Multi-exercise apparatus

Claim 2

An exercise apparatus comprising: (a) a positionable bench; (b) a horizontal member extending below said bench; (c) a vertical member extending upwardly from a first end of said horizontal member; (d) a loading device operable to apply a drag on a moveable element forming part of the loading device, said loading device situated on said horizontal or vertical member, said loading device comprising a rotatable centrifugal force sensitive force generating brake member that provides a resistive force proportional to the speed of rotation of the rotatable member, said loading device comprising a housing having sidewalls that define an interior cylindrical contact surface and function as a brake drum, a braking rotor rotatably mounted within said housing and coaxially aligned relative to said interior cylindrical contact surface, at least one brake shoe pivotally mounted on said braking rotor, at least one brake pad secured to said at least one brake shoe and having an exterior cylindrical contact surface configured to mate with said interior cylindrical contact surface; (e) an exercise operable element connected to said loading device by a flexible line means, said exercise operable element being mounted such that upon movement of said exercise element, said line means is pulled away from said loading device, said moveable element of said loading device is moved and said line means is loaded; and (f) a line extending means outside said loading device for multiplying the rate at which said line means is pulled away from said loading device, wherein said line means extends through said line extending means.

Claim 3

The exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said exercise operable element is configured so it is suitable for grasping and displacing in a vertical direction, said exercise element extending over said bench and comprising a slidable carriage, said carriage having said line means secured thereto, said carriage configured such that it slides in an essentially vertical plane on said vertical member.

Claim 4

The exercise apparatus of claim 2 wherein said resistance force is adjusted by extending the length of said line means outside of said loading device through at least one pulley located on said carriage.

Claim 5

The exercise apparatus of claim 3 having a second pulley positioned closer to said horizontal member, a third pulley positioned in proximity to said first pulley, all pulleys being of size to guide said line means, whereby said line means is guidable out of said loading device around said first pulley, back toward said horizontal member, and then guided by said second pulley upwardly to said third pulley such that said line means may be guided around said third pulley and thereafter said line means secured to a pin means on said carriage.

Claim 6

The exercise apparatus of claim 2 wherein said carriage has at least two roller bearings and at least two caster wheels, said bearings and wheels suitable for operational movement of said carriage on said vertical member.

Claim 7

The exercise apparatus of claim 2 wherein said exercise element has a pulley positioned adjacent a top portion of said vertical member and a mounted in a manner such that said carriage is supported by said line means, said line means extending over said pulley and attaching to said carriage, said carriage providing resistance when pulled in a downward manner.

Claim 8

The exercise apparatus of claim 6 wherein said resistance may be increased by extending said line means through additional pulleys.

Claim 9

The exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said exercise element comprises a butterfly configuration, said butterfly configuration being secured to said vertical member and comprising two arms extending in a horizontal plane away from said vertical member, said arms moveable in an arcuate manner about at least one pivot point.

Claim 10

The exercise apparatus of claim 8 wherein said resistance force is adjusted by extending the length of said line means through at least one pulley located on said butterfly configuration.

Claim 11

The exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said line means is wound around a loading pulley on the loading device, said loading pulley being drivably connected to the rotatable force generating member through a one-way clutch means.

Claim 12

The exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said exercise element comprises a bar configured so as to provide resistance force about an axis perpendicular to said bench, said exercise element positioned at a second end of said horizontal member.

Claim 13

The exercise apparatus of claim 11 wherein said exercise element is an L-shaped configuration with a middle portion of said L-shaped configuration being pivotably attached to a vertically extending member of said horizontal member.

Claim 14

The exercise apparatus of claim 12 wherein the resistive force of said exercise element is adjusted by extending the length of said line means through at least one pulley.

Claim 15

The exercise apparatus of claim 1 having an electronic display readout which displays at least one output selected from the group consisting of repetitions, measured force, maximum force or average force.

Claim 16

An exercise apparatus comprising: (a) a positionable bench; (b) a horizontal member extending below said bench; (c) a vertical member extending upwardly from a first end of said horizontal member; (d) a loading device operable to apply a drag on a moveable element forming part of the loading device, said loading device situated on said horizontal or vertical member, said loading device comprising a rotatable centrifugal force sensitive force generating brake member that provides a resistive force proportional to the speed of rotation of the rotatable member, said loading comprising a housing having sidewalls that define an interior cylindrical contact surface and function as a brake drum, a braking rotor rotatably mounted within said housing and coaxially aligned relative to said interior cylindrical contact surface, at least one brake shoe pivotally mounted on said braking rotor, at least one brake pad secured to said at least one brake shoe and having an exterior cylindrical contact surface configured to mate with said interior cylindrical contact surface; (e) an exercise operable element configured so it is suitable for grasping and displacing in a vertical direction, said exercise element extending over said bench and comprising a slidable carriage, said carriage having said line means secured thereto, said carriage configured such that it slides in an essentially vertical plane on said vertical member (f) a line extending means outside said loading device for multiplying the rate at which said line means is pulled away from said loading device, wherein said line means extends through said line extending means; and (g) an exercise operable element having an L-shaped configuration with a middle portion of said L-shaped configuration being pivotably attached to a vertically extending member attached to a second end of said horizontal member.

Claim 17

An exercise apparatus comprising: (a) a positionable bench; (b) a horizontal member extending below said bench; (c) a vertical member extending upwardly from a first end of said horizontal member; (d) a loading device operable to apply a drag on a moveable element forming part of the loading device, said loading device situated on said horizontal or vertical member, said loading device comprising a rotatable centrifugal force sensitive force generating brake member that provides a resistive force proportional to the speed of rotation of the rotatable member, said loading comprising a housing having sidewalls that define an interior cylindrical contact surface and function as a brake drum, a braking rotor rotatably mounted within said housing and coaxially aligned relative to said interior cylindrical contact surface, at least one brake shoe pivotally mounted on said braking rotor, at least one brake pad secured to said at least one brake shoe and having an exterior cylindrical contact surface configured to mate with said interior cylindrical contact surface; (e) an exercise operable element configured so it is suitable for grasping and displacing in a vertical direction, said exercise element extending over said bench and comprising a slidable carriage, said carriage having said line means secured thereto, said carriage configured such that it slides in an essentially vertical plane on said vertical member (f) a line extending means outside said loading device for multiplying the rate at which said line means is pulled away from said loading device, wherein said line means extends through said line extending means; and (g) an exercise operable element having an L-shaped configuration with a middle portion of said L-shaped configuration being pivotably attached to a vertically extending member attached to a second end of said horizontal member.

Claim 18

The exercise apparatus of claim 15, wherein said resistance force is adjusted by extending the length of said line means outside of said loading device through at least one pulley located on said carriage.

Claim 19

The exercise apparatus of claim 16 having a second pulley positioned closer to said horizontal member, a third pulley positioned in proximity to said first pulley, all pulleys being of size to guide said line means, whereby the line means is guidable out of the loading device around the first pulley, back toward the horizontal member, and then guided by the second pulley upwardly to said third pulley such that said line means may be guided around said third pulley and thereafter said line means secured to a pin on said carriage.

Claim 20

The exercise apparatus of claim 15 wherein said carriage has at least two roller bearings and at least two caster wheels, said bearings and wheels suitable for operational movement of said carriage on said vertical member.

Claim 21

The exercise apparatus of claim 15 wherein said exercise element has a pulley positioned adjacent a top portion of said vertical member and is mounted in a manner such that said carriage is supported by said line means, said line means extending over said pulley and attaching to said carriage, said carriage providing resistance when pulled in a downward manner.

Claim 22

The exercise apparatus of claim 15, wherein said resistance may be increased by extending said line means through additional pulleys.

Claim 23

The exercise apparatus of claim 15 having an electronic display readout which displays at least one output selected from the group consisting of repetitions, measured force, maximum force or average force.