A PORTABLE EXERCISING MACHINE OR MECHANICAL HORSE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE HENRY ELLIS of Moor View Lodge, Pennsylvania, Exeter, in the
County of Devon, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for A PORTABLE EXERCISING MACHINE OR MECHANICAL HORSE to be as
follows:-
My invention is intended to provide a means of obtaining exercise for the body,
of a similar character to that caused by the action of a horse.
The mode of carrying out my invention is as follows:-
I provide a pair of double C springs, mounted side by side, about 12 inches
apart, upon a suitable stand or base plate. By preference the latter is provided
with a pair of wheels at one end for the purpose of wheeling the apparatus about.
I suspend from each of the four upper ends of the C springs, by means of leather
straps, made adjustable as to length, or by other similar contrivances, a pair of
scroll rods or supports, upon the top of which a saddle is mounted at a convenient
height. The bottom ends are held by rods or pins passing through, and supported
by, the straps, in such manner that the saddle is carried at four points, two before
and two behind, corresponding to the legs of a horse. In a position a little in
advance and also underneath the front and back pairs of straps, I dispose india-
rubber roller or other buffers, one at each of the four points; and also one in
the centre at each end. The stand or base plate is so arranged that when a person
is in the saddle he can bring down all or any of these buffers so as to strike or
bump upon it. This applies to the four "feet" buffers and also to the two centre
buffers which strike against a vertical plate fitted fore and aft. In ordinary cases
the feet can rest upon the ground, but, when necessary, I fit a pair of rests or
stirrups for the feet made adjustable as to distance from the saddle. I further
provide and fix to the saddle at the front, a projecting rod, carrying a cross handle
at the end, and I sometimes furnish this rod with an casel for carrying a book or
other article. The handle is made adjustable as to length from saddle. The mode
of obtaining exercise will now be understood. A person seats himself in the
saddle, and by the weight and swaying motion of his body, assisted by the bandle,
he can depress the springs at any of the four points, or all simultaneously, also
Pavine Cd1

page_text: swing himself sideway or forward and backward, obtaining a concussion or bump,
at every motion, upon the buffers. This latter action is an essential part of my
Invention.
The Apparatus can be adapted to suit persons of different weights by adjusting
or altering the length of the straps.
I make the apparatus in a modified form for Ladies, retaining all its essential
principles. The C springs are set wider apart, and in place of a saddle I provide
a seat with or without a back. The front centre handle is dispensed with, and
projecting arms are substituted, one at each side, and these may, if desired, have a
cross bandle at the front or ends. There will be other minor modifications which
will be readily understood and which I shall hereafter describe in detail.
Dated this 9th day of August. 1884.

page_text: I GEORGE HENRY ELLIS, of Moor View Lodge, Pennsylvania, Exeter, in the
County of Devon, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "A PORTABLE EXERCISING MACHINE OR MECHANICAL HORSE 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 the construction of a portable exercising machine or
mechanical horse, the object of the invention being to provide a means of obtaining
exercise for the body, similar to that caused by the action of riding on horseback.
In carrying out iny invention, I provide a pair of double C springs, mounted
side by side at a suitable distance apart, upon a stand or frame or a base plato
which is by preference provided with a pair of wheels at one end for the purpose
of wheeling the apparatus about. I suspend from each of the four upper ends of
the said C springs, by means of leather straps, made adjustable as to length, or
by other similar means a pair of scroll rods or supports, upon the top of which, a
saddle is mounted at a convenient height. The bottom ends of the said rods or
supports are held by rods or pins, passing through and supported by the straps, in
such a manner that the saddle is carried at four points, two before and two behind,
corresponding to the legs of a horse. Underneath the front and back pairs of
straps I arrange india-rubber roller or other buffers, one at each of the four points;
The stand or frame or base plate is so arranged that when a person is in the saddle
he can bring down all or any of these buffers so as to strike or bump upon it.
The feet of the person using the apparatus can rest upon the ground, or if required
I provide a pair of rests or stirrups for the feet, made adjustable as regards their
distance from the saddle. To the saddle at the front thereof I fix a vertically
projecting rod or rods, carrying a cross handle at the end, and I sometimes fit the
said rod or rods with an easel or the like for holding a book or other like article.
The length of the handle from the saddle is adjustable.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describo
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a side
elevation, figure 2 a front elevation, and figure 3 a plan, of a portable exercising
machine constructed according to my invention. Similar letters in all the figures
represent similar parts. a, a, a, a represent the pairs of double C-springs and b, is
the stand on which the springs a are mounted; c, c, aro the wheels at one end of
the stand b, to allow of the apparatus being wheeled from one place to another, the
other end of the stand resting upon but being raised from the ground as shown in
figure 1; d, d are the leather straps adjustable in their length and connected at
their upper ends to the ends of the C-springs; e, e, are the scroll or curved rods or
supports suspended from the springs a by the said straps d, and f, is the saddle
mounted on the rods e at a suitable height from the ground; g g are the rods or
pins which hold the ends of the rods e, and pass through the lower ends of and are
supported by the straps d, the saddle f, being thus supported at four points two
being in front and two behind and corresponding with the legs of a horse; h, h are
the buffers one at each of the four points below the front and back pairs of straps;
ii are plates upon the stand b on which the buffers strike when the apparatus is
being used; i, j, are the rests or stirrups which I sometimes employ for the feet of
the person using the apparatus (or the feet of the person may rest on the ground)
the said rests or stirrups are provided with studs or hooks which take into
holes l, in the plates m, fixed to the frame b, by which means the distance of the
rests or stirrupsj j from the saddle f, can be adjusted to suit the person using the

page_text: apparatus; n, n, are the vertically projecting rods provided with the handle a¹ at
their upper end and passing through sockets or eyes o fixed to the underside of the
saddle and secured in position by means of thumb nuts p; by this means the
length of the handle a¹ can be adjusted the saddle being also adjustable.
To make use of my improved exercising apparatus the person seats himself in
the saddle f, and by swaying his body in different directions he will be able by his
weight assisted by the handle a to depress the springs a at any of the four points
or all four points simultaneously; and he can also swing himself sideways or
forward and backward and produce a concussion or bump at every motion upon
the buffers This latter action is an important feature of my invention.
If desired I may provide in addition to the buffers shewn in the drawing
another buffer fixed at the centre of each of the rods which carry the buffers h and
at the front and back of the apparatus I may secure a vertical plate against which
the said central buffers can strike or bump but in practice I find the apparatus to
answer well without this arrangement.
The Apparatus can be adapted to suit persons of different weights, by adjusting
or altering the length of the straps d.
When the apparatus is intended for use by ladies I set the C-springs somewhat
wider apart and in place of the saddle f, as herein before described and shewn
I provide a seat, with, or without, a back and instead of the front centre handle a¹
I employ projecting arms, one at each side and which may, if desired, have a cross
handle at the front or ends.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1) A portable exercising apparatus having a saddle or seat suspended from a
number of springs and provided with buffers so arranged that upon the person
using the apparatus swaying his body any or all of the said buffers can be caused
to strike or bump upon a part of the apparatus substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
(2) In a portable exercising apparatus, the combination, with a saddle or seat
suspended from a number of springs by means of straps or their equivalents, of a
correspouding number of buffera arranged to strike upon the frame of the apparatus
when the same is being used substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
(3) In a portable exercising apparatus the combination of the saddle f, suspended
in the manner described and shewn of the buffers h, stand b, wheels c, foot rests j
and handle a', all arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.