Abstract:
A double roller exercise device has a pair of elongated spaced-apart rollers with a grip handle secured at the end of each roller. A compressible-expandable spring is connected to the adjacent grip handle and the roller can be pushed or pulled by the exerciser by manipulating the grip handles by the exerciser.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to exercise devices and is particularly related to an exercise device for the hands, wrists and pectoral parts of the body. More particularly, the present exercise device utilizes a pair of parallel spaced cylindrical rollers having a grip handle at each end of the rollers and a tension spring connecting the adjacent handles for manipulating the rollers. The device is also useful for massaging the back, legs and thighs of the exerciser. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A variety of roller exercise devices are commonly used in gyms and at home, and several of these devices are described in various prior art patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,394 issued Jan. 28, 1958 describes a spring roller type exercise device wherein the body weight of the exerciser is used in developing and exercising the muscles of the exerciser. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,179 B2 issued Jan. 7, 2009 describes a spring roller type pectoral exerciser. This patent describes a modification of the device described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,394 for use in pectoral exercise routines. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,926 B2 issued Nov. 21, 2006 discloses an elongated exercise roller formed of a compressible material with a top portion having different curvature than the bottom portion for providing a better balance than conventional cylindrical rollers. 
         [0005]    Roller type exercise devices have had limited use for exercising different parts of the body of the exerciser. Thus, it is often necessary to use more than one device for simultaneous exercise of more than one body part. 
         [0006]    Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise device for exercising the wrists, hands, arms and even the pectoral parts of the exerciser body simultaneously without the need for another exercise device. 
         [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spring roller type exercise device which is portable and which can be adapted and easily manipulated by the exerciser for a variety of exercises. 
         [0008]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide a spring roller type exercise device and a method of using the exercise device for massaging body parts of the exerciser such as the back, thighs and the upper legs. 
         [0009]    The foregoing and other objects of the present invention can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides an exercise device comprising a pair of parallel elongated and spaced apart cylindrical rollers each having two circular ends. The rollers may be made of rubber, compressible foam material or suitable plastic. Each end of the roller has a central bore drilled a finite distance in the roller and a grip handle is inserted through the central bore and is firmly secured therein by a suitable means such as nuts and bolts or other securing means. A compressible-expandable spring is connected to adjacent grip handles, one end of each spring being secured to a grip handle and the other end of the spring being secured to the adjacent grip handle. Each spring is compressed or expanded when the respective grip handle to which they are attached are expanded or compressed as the exerciser manipulates the rollers forward and backward. 
         [0011]    The invention also describes a method of exercising the hand, wrist and pectoral parts of the body and for massaging the legs and back of the exerciser. Thus, the exerciser can lie flat on his stomach, grip the grip handles and manipulate them front and back during the exercise. The exerciser can also insert his legs (thighs) through the space between the rollers, grip the handles and manipulate the springs to cause front and back motion to the rollers for massaging the legs. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate like parts: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of double rollers exercise device of the present invention with grip handles and connecting spring; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the device shown in  FIG. 1  with the rollers shown in phantom when the springs are forced out; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing the spring compressed to the contour of the body of the exerciser; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view showing the exerciser manipulating the rollers by gripping the handles to pull or push the rollers during exercise; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is another diagrammatic view showing the user massaging the leg (thigh) by placing the thigh in the space between the rollers and manipulating the rollers by forcing the springs outward. 
       
    
    
       [0019]    The foregoing and other features of the present invention will now be described in the following detailed description with reference to the various figures of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Referring to the drawings, and first to  FIGS. 1-3 , the exercise device  10  has two adjacent elongated cylindrical rollers  11 , 13  which may be made of rubber, compressible foam material or suitable plastic. The respective circular ends  15 ,  17 ,  19 ,  21  of the rollers are provided with grip handles  23 ,  25 ,  27 ,  29 . Each of the grip handles is partially inserted through a central bore (not shown) which is drilled partly into each roller, and retained in position by a retainer means such as a nut and bolt combination  31 ,  33 ,  35 ,  37  or by some equivalent retaining means. The adjacent grip handles  23 ,  27  are connected together by means of a compressible-expandable spring  39  and the adjacent grip handles  25 ,  29  are similarly connected together by means of a compressible expandable spring  41 . The rollers  11 , 13  are rotatable in clockwise and counter-clockwise direction by manipulating the grip handles  23 ,  25  and the grip handles  27 ,  29  by the exerciser as further explained below. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows the positions of the rollers and other parts of the exercise device, in phantom positions  11   a ,  13   a ,  23   a ,  25   a ,  27   a ,  29   a , after expanding the springs  39 ,  41  by forcing them in outward direction. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  showing the rollers  15  and  19  in phantom positions  15   a ,  19   a , respectively, when the spring is force outward. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  and illustrates the body contour of the exerciser. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates the method of using the exercise device by the exerciser  43 . Thus while the exerciser  43  lies flat as shown in this figure, he grips the grip handles  23 ,  25  and pulls the device toward himself and thus rotates the rollers  11  and  13  toward himself as shown by the phantom positions of rollers  11   a ,  13   a  and then pushes the grip handles forward to return the rollers to their initial position. Repeated pull-and-push of the rollers  11 ,  13  results in strengthening the pectoral parts of the exerciser body as well as strengthening the forearm and the biceps. By adjusting the tension in the springs  39 ,  41  the forces exerted by the exerciser can be increased or decreased as desired. 
         [0025]    As it was previously mentioned, the double roller exercise device of this invention can also be used to massage the exerciser&#39;s leg as shown in  FIG. 6 . Thus, the tension springs  39 ,  41  may be first adjusted to define a proper space  43  between the adjacent rollers  11 ,  13 . The exerciser then inserts one leg (thigh)  45  through the space  43 , such that the back of his knee (popliteal fossa) rests on the front roller  13  and the thigh is pressed by the roller  11  against the roller  13 . The exerciser can then grip the grip handle  23  with his left hand and grips the grip handle  27  with his right hand and pushes the rollers  11 ,  13  in opposite front and back directions, thus exerting pressure on the thigh and imparts a massage action on his legs. By adjusting the springs attached to the grip handles, the space  43  between the rollers may be adjusted to accommodate the leg between the rollers for effective massage action. 
         [0026]    The double roller exercise device of this invention may also be used for massaging the back of the exerciser. This would simply require that the exerciser lie flat on his back on the rollers and manipulate the rollers forward and backward with his back for relief.