Slide board exercise apparatus

The apparatus described herein includes a substantially rectangular and flat board having a longitudinal groove adapted to receive guide pins protruding from a disc-shaped weight resting on the upper surface of the board. The board is at an angle of about 30.degree. to 60.degree. with the floor or base on which the board is positioned. The raised end of the board is supported, preferably by an adjustable device, to provide the desired slant angle. Arms or straps are attached to the disc-shaped weight so that a person positioned at the raised end of the board can pull the weight upward along the surface of the board. The angle of the board allows a gravity force to be exerted on the weight, with the effect of gravity being increased by adjusting the slant of the board to a greater angle. Pulling the weight up the board and then releasing it gradually to allow its sliding back to a lower position and repeating the cycle, provides an effective exercising maneuver.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an exercising device which comprises a slanted 
board on which a weighed disc is guided while the exerciser pulls the 
weight against the force of gravity. Still more specifically it relates to 
such a slanted board which may have the angle of slant adjusted to provide 
a greater or lesser pull of gravity on the weight. 
2. State of the Prior Art 
Various exercising devices are known in which the exerciser pulls weights 
against the force of gravity. Most of these operate by means of pulleys 
over which cables or ropes are pulled over the pulley to lift the weights 
such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,590. Other exercising devices are 
designed to pull the weight of the exerciser, such as disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 1,625,447; 3,586,322 and 4,101,124. These pulley devices are 
rather complicated and expensive. 
Slanted board exercise devices have been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,914 
shows a slanted board for use by football players, etc. to push weights 
upward while seated below the arrangement. Here again, this is a 
complicated device requiring extreme strength to operate. Another patent, 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,747 describes a device having a screw device for 
varying the force required to lift a weight which is positioned on a 
slanted board. 
The foregoing devices are elaborate, complicated and expensive to 
manufacture. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A slant board device has been designed which is simple and inexpensive to 
manufacture and operate. This device comprises a substantially rectangular 
and flat board having a longitudinal groove or slot opening therein, a 
flat weight positioned above said groove and having guide pins or 
protrusions extending from the bottom of said weight and fitting into said 
groove, a supporting means adapted to support one end of this board in a 
raised position so that the board is slanted at an angle of about 
30.degree. to 60.degree. with the horizontal base on which the other end 
of said board is rested, and arms or cables attached to opposite sides of 
said weight and adapted to extend to the raised end of said board. A 
person can exercise by pulling the weight against the force of gravity by 
means of the arms or cables from a lower position to a higher position on 
the slanted board. The force required to pull the weight can be varied by 
using heavier weights, or by adding to the initial weight, or by 
increasing the angle of the board.

In these Figures, board 1 has a linear slot opening or groove 2 therein and 
seat 3. In FIG. 2, legs 4 support one end of the board and legs 4', when 
in a vertical position, support the opposite end of the board. Generally 
legs 4' are in a folded position to provide the slant shown in FIG. 4. In 
FIG. 3, legs 4' are folded so that legs 4 are the sole support means to 
give the board the desired slant. Supporting understructures 9 and 9' give 
added strength to the board. 
In FIG. 4 the board is in a preferred slanting position with leg 4 shown in 
a telescoping modification so the length of the legs 4 can be adjusted to 
give longer or shorter lengths thereby giving a greater or lesser slope to 
board 1. In this view, weighted disc 5 is resting on board 1 and has pin 6 
extending below and into groove 2 so that the disc can follow a 
longitudinal path on the board. Cable 7 with handle 8 is attached to the 
disc 5 and extends toward the raised end of the board. A person sitting on 
seat 3 or standing just beyond the raised end of the board can grasp 
handle 8 and by means of cable 7 pull the weighted disc upward on the 
slanted board. 
FIG. 5 shows the modification of FIG. 4 with leg 4 at a shorter length 
thereby giving a lesser slope to the board. 
FIG. 6 represents a modification of the weighted disc 5 which has rigid 
arms 7' attached thereto and crossbar 8' serves as a handle at the ends of 
arms 7' opposite from the ends attached to disc 5. 
FIG. 7 shows disc and arm arrangement similar to that shown in FIG. 4. 
FIG. 8 represents a disc modification similar to that in FIG. 6 except that 
instead of crossbar 8' to serve as a handle there are individual handles 8 
attached to the end of arms 7'. 
In a preferred modification of this invention the board is carpeted to 
reduce the friction between the weighted disc and the board thereby 
allowing the disc to slide more easily to a lower position. 
In addition to the use of the board in the slanted position the board may 
be raised at both ends with the disc removed to allow the exerciser to lie 
on his back or on his stomach and perform exercises. 
Advantageously the board may have a length of about 6 to 8 feet, a width of 
15 to 20 inches and a thickness sufficient to give strength to support the 
weights that will be placed thereon. The supporting legs at the exercising 
end may range from 2 to 5 feet and are preferably adjustable to various 
lengths. The slot opening or groove in the board may extend to within a 
foot from each end of the board. 
In a preferred modification the pin which extends between the disc and into 
the slot opening may also extend upward from the disc so that it will 
extend through center openings in additional discs that may be placed on 
the original disc so as to add increased weight to the disc. 
While two arms or cables have been described and shown extending from the 
weighted disc, it is also contemplated that only one such arm or cable may 
be attached to the disc preferably with a handle at the unattached end of 
the arm or cable. The single arm or cable may be attached to the disc by 
various means such as a small ring attached to the disc or by a large 
semi-circle or half ring large enough to encircle half the disc and be 
attached to the disc by means similar to those shown in the drawings. 
While certain features of this invention have been described in detail with 
respect to various embodiments thereof, it will of course be apparent that 
other modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of this 
invention, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact 
details insofar as they are defined in the following claims.