Leg anterior muscle exerciser

An exerciser is provided for exercising the leg anterior muscles of a person and includes a forwardly facing seat upon which the person may be seated. A weight arm includes an upper rear end portion mounted for oscillation about a horizontal transverse axis which may be adjusted in elevation relative to the seat and the weight arm rear upper end portion includes a first upwardly facing abutment surface for engagement by the underside of the heel portions of the exerciser as well as a second downwardly facing abutment surface for engagement by the upper forward portions of the exerciser's feet. The forward end of the weight arm includes structure for supporting a variable amount of weight therefrom and the axis of oscillation of the weight arm is disposed closely adjacent the first upwardly facing abutment surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
An exercise device is provided to be used by a person while seated in 
position with his or her upper and lower leg portions generally 
horizontally and vertically disposed, respectively. The exerciser includes 
upwardly facing surface structure adapted to be engaged by the rear heel 
sole portions of the user when disposed in the aforementioned seated 
position and additional downwardly facing abutment surface structure 
spaced horizontally forward of the upwardly facing abutment surface 
structure and beneath which the upper forward portions of the user's feet 
may be engaged. The upwardly and downwardly facing support structures are 
mounted from a pivoted base end portion of a lever arm whose free end 
projects forwardly from the base end portion and the free end portion of 
the lever arm may have various weight value weight members removably 
supported therefrom. The user of the exerciser may then exercise the 
anterior muscles of his or her legs by elevating the forward portions of 
the feet in order to upwardly displace the downwardly facing abutment 
surface structure relative to the upwardly facing abutment surface 
structure and thus cause the free forward end of the lever arm to swing 
upwardly. 
The anterior and lateral musculature of the leg are long thin muscles with 
the major portions of the muscle bellies being in the proximal half of the 
leg. The tendons from the two groups pass down to either side of the foot 
forming an arch to support the tarso-metatarsal articulation as well as to 
invert, evert and dorsiflex the foot at the ankle. 
The anterior muscle of the leg consists of four muscles--the tibialis 
anterior, extensor digitorum longus, peroneus tertuis and extensor 
hallucis longus. 
All the muscles of this group flex the foot, that is, they lift the foot at 
the ankle and bring the toes closer to the front of the leg. The extensors 
extend the toes, the peroneus tertius and the extensor digitorum longus 
evert the foot. The nerve supply to this group of muscles is from the deep 
peroneal (anterior tibial) nerve. 
The lateral muscles consist of the peroneus longus and the peroneus brevis. 
They extend (plantaiflex) and evert the foot. The peroneus longus and the 
tibialis anterior form a sterrup for the support of the transverse and 
longitudinal arches of the foot. 
The purpose and overall function of the two groups is to lift the front of 
the foot so that in walking or running the toes do not drag as the foot is 
brought forward. Paralysis of these results in a foot drop and the person 
has to walk with a "slapping gait". 
The anterior group of muscles are in a relative fixed or closed space and 
sudden working in this area produces what is called the anterior 
compartment syndrome with nerve pain. 
To avoid such problems, exercise of these groups should be performed at a 
pace to allow expansion of the fibrous membrane about the group. 
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
Various different forms of ankle exercisers and other types of exercisers 
including some of the general structural and operational features of the 
instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,542,074, 3,020,046, 
3,525,522, 4,199,137, 4,270,749, 4,337,939, 4,577,861 and 4,605,220. 
However, these previously known forms of exercisers do not include the 
overall combination of structural features of the instant invention which 
particularly well adapt the latter to be conveniently utilized not only 
for maximum anterior leg muscle development but also for physical therapy 
purposes. 
The main object of this invention is to provide an anterior leg exercising 
apparatus which is constructed in a manner to be conveniently utilized for 
both maximum anterior leg muscle development and for physical therapy 
purposes. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an anterior leg muscle 
exerciser in accordance with the preceding object and constructed in a 
manner to enable ready adjustment of resistance weight thereof. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an exerciser which may 
be readily adjusted to different size persons. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide a leg anterior muscle 
exerciser in accordance with the preceding objects and which also may be 
readily adjusted according to differences in foot size. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide a leg anterior muscle 
exerciser which also may be effectively used for upper leg muscle 
development. 
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to 
provide an anterior leg muscle exerciser in accordance with the preceding 
objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of 
simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be 
economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble free in 
operation. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally 
designates the exerciser of the instant invention. The exerciser 10 
includes an upright seat frame referred to in general by the reference 
numeral 12. The seat frame 12 includes a square tubular base 14 including 
front and rear marginal portions 16 and 18 and an upright seat standard 20 
projecting upward from the longitudinal mid-portion of the rear marginal 
portion 18, the lower end of the seat standard 20 being braced by opposite 
side inclined tubular braces 22 and 24. In addition to the seat standard 
20, the seat frame 12 includes a forward post 26 whose lower end is 
supported from the longitudinal portion of an elongated transverse brace 
member 28 secured and extending between opposite side marginal portions 30 
and 32 of the base 14 extending and secured between corresponding opposite 
ends of the front and rear marginal portions 16 and 18. The upper end of 
the standard 20 and post 26 support the front and rear marginal portions 
of an upper horizontal rectangular frame 34 defining the upper end of the 
seat frame 12 and having a rectangular seat cushion 36 supported 
therefrom. 
The opposite ends of the front marginal portion 16 of the frame 12 include 
a pair of upstanding tubular supports 38 and 40 supported therefrom and 
the tubular supports 38 and 40 include sets of vertically spaced aligned 
horizontal bores 42 formed therethrough. 
An elongated weight arm referred to in general by the reference numeral 44 
is provided and includes a rear upper end portion 46 and a forward lower 
end portion 48. In addition, the rear upper end portion 46 includes a 
transverse inclined abutment flange 50 having an upwardly facing surface 
covered by a pad 52. The upper rear marginal portion of the inclined 
flange 50 includes a right angle depending flange 54 supported therefrom 
and a horizontal transverse pipe 56 is secured in the corner defined 
between the underside of the abutment flange 50 and the right angle flange 
54, the pipe 56 also being secured to the upper surface of the rear of the 
upper end portion 46 of the weight arm 44. The abutment flange 50 is 
carried by an upstanding plate 58 projecting upwardly from the upper 
surface of the rear upper end portion 46 of the weight arm 44 forward of 
the pipe 56 and the transverse mid-portion of the abutment flange 50 
supports a second upwardly projecting plate 60 therefrom including a 
support sleeve 62 mounted from its upper end. The sleeve 62 is square in 
cross-section and supports a set screw 64 therethrough. In addition, a 
longitudinal mid-portion of a support arm 66 is slidably received through 
the sleeve 62 and secured in position therein through utilization of the 
set screw 64. The support arm 66 is forwardly and downwardly inclined and 
includes a transverse downwardly projecting abutment plate 68 supported 
from its lower end, the underside of the abutment plate 68 being padded as 
at 70. 
The forward lower end portion 48 of the weight arm 44 includes an 
upstanding post 72 upon which an annular weight 74 may be disposed and the 
underside of the forward end portion of the weight arm 44 includes a 
cushion pad 76. 
A pivot shaft 80 is passed through the pipe 56 and selected pairs of bores 
42 in order to pivotally mount the weight arm 44 from the upright tubular 
supports or standards 38 and 40. One end of the shaft 80 includes an 
enlarged head 82 thereon and the other end removably receives a pin 84 
therethrough in order to maintain the pivot shaft 80 in adjusted position. 
In operation, a user 86 assumes a seated position on the seat cushion 36 in 
a forward facing position and with his upper leg portions substantially 
horizontally disposed and his lower leg portions substantially vertically 
disposed. The heel portions of the user's feet rest upon the abutment 
flange 50 and the toe portions of his feet are received beneath the 
abutment plate 68. Then, with the forward lower end portion 48 of the 
weight arm 44 resting upon the surface 86 which supports the base 14, the 
user 86 lifts the forward ends of his feet in order to upwardly swing the 
forward lower end portion 48 of the arm 44. The amount of weight 
represented by the weight member 74 determines the amount of effort 
required to upwardly swing the forward lower end portion 48 of the weight 
arm 44 from its position resting upon the surface 88. Repetitions of this 
exercise are carried out, as desired. 
The pivot shaft 80 may be adjusted in height relative to the tubular 
supports 38 and 40 according to the length of the lower leg portions of 
the user 86 and the support arm 66 may be adjusted longitudinally of the 
sleeve 62 according to the length of the feet of the user 86. 
The plates 58 and 64 are disposed, substantially, in a vertical plane 
containing the weight arm 44 and the user's feet are disposed on opposite 
sides of the plate 60. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, 
and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be 
resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.