Machine for Performance of Front Squat Exercises

Abstract

A weight horn is supported on a bearing housing that slides along two vertical guide rails. The upper and lower ends of the vertical guide rails are connected to tubular sleeves that slide along horizontal guide rails, which are enclosed by a rectangular frame. A roller pad extends from the opposite side of the weight horn, perpendicular to the horizontal guide rails and over a platform containing an adjustable seat, calf support and foot pads. The weight lifter performs the movement by standing upright with his/her legs positioned between the calf support and foot pads, wrapping his/her arms around the roller pad, and squatting onto the seat. The combination of vertical and horizontal guide rails allows the weighted roller pad to travel a curved path downward and backward as the lifter descends into the squat position. The dual rail configuration for both the vertical and horizontal guide rails prevents jamming of the mechanisms if the weight lifter twists his/her torso during the squat.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exercise machine, comprising:
 an upright section, having an interior side and an exterior side, and a base section, having an inner base side and an outer base side;   wherein the upright section comprises a rigid, substantially rectangular, upright frame, comprising a pair of parallel, generally vertical, stanchions, consisting of a front stanchion and a rear stanchion, and wherein the stanchions are spaced apart by a pair of parallel, generally horizontal, cross braces, consisting of an upper cross brace and a lower cross brace, and wherein the lower cross brace connects the interior side of the upright section to the inner base side of the base section at a substantially right angle;   wherein the upright section further comprises a dynamic weight carriage assembly, comprising a pair of parallel, rigid, generally horizontal, transverse guide rods, consisting of a top transverse guide rod and a bottom transverse guide rod, and wherein each of the transverse guide rods extends from the front stanchion to the rear stanchion, or to a generally vertical medial beam between the front stanchion and the rear stanchion, and wherein a sliding member is slidably mounted on each of the transverse guide rods, and wherein the sliding members consist of a top sliding member, which is slidably mounted on the top transverse guide rod, and a bottom sliding member, which is slidably mounted on the bottom transverse guide rod, and wherein the sliding members are dynamically coupled together by a pair of parallel, rigid, generally vertical, vertical guide rods, such that the sliding members are configured for a generally horizontal, coupled horizontal sliding movement along the transverse guide rods, and such that the coupled horizontal sliding movement of the sliding members is synchronized, so as to prevent uneven movement of the top sliding member relative to the bottom sliding member, thereby preventing binding of the sliding members on the transverse guide rods;   wherein the dynamic weight carriage assembly further comprises a weight housing, comprising a pair of parallel, generally vertical, guide bearing sleeves, consisting of a front guide bearing sleeve and a rear guide bearing sleeve, and wherein the guide bearing sleeves are slidably mounted on the vertical guide rods, and wherein the guide bearing sleeves are dynamically coupled by the vertical guide rods to the sliding members of the dynamic weight carriage assembly, such that the guide bearing sleeves are configured for a generally vertical, coupled vertical sliding movement along the vertical guide rods, and such that the coupled vertical sliding movement of the guide bearing sleeves is synchronized, so as to prevent uneven movement of the front guide bearing sleeve relative to the rear guide bearing sleeve, thereby preventing binding of the guide bearing sleeves on the vertical guide rods;   wherein the weight housing further comprises an exterior housing side, facing the exterior side of the upright section, and an interior housing side, facing the interior side of the upright section, and wherein a weight bearing means extends generally horizontally from the exterior housing side, substantially perpendicular to the upright section, and wherein a weight handling means extends generally horizontally from the interior housing side, substantially perpendicular to the upright section, and wherein a weight racking means extends from the interior housing side and cooperates with multiple racking pegs located on the front stanchion or on a generally vertical racking beam attached between the top sliding member and the bottom sliding member; and   wherein the base section comprises a generally horizontal, planar base frame or base platform, within which or on which a user of the exercise machine can stand and squat while grasping the weight handling means, so as to perform a front squat exercise.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the weight handling means comprises a substantially cylindrical weight bar, having an inner bar side, which transitions into the weight bearing means on the exterior housing side, and having an outer bar side, which extends from the inner bar side to a substantially circular weight bar end, and wherein the outer bar side comprises a padded bar segment that is enclosed by a resilient padding sleeve, having two padding sleeve ends consisting of an inner padding sleeve end and an outer padding sleeve end. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the padding sleeve is coaxially rotatable about the outer bar side. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the weight handling means further comprises a generally horizontal gripping bar, having a central gripping portion with one or more substantially arcuate segments, wherein the gripping bar extends generally parallel to the weight bar between the inner padding sleeve end and the outer padding sleeve end, and wherein the gripping bar is axially offset from the weight bar by a pair of offset arms, which are orthogonally and rotatably connected to the padding sleeve ends. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the outer bar side of the weight bar is axially offset from the inner bar side of the weight bar by a linkage arm, which orthogonally and rotatably connects the inner bar side to the outer bar side. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the outer bar side of the weight bar is axially offset from the inner bar side of the weight bar by a linkage arm, which orthogonally and rotatably connects the inner bar side to the outer bar side. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the weight bearing means comprises a substantially cylindrical support bar, which conjugately engages one or more weight plates through an axial bore in each of the weight plates. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the weight bearing means comprises a substantially cylindrical support bar, which conjugately engages one or more weight plates through an axial bore in each of the weight plates. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the weight bearing means comprises a substantially cylindrical support bar, which conjugately engages one or more weight plates through an axial bore in each of the weight plates. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the weight bearing means comprises a substantially cylindrical support bar, which conjugately engages one or more weight plates through an axial bore in each of the weight plates. 
     
     
         11 . The exercise machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the weight bearing means comprises a substantially cylindrical support bar, which conjugately engages one or more weight plates through an axial bore in each of the weight plates. 
     
     
         12 . The exercise machine according to any one of  claims 1  through  11 , wherein the base section further comprises an adjustable, generally horizontal seat, an adjustable, generally vertical calf support, and two adjustable, general horizontal foot restraints, such that the user of the exercise machine can stand with two user feet engaging the foot restraints and with two user calves engaging the calf support, from which position the user can squat down onto the seat while grasping the weight handling means, so as to perform the front squat exercise.