Improvements in Exercisers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Exercisers.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON WHITELY of No. 1007, Opera House Building,
Chicago, State of Illinois, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to exercisers and has for its object to provide certain new
and useful improvements whereby to increase the utility of such exercisers and
extend the range and increase the variety of uses to which they may be put and
whereby to facilitate their use and simplify their construction.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,
Figure 1 is a view of my device extended as if for use with the double clamp
and single stops on the cord though they would not probably be used together.
Figure 2 is a detail of the cord end piece;
Figure 3 is a detail of the double clamp;
Figure 4, a detail of the single stop;
Figure 5, a detail of the hinge hook;
Figure 6, a detailed modification of the two handle end piece ;
Figure 7, a detail of the passage pulley;
Figure 8, a detail of a modified cord end piece;
Figure 9, a detail of the suspending hooks; and
Figure 10, a detail of the foot stirrup.
Like parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several figures.
AA are hinges. E is an upper four-sided piece carrying three pulleys E¹ E' E';
and F is a lower similar piece carrying three pulleys F F F³. G is a continuous
elastic cord travelling over these several pulleys and provided with the handles H H¹
and with the single stops J J' adjustable along the cord G. Each handle is secured
to the hook K which is attached to the end of the cord by means of the coupling L.
M is the double clamp having its ends separated as indicated at N and provided
with holes OO through which the cord G is adapted to pass. The single stops J J
are alike and are preferably in the shape of washers having the central hole J' and
entering slots J³. The hinge hooks D D' are alike and each is provided with the
large upper loop D2 to fit over the hinge portion, and spring ends D³ somewhat
separated and the upwardly turned hook ends D'. The several pulleys E' E' E³
F F and F are all alike except that some may have swivelled heads or eyes and
they are provided each with the upper aperture E* of proper size to admit the
coupling L and hook K to pass therethrough and each is provided with a pulley
wheel Es having a suitable surface groove. The pieces E and F are designed to
hold the sets of pulleys at a practically uniform distance from each other rigidly
and they are by it all suspended from the hook, nail or the like or from the hinge
by means of the hinge hook. In the case illustrated, the central pulley E² is
Where
suspended slightly below the other pulleys by means of the bar E' E.
but two pulleys are used as in the case of a triangle, the shape of such piece
is slightly modified. G¹ is a cord which may or may not be elastic and
which may be attached to a ring midway, whereby it is secured to one of the
hooks K and the two ends of the cord are provided each with a similar hook K
and coupling L. G³ is a pulley adapted to be attached to one end of the
cord and over it plays the cord G of the two handle end piece. The foot piece or
stirrup consists of the ring T and the two preferably elastic loops T' about the
ankle and T2 on the hollow of the foot. The passage pulley is shown as enlarged

page_text: in Figure 7 and it consists of the case baving the aperture E therethrough. This
pulley also has the supporting eye R² secured by the shank R³ and enlargement R*
which is preferably cast in the metal of the case. At the lower end of the pulley
case are the screw plugs R R having each the pyramidal shaped recesses Re R®.
E' is the pulley wheel with grooved periphery and projecting from its sides are the
cone shaped bearings R8 R8. The cord end pieces or couplings consist of a body
portion having the longitudinal aperture K' and the transverse aperture K². The
longitudinal aperture K' is of diminishing cross section toward the end of the case.
K³ is the enlarged wrapped end of the cord G. The hook K is provided with the
narrow opening L', shank L. and the enlarged head L³ which is cast within the
metal at the upper portion of the coupling. The hook K may be secured by
having its inner end upset like a rivet head. The upper end of the body of the
coupling may be flanged to receive the annular end of the two part hook Kio. The
hook U shewn particularly at Fig. 9 is provided with the curves V1 V2 which are
bent far inward for the purpose hereinafter set forth. V indicates the metal cut
away at the lower part of the pulley piece to admit the introduction of the pulley
wheel with its cone bearings.
I have alluded to the exerciser cord proper as being elastic or elastic substantially
throughout its length. Of course, many of the features of my invention could be
employed with a cord other than an elastic cord and I do not wish to be limited in all
cases to a cord elastic throughout its length. On the other hand much the same
result could be accomplished perhaps but not in so desirable a manner by using a
cord which would have some small portion or portions of its length non-elastic, but
this would be a mere evasion of what I am seeking here to cover.
I do not, of course, desire to be limited to the precise construction of the several
parts as here shown, and some of the features of my invention here set out may be
separately used or all may be used together as here indicated. I do not wish to be
limited to the use of all these parts together nor to any particular arrangement of
the several parts in joint use in one machine.
In some instances and with regard to certain kinds of training, it is desirable to
secure a great length of cord for the strain is distributed more or less throughout
the entire length of the cord and the resistance offered to the muscles in using such
a device is more nearly uniform throughout the stroke. I have, therefore, by
means of the arrangement here illustrated in Figure 1 and elsewhere, secured a
quadruple cord or four lengths between the two points of attachment of the
ends of the cord. I do this by placing a series of pulleys at each point of
attachment.
It is very desirable in order to fit the exerciser for use generally and in
connection with various kinds of hooks, nails and the like and particularly to
qualify the exerciser for the use of persons when travelling, in which event it is
often desirable to support the exerciser upon door hinges. I supply the exerciser
with what I have called hinge hooks, although, of course, the hooks can be used
with other than hinge supports. The two extremities of the hook are held
somewhat separated by a spring action and are of such size as to pass when forced
together, conveniently through the eye of the pulley support or the pulley eye. These
two hooks terminate in overturned portions so that they are not easily removed
from such triangle or eye except by the effort of the operator. When the hook
is inserted into the eye, the parts are released from the pressure previously applied
and as they tend to separate they thus hold themselves securely in position.
It is found desirable to keep the cord always slightly taut when it is suspended
and it is particularly desirable to keep it always taut while in use for if it is
relaxed and especially if it is relaxed while in use, suddenly, the hooks are very
likely to become loosened and this regardless of the manner in which the device
is suspended. To avoid this difficulty I have provided the two single stops.
The cord G is stretched until its cross section is greatly reduced, when it is
forced through the slot finto the hole in the centre of the stop and here it is

page_text: allowed to expand and thus hold the stop securely in its proper position on the
cord.
For certain kinds of exercise, it is very desirable to have the cord stretched so
as to require the exercise of considerable power to make the required movements
and at the same time to have the cord arranged so that there will be a strong
inward pull of the arm. This I accomplish by means of the double clamp which
is applied to the two ends of the cord and near the two handles, whereupon it
will be evident that the result, last above suggested, is attained and also that the
cords are always kept taut while the machine is in position for use.
In the adjustment of the cords and the application of the parts, it is very desirable
to remove, sometimes, the entire cord from its pulleys, and this is rendered possible
by making the couplings and hooks of such cross sectional area as just to pass easily
through the aperture in the pulley case.
It is sometimes desirable for the development of certain muscles and with persons
of a certain strength, to perform the movements on but one end of the cord. To
accomplish this, I provide a double handle end piece which is provided with a ring
or the like to engage one of the end hooks on the cord; and the two ends of the
double handle end piece are provided with similar hooks and couplings to which
handles are attached. This cord may be continuous and elastic, or non-elastic and
may pass over a pulley instead of being supplied with a ring.
In devices of this character, it is important to have closely fitting, easy running,
noiseless parts and hence the necessity for the pulley construction I have shown.
The cone shaped bearings coming in contact with the sides of the pyramidal shaped
recesses, give but one line of contact between the parts and I am therefore enabled
to set the plugs very firmly toward the pulleys and secure an even running bearing
without the danger of noise or rattling of the parts. Moreover, by the construction
shown, I can easily center the pulley by moving the two plugs in either direction.
The metal at the lower portion of the case is cut away so as to admit the cone
bearings of the pulley wheel to pass into position as indicated at V.
Another important requirement in machines of this character is that they may be
easily separated into their several parts, the cord being removed. Now the cord is
necessarily quite firmly attached to its end couplings and hence I have made the
enlarged passage in the case of the pulley to admit of the passage of the cord and
its end couplings therethrough.
The pulley should be free in some cases to rotate upon its supporting part and
this too with the least possible friction or noise and hence I have in some instances
supplied the supporting eye, the head of which is enlarged into the shape of a flat
disc and then cast within the metal. The head is coated with a non-fusing material
and placed in a mould about which the metal of the pulley case is cast, when, by
twisting the head and shaking the parts, the coating material will drop out and leave
the parts together as indicated in the drawing.
The character of these machines and the conditions under which they are used
require the several parts to work very freely and easily and also require the goods
to be made in attractive form. I have found that best results are obtained when
the handles are attached to a point substantially coincident with the axis of such
cord when prolonged and particularly when the handle is capable of rotation about
such axis. This result I accomplish by securing the end of the cord in a coupling
piece substantially as indicated. The end of the cord is drawn through the coupling
piece as indicated in Figure 8 and the end is then heavily and firmly wrapped with
cord or the like and the whole made secure. The cord is then pulled through until
the wrapped end is firmly seated in the aperture of the case and since this aperture
is decreasing in cross section to the outer end, the cord is firmly held in position, the
axis being coincident with the longitudinal axis of the coupling piece. I now secure
to the end of this coupling piece, the small hook, it being preferably secured by
casting its enlarged head within the body of the coupling piece as above suggested
with regard to the pulley. The outward curve of the hook is substantially in the

page_text: same time as the axis of the cord and coupling and by reason of the shank and head
is capable of rotation about such axis.
In exercisers of this general class where they are suspended or attached to a
hook, it is desirable that the parts be so related and constructed that a sudden
relaxation of the cord will not detach the pulleys or pulley suspending triangles
and the like from the hooks to which they are attached as would frequently be the
case with the plain hook, nail or the like. It is also desirable as indicated in
Figure 9 and there are many other similar cases, to have means for the attachment
of the handle or one end of the cord in addition to the attachment of the pulleys
and this requires the use of an additional hook at each end of the suspended
exerciser. For this reason I have produced the hooks illustrated, the inner ends
being carried around so as to form almost a closed circle V₁ to receive the eye of
the pulley or suspending triangle; and the other portion V2 of the hook I have
carried downwardly and outwardly to form a hook which would not interfere with
the inner hook or curved portion. It is also desirable that this inner hook or curved
portion should be as close to the wall as possible so as to place the least lateral
strain on the hook and keep the parts of the machine when in use as near the wall
as possible. In the actual operation of the machine, there is, of course, a tendency
for the machine to swing outwardly from the wall and also for the parts to approach
each other and if they were attached, for example to the outer curved portion of
the hooks, the hooks would be speedily loosened in the wood to which they are
secured.
In the exercise of the lower limbs, it is important to have a foot piece or stirrup
which will retain the foot in whatever position it is placed as in such exercises the
foot is brought into every conceivable position, forward, backward, and to one side
of the person, and this while the person is facing sideways or with the back toward
the exerciser; and in the process of training, the change from oue position to
another is made without adjusting the parts by hand. To accomplish this result I
employ the foot piece or stirrup consisting of the two elastic bands T1, T2, secured
to a ring T, which ring is like the eye of a handle, adapted to be received into a
swivel hook.
I have spoken of pyramidal recesses, but of course these recesses may be other-
wise shaped provided only a very small line or point of contact between the walls
of the recesses and the cone shaped bearings is had.
I have before stated that all these several features need not be used at the same
time; nor is it necessary in order to get the benefit or effect of some, that all the
others be employed, but altogether they constitute a complete machine adapted for
several uses to which such device may profitably be applied.
The device having the pulleys at both ends, and there may be one or more
pulleys at each end, is secured in position upon the lower and upper hooks, nails, or
the like, and if employed with the hinge hook attachments then these two hinge
hooks are sprung into the respective eyes of the pulley supports and then over the
freed portions of the hinges or the fixed hooks. The cords are then supplied with
the single stops or with the double clamp, or one end of the cord is made fast to
some point, as, for example, one of the hooks and the other end has the handle
removed and the double handle end piece attached. The clamp M is moved along
the cords to vary the length of the portions between such clamp and the handles
and the stops may be moved along the cord to vary the tension of the cord when at
rest. If while operating with the stops, the clamp or the two handle end piece, the
cord suddenly becomes relaxed or escapes from the hand, the main body of the cord
will still remain taut or tight enough to keep the parts in position on the hooks.
The stops may be placed at any point along the cord to keep any particular part of
the cord taut while the remaining portion may be loose. The objection to making
the two handle end piece elastic is this, if the main parts or cord break or become
loose, the elasticity of the end piece will throw the parts against the user, hence a
non-elastic piece is preferable.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An exerciser comprising a substantially continuous elastic cord, with pulleys,
suspending frames and supporting hooks, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. A supporting pulley and frame for an exerciser substantially as shown and
described.
3. An exerciser embracing the several features described and containing the end
piece with swivelled hook and apertures shaped and located as shown.
4. An exerciser substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1894.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.