US1952750A - Exercising device - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1934. F. L. GAILEY ExRoIsING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1932 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to an exercising device of the particular type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,866,024, issued to me July 5, 1932, and the principal objects of my present invention are, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the exercising device disclosed in my aforesaid patent, further, to provide a foot engaging plate that is stiff and rigid so that it will not ilex as a result of pulling strains applied to the ends of the plate or as a result of pushing strains imparted to the plate by the feet while the device is in use and further, to provide the foot plate with an enclosing jacket or sheath of flexible material and a portion of which latter H is in the form of a pad that is positionedso as to be engaged by the feet that are applied to the foot plate while the exercising device is in use.

With the foregoingand other objects in View, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an exercising device, constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end portion of the foot engaging plate.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, 10 designates a stiff rigid plate,` preferably formed of metal, said plate being twelve or fourteen inches in length and three or four inches in width. The end portions 11 of this plate are bent at right angles to the plane occupied by the main body portion of the plate and formed integral with the upper ends of the upturned portions 11 are short tubular loops or eyes 12.

These loops or eyes receive the lower portions of metal rings 13 and connected to said rings are links 14. Connected to these links 14 are the lower ends of retractile springs 15 and connected to the upper ends of these springs, by means of links 16, are wire frames 17 on the upper ends of which are mounted handles 18.

Plate 10 and its upturned portions 11 are enclosed in a jacket or sheath comprising an underlayer 19 of leather or heavy fabric such as canvas and upon layer 20 of the sheath comprises l a layer of cushioning material such as felt.

The side edges of the outer layer 19 and the upper layer 20 are secured to each other in any suitable manner, preferably by rows .of stitch- 69 ing 2l.

The end portions of the underlayer 19 terminate adjacent to the upper ends of the upturned end portions 11 of plate10 and the end portions of the layer 20 ofcushioning material extend a 35 substantial distance above the upper ends of the end members 11 and terminate adjacent to the upper portions of links 14.

The end portions of theV sheathl comprising flexible member 19 and cushion member 20 are 70 secured to the upturned end portions 11 of plate 10 by means of rivets 22 and thus the sheath is retained against longitudinal movement upon the plate. 1

The intermediate portion of the cushion member 20 of the sheath is folded double to provide a transverse wall or partition 23 that is located at a point midway between the upturned ends of the foot plate and this transverse wall functions as a cushioning partition that is positioned` between the feet that are placed on the foot plate when the exercising device is in use. Y

The lower portions of the two thicknesses of material forming the transverse cushion partition 23 are united by one or more rows of stitch- `35 ing 24.

In the use of my improved exercising device, the user lying `on the floor or on a bed or couch, places the feet against the cushioned or padded surface of the foot plate between the partition `9 0 the handles away from the foot engaging plate 49,5

and these movements of the feet and legs as well as the arms are yieldingly resisted by the springs 15 and as the pushing and pulling movements are terminated the springs will draw the foot plate and handles toward each other until the springs are entirely collapsed.

As the movements just described are repeated, practically all muscles in the arms, limbs and body of the user will be alternately stretched and contracted, thereby producing the desired exerk1 05 cise of muscles and at the Sametime increasing the blood flow through the veins so that practically the entire body will be greatly benefitted as a result of the exercise.

In some instances the foot plate may be placed 1.10

on the floor with the feet position on said plate to the sides of the transverse partition 23 and the user now pulls upwardly on the handles 18 to expand the springs 15 and this action is particularly effective in exercising the muscles in the back and shoulders, also the arms and legs.

In order to stimulate heart action so as to increase the ow of blood into and through the neck and head, the user of the exerciser lies prone upon a bed or couch with the head extending beyond the edge of the bed or couch and somewhat lower than the body. Where the exerciser is used under such conditions the heart action is stimulated, thereby correspondingly lstimulating and increasing the circulation of the blood to the glands in the neck and head, also through the veins and to the nerves of the brain.

As long as the head is maintained in substantially the same plane with the body -or lower than the body, the gravitational resistance to the flow of blood to the neck and head is materially reduced and this reduced resistance is of material assistance in increasing the iiow of blood produced as a result of the increased heart action developed while the exerciser is being used.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an v exercising device that is relatively simple of construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in fthe size, form, and construction of the various parts of my improved exercising device may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I lclaim as my invention:

1. An exercising device, comprising a rigid plate `'having integral up-turned end portions, retractile springs connected to said up-turned end portions, handles connected to said springs, a sheath composed of two layers of material enclosing said plate and up-turned end portions, the overlying member Vof which sheath comprises a layer of relatively -thick soft, flexible material so as to provide a pad, the intermediate portion of which overlying member is folded double so as to provide a transverse partition across the center of the plate and the end portions of the overlying member being extended upwardly to points above the upper edges of the up-turned end portions of said plate so as to provide protection for the outer portions of the feet of the user.

2. An exercising device, comprising a rigid plate having integral upturned end portions, retractile springs connected to said up-turned end portions, handles connected to said springs, a sheath composed of two layers of material enclosing said plate and up-turned end portions, the overlying member of which sheath comprises a layer of relatively thick, soft, liexible material so as to provide a pad, the intermediate portion of which overlying member is folded double so as to provide a transverse partition across the center of the plate, the end portions of the overlying member being extended upwardly to points above the upper edges of the up-turned end portions of said plate so as to provide protection for the outer portions of the feet of the user and .fastening means passing through the up-turned end portions of the plate and the adjacent portions of 4100 said sheath.

3. An exercising device, comprising a rigid plate having up-turned end portions, loops formed integral with the upper ends of said up-turned end portions, rings carried by said loops, retractile 105 springs connected to said'rings, handles connected to said retractile springs, a sheath enclosing said plate and its upturned ends, said sheath comprising upper and lower members, the upper member comprising a layer of relatively thick, soft, v-llO flexible 'material to form a pad, the end portions of which upper member extend upwardly-past 'the upturned ends of the plate and past the loops and Vrings carried by said up-turned end portions to provide padded guards for the feet of the -l-15 user, fastening means passing through the upturned end portions of said plate and both layers of the sheath and the intermediate portion of the upper member of the sheath being folded double to provide a transverse partition on the upper `3120 portion of the plate.

FLORENCE L. GAILEY.

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