Sears, Roebuck & Company

John C Gall

Richard D Meharg

Buckley A Singletary

Chester E Ozimek

Albert E Chamberlain

An inertia controlled loading system for an exercise apparatus or the like. The system includes a rotatable member mounted on a frame together with a mechanism for rotating the rotatable member through a drive pulley operatively associated with the rotating mechanism and a driven pulley operatively associated with the rotatable member. It also includes an endless belt member drivingly interconnecting the pulleys such that the belt member imparts rotation of the rotating mechanism to the rotatable member through the drive and driven pulleys which occurs because of the fact that the belt member has a surface in driving engagement with the pulleys. The system further includes a non-rotating frictional surface member in engagement with the belt member intermediate the drive and driven pulleys. With this construction, the inertia controlled loading system is suitable for an exercise apparatus or the like.

Inertia controlled loading system

A multipurpose exercise apparatus has a pair of interchangeable lever arm assemblies which can be moved to provide a plurality of exercise positions. The apparatus has a frame with a seat on the frame and the lever arm assemblies are interchangeably mounted on opposite sides of the ends of the frame in various configurations to provide the exercise positions.

Multipurpose exercise apparatus

A releasable locking device for frictionally engaging a bar member. The device includes a cam sleeve adapted to be adjustably positioned in selected locations along the bar member. The cam sleeve has an internal surface generally conforming in shape to the external surface of the bar member entirely along its length and the internal surface of the cam sleeve normally is dimensioned the same as or larger than the bar member so as to be slidably movable along the bar member for adjustably positioning the cam sleeve in a selected location. The cam sleeve is formed of a resilient material for selective radially uniform compressed frictional engagement with the external surface of the bar member. The device also includes a pair of cam collars adapted to be operably disposed in substantially coaxial relation on the cam sleeve. The cam collars each have a continuous internal cam surface adapted to cooperate with a mating external cam surface on the cam sleeve to reduce the dimension of the internal surface of the cam sleeve for selective radially uniform compressed frictional engagement with the bar member in response to opposing axially stationary rotation of the cam collars relative to the cam sleeve in locking directions. The cam collars cooperate with the cam sleeve to define a pair of individual locking members. With this arrangement, the device can be moved along a bar member to a selected location for double locking without the need to twist the bar member to produce the locking condition.

Releasable locking device

A lift device for a sewing machine head of the type having a free arm to alternately provide flat bed, free arm and storage positions in a cabinet having a tabletop with a cutout for the sewing machine head and a pivoting lift mechanism disposed beneath the cutout. The lift device includes a base plate for the sewing machine head secured to the pivoting lift mechanism to permit movement of the sewing machine head between the flat bed, free arm and storage positions. The lift mechanism includes a pair of primary links having first ends pivotally secured to the underside of the tabletop adjacent and on opposite sides of the cutout and a pair of secondary links having first ends pivotally secured at opposite sides of the base plate remote from the points at which the primary links are secured to the tabletop with the second ends of the primary links being pivotally secured to the second ends of the secondary links. The lift device also includes structure in the form of members which engage and disengage in response to movement of the lift mechanism for supporting the sewing machine head in each of the flat bed, free arm and storage positions. By limiting relative pivotal movement between the primary links and the secondary links and between the secondary links and the base plate, the lift device is capable of shifting the center of gravity of the sewing machine head toward the pivot point during movement between the flat bed, free arm and storage positions.

Sewing machine head lift device

An improved rowing apparatus has a back bearing surface coupled to the oar arms of the apparatus to maximize the rowing exercise. The bearing surface can be fixed to a seat back of a seat movably mounted on the frame of the apparatus. The seat back can be pivotably mounted to the seat to maximize the forces of the leg, back and arm muscles in the rowing exercise.

Rowing apparatus

A drive system for an exercise apparatus or the like. The system includes a rotatable member mounted on a frame together with a mechanism for rotating the rotatable member through a drive pulley operatively associated with the rotating mechanism and a driven pulley operatively associated with the rotatable member. It also includes an endless belt member drivingly interconnecting the pulleys such that the belt member imparts rotation of the rotating mechanism to the rotatable member through the drive and driven pulleys which occurs because of the fact that an inner surface of the belt member is in driving engagement with the pulleys. The system further includes a component frictionally engaging an outer surface of the belt member in the area in which the inner surface of the belt member is in driving engagement with the drive pulley to impart a resistance to rotation of the rotating mechanism. With this construction, the drive system is suitable for an exercise apparatus or the like.

Drive system for exercise apparatus or the like

A coilable member, such as a measuring tape, is replaceably supported within a device for extension and recoiling. A separable casing defines an aperture through which a coilable member can be extracted and retracted, and has an interior portion defining a bearing surface for supporting for rotation a first reel adapted to retain a spring secured to the reel. The first reel rotatably supports a second reel adapted to support the coilable member secured thereto and extending through the aperture defined by the casing. The second reel is supported in the casing by the first reel for relative axial movement with respect to the first reel. Braking means, which can include an annular member having teeth which engage at least one of the reels, rotates therewith in the casing substantially freely in one direction, while causing retardation of the rotation of the reel in the opposite direction through frictional engagement with the side of the casing. The device can further include a rotatable member accessible for rotation through an aperture in the casing for tensioning a spring retained by the first reel.

Coilable device

Mechanisms are disclosed for modifying conventional single element and typebar typewriters, having character-for-character correction systems, with automatic backspacing or non-backspacing, and non-forward spacing, after obliteration, to provide an additional operational mode whereby character-for-character correction can be achieved with automatic forward spacing, after each obliteration, thereby to provide simplified word obliteration.

Error correcting typewriter for simplified word obliteration

A lamp shade assembly kit includes an assembly ring formed of flexible material into a closed loop, a hoop formed of rigid material and a cover member formed of flexible material into a continuous, open-ended configuration. The assembly ring has an enlarged hoop-receiving channel opening inwardly about the periphery thereof. The cover member is adapted to be secured to the assembly ring. The hoop can then be inserted into the enlarged channel in the assembly ring to give a selected shape to the assembly ring and cover member. With these features, the lamp shade assembly kit may be shipped and stored in knockdown condition and quickly assembled without tools in any of a wide variety of shapes and sizes with optional decorative trim selections.

Lamp shade assembly kit

A lockable closure for a container having an annular lip advantageously has locking means whereby the closure can be releasably locked to the container. The closure has at least an annular portion adapted to be disposed in contact with a portion of the annular lip of the container, and preferably also an annular wall adapted to contact a portion of a wall of the container to provide a sealing engagement therewith. The locking means generally comprises shoulder means for lockingly engaging the annular lip of the container and bending means adjacent the shoulder means for deflecting the shoulder means about the annular lip of the container. The closure is useful with containers formed of various materials, for example, of both metal and molded plastic.

Lockable closure for containers

A one-piece bail for a container having an annular shoulder has a sleeve adapted to be placed about the container and abut the shoulder, first reinforcing means integral with the sleeve for reinforcing the sleeve, second reinforcing means for retaining the disposition between the sleeve and the first reinforcing means, tab means extending from approximately diametrically opposed portions of the first reinforcing means for providing areas of attachment, and a bail portion integral and pivotable with respect to the tab means normally disposed substantially concentrically with the first reinforcing means. The bail is independent of the manufacture of the container and is further independent of any interlocking action of the rim and closure of the container.

Bail

A lampshade which is shipped and/or stored in a knock-down condition can be readily erected without tools into a shade which is as structurally sound as if manufactured in preassembled condition. The shade is formed of two ring members, one having a spider member affixed thereto; a plurality of rib members; a plurality of clamping members having means for releasably securing clamping member to a rib member and a ring member, and hence the latter to each other; and a lamp shade frame cover adapted to be placed about the other members in the assembled condition.

Knock-down lamp shade

A motor and roller support includes a reversible lock clutch mechanism having a housing including an annular portion having a plurality of alternately deep and shallow recesses and a spindle axially received in the housing and having at least one flexible pawl positioned to cooperate with the plurality of recesses of the housing, with the pawl being unflexed when radially aligned with any of the deep recesses of the housing, and being angularly flexed upon being positioned in any of the shallow recesses of the housing. Upon alignment of the pawl with any of the deep recesses of the housing, relative rotation between the housing and the spindle can be initiated in either direction. However, upon the pawl being positioned with its end residing in a shallow recess of the housing and abutting the recess surface, relative rotation between the housing and the spindle can be initiated in only one direction therefrom. In the motor and roller support, the housing is adapted to engage a terminal portion of a roller and the spindle has means for engaging a supporting bracket extending from one end of the spindle outwardly of the housing, the means for engaging a motor, such as a spring motor. The motor and roller support is useful for supporting a strip, such as a window shade, a screen, and the like, secured to a roller for rolling and unrolling with respect to the roller.

Motor and roller support for window shades and the like

A lockable closure for a container having a foldable annular wall advantageously has locking means whereby the closure can be releasably locked to the container. The closure has an annular bendable wall adapted to be disposed at least partially in contact with the annular wall of the container. The bendable wall has a reversely bent annular lip adapted to be disposed about the outer edge of the annular wall of the container. Upon the closure being disposed with its reversely bent annular lip disposed about the outer edge of the wall of the container, the bendable wall of the closure and its annular lip are deflectable with the foldable wall of the container to fold the bendable wall into and out of locking engagement with the foldable wall of the container. The closure is retained in either the locked or unlocked positions without additional forces or apparatus as it is substantially in a zero stress condition at these positions.

Container closure

A foldable wheelchair having shiftable driving wheels so arranged, that as the side frame members are folded to reduce the width of the chair, the wheels are controllably and automatically shifted to reduce the depth of the chair thereby effecting a reduction in the side area required to accommodate the chair.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

John C Gall