Arm exercise apparatus

Arm exercise apparatus comprising a frame, at least one weight, and mechanism for vertically moving the weight between a lowered position and an elevated position including a handle rotatable in either direction, a cable mechanism coupled between the handle and the weight to move the weight between a lowered rested position and an elevated position regardless of which direction the handle is rotated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to exercise apparatus and more particularly to new 
and improved arm exercise apparatus. 
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Arm exercise apparatus has been provided heretofore such as that disclosed 
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,311 issued to T. J. Mitchell on Feb. 16, 1969. This 
prior art device does not adequately challenge certain of the arm muscles. 
The inside of the forearm includes a group of flexor muscles and the 
outside of the foremarm includes an extensor, or brachioradialis, group of 
muscles. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide 
new and novel arm building apparatus for building arm muscles, 
particularly forearm muscles. 
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,717 issued to Lloyd J. Lambert, Jr. on Feb. 15, 
1983, discloses a wrist curl machine including a plurality of weights 
which are vertically moved by a chain and sprocket wheel assembly coupled 
to a rotatable hand grip. This prior art machine is limited as it will 
lift the weight in only one direction of handle rotation. Accordingly, it 
is an object of the present invention to provide arm exercise apparatus of 
the type described including a weight which is vertically moved in 
response to rotation of a handle, coupled to the weight, when the handle 
rotates about its axis in either direction. 
Various other weight lifting apparatus has been provided heretofore which 
do not contemplate the instant invention such as that illustrated in the 
following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,424, issued to R. V. Barnett on 
Oct. 25, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,862 issued to J. P. Hewitt on Jan. 3, 
1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,925 issued to R. W. Kock on Feb. 18, 1986, and 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,246 issued to A. Salyer on Apr. 14, 1987. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide arm exercise 
apparatus of the type described which includes lift weights that are 
upwardly displaced in response to rotation of a hand grip in either 
direction of rotation about its axis. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide arm exercise 
apparatus of the type described including a new and novel cable and sheeve 
assembly coupling a rotatable hand grip and a vertically moveable lift 
weight. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide arm exercise 
apparatus of the type described including a pair of cables for alternately 
vertically moving a lift weight when the handle is alternately rotated in 
opposite directions and mechanism for maintaining each of the cables taut 
when the other of the cables is vertically moving the lift weight. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide arm exercise 
apparatus of the type described including an adjustable handle which 
allows, in one position of adjustment, the users hand to move from a 
pronated position to a supinated position and in a reverse position of 
inclination facilitates movement of the users hand from the pronated 
position to the supinated position. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide arm exercise apparatus 
for exercising the flexor group of muscles when the handle is rotated in 
one direction and for exercising the extensor group of arm muscles when 
the handle is rotated in the opposite direction. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 
to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Arm exercise apparatus comprising: a frame; at least one lift weight; 
mechanism for vertically moving the lift weight on the frame between a 
lowered rest position and an elevated position comprising draft mechanism 
mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis in either direction; and a 
hand grip on the mechanism for rotating the draft mechanism in either 
direction about the axis; and coupling line mechanism connected between 
the draft mechanism and the lift weight for raising the lift weight 
between the lowered and elevated positions when the draft mechanism 
rotates about its axis in either direction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Arm exercise apparatus, generally designated 10, constructed according to 
the present invention, includes a frame, generally designated 12, having 
top and bottom frame members 14 and 16 spanned by vertical end frame 
members 18 and 20. A plurality of stacked lift weights, generally 
designated 21, are provided and include spaced apart apertures 22, which 
are received on a pair of vertical guide rods 24 fixed to the bottom frame 
bar 16. Shock absorbers 26, mounted on each guide rod 24, are disposed 
between the lowermost lift weight 21 and the frame bar 16 to isolate the 
frame, protect the lift weights, and reduce vibration in the event the 
lift weights 21 are inadvertently dropped. 
Apparatus, generally designated 30, is provided for vertically moving the 
weights 21 between the lowered position, illustrated in solid lines in 
FIG. 1, and the raised position illustrated in chain lines in FIG. 1. The 
lift apparatus 30 includes a shaft 32 mounted in bearings 34 which are 
fixed to the upper frame bar 14. A handle, generally designated 36, is 
provided for manually rotating the shaft 32. The handle 36 is detachably 
mounted on the shaft 32 and includes a clevis mount 38 having a base 40, 
which is parallel to a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis a of the 
shaft 32, and a pair of spaced apart legs 42 pivotally mounted on the base 
40 via pins 44. 
The handle base 40 includes a stub shaft 41 detachably received within a 
hollow sleeve 43 and detachably secured thereto via a transverse pin 39. 
The sleeve 43 is fixed to one end 32a of shaft 32. When the pin 39 is 
removed, the shaft 41 and handle 42 are axially separable to allow the 
user to rotationally reposition the handle 36 on the shaft 32 in any 
selected rotational position. 
The shaft rotating handle 36 includes a hand grip 45 mounted on the handle 
legs 42 in any selected one of a plurality of different positions, such as 
that illustrated in solid lines and chain lines in FIG. 5, via detachable 
pins 48 received in vertically aligned openings 49 and 50 provided in the 
ends of hand grip 45 and the legs 42, respectively. 
Fixed to the opposite end of the drive shaft 32 is a drive cylinder 52. A 
pair of weight lifting cables, generally designated 54 and 56, are coupled 
at ends 55 and 57, respectively, to the cylinder 52. 
The opposite ends 58 and 60 of lines 54 and 56, respectively, are anchored 
to the uppermost weight 21 via pins 62. The weight lifting cables 54 and 
56 are trained around an idler sheave or pulley 66 rotatably mounted on a 
clevis mount 68 fixed to the upper end of a rod 70 that is received in 
aligned central apertures 72 provided in the weights 21. The sheave 
mounting rod 70 includes a plurality of vertically spaced apertures 74 
which receive a removable coupling pin 76. The operator can insert the 
coupling pin 76 beneath any selected one of the weights 21 such that any 
selected number of the weights 21 can be coupled to the rod 70. 
Apparatus, generally designated 80, is provided for maintaining the cables 
54 and 56 taut when not being operatively used to lift the weights 21 and 
includes a pair of idler sheeves or pulleys 82 and 84 rotatably mounted on 
pivot arms 85 and 86 respectively via pivot pins 88. The pivot arms 85 and 
86 are swingably mounted on the end frame bars 18 and 20 via pivot pins 
90. A pair of springs 92 and 94 are coupled between the upstanding frame 
end bars 18 and 20 and the pivot arms 85 and 86, respectively, for urging 
the pulley wheels 82 and 84 upwardly to the raised positions, illustrated 
in chain lines in FIG. 1, but allowing the pulley wheels 82 and 84 to move 
to the lowered positions illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 1. 
THE OPERATION 
It will be assumed that the weight coupling pin 76 is positioned in the 
aperture 74 of lift rod 70, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, such that 
only the upper five most weights 21 are coupled to the lift rod 70. It 
will further be assumed that the position of the hand grip 45 is in the 
position as illustrated in chain lines in FIG. 5. 
The user will first grip the hand grip 45 with the right hand supinated and 
will rotate the shaft 32 and cylinder 52 about the axis a in the direction 
of the arrow X. When this occurs, the cable 56, which is trained around 
the sheeves or pulleys 66 and 82, will be maintained taut and the vertical 
run 56a will tend to upwardly move in the direction of the arrow X'. This 
will force the pulley 66, clevis 68 and lift rod 70 upwardly thus lifting 
the weights 21 from the rest position, illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 
1 to the elevated position, illustrated in chain lines in FIG. 1. 
As this occurs, the tension on cable 54 will be removed. The spring 94 will 
then force the idler pulley 84 upwardly from the lowered position, 
illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 1, to the raised position, illustrated 
in chain lines in FIG. 1, to maintain the cable 54 taut. The user will 
then rotate his right hand in the opposite direction from the pronated 
position to the supinated position and the parts will return to the start 
positions illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 1. The weights 21 will exert 
a muscle building force on the user's forearm as the weights are raised as 
well as when they are lowered. 
With the hand grip remaining in the position illustrated in chain lines in 
FIG. 5, the user can then grasp the hand grip 45 with his left hand in the 
pronated position and move it in the direction of the arrow X to the 
supinated position, in which case the parts will again move to the 
positions illustrated in chain lines in FIG. 1. The user will then 
reversely rotate the hand grip 45 to the start position. 
With the hand grip 45 in the opposite position, illustrated in solid lines 
in FIG. 5, the user will grasp the hand grip 45 with the left hand in the 
supinated position and will rotate the shaft 32 and the cylinder 52 in the 
opposite direction, represented by the arrow Y. This will maintain the 
cable 54 taut and move the cable run portion 54a upwardly in the direction 
of the arrow Y'. This will again force the central sheave or pulley 66 
upwardly and thus, via the pin 76, move the weights 21 upwardly from the 
start positions, illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 1, to the elevated 
positions illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3. 
When this occurs, the tension will be removed from line 56 and thus the 
spring 92 will force the arm 85 and pulley 82 upwardly to the position 
illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3 to maintain the line 56 taut. The 
user can then return the weights 22 to the positions illustrated in FIG. 
1. With the handle remaining in the position illustrated in FIG. 5, the 
user can then grasp the hand grip 45 with the right hand in the pronated 
position and move the shaft 32 and cylinder 52 in the direction of the 
arrow Y such that the parts will move to the positions illustrated in FIG. 
3. 
It can thus be seen that by adjusting the position of hand grip bar 45, the 
user can exercise both the extensor and flexor muscles of either arm 
depending on the direction of shaft rotation. 
The user can repeat the operation as many times as desired. 
It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all 
cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the 
invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is 
contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to 
achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or 
the scope of the appended claims.