IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISING APPARATUS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomson King, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISING
APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by William J. O. Byron, junior,
of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 16th January 1880, and dated the 18th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomson King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July 1879.
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISING APPARATUS." [A communication from abroad by
William J. O. Byron, junior, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.]
The object of the Invention is to produce apparatus, which is simple in construc-
tion, can be cheaply made, and with which persons may take exercise similar to
and nearly approaching that obtained by rowing a boat in water. Parts of the
apparatus are capable of adjustment so as to suit the size and strength of the
person using it and the amount of exercise desired to be taken. The said apparatus
is further so constructed as to be readily folded up when not in use into a space
much smaller than that which it occupies when in use.
The Invention consists essentially in the combination of the various parts herein-
after described to produce the desired effects.
A stand or framework which rests on the ground or floor is formed with a groove
or grooves, projecting piece or projecting pieces, along its upper, horizontal, or nearly
horizontal surface. The said groove or grooves, projection or projections, serves or
serve as a guide or guides for a seat, which is free to slide to and fro on the said
stand or frame. The said stand or frame is provided at each side with sockets, into
which outriggers or bars are fitted; the said outriggers or bars are held in position
by stay rods. A tongue piece or bar projects from the frame work in front and is
provided with adjustable foot rests. To the front end of the said tongue piece or
bar is attached a cross bearer, to each end of which are secured india rubber or
other springs. The said springs are attached at their other ends to oars, one end of
Price

page_text: each of which is hinged to one of the outriggers above mentioned. The said stand
For-frame outriggers, stay_rods, tonguepiece, foot rests, springs, and oars are made
adjustable, and are connected together by hinges, hooks,-or-equivalent devices
whereby-they may be folded together or taken to pieces as desired.
-In-practice, the person exercising sits on the sliding seat, places the feet on the 5
rests, grasps the free ends of the oars, and is then in a position to take exercise
similar to that afforded by rowing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thomson King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th January
1880.
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISING APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by
William J. O. Byron, junior, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
The object of the Invention is to produce apparatus, which is simple in construc-
tion, can be cheaply made, and with which persons may take exercise similar to
Parts of the
and nearly approaching that obtained by rowing a boat in water.
apparatus are capable of adjustment so as to suit the size and strength of the
person using it, and the amount of exercise desired to be taken. The said apparatus
is further so constructed as to be readily folded up when not in use into a space
much smaller than that which it occupies when in use.
The Invention consists essentially in the combination of the various parts herein-
after described to produce the desired effects.
A stand or framework which rests on the ground or floor is formed with a groove
or grooves, projecting-piece.or.projecting pieces, along its upper, horizontal, or nearly
horizontal surface. The said groove or grooves, projection or projections, serves-or
serve as a guide or guides for a seat which is free to slide to and fro on the said
stand or frame. The said stand or frame is provided at each side with sockets, into
which outriggers or bars are fitted; the said outriggers or bars are held in position
by stay rods. A tongue piece or bar projects from the framework in front and is
'provided with adjustable foot rests.
To the front end of the said tongue piece or
bar is attached a cross bearer, to each end of which are secured india-rubber or
other springs. The said springs are attached at their other ends to oars, one end
of each of which is hinged to one of the outriggers above mentioned. The said
stand or frame, outriggers, stay rods, tongue piece, foot rest, springs, and oars are
made adjustable and are connected together by hinges, hooks, or equivalent devices
whereby they may be folded together or taken to pieces as desired.
In practice, the person exercising sits on the sliding seat, places the feet on the
rests, grasps the free ends of the oars, and is then in a position to take exercise
similar to that afforded by rowing.

page_text: .
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus ready for use embodying my
Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the
apparatus when folded up to be placed out of the way; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the
same; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a health lift made from part of the apparatus.
In the Drawings, 1 are side pieces of a framework, secured together by rungs 24.
The upper portions of the forward ends of the side pieces 1 stop a short distance
back, on a vertical line from the lower portions of the forward ends of said sides,
forming foot like projections 41, which prevent the framework from tipping when
the person is exercising with the apparatus.
In the upper faces of the side pieces 1, are grooves 6, in which slide metallic
tracks secured to the bottom of the sliding seat 5, whereby the latter is supported
and guided when in use. Secured to the sides 1 of the framework are sockets 4,
at an angle to the same, which receive the inner ends of removable outriggers 2;
the outer ends of which, by reason of the angle of the sockets, being when in use
about on a level with the top of said framework.
· 3 are stay rods, pivoted at one end to eyes 26 secured to the sides 1 of the
framework, their other ends being provided with hooks, which fit in eyes 27,
secured to the sides of the outriggers 2. These rods serve to steady the outriggers 2
and keep them in their sockets when in use for exercising.
28 are open eyes, secured at or near the outer ends of the outriggers 2, which
serve to receive the eyes 29 on the ends of oars 7, and act as their fulcra. The
oars 7 are provided with handles, to be grasped like ordinary oars, and with a
series of grooves, 12, 13, 14 to receive hinged rings 15 (shown most clearly by the
detached views Fig. 2). These hinged rings are provided, each half with an
eye 42, in which snap hooks 16 fit and hold the two halves of each ring together.
The ends of the snap hooks 16 are attached to metal angles 17, which pass through
re-enforced holes in stretchers 18, made of vulcanized rubber.
8 is a folding tongue, pivoted at one end to the sides 1 of the framework, and
within the same at 48, and supported in its unfolded position at its outer end by a
leg 27, and a foot 45, forming a part of a metal strap 46 which secures a bar 10 to
the folding tongue. This foot 45 can be secured to the floor by a screw eye 40
passing through the same.
25 is a rod which when the tongue is unfolded passes through holes in the
sides 1 of the framework, and an eye 47, secured to the bottom of said tongue,
to secure the same in position when in use.
'
9 are adjustable foot rests, cast in one piece with the metallic socket 49, which
latter fits over and is capable of sliding on the folding tongue 8, and being held in
the desired position by a pin passing through holes in said socket, and one of a
series of holes 30 in the tongue 8. The rests 9 are at an angle of about forty five
degrees to the tongue 8, to form convenient and comfortable supports for the feet
in exercising, and are provided with straps or shoes like those used in rowing shells,
to enable the person exercising to move forward as well as backward on the sliding
seat 5.
The bar 10 rigidly secured to the outer end of the tongue 8 by the strap 46, as
previously described, is provided with metal eyes 11 with which snap hooks 21 on
chains 20 and hooks 31 on said chains engage. These chains 20 pass through metal
angles 19 which are secured in re-enforced holes in the ends of the stretchers 18.
These stretchers, instead of being made of vulcanized rubber, may be formed of
metal springs.
In exercising the foot rests 9 are adjusted to suit the length of the legs of the
person exercising, the hinged rings 15 are secured in one of the series of grooves
12, 13, 14, depending upon the amount of exercise desired, and the hooks 31 are

page_text: either secured-in-the-eyes-11_or_to_the_links of the chains 20, depending upon the
amount of resistance. desired to be overcome. The person then-grasps-the-handles.
of the oars 7, places his feet on or in the foot rests 9, and sitting on the sliding
seat-5, extends both of the stretchers.18, moving the arms, legs, and body backward
and forward in substantially-the-same manner as if rowing a shell or boat. The
end of the tongue 8 being secured to the floor, as described, keeps the apparatus
from moving.
When it is desired to place the apparatus out of the way after it has been used;
the stay rods 3 are unhooked from the outriggers 2, and hooked into eyes 32 on
the sides 1 of the framework, the outriggers are removed from their sockets 4, the
oars 7 are unhooked from the open eyes 28, the hooks 31 and snap hooks 21 are
unfastened, and the outriggers 2, oars 7, and stretchers 18 with their chains and
hooks are placed within the sides 1 of the framework. The rod 25 is then with-
drawn, the screw eye 40 is removed from the floor, and the tongue 8 folded over,
turning on its pivots 48 into or onto the framework, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of
the Drawings, and the bolt 25 replaced in its holes in the sides 1; the apparatus
then occupying much less space than when adjusted for use.
It is obvious that the tongue 8 might be pivoted or hinged in a different manner
from that shown and described to produce the result desired; that the oars might
be fulcrumed to the outriggers in a different manner from that shown and described,
as by swivels and other well known devices, and may be provided with as many
grooves as is desired to adjust the resistance to be overcome; and that the seat 5
might be supported in any well known manner of supporting sliding seats without
departing from my Invention.
The stretchers 18 can be removed and handles 50 affixed to the stretchers, and
the chains 20 and the hooks 21 and 31 affixed to eyes on a board to form a health
lift, as shown in Fig. 5 of the Drawings; or these stretchers may be employed with
handles 50 in the well known wall exercise. These handles 50 are formed from
metal rods bent into the form shown, their ends entering a hole or holes in the wooden
portion of said handles. This produces a strong and cheap handle for the purpose
described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and particularized the
same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry my improvements into
effect, I claim,-
First. The sides 1 of the framework, provided with foot-like projections 41,.to
prevent said framework from tipping in exercising, in combination with the pivoted
tongue, substantially as specified.
Second. In combination with the framework, a folding tongue, which can be
extended and secured in position when in use, or folded up out of the way when
not in use, substantially-as-specified..
Third. In combination with the framework, removable outriggers, and sockets-to-
receive the latter, secured to the side of said framework, substantially as specified.
Fourth. Grooved oars substantially as specified.
Fifth. The combination of grooved oars with outriggers connected to the frame-
work and stretchers secured to the rigid bar on the folding tongue and said oars,
substantially as specified.
Sixth. The folding tongue provided with a bar 10 rigidly secured thereto, and a
foot that can be secured to the floor, substantially as specified.
Seventh. The foot rests made in one piece with the socket 49, capable of 'adjust-
ment on the folding tongue 8, substantially as specified.
Eighth. The combination, with the adjustable foot rests 9, of the folding tongue 8,
provided with a series of holes 30, substantially as specified.
Ninth. The stretchers provided with hooks and chains so as to be readily adjusted,
substantially as specified.
Tenth. The combination of the stay rods with the removable outriggers, sub-
stantially as specified.

page_text: Eleventh. The combination of the sliding seat with the framework, the outriggers,
the oars, the stretchers, and a folding tongue, substantially as specified.
Twelfth. The combination of the folding tongue with the rod 25, passing through
the sides 1 of the framework and the screw-eye 47, in the bottom of the folding
tongue 8, to secure the same in position when unfolded and in use, substantially as
specified.
Thirteenth. The combination of the stay rods 3 with the eyes 32, substantially
as specified.
Fourteenth. The combination of the oars and outriggers, the bar 10, stretchers 18,
chains 20, and books 21 and 31, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomson King, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
J. T. KING (LS)