are used to place the ends 404 and 406 of the frame 402 on a flat surface, such as the floor. Legs 429 may be interchanged with longer or shorter legs to vary the height of device 400 above such a floor support surface. Grip strap 417 is secured to the outer lower edge of outer wall 407 of protrusion 500 to provide a rounded hand grip edge for easy handling of the head end of exercise machine 400 .

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of foot end assembly 406 of frame 402 . The foot end assembly 406 is another protrusion 500 having a leg portion 502 , a raised portion 506 and a horizontal stepped support plate 421 . Two rows of cylindrical fixing pins 448 are fastened to plate 421 . Each of these pins 448 may receive and retain a ring at one end of the spring 420 to secure the spring 420 to the foot end 406 of the frame 402 while the other end of the spring 420 is secured to the bracket 410 . Each of these pins 448 is preferably tapered upwardly and inwardly from its base to the waist at a first angle from the central axis of the pin and then outwardly at a second angle greater than the first angle so that when placed on the pin The free end of the spring on 448 is held securely at the waist of pin 448 when tensioned. The second angle is preferably at least twice the first angle

Foot support boss 506 is a vertical tube formed in protrusion 500 . Each boss 506 receives a yoke 508 mounted on top of the boss 506 . Rectangular upright platform plate 423 is pinned to yoke 508 . Finally, a tubular receptacle 510 fits through a hole in plate 423 and into boss 506 to secure plate 423 to protrusion 500 . A set of bolts 512 secure each of receiver 510 , plate 423 and yoke 508 to boss 506 . Receiver 510 receives the legs of a removable flat diving platform (not shown).

A cross-sectional view of side rail member 408 is shown in FIG. 25 . Each rail member 408 is preferably an aluminum protrusion having the same cross-sectional shape. In this particular exercise machine embodiment 400 , the rail member 408 is a composite protrusion formed from two separate protrusions: an inner 417 and an outer 419 joined together by rivets 514 . This configuration of side rail members 408 is particularly advantageous for at least two reasons. First, this structure is easier to extrude as two separate protrusions that are joined later. Second, the exterior 419 may be polished differently than the interior 417 . Thus, one form of the exterior 419 may be powder coated for durability and/or be painted in a selectable color, while the interior 417 is powder coated for durability or otherwise polished because it out of sight. Also, since the inner portion 417 also contains rolling surfaces and index rail features for the foot bar 411, the inner portion 417 may be detached and replaced as needed due to wear. As noted above, the rail member 408 has a vertical outer wall 422 that incorporates into a horizontal top wall 424 , which subsequently incorporates into a downwardly sloping inner wall 426 , and then incorporates into a vertical skirt 428 . End members 404 and 406 have the same external shape, but differ internally from side rail member 408 .

As shown in FIG. 25 , each side rail member 408 has a vertical intermediate wall 430 positioned between the sloped inner wall 426 and the vertical outer wall 422 . The intermediate wall 430 has an outwardly facing longitudinally extending upper raised portion 432 and an outwardly facing longitudinally extending lower raised portion 434 parallel to the upper raised portion 432 . Together with the intermediate wall 430, the upper raised portion 432 and the lower raised portion 434 form an outwardly opening slot 436 therebetween. As will be described in more detail below, the slot 436 receives and supports a foot pole support assembly therein. Between the intermediate wall 430 and the sloped inner wall 426 is an upper horizontal support wall 438 . The support wall 438 extends along the length of the rail member 408 and provides torsional rigidity to the structure of the rail member 408 . Furthermore, the support wall 438 facilitates the connection between the inner protrusion 417 and the outer protrusion 419 . The horizontal bottom 440 of the intermediate wall 430 serves as a support for the set of wheels supporting the carriage 410 . The upper wall 438 also serves as an upper guide for the carriage support wheels on the track member 408 . Furthermore, the intermediate wall 430 between the upper wall 438 and the lower wall 440 and the skirt 428 serves as a lateral guide for the bracket 410 .

The upper raised portion 432 preferably has a vertical portion 442 extending downward parallel to the intermediate wall 430 . The vertical portion 442 is used to provide lateral support for the foot support assembly described more fully below. Also, the lower raised portion 434 may include an index rail 444 extending downward. Alternatively, index rail 444 may be mounted along the length of rail member 408 by a separate, replaceable metal index rail supported in boss 434 .

Finally, the interior of the exterior 419 of the guide rail 408 includes three positioning bosses 516 , 518 and 520 . These three alignment tabs align with and receive alignment pins 409 protruding from head end assembly 406 and foot end assembly 408 shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 . These protrusions help ensure precise alignment between rail 408 and ends 406 and 406 so as to present a smooth outer frame surface to a user of device 400 .

The foot bar 411 shown in FIG. 22 is the same as the foot bar shown in FIG. 5 . Foot pole support assembly 470 is similar to, but somewhat different from, the foot pole support assemblies shown and described above with particular reference to FIGS. 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 . Foot bar 411 is the portion of foot support assembly 470 that cannot be seen in FIG. 22 . Referring now to the inside and outside views of the foot support assembly 470 shown in FIGS. . The arm 458 , best shown in FIG. 29 , is an elongated planar member having an engagement pin 461 protruding upwardly from an upper end 460 of the arm 458 . The arm 458 also has a closed pivot slot 462 extending radially parallel to the leg portion 152 of the foot bar 411 and spaced from where the connection portion 154 of the foot bar 411 connects to the arm 458 .

The foot support assembly of the exercise machine 400 shown in FIG. 22 includes a left foot bar support assembly 470 , a foot bar 411 and a right foot bar support assembly 470 . 29 and 30 are reverse perspective views of the right foot post support assembly 470 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Each leg 452 of foot bar 411 is supported by a foot bar support assembly 470 . As best shown in FIG. 29 , assembly 470 includes foot bar support arms 458 to which foot bars 411 (not shown in FIGS. 29 and 30 ) are attached, slots supported in side rail members 408 Slide 472 in 436 and hook pad 474 rigidly secured to slide 472 . The hook pad 474 has a series of features, preferably slots or notches 476 , 478 , 480 , 482 and 484 spaced along the upper edge of the hook pad 474 . A pin 461 protruding outwardly from the upper end 460 of the foot bar support arm 458 fits in one of these notches 476 - 484 to position the foot bar 411 at a specific target angular position relative to the frame 402 of the exercise machine 400 .

The foot bar support arm 458 is slidably and pivotally connected to the hook pad 474 by a bolt 486 and a square bushing 488 . Flat washers 489 on bolts 486 hold support arms 458 on bushings 488 . Sleeve 188 is supported in pivot slot 462 . Since the foot bar 411 is fastened to the arm 458 , when the user lifts the foot bar 411 , the support arm 458 travels up and down the slot 462 . In turn, the pin 461 projecting outwardly from the upper end 460 of the support arm 458 is raised out of a slot along the upper edge of the hook pad 474 . When lifting in this manner, the user can then rotate foot bar 411 about pivot bolt 486 to a different one of slots 476 , 478 , 480 , 482 or 484 to reposition foot bar 411 . When the foot bar 411 is lowered into the slot, the pin 461 slides in one slot to secure the foot bar 411 in place.

As in the first embodiment 100 , end slots or notches 476 and 484 are of particular importance in this embodiment 400 . When both pins 461 of foot bar 411 are positioned in slots 476, as shown in FIG. In this position, foot bar 411 may serve as a handle for lifting the end of the foot of exercise machine 400 . To ensure that the foot bar 411 does not disengage from the slot 476 , the end of the slot 476 is hooked up, as can be seen in FIG. 29 , to securely engage the pin 461 at the closed end of the slot 476 . To disengage the foot bar 411 from this slot 476, the foot bar 411 must be pushed up and pulled back (away from the foot end) to align the pin 461 with the widened slot entrance. Foot bar 411 may then be rotated upward and lifted out of slot 476 and repositioned into a different one of slots 478 , 480 , 482 and 484 .

The forwardmost slot 484 in the hook pad 474 is used to position the foot support assembly including each of the assembly 470 and the foot bar 411 together for translation along the rail member 408 . When the foot bar 411 is raised and rotated clockwise, as seen in FIG. 29, the arm 458 rotates clockwise around the bolt 486 until the pin 461 engages the front end of the hook pad 474 (towards the head end 404). Projecting surface 492 . In this position, a shoulder 494 on the support arm 458 engages a detent 496 that passes through a slot 498 in the hook pad 474 . The locking pin 496 protrudes through the hook pad 474 from the locking arm 530 , best seen in FIG. 30 . When the foot bar 411 is subsequently lowered, the shoulder 494 of the arm 458 pushes the locking pin 496 downward.

Locking arm 530 is an elongated rod having one end rotatably secured to the inner side of hook pad 474 . The locking arm 530 is rotatable in a plane parallel to the inner surface of the hook pad 474 . The other end of the locking arm 530 has a locking portion 532 that engages a complementary shaped index feature in the rail member 408 to lock the assembly 470 at a selected position along the rail member 408 . The locking arm 530 is spring biased upward via a flat spring member 534 to maintain the locking portion 532 of the locking arm 530 engaging the indexing features of the indexing rail 444 in the rail member 408 .

When the foot bar 411 is positioned in the slot 484 with the pin 461, and the foot bar 411 is pushed down to position the pin 461 at the bottom of the slot 484, the locking pin 496 is also pushed down, rotating the locking arm 530 And move the locking part 532 out of engagement with the indexing part of the indexing guide rail 444 in the guide rail member 408 . With the locking portion 532 disengaged from the rail member 408 , the foot bar 411 can be moved towards or away from the foot end 406 of the frame 402 via the roller 536 . In fact, the foot bar 411 can be moved completely to the opposite end of the rail member 408 as desired.

Slide assembly 472 is best seen in the view of FIG. 30 , which is a reverse perspective view of foot bar support assembly 470 supported in right side rail member 408 shown in FIG. 29 . The slide assembly 472 includes an elongated slide plate 538 that is preferably bolted or otherwise secured to the hook pad 474 . The slide plate 538 is supported in the slot 436 in the rail member 408 with the hook pad 474 and the adjacent foot bar support arm 458 disposed in the free/open space between the outer wall 422 and the intermediate wall 430 of the rail member 408 Inside. It will be appreciated that another mirrored foot support assembly 470 is provided in the other (left side) rail member 408 .

Turning now to FIG. 30 , the slide plate 538 is supported in the slot 436 by front and rear support rollers 536 that roll along the bottom surface of the slot 436 . A guide roller 540 that rotates along a vertical axis passing through the slide plate 538 is preferably mounted adjacent to each support roller 536 . Guide roller 540 rolls along the inside surface of slot 436 in rail member 408 , thereby guiding support assembly 470 and thus foot bar 411 as it translates (ie, rolls) back and forth along rail member 408 .

The backup rollers 536 are preferably bearing-supported polymer wheels rotatably supported on horizontal axles. The polymer wheel is sized to fit within the slot 436 and roll smoothly within the slot 436 . Guide rollers 540 may be nylon or other polymer rollers supported in slide plate 538 by vertical axles. In this embodiment 400 , the guide rollers 540 may be roller bearings mounted in recesses along the upper surface of the slide plate 538 .

The slide plate 538 also has a spring loaded detent ball 542 that fits in a recess behind a j-shaped index member 544 that is used as described above with reference to the first embodiment. The spring-loaded detent ball 542 provides tactile feedback to the user when moving the foot bar 411 back and forth along the rail 408 between different predetermined positions by protruding into corresponding recesses that may optionally be provided along the rail 408 .

A low friction layer 546 of polymer sheet material (shown in FIG. 29 ) is adhered to the outer surface of the hook pad 474 between the hook pad 474 and the support arm 458 . As in the first embodiment 100 , this layer reduces any friction between the arms and the plate during rotation of the foot bar 411 between the notches 476 , 478 , 480 , 482 and 484 . Alternatively, low friction layer 546 may be applied to the inner surface of arm 458 . To further reduce friction, optionally a low friction layer 546 may be applied to both of these bonding surfaces.

Optionally, removable pull pin 548 may be driven through aligned holes in arm 458 and plate 474 when foot bar 411 is in the high position, ie in slot 480 . Insertion of pull pin 548 locks foot bar 411 in place and prevents it from being repositioned. Its purpose is so that the foot bar 411 can be used as a support post when the exercise machine 400 is positioned vertically on its foot end 406 . This facilitates vertical storage of multiple exercise machines 400 in relatively confined spaces.

When the foot bar 411 is securely positioned by the pin 461 located in the slot 484 , the entire foot bar assembly 411 can slide/roll back and forth along the side rails 408 . Plate 474 is preferably also provided with holes 549 . The hole 549 can be used to store the pull pin 548 when not in use. In addition, the hole 549 may be used to attach a resilient or spring resistance member (not shown) between the bracket 410 and the foot bar 411 support plate 474 or between the foot end 404 and the support plate 474 . Such a resistance member may provide resistance to translational movement of the support assembly 470 of the foot bar 411 by the user when the foot support arm 458 is engaged in the slot 484 . In this configuration, foot bars 411 may be used to provide additional resistance experienced by a user during various movements while being supported on bracket 410 . Such springs or other resistance members, such as elastic cords, may be connected for this purpose between suitable components at various locations on the bracket 410 and assembly 470, or to the foot bar 411 itself. For example, such a resistance member may be connected to the connecting portion 154 of the footbar leg portion 152 .

Referring back to FIG. 22, at the head end 404 of the exercise device 400, there are two spaced lifters 412 for guiding the arm cord 414 from the bracket 410 to the head end 404 and then to the end of the arm cord. Ring 416. An isolated perspective view of lifter 412 is shown in FIG. 26 and an exploded assembly view is shown in FIG. 27 . In this embodiment 400 , the lifter 412 does not have the bottom pulley structure as used in the lifter 112 . Instead, pulley and roller assembly 550 is inserted into the upper end of riser tube 552, preferably. The pulley and roller assembly includes a support housing 554 supporting laterally spaced vertical rollers 556 for rotation about parallel vertical axles secured in the housing 554 and mounted on horizontal axles 560 between and below the rollers 556 The pulley 558. Each of the rollers and pulleys 558 is supported on its corresponding axle between pairs of ball bearings mounted in the support housing 554 .

Each of these riser tubes 552 preferably includes adjacent its upper end two vertically aligned elongated openings 562 and 564 through which the arm rope 414 passes. The pulley and roller assembly 550 slides into the upper end of the riser tube 552 and is secured in place by screws 566 . When properly positioned in the tube 552 , the vertical roller 556 is adjacent the upper opening 562 . The pulley 558 is centered between these two openings. The arm cord 414 passes through the upper opening and down around the pulley 558 and out through the lower opening 564 to the bracket 410 as shown in FIG. 26 .

An annular collar 568 is secured around the lower end of the tube 552 via screws 570 . The collar 568 is sized to slide fit within the open upper end of the boss 506 of the tip extrusion 500, as shown in cross-sectional view in FIG. 28 . A threaded expansion plug 572 is press fit into the bottom end of the riser tube 552 . The threaded expansion plug 572 engages with a threaded hand bolt 413 (Figs. 23, 28). When the bolt 413 is manually tightened, the lifter 412 is pulled down to the boss 506 to secure the lifter 412 in place. Alternatively, the riser tube 552 can be formed to have different lengths so that different lengths of the riser 412 can be selected for different users. Finally, lower opening 564 of lifter tube 552 serves to receive a portion of stand 700 (an example of which is shown in FIG. Hold under the head end of the bracket 410 as shown in FIG. 39 .

Bracket 410 is shown separately in FIGS. 31 and 32 . An isolated bottom perspective view of a portion of bracket 410 is shown in isolation in FIG. 31 . An underside view of the upholstered upper platform 574 is shown in isolation in FIG. 32 . Bracket 410 includes a generally rectangular frame 576 , a rectangular support platform 578 , a padded upper platform 574 and a pair of shoulder stops 418 . The frame 576 has a vertical upper support plate 580 , a vertical head end plate 582 and a vertical spring support plate 584 all fastened to the side support plates 580 . All of these plates 580, 582 and 584 may also be fastened to the underside of the support platform 578 to provide a rigid load bearing structure. As in the first embodiment of the bracket 110 shown in Figure 12, the upper side of the platform 578 includes a shoulder stop support 594 (see Figure 34).

The spring support plate 584 supports one end of each bias spring 420 . The other end of each spring 420 may be removably secured to a fixed pin 448 to vary the spring bias, ie, the spring tension, between the bracket 410 and the foot end 406 of the frame 402 . Side support plates 580 support platforms 574 and 578 and provide mounting flanges for support wheels 586 and guide wheels 588 . The head end plate 582 has a pair of spaced openings 590 therethrough which serve as guides for the arm cords (not shown in FIG. 31 ). A pair of elongated slots 592 are also formed in the head end plate 582 . These slots 592 are shaped to receive the stem of the shoulder stop 418 when the shoulder stop 418 is removed and connected to the bracket 410 for storage, as shown in FIG. 39 .

The support platform 578 has a pair of shoulder stop supports 594 secured to its upper surface (as in FIG. 34 ). Each of these supports 594 has a pair of vertical holes 596 and 598 therethrough. The vertical hole 596 has an oval cross-section that supports the crosshead pin 600 on the stem 602 of the shoulder stop 418 . The operation of the shoulder stop 418 is the same as that of the shoulder stop 118 of the first embodiment 100 as in FIG. 15 .

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of shoulder stop 418 . Note that the rod 600 is offset from the axial centerline through the shoulder stop 418 . Referring now to FIG. 34 , a top planar partial upper view of bracket 410 is shown. Each of the shoulder stop supports protrudes through and is flush with the top of the upper platform 574 . The inner hole 598 is circular in cross-section. Therefore, when the stem 600 of the shoulder stop 418 is placed in these holes 598, the shoulder stop 418 cannot rotate, as was the case in the first embodiment 100 described above and shown with reference to FIG. . However, when one or both shoulder stops 418 are located in the lateral aperture 596, they may slope toward the foot end 406, as described in the first embodiment 100 with reference to FIG.

In this embodiment of the exercise machine 400, not only does the user have the option of rotating the shoulder stop 418 to accommodate different shoulder widths when inserting the shoulder stop 418 into the hole 596, but one or both shoulders Stop 418 may be inserted into inner bore 598 to provide further width adjustment. If the shoulder stops 418 are all positioned in the inner bore 598, adjustment of the arm cord 414 cannot be performed. This is called the locked position. However, if either or both shoulder stops 418 are placed in the outer bore 596, adjustment of the arm cord 414 can be made with the shoulder stops in the outer bore 596.

A partial perspective view of the bottom of bracket 410 removed from exercise machine 400 is shown in FIG. 35 . In this view, spring 420 is shown connected to spring support plate 584 . Exemplary arm cord 414 is shown passing through guide hole 590 and into cord retraction mechanism 610 .

Bottom plan views of the head end of the bracket 410 of the bracket 410 are shown in FIGS. 36 and 37 . These two views illustrate the configuration and operation of the cord retraction mechanism 610 according to this embodiment of the disclosure. For clarity, the arm tether 414 is not shown. For each cord 414 , the cord retraction mechanism 6100 includes a spring biased cord reel 612 mounted below the support plate 578 for rotation about a horizontal axis and supported from the load frame side support plate 258 . The cord reel 302 has a coil spring portion 614 and a cord support portion 616 . One end (not shown) of the cord 414 is secured to a cord support 616 of the reel 612 and is wound around the cord support 616 . As shown in FIGS. 35 , 36 and 37 , two spools 612 of cord retraction mechanism 610 are optionally mounted side-by-side below the bottom side surface of platform 578 .

The coil spring portion 614 is threaded to or integral with the cord support portion 616 and preferably supports therein a coil spring (not shown) which is fastened at its end to the cord support of the reel 612 Section 616 provides a taut preload tension on rope 414 . The retraction assembly 610 also includes a unique spring-loaded cord grip assembly 618 secured to the support platform 578, which is operatively connected to a linkage transmission 620 which in turn is controlled by the A shoulder stop 418 is activated.

Linkage 620 is supported on elongated flat plate 622 secured to support plate 578 via fasteners 624 and spans the side directly below shoulder stop 418 and above apertures 596 and 598 between the support plates 580 . Each end of the plate 622 has an elongated opening 626 aligned with the hole 596 and a circular opening 628 aligned with the hole 598 . Pivotably supported side by side on link plate 622 are a pair of T-shaped links 630 . Each T-shaped link 630 pivots in the plane of the support plate 578 about the center of the link 630 at the head 632 of the pin 634 securing the link 630 to the plate 622 . One end 636 of head 632 of each link 630 is positioned to engage rod 600 of shoulder stop 418 inserted into bore 596 . The other end 638 of the head 632 of the T-shaped link 630 is connected to a corresponding end 638 of another link 630 . The ends 638 of the two linkages 630 are preferably also connected together by a coil spring 640 . Each T-link 630 includes an elongated leg 642 . The end of the elongated leg 642 is positioned adjacent to a clamp assembly 618 .

Clamp assembly 618 includes a pair of clamp members 650 , the outer clamp members of which are secured to support plate 578 by two fasteners 652 and 654 . Inner clamping member 650 is rotatably secured to support plate 578 by fastener 652 in laterally spaced relationship to securing member 650 . Each clamping member has a cord grip 656 and an opposing elongated arm 658 . Arm 658 of inner clamping member 650 is positioned adjacent leg 642 of link 630 . The coil spring 660 secures the gripping portion 656 of the inner clamping member 650 to the fixed outer clamping member 650 such that the gripping portion of the inner clamping member 650 is pressed against the gripping portion of the fixed outer clamping member 650 . A plate 662 is optionally secured in each assembly 618 over the clamping member 650 between the fastener 652 and the clamping member 650 . Finally, a pair of cord guides 664 are preferably fastened to brace plate 578 and positioned between linkage assembly 620 and reel 612 such that cord 414 must pass through hole 590 in head end plate 582 through cord guides 664 , through between the gripping members 650, through another cord guide 664, to the cord retraction reel 612 as shown in FIG.

The retraction assembly 610 is shown in a cord locked state in FIG. 36 . In FIG. 37 , the assembly 610 is shown in a disengaged state with one of the shoulder stops 418 (the left shoulder stop in FIG. 37 ) having been angled toward the foot end of the exercise machine frame 402 . In this view of FIG. 37 , the rod 600 of the left shoulder stop 418 is pushing against the end 636 of the link 630 . This movement causes the opposite end 638 of link 630 to turn downwardly and clockwise. At the same time, the leg 642 must also rotate clockwise, causing the arm 658 of the inner clamping member 650 to rotate counterclockwise. This action releases the arm cord 414 from the gripping member 650 and allows tension to be felt on the cord 414 in the left cord reel.

Simultaneously, the other link 630 is directed to rotate counterclockwise about its pin 632, which in turn causes its leg 642 to push against the arm 658 of the inner clamping member 650 of the other clamping assembly 618, thus causing The inner clamping member 650 rotates clockwise. This clockwise rotation of the inner gripping member 650 detaches the gripping member 650 from the other arm cord 414 such that the tension in the left cord reel 612 pulls the other arm cord 414 taut. Therefore, it can be easily seen that either shoulder stop 418 in the angled outer bore 596 will cause the same result, and the release of the two clamp assemblies 618 on the two arm cords 414 allows the user to adjust each independently. The length of the rope.

Again, for such an alternative retraction system 610, retrofit arm cord retraction mechanism kits for conventional exercise machines are also contemplated in accordance with the present disclosure. Such a kit would include two retraction reels 612 and mounting hardware, two clamp assemblies 618, linkage assembly 630, replacement shoulder stops 418, two shoulder stop supports 594 and suitable installation instruction.

In an exercise machine bracket 410 according to the present disclosure, an adjustable head restraint may be incorporated into the structure. A bottom view of the padded upper support platform 574 is shown in FIG. 32 . The rigid base of the upper support plate has two separate sections 672 and 674 separated and connected by a hinge 676 . Each section 672 and 674 is made of plastic, composite material or wood. Section 672 also has an aperture 678 for receiving shoulder stop support 594 therethrough as described above. Sections 672 and 674 are spaced about 1/4 inch apart to give clearance for flexing the head end of upholstered platform 574 as shown with reference to the first embodiment in FIGS. 19-21 . However, in this exercise machine 400, the cam block 364 is absent. Instead, as shown in FIG. 32 , an elongated adjustment lever 680 is secured to the underside of the head end section 674 . The lever 680 rotates about a fastener 682 fixed to the bottom side of the head end section 674 . One end 684 of lever 680 is bent at 90 degrees from the plane of platform 574 . The bent end 684 protrudes through a slot 686 in the support plate 578 as shown in FIG. 38 . The curved end 684 has a series of notches 688 for adjusting the height of the head end section 674 . The opposite end of the lever 680 may have a knob 690 secured thereto for rotating the lever 680 out of and into the notch 688 with a responsive flange of the head end support plate 582 .

The exercise machine 400 of the present disclosure may be configured to be easily stacked for stacked storage. Each foot 429 includes a recess designed to fit over the outer corner edge of the underlying exercise machine 400 . The bottom of each leg 429 has a recess to facilitate stacking of devices on top of each other. Stacking is facilitated by the engagement of the outer corners of the head end of the exercise machine and the upright platform at the foot end of the exercise machine into recesses in each foot as in FIG. 39 . When two or more exercise machines 400 are so stacked, they are held securely in place from the sides by these feet 429 .

Also, the lifter 412 is removed from the head end 404 and secured to a bracket 700 (see FIG. 31 and FIG. 40 below). Each shoulder stop 418 is removed and the rod 600 is passed through the shoulder stop slot opening 592 , turned 90 degrees such that the pin 602 engages the head end support plate 582 .

An underside perspective view of the head end of the bracket 410 is shown in FIG. 40, which shows the lifter 412 and the shoulder stop 418 spaced apart from these retaining components. These retaining features are the slot 592 in the head end plate 582 and the spring bracket 700 . Spring bracket 700 snaps resiliently within opening 564 to hold and retain riser 412 in place without marring or otherwise damaging the exterior finish of riser 412 .

When the lifter 412 and shoulder stop 418 are installed under the bracket 410 as shown in FIGS. Between the bracket 410 and the upright platform 423 to provide a completely flat rough surface. This rough modification places the bracket 410 in a resting position at the head end 404 and presents a completely flat surface to the user.

Optionally, exercise machine 400 may also be configured with a ladder-shaped tower assembly 800 as shown in FIG. 41 . The tower assembly 800 basically includes a U-shaped tower 802 , a trapezoidal swing 804 and a pair of tower receptacles 806 . Tower receptacle 806 is secured between rail member 408 and head end extrusion 500 of head end 404 and becomes an integral part of frame 402 . The bottom end of the tower 802 fits in and is pulled into the socket 806 as shown in more detail in FIG. 43 .

Tower 802 is preferably a tubular metal body, such as aluminum or steel, and may be bent into a shape as shown in Figure 41 or may be formed from straight segments joined by conventional 90 degree elbows. The tower 802 has a plurality of spaced eyebolts 808 for attachment of springs, straps or pulleys 810 as the actual exercise may require. Alternatively, the vertical legs of tower 802 may have vertical slots and adjustable clamp joints disposed therein for securing springs, pulleys 810 or eyebolts 808 thereto.

Additionally, lifter 412 may be utilized or replaced by U-shaped connector assembly 818 so that pulley 810 may be fastened thereto. The U-shaped connector assembly 818 fits within the boss 506 in the head end extrusion 500 and is bolted in place as shown in FIG. The same hand bolt 413 used to secure the lifter 412 in place as shown in FIG. 28 is secured. When the connector assembly 818 is used in place of the lifter 412, then a second pulley 810 (not shown) can be fastened to the assembly 818 and serve as a lower arm rope guide that guides the arm rope from the bracket 410 to the lower pulley and through the upper pulley 810 to the wristband, as in the embodiments 100 and 400 shown in FIGS. 1 and 22 .

Tower receptacle 806 is shown mounted on the head end of one side rail member 408 in FIG. 42 . The tower socket 806 is a metal extrusion, preferably an aluminum extrusion, having a tubular portion 820 and an axially extending radial flange portion 822 . The flange portion 822 has a thickened edge 824 and a plate portion 826 that is also shaped to fit over the end plate 407 of the head end extrusion 500 and against the end of the side rail member 408 . Dowel pins 409 orient flange portion 822 relative to rail member 408 and plate 407 , and nuts (not shown) are used on bolts 828 to securely secure head end 404 and receptacle 806 to side rail member 408 .

FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled tower 802 secured in the receptacle 806 . The bottom end of the tower 802 is fitted with a threaded expansion plug 830 in a manner similar to that described above with reference to the riser 412 secured in the boss 506 . A hand bolt 832 extending into the bottom of the tubular portion 820 is threaded into the plug 830 . When tightened, the expansion plug 830 pulls the lower end of the tower 802 down tightly into the socket 806 to complete the assembly of the tower 800 to the frame 402 .

Alternatively, the bottom end 850 of the tower 820 may be narrowed and shaped to telescopically fit within the boss 506 of the head end extrusion 500, as in the perspective view of this alternative in FIG. 45 as shown in. This configuration can eliminate the need for tower socket 806 . In this alternative shown in FIG. 45, the hand bolt 832 can again be used to pull the bottom end 850 of the tower 820 tightly into the boss 506, and the lifter 412 will be tightened as described above. The same in raised portion 506 . Of course, in this alternate configuration, lifter 412 is not used. Instead, each arm cord 414 would be connected to a pulley 810 .

Turning now to FIG. 46 , an exemplary handle end 880 of the arm cord 114 , 414 is shown coupled to a belt pull 900 . The end 880 turns on itself to form an elastic grommet 882 . A free end 884 of end portion 880 is sewn or otherwise permanently secured to end portion 880 to form grommet 882 . This grommet 882 replaces the need for conventional metal or plastic snap clips for connecting to conventional handles.

The belt pull 900 has an endless belt portion 902 that is sewn to the end of a short length of arm cord material to form a flexible grommet 904 connected to the belt portion 902 . The flexible grommet 904 is connected to the grommet 882 by passing the loop 904 over the grommet 882 and then passing the belt portion 902 through the loop 904 . This results in the strap pull 900 being secured to the arm cord 114 , 414 in a substantially square shape that is not configured as shown in FIG. 46 . The arm cord 114, 414 with the belt pull 900 attached in this manner can be used with any conventional exercise machine or other exercise equipment utilizing arm/foot cords as well as the exercise machine 100, 400 of the present disclosure.

A handle 910 having a tubular handle 912 is shown in FIG. 47 . The handle 910 can be used in place of the belt pull 900 . Again, the handle 910 preferably has a flexible grommet 904 as described above to secure the handle 910 to the end 880 . Alternatively, a standard handle may be used which includes a metal D-ring fastened to handle 910 in place of grommet 904 .

Exercise machine 100 or 400 may be configured with a diving board 950 as shown in FIG. 48 . The springboard 950 has a generally rectangular plate configuration with two parallel struts 952 that fit down into the insert 510 in the boss 506 in the foot end 106 , 406 . Each of these struts 952 has a rectangular or square cross-sectional shape, as shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 49 .

Each strut 952 includes a pair of spaced leaf springs 954 that bias the strut 952 in the insert 510 counterclockwise such that there is effectively a preload at the ramp 950 away from the brackets 110 , 410 . This preload prevents rattling and rotational movement of the diving board in response to forces exerted by the user on the diving board during exercise. This configuration provides the user of the springboard with a solid feel when installing and using the springboard.

In FIG. 48 , note that the foot bar 411 is shown positioned adjacent the head end 404 of the frame 402 . Also, the support assembly 470 of the foot bar 411 is shown in a freely rotating position with the pin 461 engaged in the slot 484 as described with reference to FIGS. 29 and 30 . When the foot bar 411 is thus positioned to be able to move between the head end 404 and the foot end 406 of the frame 402, the elastic resistance member 956 may be fastened to the connection portion 154 of the leg portion 156 of the foot bar 411 and surrounds the frame The head end 404 of 402 is stretched, as shown in FIG. 48 . With the foot bar 411 constructed in this manner, the user can sit or lie on the bracket 410, grasp the leg portion 156 of the foot bar 411 or pull the foot bar 411 toward the bracket against the resistance provided by the resistance member 956. Rack 410.

Alternatively, a user may rotate foot bar 411 to a vertical position, lower foot bar 411 to engage pin 461 in notch 482 , which locks each support assembly 470 in place on rail member 408 . The user can then pull the bracket 410 toward the head end 404 with his or his arms. It will be appreciated that resistance member 956 may be two separate members, each separately connected to head end 404 , or may be a single resistance member as shown in FIG. 48 . Moreover, the above description applies equally to the first embodiment, the exercise device 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-21 .

These are merely exemplary embodiments and modifications. Fitness exercise equipment according to the present disclosure may incorporate one or more of the features described herein. Other modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For a simple example, any coil springs shown in the figures could be replaced by stretchable elastic members, and vice versa. For another example, the retaining features used to accommodate the risers 412 and shoulder stops in the storage position below the upper surface of the exercise machine bracket 41 may be different from the clips 700 and the slots 592 . Lifters 412 may fit within corresponding openings (not shown) in plate 582 or on pins protruding from plate 582 . The exercise machine 100, 400 may be configured with short legs as shown in FIG. 48, or with long legs as at least as shown in FIGS. Accordingly, all such alternatives, changes and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of and as defined by the following claims.

Claims (15)

1. an exercise equipment, comprising:

Substantially rectangular framework, has and pair of parallelly separates side rails portion, cephalic par and foot portion;

Movable bracket, by side rails, portion supports, for movable support bracket between cephalic par and foot portion;

Biasing member, is connected between the bracket of framework and foot portion, for bracket being pressed to the foot portion of framework; With

The foot-supporting member supported by the side rails portion of framework, wherein each side rails portion has the outer surface of the inverted in cross-section roughly U-shape formed by perpendicular outer wall, described perpendicular outer wall starts at outside bottom margin place, the substantially vertical horizontal top wall extending to one, to be combined in inside and downward-sloping inwall and to terminate in the interior bottom portion edge separated with exterior base edge.

2. exercise equipment according to claim 1, wherein each side rails portion have between outer wall and inwall, for supporting the midfeather to downward-extension of foot-supporting member.

3. exercise equipment according to claim 2, wherein midfeather has upper lobes portion extending longitudinally and lower lobes portion extending longitudinally, is formed with the outside open slot towards outer wall between upper lobes portion extending longitudinally and lower lobes portion extending longitudinally.

4. exercise equipment according to claim 2, wherein each side rails portion comprises the horizontal wall between inwall and midfeather.

5. exercise equipment according to claim 2, wherein midfeather has the bottom formed in order to the horizontal rail of Support bracket.

6. exercise equipment according to claim 3, wherein one end of foot-supporting member is movably supported in outside open slot between upper lobes portion and lower lobes portion.

7. exercise equipment according to claim 2, wherein midfeather comprises multiple parts of locating foot-supporting member for the length along side rails component discretely.

8. exercise equipment according to claim 1, wherein each frame part has perpendicular outer wall and is combined in the horizontal top wall of the one in inside and downward-sloping inwall.

9. exercise equipment according to claim 8, wherein each side rails portion have between outer wall and inwall, for supporting the midfeather to downward-extension of foot-supporting member.

10. exercise equipment according to claim 9, wherein midfeather has upper lobes portion extending longitudinally and lower lobes portion extending longitudinally, is formed with the outside open slot towards outer wall between upper lobes portion extending longitudinally and lower lobes portion extending longitudinally.

11. exercise equipment according to claim 9, wherein each side rails portion comprises the horizontal wall between inwall and midfeather.

12. exercise equipment according to claim 9, wherein midfeather has the bottom formed in order to the horizontal rail of Support bracket.

13. exercise equipment according to claim 1, also comprise one or more hourglass cylindrical pin, and described one or more hourglass cylindrical pin is fixed to the foot portion of framework, for receiving the free end of a biasing member.

14. exercise equipment according to claim 13, wherein each pin has central axis, and with the first angle of the central axis leaving this pin from its base portion to waist upwards and to taper inwardly and outwards tapered with the second angle being greater than the first angle subsequently, make the free end of the spring be placed on this pin be securely held in the waist place of this pin.

15. exercise equipment according to claim 14, wherein said second angle is at least twice of described first angle.