Apparatus for mechanical emulation of dumbbells

Abstract

In combination with apparatus for exercising the upper body of the type having extended, motion resisting levers and handgrips at the lever distal ends that follow defined converging and diverging paths upon movement of the levers in one direction and the reverse, an improvement having extended handle members with connecting ends and perpendicularly off-set handgrip ends. The connecting ends are connected to the extended levers for pivotal movement having one, two or three degrees of freedom with respect to the levers, so that the hand grips allow elective inclination and declination movements; elective inclination and declination movements in conjunction with elective converging and diverging movements; or, elective inclination and declination movements in conjunction with elective converging and diverging movements in conjunction with pronating and supinating movements, throughout the range of motion of an exercise.

I claim:  
     
         1 . In combination with apparatus for exercising the upper body of the type having extended, motion resisting levers and handles with handgrips at the distal end thereof, and wherein the extended levers follow prescribed converging and diverging paths upon movement in one direction and the reverse, the improvement comprising: 
 extended handle members, each having a longitudinal axis, a connecting end and a handgrip substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis at the distal end; and    the connecting ends connected to the extended levers at the distal ends thereof, so that each extended handle member pivots about at least one axis with respect to the connected lever, allowing elective inclination or declination movements of the handgrips, in conjunction with prescribed converging and diverging movements, throughout the range of motion of an exercise.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 1  and further comprising horizontally skewed, non-parallel axes for pivotal movement of the levers along the prescribed converging and diverging paths.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 a common horizontal axis for pivotally mounting the levers;  
 extended lever distal ends connected to the levers for pivotal movement with respect to the connected levers; and  
 linkage means for moving the extended lever distal ends along converging and diverging paths as the levers pivot about their common horizontal axis.  
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 1  and further comprising connection of the extended handle members to the extended levers for pivotal movement of the extended handle members about their respective longitudinal axis, so as to allow elective movement of the handgrips for pronation and supination.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 1  and further comprising a connection of the extended handle members to the extended levers for pivotal movement of the extended handle member about their respective lever longitudinal axis, so as to allow elective movement of the handgrips for convergence and divergence.  
     
     
         6 . In combination with apparatus for exercising the upper body of the type having extended, motion resisting levers and handles with handgrips at the distal end thereof, and wherein the extended levers follow prescribed converging and diverging paths upon movement in one direction and the reverse, the improvement comprising: 
 extended handle members, each having a longitudinal axis, a connecting end and a handgrip substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis at the distal end; and    the connecting ends connected to the extended levers at the distal ends thereof, so that each extended handle member pivots about at least two axes with respect to the connected lever, allowing elective inclination and declination movements of the handgrips, in conjunction with elective converging and diverging movements, throughout the range of motion of an exercise.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 6  and further comprising connection of the extended handle members to the extended levers for pivotal movement of the extended handle members about their respective longitudinal axis, so as to allow elective movement of the handgrips for pronation and supination.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 6  and further comprising horizontally skewed, non-parallel axes for pivotal movement of the levers along the prescribed converging and diverging paths.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 6  and further comprising: 
 a common horizontal axis for pivotally mounting the levers;  
 extended lever distal ends connected to the levers for pivotal movement with respect to the connected levers; and  
 linkage means for moving the extended lever distal ends along converging and diverging paths as the levers pivot about their common horizontal axis.  
 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus for exercising the upper body, while permitting elective inclination and declination, and elective converging and diverging hand movements, the apparatus comprising: 
 a frame;    a pair of levers having first and second ends wherein the first ends are connected for pivotal movement about horizontal, obtusely angled first pivotal axes, so that the second ends converge and diverge when pivoting thereabout;    means operatively connected to the levers for resisting pivotal movement about the first pivotal axes; and    extended handle members, each having a longitudinal axis, a handgrip perpendicular thereto at the distal end, and a connecting end pivotally connected to each lever at the second end thereof, so that each extended handle member pivots about at least two axes with respect to the connected lever, allowing elective inclination and declination movements of the handgrips in conjunction with elective converging and diverging movements, throughout the range of motion of an exercise.    
     
     
         11 . The exercise device of  claim 10  wherein means operatively connected to the levers for resisting pivotal movement comprises at least one removably connected weight.  
     
     
         12 . The exercise device of  claim 10  wherein the connection of the first end of each lever on the frame for pivotal movement about its first axis comprises: 
 a pair of brackets having holes therein, the holes being aligned with the first pivotal axis of the lever;  
 an axle passing through the holes so as to be rotatable about the first pivotal axis of the lever; and  
 the lever attached to the axle.  
 
     
     
         13 . The exercise device of  claim 10  wherein means operatively connected to the levers for resisting pivotal movement comprises a resisting force acting at a variable moment arm.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus for exercising the upper body of  claim 10  and further comprising connection of the extended handle members to the levers for pivotal movement of the extended handle members about their respective longitudinal axis, so as to allow elective movement of the handgrips for pronation and supination.  
     
     
         15 . Apparatus for exercising the upper body, while permitting elective inclination and declination and elective converging and diverging hand and arm movements, the apparatus comprising: 
 a frame including a horizontal first pivotal axis;    a pair of levers having first and second ends wherein the first ends are connected for pivotal movement about the first pivotal axis;    means operatively connected to the levers for resisting pivotal movement about the first pivotal axes;    a pair of lever extensions having first and second ends, wherein the first ends are pivotally connected to the lever second ends, on second pivotal axes substantially angled with respect to the first pivotal axis;    means for pivoting each lever extension about the respective second pivotal axis in a predetermined relationship relative to the lever as the lever pivots about the first pivotal axis; and    a pair of extended handle members, each having a longitudinal axis, a handgrip substantially perpendicular thereto at the distal end, and a connecting end, pivotally connected to one of the lever extensions at the second end thereof, so that the extended handle member is free for pivotal movement about at least two axes with respect to the connected lever extension, allowing elective inclination and declination movements of the handgrips in conjunction with elective converging and diverging movements, throughout the range of motion of an exercise.    
     
     
         16 . An exercise device according to  claim 15  wherein the second pivotal axes are displaced from and do not intersect the first pivotal axes.  
     
     
         17 . An exercise device according to  claim 15  wherein the means for pivoting each lever extension about the respective second pivotal axis is an operative connection between that lever extension and the frame.  
     
     
         18 . The exercise device of  claim 15  wherein the means for pivoting each lever extension about the respective pivotal second axis in a predetermined relationship relative to the lever as the lever pivots about the first pivotal axis comprises: 
 a linkage rod having first and second ends;  
 a first ball connector attached to the lever extension;  
 a first socket connector fitting on the first ball connector and attached to the linkage rod first end;  
 a second ball connector attached to the frame of the exercise device; and  
 a second socket connector fitting on the second ball connector and attached to the linkage rod second end.  
 
     
     
         19 . The exercise device of  claim 15  wherein means operatively connected to the levers for resisting pivotal movement comprises at least one removably connected weight.  
     
     
         20 . The exercise device of  claim 15  wherein means supporting the levers on the frame for pivotal movement about the horizontal first pivotal axis comprises: 
 brackets having holes therein, the holes being aligned with the first pivotal axis; and  
 at least one axle passing through the holes, so as to be rotatable about the first pivotal axis, with the levers being attached thereto.  
 
     
     
         21 . The exercise device of  claim 15  wherein means operatively connected to the lever for resisting pivotal movement comprises a resisting force acting at a variable moment arm.  
     
     
         22 . An exercise machine for providing selected resistance through a range of motion comprising; 
 a frame including a substantially horizontal first pivotal axis;    a seat mounted on the frame;    a backrest mounted rearwardly of the seat;    an adjustable weight to provide selected resistance;    a pair of substantially parallel first lever members pivotally mounted to the frame for rotation about the horizontal first pivotal axis against the selected resistance, the first lever members each including one of a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel and angularly oriented second pivotal axes lying substantially perpendicular to the horizontal first axis;    a pair of second lever members, each having a distal end and a mounting end, with the mounting end pivotally connected to one of the first lever members for rotation about the second pivotal axis;    linkage means guiding the second lever member distal ends to converge along predetermined curved paths as the first lever members pivot from a first position to a second position; and    a handle member connected to each of the second lever member distal ends for pivotal movement with at least two orthogonal degrees of freedom with respect thereto.    
     
     
         23 . The exercise machine of  claim 22  wherein the handle member connected to each of the second lever member distal ends for pivotal movement has three orthogonal degrees of freedom with respect thereto.  
     
     
         24 . In combination with a method for exercising the upper body wherein the hands of the user follow mechanically defined converging and diverging paths upon movement in one direction and the reverse, the improvement comprising the steps of: 
 providing extended handle members with handgrips at the distal ends thereof;    grasping the handgrips with the user's hands to perform exercise movements;    guiding the proximal ends of the extended handle members to follow mechanically defined converging and diverging paths as the user's hands move through the range of the exercise movements; and    allowing the user's hands to follow elective paths deviating from the mechanically defined converging and diverging paths.