Arm exerciser

Claim 2

Tension imparting apparatus comprising an axle; means mounting said axle in a rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; an eccentric cam mounted on said axle for oscillation therewith; and tension means in tension communicating relationship with said cam for imparting tension to said cam both when said axle is rotated clockwise from the rest position and when said axle is rotated counterClockwise from the rest position, said tension means comprising a tongue spring having a first end and a second end; means fixedly mounting the tongue spring first end relative to the axle longitudinal axis with the tongue spring second end adjacent said cam to be deflect as said cam is rotated.

Claim 3

An arm exerciser comprising an actuating handle; means mounting said handle in a rest position and permitting oscillation of said handle both from said rest position in a first direction and from said rest position in a second direction opposite said first direction; tension transmission means engaging said handle; tension providing means engaging the tension transmission means for transmitting tension from the tension providing means to the handle to oppose oscillation of said handle both when the handle moves in the first direction and when the handle moves in the second direction; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the handle under tension, the energy absorbing means including means for exerting pneumatic resistance, and means for transmitting said resistance to the handle to prevent fly-back of the handle when the handle is released.

Claim 4

An arm exerciser comprising an actuating handle; means mounting said handle in a rest position and permitting oscillation of said handle both from said rest position in a first direction and from said rest position in a second direction opposite said first direction; tension transmission means engaging said handle; tension providing means engaging the tension transmission means for transmitting tension from the tension providing means to the handle to oppose oscillation of said handle both when the handle moves in the first direction and when the handle moves in the second direction; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the handle under tension, the energy absorbing means including means for exerting pneumatic resistance, and means for transmitting said resistance to the handle to prevent fly-back of the handle when the handle is released.

Claim 5

An arm exerciser comprising an actuating handle; means mounting said handle in a rest position and permitting oscillation of said handle both from said rest position in a first direction and from said rest position in a second direction opposite said first direction; tension transmission means engaging the handle; tension providing means engaging the tension transmission means for transmitting tension from the tension providing means to the handle to oppose oscillation of said handle both when the handle moves in the first direction and when the handle moves in the second direction; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the handle under tension, the means mounting the handle and the tension transmission means including an axle; means mounting said axle for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof and permitting oscillation of said axle and the handle; and an eccentric cam fixedly attached to the axle for rotation therewith and wherein the tension providing means comprises a tongue spring having a first end and a second end; means fixedly mounting the tongue spring first end relative to the axle longitudinal axis with the tongue spring second end engaging the cam, said tongue spring being deflected by the cam, as the cam rotates, the deflection of the tongue spring imparting tension to the handle is moved from a rest position to a tension position.

Claim 6

An arm exerciser comprising an actuating handle; means mounting said handle in a rest position and permitting oscillation of said handle both from said rest position in a first direction and from said rest position in a second direction opposite said first direction; tension transmission means engaging the handle; tension providing means engaging the tension transmission means for transmitting tension from the tension providing means to the handle to oppose oscillation of said handle both when the handle moves in the first direction and when the handle moves in the second direction; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the handle under tension, the means mounting the handle and the tension transmission means including an axle; means mounting said axle for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof and permitting oscillation of said axle and the handle; and an eccentric cam fixedly attached to the axle for rotation therewith and wherein the tension providing means comprises a tongue spring having a first end and a second end; means fixedly mounting the tongue spring first end relative to the axle longitudinal axis with the tongue spring second end engaging the cam, said tongue spring being deflected by the cam, as the cam rotates, the deflection of the tongue spring imparting tension to the handle is moved from a rest position to a tension position.

Claim 7

In an arm exerciser containing a horizontally disposed axle having a rest position, an actuating arm connected to said axle to be oscillated thereby, said actuating arm essentially vertically disposed when said axle is in said rest position and terminating in a suitable handgrip, the improvement comprising an eccentric cam mounted on said axle, spring means contacting said cam and increasingly distorted both as the actuating arm is moved away from the vertical in a first direction and as the actuating arm is moved away from the vertical in a second direction opposite the first direction, and energy absorbing means adapted to resist rotary movement of the axle, said springs means including means to vary the force resisting movement of the actuating arm away from the vertical.

Claim 8

In an arm exerciser containing a horizontally disposed axle having a rest position, an actuating arm connected to said axle to be oscillated thereby, said actuating arm essentially vertically disposed when said axle is in said rest position and terminating in a suitable handgrip, the improvement comprising an eccentric cam mounted on said axle, spring means contacting said cam and increasingly distorted both as the actuating arm is moved away from the vertical in a first direction and as the actuating arm is moved away from the vertical in a second direction opposite the first direction, and energy absorbing means adapted to resist rotary movement of the axle, said springs means including means to vary the force resisting movement of the actuating arm away from the vertical.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 4 wherein the axle, spring means and energy absorbing means are enclosed within a box, the top surface of which contains an elbow support for use during operation.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 4 wherein the spring means includes a tongue spring which is increasingly deflected as the actuating arm is moved from the vertical.

Claim 11

In an arm exerciser including an axle; means mounting said axle in a substantially horizontal rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; an actuating arm connected to said axle and essentially vertically disposed when said axle is in said rest position, said actuating arm terminating in a suitable handgrip and adapted for oscillation with the axle, the improvement comprising a cam mounted on said axle and having an eccentric cam surface, a spring means contacting said cam surface, said spring means continuously distorted by said cam surface both when the axle is rotated clockwise from the rest position and when the axle is rotated counterclockwise from the rest position to resist rotation of the axle, said spring means including means to vary the force of the spring means on the cam surface, and energy absorbing means connected to the axle to prevent fly-back of the handle when the handle is released while under tension.

Claim 12

In an arm exerciser including an axle; means mounting said axle in a substantially horizontal rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; an actuating arm connected to said axle and essentially vertically disposed when said axle is in said rest position, said actuating arm terminating in a suitable handgrip and adapted for oscillation with the axle, the improvement comprising a cam mounted on said axle and having an eccentric cam surface, a spring means contacting said cam surface, said spring means continuously distorted by said cam surface both when the axle is rotated clockwise from the rest position and when the axle is rotated counterclockwise from the rest position to resist rotation of the axle, said spring means including means to vary the force of the spring means on the cam surface, and energy absorbing means connected to the axle to prevent fly-back of the handle when the handle is released while under tension.

Claim 13

Tension imparting apparatus comprising an axle, means for mounting said axle in a rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof, an eccentric cam surface attached to the axle, a roller, means mounting said roller to roll on the cam surface to move in a linear direction in response to camming action of the cam surface both as the axle rotates in a clockwise direction from the rest position and as the axle rotates in a counterclockwise direction from the rest position, and tension means for imparting tension to the roller in response to linear movement thereof.

Claim 14

Tension imparting apparatus comprising an axle, means for mounting said axle in a rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof, an eccentric cam surface attached to the axle, a roller, means mounting said roller to roll on the cam surface to move in a linear direction in response to camming action of the cam surface both as the axle rotates in a clockwise direction from the rest position and as the axle rotates in a counterclockwise direction from the rest position, and tension means for imparting tension to the roller in response to linear movement thereof.

Claim 15

An arm exerciser comprising an actuating handle; an axle connected to said actuating handle; means for mounting said axle in a rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; a cam fixedly attached to the axle; a rod; a roller attached to one end of the rod; means for mounting the rod for reciprocation with the surface of the roller adjacent the cam to cooperate with the cam surface to cause the rod to reciprocate in response to camming action of the cam surface as the axle rotates; surface means attached to the other end of the rod; spring tension means; means mounting said spring tension means to exert tension against said surface means to transmit tension to the handle both when the handle is rotated clockwise from the rest position and when the handle is rotated counterclockwise from the rest position; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the handle under tension.

Claim 16

An arm exerciser comprising an actuating handle; an axle connected to said actuating handle; means for mounting said axle in a rest position and permitting rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; a cam fixedly attached to the axle; a rod; a roller attached to one end of the rod; means for mounting the rod for reciprocation with the surface of the roller adjacent the cam to cooperate with the cam surface to cause the rod to reciprocate in response to camming action of the cam surface as the axle rotates; surface means attached to the other end of the rod; spring tension means; means mounting said spring tension means to exert tension against said surface means to transmit tension to the handle both when the handle is rotated clockwise from the rest position and when the handle is rotated counterclockwise from the rest position; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the handle under tension.

Claim 17

The arm exerciser of claim 9 wherein the energy absorbing means includes means for exerting pneumatic resistance, and means for transmitting said resistance to the handle to prevent fly-back when the handle is released.

Claim 18

An arm exerciser comprising an axle; means mounting said axle for rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; an actuating arm fixedly mounted on said axle for rotary oscillation therewith; and eccentric cam surface attached to said axle; a roller having a rolling surface in engagement with the cam surface, said roller moving in a linear direction in response to camming action of the cam surface when the axle is rotated; and bias means for resisting movement of said roller in said linear direction to provide bias for said arm upon rotation of said arm with said axle.

Claim 19

An arm exerciser comprising an axle; means mounting said axle for rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof; an actuating arm fixedly mounted on said axle for rotary oscillation therewith; and eccentric cam surface attached to said axle; a roller having a rolling surface in engagement with the cam surface, said roller moving in a linear direction in response to camming action of the cam surface when the axle is rotated; and bias means for resisting movement of said roller in said linear direction to provide bias for said arm upon rotation of said arm with said axle.

Claim 20

An arm exerciser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means mounts said axle in a rest position for rotary oscillation about the longitudinal axis thereof and wherein said roller moves in a linear direction in response to camming action of the cam surface both when the axle is rotated clockwise from the rest position and when the axle is rotated counterclockwise from the rest position.

Claim 21

An arm exerciser as claimed in claim 11 in which said bias means comprises a rod, means mounting said rod for reciprocation, said roller attached to one end of said rod to cause the rod to reciprocate in response to camming action of said cam as the axle oscillates; surface means; spring tension means mounted to exert tension against said surface means; the other end of the rod connected to the surface means to transmit tension through said axle to the actuating arm when the actuating arm is moved both when said axle rotates clockwise from the rest posiTion and when said axle rotates counterclockwise from the rest position; and energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of the actuating arm when said axle is rotated from the rest position.

Claim 22

An arm exerciser as claimed in claim 11 wherein the said bias means is spring means.

Claim 23

An arm exerciser as claimed in claim 14 wherein said spring means is a coil spring adapted to be increasingly compressed as said roller moves in said linear direction.

Claim 24

An arm exerciser as claimed in claim 11 further comprising energy absorbing means for absorbing energy produced by release of said actuating arm under bias.

Claim 25

An arm exerciser as claimed in claim 11 further comprising enclosure means for enclosing said axle, said eccentric cam surface, said roller, and said bias means, while leaving said actuating arm exposed.