Abstract:
A weight lifting simulator exercises the hip girdle and shoulder girdle. A user standing on an inclined foot plate grabs a pair of handles which are free to swivel and raises a head member which slides along an upright mast which is slightly inclined toward the user positioned on the foot plate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the field of weight training, various exercises are performed with a barbell to provide additional loading of the body&#39;s muscles. In one exercise, an athlete rests a barbell on his or her shoulders and lowers to a squatting position and then rises to a standing position to strengthen leg muscles, in particular the hamstring group. In another exercise, a user may raise a barbell from the floor to a position at chest height in order to build arm and back muscle strength. Unfortunately the use of a barbell, especially carried on the shoulders, gives rise to instability with the user possibly experiencing a loss of balance. Therefore, what is needed is a weight lifting simulation device which permits the user to carry out the exercises of lifting weights while avoiding the instability of carrying a barbell or other free weights. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides a safe and effective strength building apparatus for strengthening the shoulder girdle and hip girdle muscles. The apparatus may be employed to carry out various exercises which might have been less safely done with a barbell or with dumbbells. A rectangular open base frame has a slightly inclined foot plate mounted within the frame adjacent its first end, the foot plate being highest at the first end of the base frame. At the opposite second end of the base frame there is an upright bar which is centered on the second end and serves to stabilize an inclined mast which is mounted to a cross member of the base frame. The mast is inclined slightly toward the foot plate at about five degrees from vertical. A pair of generally horizontal stabilizing bars join the top of the mast to the top of the upright bar. An inclined support braces the upright bar, the inclined support being mounted at one end to the upright bar and at the other end to the cross member of the base frame. 
     A head member is captured on the mast and may be freely moved along the mast. The head member includes opposing side plates which house roller bearings which roll along the mast. Extending from the head member at a fixed somewhat inclined angle are a pair of weight arms which have a horizontal weight rod transversely mounted to their free ends. The weight arms are inclined upward from the head member at about thirty-five degrees above horizontal to allow sufficient clearance for circular Olympic-style weight plates to be placed on the transverse weight rod when the head member is resting at the bottom of the mast. 
     On the end of the head member opposite the extending weight arms and facing the first end of the base frame there is a cross bar fixed to the edges of the side plates of the head member. Extending generally horizontally from the cross bar are a pair of handle assemblies which extend toward first end of the base frame and the foot plate. The handle assemblies are identical and each includes a lever which extends laterally rearward from the cross bar on the head member. The free end of each lever has a vertically oriented bearing housing which retains a curved handle to the lever such that the curved handle is free to rotate about the vertical axis of the bearing mount. Each of the curved handles is generally U-shaped and has a vertical stem which is retained in the bearing mount. The handle assemblies are spaced apart such that a user positioned on the foot plate facing the mast may squat with the knees between the handle assemblies. The user may grasp the handgrips while in a squatting position and rise to a standing position while raising the head member on the mast and then may continue to raise his or her arms and shoulders to raise the handgrips about chin high, whereupon the user may reverse the movements and return the head member to the bottom of the mast. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a strength building apparatus which may be used to simulate the lifting of barbell or dumbbells. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a strength building apparatus which may be used without risk of loss of balance of the user when rising from a squatting position. 
     It is also an object of the invention to provide a strength building apparatus which permits strengthening exercise of the back, shoulder and arm muscles with less risk of back strain. 
     It is yet a further objection of the invention to provide a strength building apparatus which permits the user to lift a weight from a squatting position while keeping the spine straight and subjecting the hamstring and hip girdle muscles to bear the lifting effort. 
     It is still a further object of the invention to provide a weight lifting simulator which encourages strength building exercises while maintaining a proper posture to avoid back injury and strain. 
     These and other objects of the invention will be understood from review of the drawings and the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective of the weight lifting simulator invention with the head member raised part away along the mast. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the invention with the head resting on a stop at the bottom of the mast. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the invention shown with the head assembly being lifted by a user shown in dashed lines positioned on the foot plate of the invention in a squatting position. 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the invention shown with the head assembly lifted to the height of the chin of the user. 
     FIG. 5 is a close up view with parts cut away of the head assembly of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the figures, the preferred embodiment of the weight lifting simulator  2  is shown. An open frame  4  serves as a base for the weight lifting simulator  2  and comprises a user station end  6  and an opposing second end  8  with sides  10 ,  12  interconnecting user station end  6  and opposing second end  8 . A cross member  20  interconnects sides  10 ,  12  generally midway along the length of frame  4 . A foot plate  14  is mounted between sides  10 ,  12  adjacent user station end  6 , the foot plate  14  being inclined slightly such that the rear edge  16  is higher than forward edge  18  thereof. Rear edge  16  of foot plate  14  overlies user station end  6  and is mounted thereupon. 
     Mounted generally centrally along cross member  20  is mast  24  which upstands on cross member  20  and extends at a slight angle from vertical toward user station end  6 . Mast  24  is sufficiently elongate such that it extends above the height of an anticipated user. An upright bar  22  stands fixed upon opposing second end  8  of frame  4  generally on the longitudinal axis of frame  4 , aligned with mast  22 . An inclined brace  62  extends between cross member  20  and upright bar  22 . A pair of lateral stabilizers  26 ,  28  join the upper end  30  of upright bar  22  to the top end  32  of mast  24  to retain mast  24  in its inclined position. 
     Mounted at lower end  33  of mast  24  is at least one stop  60  disposed adjacent mast  24  such that head assembly  34  may rest on stop  60  when the weight lifting simulator  2  is at rest. 
     Head assembly  34  of the preferred embodiment comprise a head member  40  which is retained to mast  24  is freely slidable therealong. Head assembly  34  further comprises paired weight arms  36  and  38  which are fixed to opposing side plates  64 ,  66  of head member  40  and extend from head member  40  at an incline toward upright bar  22 . At the free ends of weight arms  36  and  38  is fixed a transverse weight receiving rod  42  which is disposed substantially horizontally and is preferably sized to receive a circular free weights thereon according to the desired loading of the weight lifting simulator  2 . Weight rod  42  is mounted generally symmetrically upon the free ends of weight arms  36 ,  38 . 
     Fixably mounted to head member  40  at the side thereof opposing upright member  22  is a cross bar  46  which is oriented horizontally and supports a pair of handle levers  48 ,  49  which are spaced apart and generally parallel, which each extending toward user station end  6  from its mounting to cross bar  46 . Each handle lever  48 ,  49  has a bearing mount  50  at its free end, the bearing mounts  50  oriented to support handles  52  and  54  such that handles  52 ,  54  may freely swivel about a generally vertical axis. Each handle  52 ,  54  is identical and is provided with a hand grip  56  intended for grasping by a user stationed on foot plate  14 . 
     Referring in particular to FIG. 2 it can be understood that when invention  2  is at rest, the head member  40  will rest on stop  60  at the bottom of mast  24 . In this position, free weights  15  shown by dashed lines can be selectively suspended upon weight rod  42 . The angle of inclination of weight arms  36 ,  38  is selected at about forty five degrees to allow clearance for the largest circular weight plates  15  while head assembly  34  is at its lower most position. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates that handles  52 ,  54  are generally U-shaped with hand grip  56  disposed substantially horizontally and joined by a curved segment  76  to lower horizontal segment  78  which is joined to stem  80 . Stem  80  is provided with an axially depending pin which is received and retained against vertical displacement by bearing mount  50 . 
     Handle levers  48 ,  49  from generally a perpendicular to the axis of mast  24  and extend sufficiently from head member  40  to allow free rotation of handles  52 ,  54 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates use of the invention  2  to strengthen the hamstring muscles and other hip and leg muscles of the user  5 . The user  5  has assumed a crouched or squatting position with the user&#39;s feet  7  on foot plate  14 . The user  5  has grasp handles  52 ,  54  with user&#39;s hands  3  while standing with knees  13  bent and positioned between handles  52 ,  54 . Handle grips  56  are oriented in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of invention  2  such that user  5  may grasp handle grips  56  with the user&#39;s hands generally vertically aligned with the user&#39;s shoulders  9 , with the arms  11  straight. In this position, with the user&#39;s back  17  straight, a safe lift of head assembly  34  may be made from the user&#39;s squatting position. As the user  5  lifts head assembly  34 , head member  40  rides along mast  24  along a path which permits user to rise to a standing position without straining the back. In contrast, a user attempting to lift a barbell out in front of the knees cannot do this while keeping the back straight. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the use of invention  2  after the user  5  has reached a standing position and continues to raise the arms  11  and hands  3  to lift handle grip  56  to about the height of the user&#39;s chin. As the head assembly  34  is raised along mast  24 , the handles  52 ,  54  may rotate so that the user&#39;s hands  3  may move to a comfortable position as the head assembly  34  is raised. As head member  40  moves along mast  24 , roller bearings  68 ,  69  support side plate  64  of head member  40  at a spacing from mast  24 . 
     The details of the structure of head member  40  can be visualized in FIG.  5 . Head member  40  comprises first side plate  64  and opposing second side plate  66 , each of which is disposed at opposing sides of mast  24 . Side plates  64 ,  66  house vertically spaced lateral roller bearings  68  and  74  (corresponding opposing lateral roller bearings are not shown in FIG. 5) such that roller bearings  68 ,  74  may roll along the sides of mast  24 . Front and rear roller bearings  70 ,  72  are disposed between side plates  64 ,  66 , the ends of which are retained to side plates  64 ,  66  to provide bearing support on the front and rear sides of mast  24 . (A second pair of front and rear bearings is disposed at a lower position between side plates  64 ,  66  but cannot be seen in FIG.  5 ). Cross bar  46  is fixed to the vertical side edges  82 ,  84  of side plates  64 ,  66  respectively which face user  5 , at the lower ends of edges  82 ,  84 . 
     Lever  48  extends substantially perpendicularly from cross bar  46  and supports bearing mount  50  at its free end  86 . Stem  80  of handle  54  extends generally vertically into bearing mount  50  such that handle  54  may rotate freely about the generally vertical axis of stem  80 . Curved segment  76  of handle  54  joins lower horizontal segment  78  to hand grip  56  which vertically overlies lower horizontal segment  78 . The handle  54  is thereby shaped to allow user a user grasping hand grip  56  to move the handle into a comfortable rotational orientation as the head member  40  is raised along mast  24 .