Patent ID: 6042523
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
An exercise apparatus comprising:a) a support frame having a front end, a rear end, and a longitudinal axis, said support frame comprising a longitudinally extending rail means;b) a carriage assembly comprising:i. a carriage unit mounted to the support frame and engaging the rail means for back and forth travel along the longitudinal axis;ii. a contact member mounted to the carriage unit and adapted to be engaged by a person to exert a rearwardly directed force on the contact member;c) said carriage unit having a front end and a rear end and comprising:i.) a carriage housing;ii.) rail engaging support means to engage the rail means for said back and forth travel;iii.) a tensioning system arranged for operative engagement between the carriage assembly and the support frame to exert a forward force on the carriage assembly to urge the carriage assembly in a forward direction;d) said tensioning system comprising:i.) a plurality of selectively operable elastic tension cords, each having an anchor end which is connected at a forward location on the carriage assembly to a first anchoring attaching portion of the carriage assembly and an operating attachment end by which said operating attachment end can be selectively attached;ii.) a second cord attaching portion of the carriage assembly located at the forward end of the carriage assembly and comprising a a second stowing attaching portion to engage selectively the operating attachment ends of the cords at selectively engaged stowing locations at the forward end of the carriage;iii.) a pulley section located at the rear end of the carriage assembly and comprising a plurality of pulleys, engaging related cords, with the cords extending from the forward anchoring location rearwardly to extend around related pulleys, and then forwardly from the pulleys to a forward location of the carriage assembly;iv.) a third selectively engaged attaching portion mounted at a front end location of the support frame to connect selectively to the operating attachment ends of the cords,whereby the operating attachment ends of the cords can be attached to the second attaching portion of the carriage assembly so that the cords are in a stowed position in the carriage assembly, and one or more of the operating attachment ends of the cords can be detached from the second attaching portion and engaged with the third selectively engaged attaching portion, so that when a person is utilizing the apparatus by pushing against the contact member to move the carriage assembly rearwardly, one or more tension cords attached to the third attaching portion exert a tension force on the carriage assembly to return the carriage assembly to a more forward location.