Abstract:
An exercise device to be pushed by the user having a frame with handle bars and a fork carrying a road wheel and an adjustable resistance mechanism including a small resistance wheel that can contact the road wheel with relatively greater or lesser force to cause more or less resistance rotation of the road wheel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to wheeled exercise devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There are various wheel resistance devices, known as stationary bicycles, for exercise in which the user sits on the device and operates pedals against a resistance mechanism. 
     There are also resistance devices which allow the user to walk or run while pushing the device and which use various means to impose load or resistance to increase the effort required to push or pull the device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing a feature of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a partial side view showing a feature of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the exercise device  10  has a frame  12  consisting of a frame shaft  14 , at the top of which is a handle bar  16 , and having attached at its bottom a wheel fork  18 , having wheel fork legs  20  and  22 , defining between them a wheel space  24 , and terminating in wheel supports  26 A and  26 B. The frame  12  has a tube extension portion  28 . In this particular embodiment, the frame  12  consists of an upper frame shaft portion  30 , and a lower frame shaft portion  32 , which are joined together by bolts  34 . A wheel and tire assembly  36  is located in the wheel space  24  and is rotatably attached to the wheel supports  26 A and  26 B by an axle assembly  37 . This entire structure is similar to the assembly structure of a common bicycle frame front portion, handle bars, forks and wheels. The wheel assembly of a bicycle can be used. 
     The tube extension portion  28  of the frame  12  is adapted to hold an adjustable resistance assembly  38 , which is designed to cause a resistance wheel to bear on the wheel and tire assembly  36  and is adjustable to increase or decrease the bearing pressure on the wheel and tire assembly  36 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the resistance assembly  38 , a lever  40  is pivotally attached between the wheel fork legs  20  and  22  by a pin or bolt  42 , which defines a pivot axis  44  for the lever  40 . In this embodiment the lever  40  is formed by a pair of spaced-apart opposed arms  46 A and  46 B connected by a brace  48 . The lever  40  has a first end  50  which is forward of the pivot axis  44  and a second end  52  which is rearward of the pivot point. Attached to the first end  50  of the lever  40  is a small resistance wheel  54  rotatable on a bearing pin  56  mounted through the opposed arms  46 A,  46 B. 
     Attached at the second end  52  as part of the adjustable resistance assembly is an adjusting mechanism  60  which adjustably pivots the lever  40  on the pivot axis  44  to cause the resistance wheel  54  to pivot as shown by arrow  62 . 
     The adjusting mechanism  60  has an adjusting link  63  having a lower end  64  and an upper end  66 . The lower end  64  enters the hole  68  in the brace  48  and is bent upward at  70  to be fixed in place. The upper end  66  is threaded (not shown). The adjusting link  62  passes through the tube extension portion  28  and has a threaded knob  76  threaded onto the threads at the upper end  66 . A spring  78  is fitted between the threaded knob  76  and the tube extension portion  28  and is constructed so as to be in a compressed condition for most of the useful travel of the knob  76  so as to keep the knob  76  from turning by itself. A washer  80  is helpful. 
     An additional exercise variable can be obtained by providing means to attach free weights to the devise. One means for doing this is shown in FIG.  3 . As shown, the upper frame shaft portion  30  has a hole  82  extending through it. A bolt  84  is in place through the hole and a weight  86  is mounted on the bolt  84 . In this example, the weight  86  is retained by a wing nut  88  threaded onto the bolt  84  along with a washer  90 . FIG. 4 shows another means for mounting a weight in which a threaded rod  92  is welded to the shaft  30  at  94 . In another embodiment a clamp devise could be configured with a rod or bolt attached, in which the position of the clamp can be adjusted, up or down on the shaft. Other forms could include all of the above means in which a pin or bolt extends sideways of the shaft, to each side, allowing a weight to be mounted on each side of the shaft. An example of this is shown in FIG. 5 in which the shaft  30  has rods  96 ,  98  extending oppositely to each side. The rods  96 ,  98  can be welded as at  100 ,  102  to the shaft  30 . In this configuration, weights  104 ,  106  can be oppositely mounted on the respective rods  100 ,  102 , held by wing nuts  108 ,  110  and washers  112 ,  114 . 
     In use, the upper shaft portion  30  is assembled to the lower shaft portion  32 . The knob  76  is adjusted to pivot the lever  40  to cause the resistance wheel  54  to bear on the tire  36  to a pressure as desired. Greater pressure will cause more resistance to turning of the tire  36 . To obtain exercise the user takes a position behind the device after adjusting the knob  76  to create the desired resistance. Then the user pushes the handlebars ahead of himself or herself to cause the tire  36  to turn. The tire  36  will turn with greater or lesser required pushing force depending on the setting of the knob  76 . 
     If the knob  76  is set so that resistance wheel  54  provides little or no resistance to turning of tire  36 , then the device can be pushed easily ahead of the user. But, as more resistance is placed on tire  36 , more effort will be required to push the device. In general, as the required force increases, more effort will be required to push the device. In general, as the required force increases the user will tilt the frame  12  to angle the tire  36  further away, but preferably not more than 45°. 
     Also, to change the muscles exercised, the shaft  14  may be tilted less and its user uses his or her arms to push downward on the shaft  14  to overcome the resistance, preventing the tire  36  from skidding. 
     Of course “cheating” by letting its tire  36  skid along the ground is self-defeating. If this happens, either greater downward pressure is exerted, or a sharper angle is created, or both. 
     The resistance can be adjusted according to a set plan such as, less resistance for warm-up or aerobic exercise and more resistance for muscle building such as by pushing through the legs and arms. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.