IMPROVE- MENTS IN EXERCISING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Herbert John Allison at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1881. A communication
from abroad by John Richard Judd, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States, America.
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the Firm of Allison Brothers, Patent Agents, of
41, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN EXERCISING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by John
Richard Judd, of the City, County, and State of New York, United States,
America.
This Invention relates to that class of exercising machines whereby is provided
the opportunity for the employment of muscular force in raising and lowering a
weight attached to a cord running over a pulley, and the peculiarity of the
Invention is, that the mechanism employed is adapted to be at pleasure readily
attached to and detached from the door case or window frame, or other suitable
part of a room, and when detached, its several parts being separated and
occupying but little space, may be all conveniently packed in a box or put out of
the way.
To the upper part of the door case or window frame, or to any other convenient
part of a room, is attached a pulley having its bearings in a bracket. A plate is
screwed to the door case or window frame, or other convenient part, and is made
hollowed out at the middle with flat edges on either side, so as to fit on a round or
square moulding. The edges are provided with dovetail flanges, and the foot of
the above mentioned bracket carrying the pulley, which is a plate with bevelled
edges, is fitted to slide in between the said flanges and form a dovetail joint. The
two plates may be slightly and correspondingly tapering. Instead of employing
the plate above mentioned, the back part of the bracket may be hollowed out in
the centre so as to adapt itself to the moulding, and may be hung upon a hook
screwed or otherwise fixed into the door case or window frame, or other convenient
part of the room, thereby dispensing with the said plate.
A second pulley is secured to the floor by a plate having flanges at its sides,
into which the foot of the bracket carrying the pulley fits with a dovetail joint.
When the plate is secured to the floor and the bracket is slid into its seat between

page_text: the dovetail flanges, it is locked in place by a swinging bar (hinged to the plate)
which is swung over and dropped down behind the rear end of the foot of the
bracket, or it may be secured by means of a pin passing through the plate into the
floor and behind the foot of the bracket, or by any other suitable means.
A rope runs over the top pulley and under the bottom pulley, with one end
connected to a rod by a snap hook or other means, to the lower end of which is
attached a block constituting a weight to be lifted by pulling at the opposite end
of the rope, which is furnished with a handle or handles for the purpose. Additional
weights may be laid on the said block.
Two guide rods or wires are employed for steadying the weight as it rises and
falls. These rods or wires are provided with eyes at both ends, by which they
are booked on to hooks, two suspended from the bracket of the top pulley and two
either screwed into the floor or preferably attached to the floor plate in which is
held the bracket carrying the lower pulley, or to a separate plate. The shanks of
the two upper hooks are screw threaded and provided with thumb nuts. They
are held in slotted openings in arms that extend from the centre of the top bracket.
The guide rods or wires may be adjusted in place by hooking their lower ends on
to the hooks attached to the floor or to the floor plate, and the upper ends into
the two upper hooks, and then tightening up the thumb nuts. The rods or wires
may obviously be detached by reverse movements. If preferred, eye bolts may
be used instead of the top hooks, such eye bolts being permanently connected
with the top eyes in the rods or wires; or the eyes in the upper ends of the guide
rods or wires may be dispensed with, and the said rods or wires provided at the
upper ends with screw threads and thumb nuts, and placed in the slotted openings
in the arms of the top bracket.
The block constituting the weight is provided with ears which extend laterally
from it, and through which pass the guide rods or wires. These ears are preferably
made of thick leather and held in recesses in the top face of the said block. In
some cases the extra weights may also be provided with similar ears, the object
being to steady the weight in its up and down motion. The holes for the rods or
wires should be slotted out to the ends of the ears, the slots being cut at an angle
to the axis of the hole. The rods or wires may then be passed through the slots
into the holes by bending the sides of the slots, whereby, when the rods are in
the holes and the sides of the slots are bent back to a plane, the rods are held from
moving back into the slots. A suitable pad or cushion may be placed upon the
floor between the guide rods or wires, so as to prevent any noise when the weight
is accidentally allowed to touch the floor.
The block and the several extra weights may be raised in their upper face, with
projections in their lower face to fit into the recesses, or vice versa, to prevent them
sliding one upon another.
A box is provided into which the whole apparatus may be packed, and the two
sides of the said box have each a groove, either inside or outside, and near the top,
into which grooves are arranged to slide runners attached to the under side of
a sliding seat. This sliding seat is used for the purpose of imitating the motion
of rowing.
An extension bar is arranged to slide at one end of the box, one end of which
bar is fastened to the floor bracket by a suitable catch, and the other end is
prevented from slipping out of the slot at the end of the box by means of a peg.
A foot rest is provided which may be of any suitable material. It is suitably
formed, being preferably two shoes connected by a bridge to receive the feet of the
operator, one end resting on the floor and the other or top end connected to the
bracket carrying the lower or floor pulley. The means of connecting are as
follows: In the centre of the bridge is fixed a pin projecting downwards, which
is passed over a bar on the bracket, and it is also provided with a hole into which
enters a pin or projection upon the said bracket. This foot rest is also made so as
to fit over the extension bar above mentioned, the pin entering into holes pierced
in the said bar, so that the length may be adjusted in relation to the sliding seat,

page_text: and thereby preventing it shifting backwards or forwards. In order to more
securely fix it upon the bar, a sliding band or collar is fitted over the nose of the
foot rest, or the foot rest may be made so as so run in a dovetail cut in the
extension bar.
The apparatus may be used by the operator either standing, lying down upon
the floor, or in a sitting position upon the floor. In some cases one end of the rope
may have a strap attached to it, which can be fastened round the ankle for the
purpose of exercising the muscles of the leg. The lower or floor pulley and the
sliding seat in the above mentioned box may be dispensed with, the end of the
rope being attached to a whiffle tree having two ropes, one at each end. These
ropes are supplied with suitable handles, and the apparatus may be used for pulley
weights by lifting up and down the weights, the operator being in a standing
position.