Patent GB-376408-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in amusement and exercising apparatus
IPC: A63G31/10
Filed: 1931-04-27
Abstract: 376,408. Amusement and exercising apparatus. HEIMERS, R., Villa Neederlandia, Churubusco, Mexico. April 27, 1931, No. 12372. [Class 132 (i).] An amusement and exercising apparatus of the kind in which a carrier is connected with a rope which winds and unwinds itself around a flywheel is provided with means for effecting a preliminary oscillation of the flywheel which finally rotates the flywheel through one or more revolutions in alternate directions. Figs. 1 and 3 show an exercising apparatus in which a rope 4 is fastened to bottom of a deep groove formed in a flywheel 3 which has a weight 5 near its rim. The rope 4 supports a beam 6 from which a bar 8 is suspended by ropes or rods 7. The rod is attached to the flywheel by additional ropes 9 and guide rollers 11 are provided between which the ropes 4, 9 pass. The user raises and lowers the bar causing the weight 5 to oscillate the wheel 3 until the rope eventually lifts the user from the ground. The bar 6 is provided with buffer springs 12 which engage stops 13 when the bar reaches its highest position. Fig. 4 shows a form in which the bar 8 passes between uprights 14 and the horizontal bar 6 is also extended to pass between the bars and is connected through a spring 19 to a rope 4 passing over a pulley 15 and thence to the weighted flywheel 3. The rope 4 carries a weight 16 which when the bar 6 reaches its highest position strikes against a lever 17 to bring a brake into engagement with the wheel 3. A modification of the device shown in Fig. 4 is described in which the apparatus is mounted on a wheeled platform which is given a forward movement by a rack on the rope 4 engaging a wheel connected by sprocket and chain gearing to one of the wheels on which the platform is mounted. Fig. 6 shows a form in which a cage 31 is guided by a column 33 and attached to a rope 4 one end of which is attached to a weighted flywheel 3 and the other end carries a series of counterweights 35, 37, 38 running on an inclined plane 36. The starting impulses are given by levers 40 having toothed extensions 41 engaging a rack carried by the uprights 33. Figs. 11 and 12 show an apparatus in the form of a horse 42 guided by a column 33 formed of angle iron and carrying racks 34. Two pairs of grooved wheels 45 serve as guides to keep the horse in an upright position. The up and down movements starting the oscillation of the flywheel 73 are effected by pivoted toothed segments 49, 50 held out of engagement with the racks by springs 51. The segment 49 is attached to stirrups 52 and the segment 50 to reins 53. The rope 4 after passing from the flywheel 56 over a pulley 57 is attached at its other end to a roller 59 on which it winds and unwinds itself. The axle 60 of the roller passes through a slot 61 and is provided with a pinion 62 which is pulled into and out of engagement with a rack 34 by a rein 63. To the pinion is secured a ratchet wheel engaged by a pawl 65 by a spring 66 within reach of the rider's knees or heels. By pressing on this the pawl may be released to allow the rope 4 to uncoil from the drum 59 and the horse falls. In order to reduce the rate at which the horse will run after it has reached a certain height the wheel 56 on which the rope winds is provided with two grooves 81, 82 of different diameter. As soon as the groove 81 is filled a transverse bolt 67 lying on slots 68 of the column 33 is caught by inwardly projecting. claws 69 and pushed sideways into the slot 68a. The bolt 67 is attached to a rope 70 which turns a lever 71 to shift the rope 4 from the groove 81 to the groove 82. Several such devices may be provided at different heights on the upright 33. The wheel 56 is geared to a big flywheel 73 which may be provided with a crank 75 to give the preliminary oscillations. The horse may carry lateral wings 76 pivoted on a member 77 which carries a projection engaged by pin 79 on the face of the spur wheel 62. A shock absorber 80 breaks the fall of the horse.