Precor Incorporated

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

William W Potts

James S Birrell

David B Smith

Thomas Joseph Moran

Timothy O Armstrong

Cole J Dalton

Lawrence J Graf

Larry J Graf

The flexibly coordinated stationary exercise device (,) includes a frame (,) which has a forward upright member (,). The axle mounts (,) and (,) are attached to the rear region of the frame (,) and support a transverse axle (,) which is preferably operatively connected to a flywheel (,). The ends of the transverse axle (,) rotatably engage left and right crank arm assemblies (,) and (,) that are coupled to the left and right foot links (,) and (,) so that the foot links travel in an arcuate reciprocal path as the transverse axle rotates. The foot links are operatively connected to swing arm mechanisms (,) and (,), which in turn are rotatably connected to the forward upright member (,) at pivot points (,) and (,). The swing arm mechanisms further contain hand-gripping portions (,) and (,), and the foot links further contain foot support portions (,) and (,). Flexibly coordinating members (,) are incorporated in the linkage between each respective hand-gripping portion and foot support portion to substantially and resiliently link the movement of the foot support portions to the movement of the hand-gripping portions, while permitting some degree of uncoordinated motion between the foot support portions and the hand-gripping portions.

Flexibly coordinated stationary exercise device

An exercise apparatus having foot beams (38a, 40a) rotatably mounted to an upright post member (140a) of a frame to rotate about a first axis (322). Hand levers (132a, 134a) are secured to pivot members (152a) pivotally mounted to the upright post member to rotate about a second axis (328). The hand levers are coupled by resilient linkage members (340) to the foot levers so that as each foot lever rotates about the first axis, the corresponding hand lever normally rotates a related distance about the second axis. The linkage members are resiliently deformable to allow discontinuity between the rotation of the foot levers and hand levers when an exerciser exerts a differential force on the hand levers relative to the corresponding foot levers.

Exercise apparatus

An ergometer (28) is employed on an exercise cycle (10) having a flywheel (20) rotated by pedals (16). A selectively tensionable endless belt (26) extends around the perimeter of flywheel (20) and a separate strap (160) is attached to the endless belt (26) to extend tangentially from the flywheel (20). The opposite end of strap (160) is connected to one end of an indicator plate (162) with the other end of the indicator plate attached to one end of an extension spring (164). The extension spring (164) imparts a tensile load on strap (160) equal to the opposing tensile load on the strap (160) imposed by the frictional force acting between endless belt (26) and the flywheel (20). This force level is sensed by the movement of the indicator plate (162) which coincides with the extension of spring (164), which plate movement corresponds to the workout level being achieved. The workout level in terms of calories per minute is displayed by indicia disposed on the upper side of the indicator plate (162) visible through a window (30) formed in the frame structure (40) of the exercise cycle (10).

Exercise apparatus ergometer

Exercise rowing machine

Growing community of inventors

Medina, WA, United States of America

William W Potts