Abstract:
A training machine for strength training and rehabilitation comprising has pull or press devices, which are arranged to be moved backwards and forwards while a pre-determined number of weights in a weight package is arranged to be lifted and lowered, alternatively, by a connection, and a device to lift said pre-determined number of weights in a continuous movement by a first user intended powered force against said pull or press device and to lower said pre-determined number of weights by a second user intended powered force against said pull or press devices. The first power being less than the second power. The training machine comprises a frame carrying the weights and along which the weights are slidable and which is turnably journalled about a substantially horizontal turning axis.

Description:
The present invention is related to a training machine for strength training and rehabilitation. 
   There are already many known training machines for anaerobic training where the user exercises intended muscles of the body by performing pre-determined movements so that a weight package of a weight stack is lifted or lowered. For efficient training with single joint movements, as by means of a biceps curl machine or a leg extension machine, as well as with multiple-joint movements, as by means of a rowing machine, a bench press machine or a leg press machine, it is important that the user of the machine can perform a number of positive and negative working cycles intended for the personal capacity of the training person. The positive work means that weights are being lifted and the negative work means that weights are being lowered. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,594 and GB Patent 2,227,676 machines are previously known, at which the load increases during the positive movement and is reduced to its original value at the end of the negative movement. 
   By instead varying the load so that, during the same total movement cycle, the positive working cycle becomes easier to perform, i.e., less force is required to lift the selected weight package than to lower it, the training person can lift a greater weight package than what was possible with a normal machine or alternatively perform more movements during one and the same workout session. 
   A machine of the type defined above is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,003. This machine has a rod which is pressed against the weight package during the negative movement to increase the load when the weight package moves downwards. To provide a constantly increased load during the negative movement an influence of the rod must occur directly dependent on the movement of the training person during the whole negative movement. If the training person increases or decreases the movement rate during the negative work the speed of the rod must be amended in the same proportion. Such a regulation is very complex and difficult to perform in practise. 
   The object of the present invention is to provide a training machine of the type mentioned above which sets aside the above-mentioned problem. 
   When a person lowers and lifts the same number of weights of a weight package, no consideration is taken to the fact that the negative, i.e., lowering, force of the person is greater than the positive, i.e., lifting, force of the person. Therefore, the effect of the training machine is limited. When training with conventional training machines the number of weights must be selected with regard to the weaker lifting strength of the training person. The same number of weights is thereafter lowered at the negative part of the movement. Hence, this number of weights is not on a level with the negative strength. 
   With the training machine according to the invention the negative strength can be trained with a more optimal weight mass in the selected weight package. The result will be that the fatigue rate of the trained muscle will increase. With this invention, it is possible to stimulate capacity improvement with less training amount than training with conventional training machines. Scientific studies have shown that training where the selected weight package is adapted to the negative strength provides faster and greater strength growth than training where the weight package is adapted to the positive strength. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described in the following with reference to the appended drawings showing a preferred embodiment. 
       FIG. 1  shows a front view of an embodiment of a training machine for strength training and rehabilitation according to the invention. 
       FIG. 2  shows the training machine in  FIG. 1  where a person who uses the machine has been deleted and where a seat with supporting frame is shown with broken lines for clarity. 
       FIG. 3  shows the training machine of  FIG. 1  in a positive movement position. 
       FIG. 4  shows the training machine of  FIG. 1  in a negative movement position. 
       FIG. 5  shows a section along the line V-V in  FIG. 3 , where the machine is situated in a position for a positive movement. 
       FIG. 6  shows a view like that in  FIG. 5  of the machine, where the machine is situated in a position to perform a negative movement. 
       FIG. 7  shows a side view of the training machine of  FIG. 1  in a position of rest. 
       FIG. 8  shows a side view similar to that in  FIG. 7  where the person is performing either a positive or a negative movement. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In  FIG. 1-8  an embodiment of a training machine  1  for strength training and rehabilitation according to the invention is shown in which the machine comprises a weight stack section  2  and a training section  3 , which are fixed connected to each other by means of inclined beams  4  and  5  as well as beams  6  and  7  which are arranged in a horizontal plane and fixed connected at the lower part of said sections  2  and  3 . The weight stack section  2  has an inner substantially rectangular frame portion  8  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ), which is turnably journalled in pivot pins  9  and  10  within an outer substantially rectangular frame part portion  11 . A horizontal beam  12  is formed via vertical beams  12   a ,  12   b  fixed connected between beam  7  and the frame construction  13  of the training section. The lower end of the inclined beam  5  is fixed connected to the beam  12 . The portions comprised in the frame construction of the training machine  1 , which portions are fixed connected to each other, are advantageously welded to each other to achieve a solid construction, which shall be able to stand high loads concerning pull and press loads as well as vibrations. 
   Between the upper and lower horizontal beams of the inner frame portion  8  guide rods  14  and  15  are fastened. Along these guide rods  14  and  15  weights  16  of a weight stack are arranged to slide. The weights have holes for the guide rods  14  and  15 , respectively, also a central hole for a lifting rod  17  (see  FIG. 5 ), whereby a package  18  containing a pre-determined number of selected number of weights can be lifted by introducing a pin  19  through a hole  20  normal to the central hole through both the lowest weight  16   a  in the package  18 , which is to be lifted, and a corresponding hole  21  in the lifting rod  17 . A selected group of weights will be lifted while others  18   a  are not. Such corresponding holes  21  are arranged in front of all substantially horizontal holes  20  through the weights  16  of the weight stack, when the frame is vertical. Bearings (not shown), preferably ball or roller bearings, can be mounted in the holes  14   a  and  15   a  for the control rods  14  and  15  to reduce the friction at the displacement of the weights along the rods when the inner frame is inclined, which is to be described below. Lifting and lowering of the weight package  18  is performed by means of a non-elastic belt  22 , preferably made by the material Kevlar®, aramid, which belt passes via pulleys  23  and  24  arranged on the upper beam of the inner frame portion  8 . After the pulley  24  the belt extends along the side beam of the inner frame and is turned 90° to thereafter pass over and abut another pulley  25 . From the pulley  25 , which is arranged substantially on the same level as the pivot pins  9  and  10 , the belt turns off obliquely downwards towards a pulley  26  mounted on the beam  12  (see  FIGS. 1-4 ). The pulley  26  has been mounted substantially on the same level as the pivot pins  9  and  10  so that the tension in the belt will not influence the movement of the inner frame  8 , which is described below. From the pulley  26  the path of the belt extends substantially horizontal towards a further pulley  27  mounted on the beam  12  and runs thereafter upwards through a pulley  28  of an equalisation device  29  to an attachment  30  which is provided on a protrusion on the beam  12   b . The equalization device  29  comprises besides the pulley  28  a further pulley  31 , which as the pulley  28  is journalled in freely hanging linkage arms  32  and  33 . A further non-elastic belt  34 , preferably made by the material Kevlar®, aramid, is mounted at its end by means of fastening devices  35  to the lower ends of arcuately extending turning arms  36  and  37 , respectively. The equalisation device with the further belt  34  has been mounted in a well known way to equalize the power from the arms of the training person at loading towards the arms  42  and  43  which accordingly do not need to be moved away from the person the same distance to achieve effect because a person in most cases is not equally strong in both right and left arms. 
   At the opposite upper ends of the arms  36  and  37  linkage arms  38  and  39  are mounted, which are moveable in all directions, e.g., by means of a ball-and-socket joint. The arms  38  and  39  are in turn at their other ends in all directions freely moveably connected to couplings  40  and  41  mounted on pull and press arms  42  and  43 , which in turn are freely turnably journalled at their upper ends on the frame construction  12  at  44  and  45 , respectively. Handles  46  forming a pull or press means are provided at the lower ends of the arms  42  and  43 . The turning arms  36  are journalled on a common through shaft  47  fastened at the frame construction  13 . The turning arms  36  are freely journalled independently of each other on said shaft  47 . A stop  47   a  restrains the movements of the turning arms in one direction of rotation. 
   In  FIG. 1-6  a drive means  48  may be a hydraulic cylinder device or a linear electric motor is shown which at its one end  49  is mounted on a beam (not shown) which is fixed connected between the beams  6  and  7 . The other end  50  of the drive means  48  which may be a hydraulic cylinder device or a linear electric motor is journalled at the lower cross beam  51  of the inner frame part  8 . By activating the drive means  48 , the inner frame  8  of the weight magazine portion  2  is arranged to rotate about the pivot pins  9  and  10 , as is best evident from  FIGS. 3 and 5 . The drive means  48  is shown as an example of a device to turn the inner frame  8  in relation to the outer frame  11 . Other known drive means devices to perform this work can of course be used within the present invention, as, e.g., the hydraulic cyclinder device or a linear electric motor or other devices etc. 
   A person who shall train using the strength training device  1  according to the invention sits on the chair  52  and then grips the handles  46  on the arms  42  and  43 , as is evident from  FIG. 1 . To facilitate the positive movement, i.e., the person presses the arms  42  and  43  outwardly from the body, the inner frame is turned according to  FIG. 3  so that the power which is required to lift the upper weight package  1  is reduced by the inclination of the inner frame  8 , whereas the upper weight package  18  slides on the controller rods  14  and  15  and a reduction of the power which is required to press the handles forwards can be reduced with up to over 50%. The positive power which is required to lift the weights will be substantially less than the negative force, i.e., in the order of more than 30%, more precisely about 40%. When the person begins the negative movement, i.e., the person moves the arms  42  and  43  inwardly towards the body to a stop/start position where the stop  47   a  abuts against the frame construction  13 , the inner frame  8  is turned back to its original vertical position in which the person achieves full load from the weight package  18 . Turning the inner frame by means of the cylinder device  48  occurs suitably automatically by means of a control unit (not shown) which via censors censing the movement of the belt  22  and turning the inner frame against the position in  FIG. 3  when the belt is moved in the direction of the arrows  53  and against the position in  FIG. 4  when the belt moves in the direction of the arrows  54 . 
   As shown in the above described preferred embodiment of the training machine according to the invention it is achieved that the trained person is given the possibility to either lift more weights than what is possible by means of a conventional known machine or lift more times with the same weight as was earlier used. 
   The training machine according to the invention can be modified within the scope of the appended claims.