Patent Publication Number: US-6217493-B1

Title: Exercise machine for exercising latissimus dorsi muscles and other muscles

Description:
This application is a CIP of Ser. No. 08/847,872, filed Apr. 28, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,652, which is a CIP of Ser. No. 08/676,941, filed May 6, 1996, abandoned. 
    
    
     The present application is based on the disclosure document filed on Nov. 13, 1997 bearing Disclosure Document No. 426898. 
     I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an exercise machine that exercises latissimus dorsi muscles and other muscles. In practice the present invention relates to an exercise machine having movable arms for adjusting the distance between the two arms for a user&#39;s size or for the type of exercise to be performed. 
     2. The Prior Art 
     The prior art discloses that cable or belt functioning pulldown style machines utilize a single extending and immovable arm from which a bar of varying lengths is suspended from the cable or belt. The user is forced to adjust for shoulder width and type of exercise by moving his hands along said bar. This being the case, even while facing a mirror the tendency may exist to twist the bar, favoring one&#39;s stronger side and resulting in asymmetrical muscle development. It is, however, desirable to provide a machine where two arms are utilized that are movable and can be adjusted for both the size of the user as well as to vary the type of exercise to be performed. 
     II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the invention to provide an exercise machine with two arms adjustable for varying the distance in between. 
     It is still another object to provide an exercise machine with adjustable arms where the arms are easy to adjust and can be easily adjusted. 
     It is yet another object to provide an exercise machine for exercising the latissimus dorsi muscles, chest muscles and other muscles when the arms of the machine can be adjusted for the type of exercise or for the user&#39;s size. 
     Other objectives will become apparent from the foregoing description and drawings in which: 
    
    
     III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial prospective view of the top portion of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines  4 A— 4 A of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     IV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the present machine as shown in FIG. 1 relates to an exercise device  10  which includes a support  15  which provides substantially vertical support by vertical legs  11  to a pair of arms  5  which are connected through pulleys  7  and rollers  8  to weights  9  for the exercise device  10 . 
     Attachment means  17  such as cables  17  (shown), belts (not shown) or any other suitable alternative means connect the arms  5 , pulleys  7 , rollers  8  and weights  9  of the exercise device  10 . Gripping means  12  suited for gripping by the hands a user (not shown). The gripping means can be handles as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Each of the arms  5  extend through the respective faces of the sleeves  18  preferably extending outward upwardly at an angle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Each sleeve  18  extends over a track  19  which is part of the support structure  15  and is preferably curved as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The track has holes  19   a  in a portion of its front face  19   b  as shown in FIG.  3 . At least one of the sleeves has a removable pin  21  which goes through an opening in the face of the sleeve  18  and also through one of the holes  19   b  of the track  19 . In this way one arm  5  can be moved and set in place by the pin  21  being placed in another hole  19   a  of the track  19  when one arm  5  is moved closer or further from the other arm  5 . It is only necessary to move one arm  5  to vary the distance between the two arms  5 . 
     Guide means such as guide rods  24  are provided to assist in moving the arms  5 . One rod  24  is located a distance above the other rod  24  as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 so as to provide free movement of the rods, without one rod  24  being in the path of the other rod  24  during its rotational movement. The rods are connected to each other and to a center track  15   a , at one end near the back of the support structure  15  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The support structure  15  has a top surface which includes center track  15   a  on which said guide rods  24  are pivotally mounted in a groove  15   a  by means of a pivotal pin member  24   a  near the back of the support structure  15  so that when one of the guide rods moves the other rod moves with it as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 4 shows movement of one of the sleeves  18  along the track  19 . A portion of the sleeve  18  wraps around the arm  5 . 
     In operation, the exercise machine  10  operates as follows: 
     The arms  5  are positioned a suitable distance apart to accommodate the size of a user. Thus a larger sized user would require the arms  5  to be spaced further apart from each other than a smaller sized user with narrower shoulders. By removing the pin  21  from one of the sleeves  18  the sleeve  18  and the coupled arm  5  can be moved along the track  19  by the sleeve  18  by moving along the track  19  and the pin  21  is then inserted into a hole  19   b  of the track  19  further away from both the other arm  5  and the hole the sleeve was previously inserted into. It is only necessary to move one arm  5  and one sleeve  18  by the track  19  to vary the distance between the arms  5 . 
     One may also vary the distance between the arms for changing the type of exercise performed. For example, by keeping the arms  5  closer together a user can exercise his inner back muscles. By keeping the arms  5  farther apart the latissimus dorsi muscles, outer back muscles and shoulders can be exercised. 
     To perform exercises a user can grip the gripping means shown as handles  12  in FIG. 1 which are connected by cables  17  to weights  9 . The weights  9  can be varied. It is understood that other weight varying mechanisms can be utilized with the invention. A leg bar  27  is provided only with a support table  28  which can be adjusted for height of the user by a pin and hole mechanism  30 . 
     I do not limit myself to any particular details of construction set forth in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as the same refers to and sets forth only certain embodiments of the invention, and it is observed that the same may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.