Exercise to simulate horizontal ladder exercise

Abstract

An overhead exerciser for simulation of traveling suspended beneath a fixed horizontal ladder. The user is suspended freely from two depending levers, the reciprocation of the pair of levers simulating travel, although the person does not progress horizontally.

1 . In combination:
 a stand providing a support above a surface; and;   a reactive exerciser to provide to a user a physical exercise simulative of travel by a suspended user progressively proceeding along the underside of a horizontal ladder, the ladder having a sequence of spaced-apart rungs, said exerciser being mounted to said stand at an elevation above that which the user when suspending himself from the ladder rungs would not contact the surface, said exerciser comprising:   a rotor having an axis of rotation; a pair of levers, each with a respective hand grip, said levers being mounted to be freely rotatable relatively to the hub and depending downwardly, and a unidirectional drive interconnected between said rotors and said levers whereby reciprocation of said levers results in driven rotation of the rotor;   whereby a user suspending himself from said hand grips exerts a sequential effort to move one of said levers toward himself while enabling his other arm to facilitate or ignore the reverse movement of the other lever causes rotation of the rotor, thereafter repeating this sequence with his opposite arm, the continuation of this sequence simulating the said traveling under a ladder.   
   
   
       2 . In Combination:
 a stand providing a support above a surface; and;   a reactive exerciser to provide to a user a physical exercise simulative of travel by a suspended user progressively proceeding along the underside of a horizontal ladder, the ladder having a sequence of spaced-apart rungs, said exerciser being mounted to said stand at an elevation above that which the user when suspending himself from the ladder rungs would not contact the surface, said exerciser comprising:   a rotor having an axis of rotation; a hub fixed to said rotor for driving rotation therewith; a pair of levers, each with a respective hand grip, said levers being mounted to be freely rotatable relatively to the hub and depending downwardly, each said lever having an extension on the opposite side of said axis; a phase sprocket, a pair of oppositely directed phase links rotatably coupled to said phase sprocket; a pair of drive links connected to respective said extensions and to a respective said phase link; a drive sprocket mounted to said base and to said hub; a first chain drive drivingly interconnecting said phase sprocket and drive socket, and a second chain drive drivingly interconnecting said drive socket and said hub;   whereby a user when suspending himself from said hand grips exerts a sequential effort to move one of said levers toward himself while enabling his other arm to facilitate or ignore the reverse movement of the other lever causes rotation of the rotor, thereafter repeating this sequence with his opposite arm, the continuation of this sequence simulating the said traveling under the ladder.   
   
   
       3 . A combination according to  claim 2  in which said rotor includes vanes reactive with air in which it is rotated. 
   
   
       4 . A combination according to  claim 2  in which an adjustable brake provides resistance to rotation of said rotor.