Stationary exerciser

An exerciser includes a pair of levers and a pair of cranks pivotally secured on a base and a pair of links pivotally coupled between the levers and the cranks. A pair of beams are slidably supported beside the links for supporting a pair of foot supports and are pivotally secured to the middle portions of the levers. The beams are pivotally secured to the lower portions of the levers for allowing the foot supports to move for a greater distance than that of the links. The beams may be adjusted relative to the levers for adjusting the moving stroke of the foot supports.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an exerciser, and more particularly to a 
stationary exerciser. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Typical stationary exercisers comprise a pair of foot pedals each having 
one or more wheels rotatably or slidably engaged with one or more tracks 
for allowing the foot pedals to move both upward and downward and forward 
and backward movements. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,352,169 to Eschenbach and 
5,383,829 to Miller disclose this type of stationary exercisers. The 
tracks are stationarily disposed on the ground for supporting the wheels. 
The present invention has arisen to provide a novel exercisers. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a stationary 
exerciser including a pair of foot supports that may be moved forward and 
rearward relative to a primary driving mechanism. 
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an 
exerciser comprising a base including a rear axle and a front axle, a pair 
of levers including an upper portion pivotally coupled to the front axle 
for allowing the levers to be swung about the front axle, a pair of cranks 
rotatably secured to the rear axle and each including a pivot rod adapted 
to be rotated about the rear axle, a pair of links including a front 
portion pivotally secured to the levers and including a rear portion 
pivotally coupled to the cranks, a pair of beams supported beside the 
links, a pair of foot supports secured on the beams respectively, and 
means for moving the foot supports and the beams relative to the links. 
The levers each includes a middle portion and a lower portion, the front 
portions of the links each is pivotally secured to the middle portion of 
the lever at a pivot pin, the beams each includes a front portion 
pivotally secured to the lower portion of the lever at a pivot shaft, the 
pivot pins are disposed between the front axle and the pivot shaft for 
allowing the pivot shafts to swing for a greater amplitude than that of 
the pivot pins and for allowing the beams and the foot supports to move 
for a greater distance than that of the links. 
The levers each includes a sleeve secured to the lower portion, the pivot 
shafts are pivotally secured to the sleeves. 
The lower portions of the levers each includes at least two holes, the 
pivot shafts are adapted to be secured to either of the at least two holes 
for adjusting a distance between the pivot shaft and the pivot pin and for 
adjusting a moving stroke of the foot supports relative to the links 
respectively. 
The pivot rods of the cranks each includes a pulley rotatably secured 
thereon, the beams each includes a rear portion slidably engaged on the 
pulley for allowing the beams to be moved relative to the links. 
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided 
hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a stationary 
exerciser in accordance with the present invention comprises a base 10 
including a front axle 11 and a rear axle 12, and including a post 14 
extended upward from the front portion for supporting a handle 15 which 
may be used for supporting the upper portion of the user. A pair of levers 
17 include an upper portion pivotally secured to the front axle 11 for 
allowing the levers 17 to be rotated about the front axle 11 respectively. 
A pair of wheels 18 are rotatably secured to the rear axle 12. A pair of 
pivot rods 21 are secured to the wheels 18 and formed as a pair of cranks 
21 (FIG. 3) for allowing the cranks 21 to be rotated in concert with the 
wheels 18 and to be rotated about the rear axle 12. The pivot rods 21 each 
includes a pulley 23 rotatably secured on the pivot rods 21 respectively. 
A pair of links 20 include a front portion pivotally secured to the middle 
portions of the levers 17 by pivot pins 22 and include a rear portion 
rotatably secured to the cranks 21 for allowing the rear portions of the 
links 20 to be rotated with the cranks 21 and for allowing the front 
portions of the links 20 to be swung with the levers 17. The distance 
between the crank 21 and the rear axle 12 may determine the moving stroke 
of the links 20; i.e., when the crank 21 is moved and secured to the 
radially outward portion relative to the rear axle 12, the moving stroke 
of the links 20 may be increased. 
As best shown in FIG. 2, the lower portions of the levers 17 each includes 
a number of holes 19 and each includes a sleeve 26 slidably engaged 
thereon. Two fasteners 27 may secure the sleeves 26 to the levers 17 and 
may engage with either of the holes 19 for adjusting the distance between 
the pivot pins 22 and the sleeves 26. A pair of beams 25 each includes a 
front portion pivotally secured to the sleeves 26 at a pivot shaft 28 and 
each includes a rear portion slidably engaged and supported on the pulleys 
23 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5). Alternatively, the pivot shafts 28 may be directly 
secured to the levers 17 without the sleeves 26. A pair of foot supports 
24 are secured on the beams 25 and moved in concert with the beams 25. 
It is to be noted that the pivot pins 22 and the pivot shafts 28 move in 
concert with the levers 17 and rotate about the front axle 11. However, 
the pivot pins 22 are located closer to the front axle 11 than the pivot 
shafts 28, such that the swinging amplitude of the pivot shafts 28 is 
greater than that of the pivot pins 22 and such that the beams 25 move for 
a longer distance relative to the links 20. The adjustment of the pivot 
shafts 28 relative to the pivot pins 22 may adjust the relative movement 
between the beams 25 and the links 20. The relative movement between the 
foot supports 24 (which are supported on the beams 25) and the links 20 
may thus be adjusted. 
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rear ends of the links 20 and 
the pivot rods 21 may rotate about the rear axle 12, and the front ends of 
the links 20 may swing about the front axle 11, such that the links 20 may 
be moved along a substantially elliptical path. The beams 25 for 
supporting the foot supports 24 may be moved for a longer distance 
relative to the links 20 for forming an elliptical moving path other than 
that of the links 20. The slidable engagement between the rear portions of 
the beams 25 and the pulleys 23 allows the beams 25 to be relative to the 
pivot rods 21 which are rotated about the rear axle 12. The moving strokes 
of the foot supports 24 relative to the links 20 may be adjusted by 
adjusting the pivot shafts 28 along the levers 17. 
Accordingly, the exerciser in accordance with the present invention 
includes a pair of foot supports that may be moved relative to the support 
links for allowing the user to conduct a stepping exercise along an 
elliptical moving path. 
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been 
made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed 
construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted 
to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as 
hereinafter claimed.