Shoulder press exercise machine

Abstract

An exercise machine suitable for performing a shoulder press has a support frame with a seat mounted on the front portion thereof. A pair of similar lever members are pivotally supported by means of sleeve bearings on axles mounted on the rear portion of the support member. The lever members and their support bearings are located at a level below the top of the seat. The axles are angled away from the central axis of the support member and run parallel to the base of the support member. The lever members are positioned in opposing relationship with the rear portions thereof substantially parallel to each other and with the forward portions extending angularly away from each other in the forward direction. Handles are mounted on the forward ends of the levers. Removable weights are mounted on each of the levers proximate to the handles. The angulation of the support axles is such as to effect a converging and rotating motion of the exerciser's arms when the levers are drawn upwardly over the exerciser's head.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An exercise machine for use by an exerciser in performing a shoulder press comprising: 
 a support frame having rear and forward portions and a base portion which rests on a support surface;    a seat mounted on the forward portion of said support frame, the top of said seat extending above said support frame;    a pair of longitudinally oriented opposing lever arms which extend from the rear portion of the support frame to a position forward of the back of the seat;    a weight removably mounted on each of said lever arms;    a handle mounted on the forward end of each of said lever arms; and    a pivotal support for pivotally supporting each of the ends of the lever arm rear portions for rotation on the support frame about predetermined axes.    
     
     
         2 . The machine of claim wherein the pivotal support is positioned approximately at the shoulder level of the exerciser when seated in said seat.  
     
     
         3 . The exercise machine of  claim 1  wherein said pivotal supports each comprises an axle mounted on the rear portion of said frame and a sleeve rotatably supported on the axle, said sleeves each being attached to an end of an associated one of said lever arms, said axles extending angularly away from each other at an angle of 60-90 degrees.  
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the axles extend away from each other at an angle of approximately 70 degrees.  
     
     
         5 . The machine of claims  1  and  3  wherein the lever arms have rear portions which are substantially parallel to each other and forward portions which run angularly away from each other to positions forward of the back of the seat.  
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the rotation axes of said pivotal supports are substantially parallel to the base of said frame.  
     
     
         7 . The machine of claims  1  and  3  wherein said frame has forward and rear vertical bars and a top bar running between the top portions of said forward and rear vertical bars, the central axis of said frame corresponding to the central axes of said bars.  
     
     
         8 . An exercise machine for use by an exerciser in performing a shoulder press comprising: 
 a support frame having rear and forward portions, said frame including a rear base bar running across the rear of the base thereof, a rear vertical bar running upwardly from the center portion of said rear base bar, a forward vertical bar running upwardly, a fore-aft base bar running between said forward and rear vertical bars, an angulated bar running between each of the opposite end portions of said rear base bar and the top of said rear vertical bar, and a fore-aft top bar running between the top portions of said rear and forward vertical bars;    a seat mounted on said forward vertical bar, the top of said seat extending above said support frame;    a pair of horizontally oriented opposing lever arms having rear portions which are substantially parallel to each other and having forward portions which run angularly away from each other and extend forward of the back of said seat;    a handle mounted on the forward end of each of said lever arms:    a pivotal support for supporting each of the ends of the rear portions of said lever arms on said support frame, said pivotal supports each comprising an axle supported on the rear end of said frame and a sleeve rotatably supported on said axle, said sleeves each being attached to the end of an associated one of said lever arms, said axles extending angularly away from each other and away from the central axis of said rear vertical bar, said axles running substantially parallel to the base of said frame; and    a weight removably mounted on each of said lever arms.    
     
     
         9 . The machine of  claim 8  wherein the pivotal supports are positoned at approximately the same level as the exerciser's shoulders with the exerciser seated in said seat.  
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 8  wherein said axles extend away from each other at an angle of 60-90 degrees.  
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 10  wherein said axles extend away from each other at an angle of substantially 70 degrees.