Abstract:
An exercise apparatus that exercises at least four groups of muscles is disclosed. The exercise apparatus exercises at least the calf muscles, the hamstring muscles, the quadriceps muscles and the maximus gluteus muscle. The apparatus utilizes a seated position and incorporates an elastomeric tension member to provide the resistance. The exercise apparatus incorporates a backrest and a footrest. When a person exercising pushes against the backrest, the backrest rotates listing the person exercising such that the four muscle groups are exercised.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an exercise apparatus and more particularly the present invention is directed to an exercise apparatus that will exercise at least four groups of muscles. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Many devices exist for exercising various parts of the body for commercial and home use. Some of the prior art devices are: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,741, to Robert Fan. 
     This exercise apparatus simulates horse riding type and rowing type exercise. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,013 to W. R. Dofel. 
     This exercise devise provides a mechanical resistance assembly which employs a resistance strap which is stretched by use of a pulley system pulled by the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,450 to Steams. 
     This exercise machine provides for abdominal exercising. This machine also allows a chest pod to rotate, which is resisted by either a viscous fluid resistance, or stacked weights. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,287 to Brewer. 
     This exercise apparatus employs a resistance that is experienced by a person exerting a force to pull or push the body engaging members. The resistance can be varied. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,976 to Isac Berger. 
     This apparatus utilizes a footrest tied into springs. Each limb can be independently exercised. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,144 to Gibson. 
     This devise is potable which performs upper and lower body exercises and also having a freestanding frame for storage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus to exercise four groups of muscles. 
     It is another object of the present invention to exercise the maximus gluteus muscle in addition to three leg muscles. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention that can be efficiently and economically manufactured. 
     Briefly, in accordance with the present invention there is provided an exercise apparatus that has a rectangular seat, which is attached on the bottom to a main hollow rectangular member. The main hollow rectangular member has two members attached to the main hollow rectangular member and extending backward at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. A footrest member extending forward from the seat is adjustable to account for the different lengths of exerciser&#39;s legs. The footrest member has a footrest that is pivoted and is also adjustable. A backrest has at the top an adjustable headrest. Attached to the backrest is a semi-circular member that rides in a track extending backward from the main hollow rectangular member. The semi-circular member contains an adjustable elastomeric band. The tensioning mechanism is controlled by a cable through pulleys. When the exerciser pushes back on the backrest, with the feet pushing against the footrest, the backrest will roll in a track and the exerciser&#39;s back will rotate, the exerciser&#39;s rear will lift off of the seat and simultaneously the tensioning will increase the tension force required to push backwards. The exerciser then relaxes the push backward and the semi-circular member will roll forward, the exerciser&#39;s rear will then engage the seat with the tensioning force decreasing. This movement is repeated until a complete workout is obtained in the previously mentioned four muscle groups. 
    
    
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon detail consideration of the following Description of the Preferred Embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings that illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention are: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a left side view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the fiberglass strips that hold the circular channel member in the flat channel member. 
    
    
     The novel features which are believe to be characteristic of the invention, both as its organization and its method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to FIG. 1 there is seen a perspective view of the present invention generally shown as  10 . This view shows the seat  12  that consists of a hard material covered by a foam rubber and is further covered by a waterproof material. Fastened to the seat is a main hollow rectangular member  14 . Attached to the main hollow rectangular member  14  is a pair of rectangular members  16  and  18  which are extended rearward at approximately 45 degrees and which are used for stabilization. Extending forward and fitting inside the main hollow rectangular member  14  is a footrest member  20 . The main hollow rectangular member  14  has a longitudinal adjustment by using a screw (not shown) where a knob  22  is attached to the upper end of the screw. The screw is threaded into a flat channel member  15  and is turned by the knob  22 . When the proper adjustment is obtained by the exerciser using the knob  22 , the screw is tightened and the screw bears on the main hollow rectangular member  14  holding the main hollow rectangular member  14  in place. The footrest member  20  has on the end a footrest bracket  24 . The footrest bracket  24  has a footrest rectangular member  25  attached to the footrest bracket  24 . The footrest member  20  is therefore adjustable by means of spring biased pins  26  extending through holes in the main hollow rectangular member  14 . The footrest rectangular member  25  has a footrest  28  that is pivotally mounted in the footrest bracket  24 . It is also noted that footrest  28  has a stop build in the bracket  24  that allows the footrest  28  to stop approximately 90 degrees to the footrest member  20 . The footrest  28  pivots backward for storage of the exercise apparatus. Thus it can be seen that the exerciser can adjust for leg length by the screw attached to the knob  22  where the main hollow rectangular member  14  can slide into the flat channel member  15 . Also, the exercise can adjust for leg length by the spring biased pins  26  when the rectangular member  20  attached to bracket  24  slides into the main hollow rectangular member  14 . FIG. 1 also shows the backrest  30 . Backrest  30  consists of a hard material covered by foam rubber (not shown) and is further covered by waterproof material. The backrest  30  is fastened to a rectangular hollow backrest member  32  by suitable fastening means such as screws. The backrest member  32  is in the center of the backer  30  and is fastened at the bottom by backrest  34  to a semi-circular channel member  36  and the rectangular hollow backrest member  32  is fastened at the top by bracket  38  also to the semicircular member  36 . The rectangular hollow backrest member  32  extends upward where a headrest member  40  extends down in the rectangular hollow backrest member  32 . The headrest  42  is adjustable upward and downward by spring biased pins  33  through a hole in the rectangular hollow backrest member  32 . This is best seen in FIG.  2 . The headrest  42  consists of a hard material covered by a foam rubber and is further covered by a waterproof material. The headrest  42  is fastened to a rectangular plate  43  by suitable means such as screws. Rectangular plate  43  is attached to rectangular member  44 . Rectangular member  44  is fitted into a hollow rectangular member  46 . Member  46  is attached to the upper end of headrest member  40 . Member  44  is adjustable by spring biased pins  48  fitted into holes into member  46 . Thus, the headrest is adjustable up or down and is also adjustable forward and backward. These adjustments are necessary to accommodate the difference in an exerciser&#39;s torso. Also seen in FIG. 1 are right and left hand grips  50  and  51  attached to the bottom or rectangular hollow backrest member  32  that stabilizes a person&#39;s body when performing the exercise with the present invention. Attached to the rectangular hollow backrest member  32  by pivoting means and by bracket  52  is a tensioning mechanism  57  which comprises a tension member  54  attached to the inside of circular member  36  by bracket  56 . The tensioning member  54  is also attached to a tensioning bracket  56 . The tensioning mechanism  57  has an arcuate slot  58  that pin  60  which holds one end of tensioning member  54  can slide. The opposite end of pin  60  is threaded and contains a knob  62  (seen in FIG.  2 ). When pin  60  containing tension member  54  is moved to the lower end of the arcuate slot  58 , the tensioning member  54  provides maximum tension. Conversely, when pin  60  containing tension member  54  is moved to the upper end of the arcuate slot  58 , the tension member  54  provides the least tension. The exerciser can adjust the tension member  54  by moving pin  60  to give the desired amount of tension. The exerciser can then tighten the knob  62  when the desired amount of tension is obtained. 
     As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tensioning mechanism  57  also contains a cable  64  that is attached to the rectangular hollow backrest member  32  by a bracket  66 . The cable  64  is threaded through pulley  68  and also threaded through pulley  70  and attached at  72  which is a portion of the channel member  15 . 
     Semi-circular channel member  36  is captured in channel member  15  by three strips of flexible fiberglass as seen in FIG.  3 . One flexible strip  21  is fastened to the inside portion of channel member  15  by fastening means  17 . The other two flexible strips  23  and  25  are fastened by fastening means  19  to the outside of the semi-circular channel member  36 . Fastening means  17  and  19  are screws, rivets or any suitable fastener. This provides capturing means in the channel member  15  for the semi-circular channel member  36 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 2 there is seen a left side view of the present invention. In this view the knob  62  which is used to position the end of tension member  54  in the arcuate slot  58  can be seen. In the view the footrest  28 , footrest bracket  24 , footrest member  20 , seat  12 , backrest  30 , and main hollow rectangular member  14  can also be seen. Also seen in this view is headrest  42 , rectangular plate  43 , rectangular member  44 , hollow rectangular member  46 , spring biased pin  48  and rectangular hollow backrest member  32 . Also in this view is a spring biased pin  33  that holds the headrest member  46  in place when the headrest  42  is adjusted in the vertical position. FIG. 2 also shows the circular channel member  36 , the tension member  54 , the bracket  56  holding the tension member  54  to the inside of channel member  36  and brackets  34  and  38  holding the channel member  36  to the rectangular hollow backrest member  32 . In this view the tension mechanism  57 , held on to the inside of circular member  36  by bracket  52  has an arcuate slot  58  that pin  60  (not shown in FIG. 2) which holds one end of tension member  54  can slide. Pin  60  is threaded and knob  62  is used to tighten and hold the pin  60  in a fixed position in the arcuate slot  58 . FIG. 2 also shows cable  64  which is threaded through pulleys  70 , threaded through pulley  68  and attached to the rectangular hollow backrest member  32  by bracket  66 . The cable  64  is also threaded through pulley  68  and pulley  70  and attached at  72  which is a portion of the channel member  15 . 
     The operation of the exercise apparatus  10  is very easy. The exerciser after adjusting the equipment to fit the exerciser&#39;s torso pushes back with the leg muscles after placing both feet on footrest  28  causing the backrest  30  to rotate which in turn causes the semi-circular member  36  to rotate in channel  15 . Simultaneously, a tension is placed in cable  64  that pulls the tensioning mechanism downward. This movement provides a tension in member  54  which gives a resistance to the exerciser. When the exerciser released the leg muscles, the semi-circular member  36  rotates back to the original position. The exerciser can repeat the above motion and exercise the four groups of muscles previously stated. 
     The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the aforegoing description. Although this invention has been described in this preferred form, with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.