Upper body exercise apparatus

Abstract

An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser to do chin-ups and dips. The apparatus includes a frame having a base, a platform parallel to the base for the exerciser to stand on, chin-up handles and dip handles extending from the frame, a system to oscillate the platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining the platform parallel to the base and while avoiding any angular displacement, a pneumatic cylinder for providing a force to the oscillating system which is opposite the weight of the exerciser, and a control and monitor whereby the force is controlled and the oscillation of the platform is monitored.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser to do chin-ups and dips which comprises: (a) a frame having a base;   (b) a platform parallel to said base for said exerciser to stand on;   (c) chin-up handles and dip handles extending from said frame;   (d) means to oscillate said platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining said platform parallel to said base and while avoiding any horizontal displacement;   (e) means pivotally mounted at one end to said base and at the other end to said oscillating means to provide a force to said oscillating means opposite the force of gravity on the exerciser; and   (f) control and monitor means whereby said force is controlled and the oscillation of said platform is monitored.   
     
     
       2. A upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to provide a force opposite the force of gravity includes a pneumatic cylinder, compression motor means and accumulator means. 
     
     
       3. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said control and monitor means regulates said pneumatic cylinder, said compression motor means and said accumulator means, and includes a key-pad to enter information and instructions. 
     
     
       4. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to oscillate said platform vertically includes a moment arm beam pivotally attached at one end to said platform, a pair of upright support members parallel to each other, each member pivotally attached to one end to said base and pivotally attached at the other end to said moment arm beam, and a pair of lower support arms parallel to each other, each arm pivotally connected at one end to said platform and pivotally connected at the other end to one of said upright support members. 
     
     
       5. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including a pair of stabilizer bars extending between and pivotally attached to said frame and said lower support arms. 
     
     
       6. An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser to do chin-ups and dips which comprises; (a) a frame having a base;   (b) a platform parallel to said base for said exerciser to stand on;   (c) chin-up handles and dip handles extending from said frame;   (d) means to oscillate said platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining said platform parallel to said base and while avoiding any horizontal displacement;   (e) pneumatic cylinder means pivotally mounted at one end to said base and at the other end to said oscillating means including compression motor means and accumulator means to provide a force to said oscillating means opposite the force of gravity on the exerciser; and   (f) control and monitor means whereby said force is controlled and the oscillation of said platform is monitored.   
     
     
       7. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means to oscillate said platform vertically includes a moment arm beam pivotally attached at one end to said platform, a pair of upright support members parallel to each other, each member pivotally attached at one end to said base and pivotally attached at the other end to said moment arm beam, and a pair of lower support arms parallel to each other, each arm pivotally connected at one end to said platform and pivotally connected at the other end to one of said upright support members. 
     
     
       8. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said pneumatic cylinder means is connected to said oscillating means at said beam, wherein the effective connection point of said pneumatic cylinder means to said beam varies as the platform oscillates so that the length of the moment arm increases as said platform is raised, and wherein uniformity of said force throughout oscillation of said platform is achieved by combining said pneumatic cylinder means which decreases in force as said platform is raised with said pneumatic cylinder connection means which increases in force as said platform is raised due to the increase in length of said moment arm. 
     
     
       9. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including an intermediate ear extending from said moment arm beam and wherein said pneumatic cylinder means is pivotally connected to said oscillating means at said intermediate ear so that the effective connection point of said pneumatic cylinder means to said moment arm beam varies as said platform oscillates in order to increase the length of the moment arm as said platform rises, and wherein uniformity of said force throughout oscillation of said platform is achieved by combining said pneumatic cylinder means which decreases in force as said platform is raised with said means to oscillate said platform vertically which increases in force as said platform is raised. 
     
     
       10. An upper body exercise apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said control and monitor means regulates said pneumatic cylinder means, said compression motor means and said accumulator means. .Iadd. 
     
     
       11.  An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser, which comprises: (a) a frame having a base;   (b) a first exerciser support platform, having an upper surface, said upper surface being parallel to said base, for said exerciser to stand on;   (c) at least a first handle extending from said frame;   (d) means for oscillating said first exerciser support platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining said first exercising support platform parallel to said base and while avoiding any horizontal displacement, and in the absence of a second exercise support platform which moves vertically in a direction opposite the direction of movement of said first exerciser support platform, all of said upper surface occupying a region, when said first exerciser support platform is in said lower position, which is below the region occupied by said upper surface when said first exerciser support platform is in the upper position;   (e) means mounted at one end to said base and at the other end to said oscillating means for providing a substantially constant force to said oscillating means having a component opposite the force of gravity on the exerciser during said oscillating from said lower position to said upper position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       12.  An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser, which comprises: (a) a frame having a base;   (b) a platform parallel to said base for said exerciser to stand on;   (c) at least a first handle extending from said frame;   (d) means for oscillating said platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining said platform parallel to said base, said means for oscillating including a moment arm beam pivotally attached at one end to said platform, a pair of upright support members parallel to each other, each member pivotally attached at one end to said base and pivotally attached to the other end to said moment arm beam, and a pair of lower support arms parallel to each other, each arm pivotally connected at one end to said platform and pivotally connected at the other end to one of said upright support members. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a pair of stabilizer bars extending between and pivotally attached to said frame and said lower   
     
     
        support arms. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser, which comprises: (a) a frame having a base;   (b) a platform parallel to said base for said exerciser to stand on;   (c) at least a first handle extending from said frame;   (d) means for oscillating said platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining said platform parallel to said base, said means for oscillating including a moment arm beam pivotally attached at one end to said platform, a pair of upright support members parallel to each other, each member pivotally attached at one end to said base and pivotally attached to the other end to said moment arm beam, and a pair of lower support arms parallel to each other, each arm pivotally connected at one end to said platform and pivotally connected at the other end to one of said upright support members; and   (e) force means mounted at one end to said base and at the other end to said oscillating means for providing a force to said means for oscillating having a component opposite the force of gravity on the exerciser. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said force means is connected to said means for oscillating at said beam, and wherein the effective connection point of said force means to said beam varies as the platform oscillates so that the length of the moment arm increases as the platform is raised, and wherein substantial uniformity of said force throughout oscillation of said platform is achieved by combining said force means which decreases in force as the platform is raised with said connection means which increases in force as the platform is raised due to the increase in length of said moment arm. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. An exercise apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, including an intermediate ear extending from said moment arm beam and wherein said force means is pivotally connected to said means for oscillating at said intermediate ear so that the effective connection point of said force means to said moment arm beam varies as said platform oscillates in order to increase the length of the moment arm as said platform rises, and wherein uniformity of said force throughout oscillation of said platform is achieved by combining said force means which decreases in force as said platform is raised with said means for oscillating said platform vertically which increases in force as   
     
     
        said platform is raised. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser, which comprises: (a) a frame having a base;   (b) a first exerciser support platform, having an upper surface, said upper surface being parallel to said base, for said exerciser to stand on;   (c) at least a first handle extending from said frame;   (d) means for oscillating said first exerciser support platform vertically between a lower position and an upper position while maintaining said first exerciser support platform parallel to said base and while avoiding horizontal displacement of said first exerciser support platform and in the absence of a second exerciser support platform which moves vertically in a direction opposite the direction of movement of said first exerciser support platform, all of said upper surface occupying a region, when said first exerciser support platform is in said lower position, which is below the region occupied by said upper surface when said first exerciser support platform is in the upper position; and   (e) means, operably connected to said oscillating means, for providing a substantially constant force on said exerciser having a component opposite the force of gravity on the exerciser continuously during said oscillating   
     
     
        from said lower position to said upper position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18.  An upper body exercise apparatus to assist an exerciser, which comprises: a) a frame having a base;   b) a first exerciser support platform having an upper surface, said upper surface being a surface for supporting said exerciser;   c) at least a first handle positioned in a fixed relationship to said base;   d) first means for movably connecting said first exerciser support platform to said frame, permitting movement between a lower position and an upper position and in the absence of a second exerciser support platform which moves vertically in a direction opposite the direction of movement of said first exerciser support platform, all of said upper surface occupying a region when said first exerciser support platform is in said lower position, which is below the region occupied by said upper surface when said first exerciser support platform is in the upper position;   e) means, operably connected to said first means, for providing a substantially constant force opposite the force of gravity on the exerciser continously during movement of said first exerciser support platform from said lower position to said upper position..Iaddend.