Patent Publication Number: US-6659925-B2

Title: Stretching machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is drawn generally to an exercise device. The invention is a machine operated by a user for the purpose of facilitating the conditioning of a muscle of the user by progressive stretching and repetitive activity of the user. Specifically, the invention is drawn to a machine which enables a user to lengthen or extend the muscles of the user&#39;s legs and lower back. Additionally, the machine gives an indication of the flexibility of the user. 
     A vital component of a comprehensive fitness program is flexibility. Many athletic injuries could be avoided by proper stretching. The legs and lower back are two of the most important areas of the body to stretch. The most common stretch is to reach for one&#39;s toes. This stretch can be performed either standing up or sitting down. A shortcoming of this stretch is that it is difficult to tell how far a person can reach. One approach to resolving this shortcoming is to place a scale on the outside of a box. Referring to FIGS. 2 a,    2   b  and  2   c,  it can be seen how a user places his feet inside the box and leans as far forward as possible. By noting where the user&#39;s hands are on the scale of the box a degree of flexibility can be determined. This prior art box fails to take into account different sized users and is not adjustable in height. Another problem is the lack of a handgrip to facilitate the stretch by pulling forward. To get consistent readings on flexibility a person&#39;s feet must be placed in the same position during each stretch. With the box, the only way to ensure this is to place the feet against the back wall of the box. This eliminates the ability to measure a stretch past the feet. 
     To solve these problems several inventions have been put forward. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,801 and 5,938,573 are drawn to stretching machines having a bar with a plurality of ladder rung type projections. An indication of flexibility is determined by noting which projections are grasped during the stretch. These patents are drawn to an extensive system requiring a lot of space to use. In addition these devices require a stand and a seat and are quite complex. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,055 is an apparatus for measuring muscular strength. U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,239 is a thigh muscle stretching device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,228 is a leg stretching apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,473 is a stretching and exercise apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,202 is a fitness device. These devices allow a person to measure physical fitness or to stretch muscles, but none of the devices do both. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention a stretching machine is provided which can be used both for stretching and for measuring a level of flexibility. The machine rests on the floor and a user sits adjacent the machine with the user&#39;s feet abutting the foot plate. A beam is then adjusted to a convenient height above the user&#39;s legs. The beam is provided with a plurality of handgrips. By leaning forward and grasping a handgrip a user can stretch their legs and lower back as well as determine a level of flexibility by noting which handgrip is grasped. 
     The machine has a cutout on the foot plate which allows the beam to be lowered towards the base plate when not in use. The cutout is large enough to accommodate the beam and handgrips such that the device is reduced in size to the size of the end plate. 
     The machine has an angled height adjustment member which allows the beam to be extended past the foot plate. This allows a user to measure flexibility past the feet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 a  is a side view of the prior art at an initial position; 
     FIG. 2 b  is a side view of the prior art at a second position; 
     FIG. 2 c  is a perspective view of the prior art; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention ; 
     FIG. 5 is an end view of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and more particularly FIGS. 1, and  3 - 6  a stretching machine  10  made according to the invention is depicted. A base plate  12  is adapted to support the machine  10  on the ground (not shown). A foot plate  14  is attached to the base plate  12 . Any suitable method can be used to attach foot plate  14  to base plate  12 , but in the preferred embodiment foot plate  14  is welded to the base plate  12 . Foot plate  14  is arranged perpendicular to base plate  12 . 
     A flange  16  is attached to the base plate  12  and the foot plate  14 . The flange  16  is arranged perpendicular to both the base plate  12  and the foot plate  14  and provides stability to the machine  10 . The flange  16  can be attached in any suitable manner but in the preferred embodiment the flange  16  is welded to the base plate  12  and the foot plate  14 . 
     Attached to the flange  16  is a height adjustment member  18 . The height adjustment member  18  comprises a bottom tube  20 , a top tube  22  and a latch  24 . The top tube  22  is telescopically received in the bottom tube  20 . The top tube  22  and the bottom tube  20  have a square cross section in the preferred embodiment but could of course be any configuration including rectangular, circular or oval (not shown). A latch  24  fixes the top tube  22  with respect to the bottom tube  20 . The latch  24  can be any suitable latching mechanism but in the preferred embodiment the latch is spring loaded. By pulling the latch  24  away from the height adjustment member  18  the top tube  22  is free to move. Releasing the latch  24  engages the latch once more fixing the tubes ( 20  and  22 ) with respect to each other. The height adjustment member  18  has an anchor  26  which is positioned on the base plate  12  opposite the foot plate  14 . The height adjustment member  18  angles from the anchor  26  towards the foot plate  14 . 
     A beam  30  is attached to the top tube  22  at end  28 . The beam  30  is arranged parallel at a distance ‘x’ from the base plate  14 . The distance ‘x’ is determined by the height adjustment member  18 . Affixed to the beam  30  is a plurality of handgrips  32 . The handgrips  32  are spaced apart from each other equal distances. The length of beam  30  is adjustable having a removable section  34  disposed at an end opposite the foot plate  14 . 
     Foot plate  14  has a cut-out  38  on a side opposite the base plate  12 . The cut-out  38  is wider than the handgrips  32 . The cut-out  38  is configured such that as the height adjustment member  18  moves the beam  30  through the available range of distances ‘x’ the beam  30  passes through the cut-out  38 . The cut-out  38  allows the beam  30  to extend past the foot plate  14  when the height adjustment member  18  is fully extended. When the machine  10  is ready to be put away the height adjustment member  18  is fully contracted and the beam  30  does not extend past the foot plate  14 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 6 an additional feature of the machine can be seen. A pair of spread members  40  can be attachable to the machine  10  at pivot  42 . Spread members  40  have a cushion  44  and a support  46  at an end opposite the pivot  42 . The pivot  42  allows the spread members  40  to pivot between flange  16  and foot plate  14 . Each spread member  40  is divided into a first section  48  and a second section  50 . First section  48  and second section  50  are telescopically received within each other such that the length of spread member  40  is adjustable. The sections  48  and  50  are secured together by a pin (not shown in drawings) but could also be secured by any conventional means. Stops  54  on the end plate prevent the pair of spread members  40  from extending past a 180° arc. 
     In use the machine  10  is placed in a convenient spot on the floor. A user adjusts the beam  30  by releasing latch  24  and extending the height adjustment member  18 . The user&#39;s feet are then placed against the foot plate  14  with the legs flat against the base plate  12  under the beam  30 . The latch  24  is then released and the beam  30  is lowered to a desired location above the legs and allowing the latch  24  to engage. The user then leans forward and grasps a pair of the handgrips  32 . The user can deepen the stretch by pulling the torso towards the beam. By noting which pair of handgrips  32  are grasped the user can determine a degree of flexibility. For a user with a high degree of flexibility the beam  30  can become an obstruction to an effective stretch. In such a case removable section  34  is removed from the beam  30 . 
     The machine  10  is used with the spread members  40  in much the same way as described above. Instead of placing the feet against the foot plate  14 , a user places the feet on  5  support  46  against cushion  44 . The handgrips  32  are grasped and the user stretches a different set of muscles. The degree of the stretch can be varied by extending the spread members  40  towards the stops  54 . 
     In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. The preferred embodiment and alternatives were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the foot plate  14  could be welded to the base plate  12 . Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.