Abstract:
An exercise machine with a bench press and a pair of weight stacks, which are operationally connected to a lifting bar of a barbell. Pushing motion on the lifting bar transmits the force to a series of wheels connected by flexible bands and to a pair of weight stacks positioned behind the bench press. The weight members of the weight stack are connected by pins, such that upward movement of the uppermost weight members causes pulling force to be applied to successive lower weight members one at a time, thereby allowing incremental increase in the resistance force to the lifting motion of the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a weight training exercise machine, and more particularly to an exercise machine having a pair of weight stack assemblies with adjustable resistance and elastic bands of varying resistance.  
         [0002]     Weight plates and other weight elements are extensively used in the exercise industry; these elements come in various shapes and sizes. However, large weight plates cannot be adjusted for increments of the weight resistance and often jump from 5 to 10 pounds without the possibility of using an increment of weight.  
         [0003]     Some of the exercise machines are provided with barbells and bench press assemblies whereby the user positions himself/herself on the bench and lifts the barbells positioned above the bench press. Some of the conventional exercise equipment uses chains and rubber bands, which are stored near the exercise equipment and are assembled for a particular user. This task is often time consuming and arduous. Many of such exercise machines use chains and elastic bands to facilitate exercising muscles in different ways throughout the full range of motion. The chain and cable oftentimes occupy a large space and interfere with the movements of the exercise machine user.  
         [0004]     The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of an exercise machine that allows the user to lift, as well as pull incremental selections of weights while positioned on the bench press.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an exercise machine, which allows lifting and pulling exercises to be combined in one motion of the user.  
         [0006]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact exercise machine that allows the user to incrementally lift and pull greater weights in one motion, depending on the strength of the user.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an exercise machine that allows to modify the resistance elements to be pushed/pulled by the user without requiring the user to leave his position on the weight lifting equipment.  
         [0008]     These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through a provision of an exercise machine, which allows the user to push barbells upwardly and cause operationally connected weight elements of two weight assemblies to be pulled in sequence, allowing incremental weight resistance to the pushing motion and/or to use elastic bands. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the exercise machine of the present invention, with the barbell assembly lowered and without weight plates.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of the exercise machine of the present invention showing the weight members lifted.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a front detail view of the exercise machine of the present invention. [ 0013 ]  FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of the exercise machine of the present invention with the weight stack extended.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the weight stack of the apparatus of the present invention in a non-extended position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the weight stack of the exercise machine of the present invention with the weight members in an extended position.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a rear view of the exercise machine of the present invention with elastic band in a retracted position.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a detail view of one of the weight stacks of the apparatus of the present invention with the elastic band extended and the weight stack not moving. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     Turning now to the drawings in more detail, numeral  10  designates the weight exercise machine of the present invention. The apparatus  10  comprises a frame structure  12 , a pair of weight assemblies  14  and  16 , and a bench  18 .  
         [0018]     The support frame  12  comprises a first upright support  20  fixedly secured with a first horizontal bar  22 , which extends at a right angle to the vertical axis of the upright member  20 . The first upright member rests on a front shim plate  21  ( FIG. 4 ), which resists sliding. A second horizontal bar  24  is secured to a free end of the first horizontal bar  22  and extends at the right angle thereto. A third horizontal bar  26  is secured above the second bar  24 . Opposite ends of the support bars  24  and  26  are rigidly attached to spaced-apart second upright member  28  and third upright member  30 . A bench support bar  32  is attached above the first horizontal bar  22  (see  FIG. 4 ) extending between the first upright support  20  and the third horizontal bar  26 . A bench  40  is positioned on top of the bench support bar  32  extending from the first upright member  20  past the edge of the third horizontal bar  26 , as can be seen in the drawings.  
         [0019]     The second upright member  28  has a hook-shaped rest  42  for a lifting bar  50  of a barbell assembly. A similar hook-shaped rest  44  is secured on top of the third upright member  30  for receiving an opposite end of the lifting bar  50 .  
         [0020]     The weight assemblies  14  and  16  are mirror images of each other, and it will understood that description of structure and operation of the weight assembly  14  applies equally to the second weight assembly  16 . The weight assembly  14  comprises a weight stack  61  ( FIG. 2 ) having a plurality of weight members  60  ( FIGS. 4, 6  and  7 ) which are secured together by a plurality of telescopic pins  54  ( FIG. 6 ). The pins  54  extend between the weight members  60  and fit within openings  62  made in the weight members  60 .  
         [0021]     A tubular guide  64  extends through the center of the weight stack  61 . The guide  64  is made of two telescopically engaged members, with the lower telescopic member  66  fitting within an upper telescopic member  68 . One or more openings  70  are formed in the upper tubular member  68  for receiving a locking pin  72  ( FIG. 4 ) therethrough. When the lift pin is inserted in the opening(s)  70 , the weight members  60  can be moved in an upward direction. Conversely, when the locking pin  70  is removed or disengaged, the weight members  60  remain stacked together, as shown in  FIG. 5  and  7 .  
         [0022]     A traveling guide  120  is secured atop the uppermost weight member  60 . When an upwardly directed force is applied to the traveling guide  120 , the weight members  60  move upwardly in succession, depending on the range of motion of the user. The pins  54  slide within their respective pockets, or openings, causing the weight members to move in sequence one by one. It is envisioned that the pins  54  can be dimensioned such that a distance of less than an inch is created between the bottom of the upper weight member and the top of an adjacent weight member  60 . It is also envisioned that about  8  inches of vertical travel can be achieved by lifting the weight stack with the weight members  60 .  
         [0023]     The weight stack assembly  14  further comprises a base plate  74  on which the bottom of the stack of weight members  60  rest. The weight stack assembly  14  further comprises a pair of upright brackets  76  and  78 , which support the weight members  60  on opposite sides. Extending between the upper ends of the brackets  76  and  78  is a rod  80 , which carries a pulley  82  thereon. A flexible band  84  is wrapped around the pulley  82  and travels with the rotation of the pulley  82 . A second weight assembly pulley  86  is located below the first pulley  82 . A free end of the band  84  is wrapped and secured to the pulley  86 . The pulley  86  is mounted on a rod  88 , which extends through the second bracket member  78  and serves as an axis for a rotating wheel  90 .  
         [0024]     A lifting band  92  is wrapped around the wheel  90  and travels with the pushing of the lifting bar  50 . The band  92  is secured between the bar  50  and the wheel  90 . One of the ends of the lifting band  92  is secured to a hook-shaped attachment member  96 , which hooks over the lifting bar  50 . The second end of the band  92  is lowered to engage a guide  94 , which is positioned between parallel brackets  98  and  104  of the weight assembly  14 . The brackets rest on the ground forward of the weight stack  61  and form a unitary structure with the bracket  78 . The brackets  98  and  104  extend at an approximately right angle to the vertical axis of the bracket  78 . The guide  94  is positioned forward of the wheel  90 .  
         [0025]     The bracket  98  is provided with a plurality of through openings  100  which are formed and configured to receive a turning sheave pin  102 . Similar openings  108  are formed though the bracket  104 , allowing extension of the pin  102  through the aligned openings  100  and  108 . The traveling guide  120  is provided with a slidably vertically moveable hook  122  ( FIG. 4 ), which travels up and down when the locking pin  72  is not engaged within the opening  70 . A second hook  124  is fixedly attached to a bracket  126 , which is supported by a weight assembly pedestal  106 . An elastic band  130  is stretched between the hooks  122  and  124 . The elastic band  130  creates a different type of resistance force to the movement of the lifting bar  50 .  
         [0026]     During use, the user positions himself/herself on the weight bench  18  and grips the lifting bar  50  with both hands. If desired, a pair of weight plates  134  and  136  can be added to increase resistance to the lifting force. The movement of the weight plates  134 ,  136  can be better seen in  FIG. 4 , wherein the starting position is shown in phantom lines, and the end position—in solid lines. The flexible strap  92  is hooked to the lifting bar  50  and through the guiding wheel  94 , wheel  90 , axle  88 , pulley  86  and pulley  82 , transmits the lifting force to the weight stack members  60 . When the locking pin  72  is inserted, the weight members  60  are lifted in succession, starting with the uppermost weight member, in increments as the user pushes the lifting bar  50  farther away from the body. The pushing force on the lifting bar translates into a lifting force on the weight members  60 , offering incrementally increasing resistance force. The user can continue pushing the lift the bar  50  until such time as all weight members  60  are extended in a manner shown in  FIG. 2 . It is envisioned that the lifting bar  50  may be pushed up to 36″ upwardly during normal use.  
         [0027]     If the lock pin is not inserted into the weight stack, the user can still exert the pushing force on the weight bar  50  against the resistance of the elastic bands  130 , which are positioned on the back of each weight stack  61 . The band  130  stretches to a position shown in  FIG. 7 , causing the traveling hook  120  to move with the upper tubular member  68  while the weight stack  61  does not move.  
         [0028]     The user may adjust the mass of the lifted weight by exchanging the weight plates  134   136  carried by opposite ends of the lifting bar  50  to such a level of strength. The user may also use the weight stack  61  or the rubber band  130  as the resisting means for exercising the muscles of the body. The thickness and stretching resistance of the elastic bands  130  can be modified to further increase exercise benefits for the user. The weight members  60  can be modified to further increase/decrease the incremental stepwise resistance provided by this apparatus. The exercise machine of the instant invention provides for a compact unit, which does not require the use of separately stored chains that must be assembled before use. The machine of the instant invention provides for unitized equipment that allows addition of weights at periodic intervals. Many other changes and modifications can be made in the design of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. I therefore pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.