Improvements in or connected with Portable Exercising Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Portable Exercising Apparatus.
I, MICHAEL BARTHOLOMEW RYAN, of 29, Maltby Street, Bermondsey, Lon-
don, S.E., Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and as-
certained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with portable exer-
cising apparatus, whereby same may occupy but little space, so as to enable it
to be conveniently carried about by travellers and be readily attached to a door
or other part without in any way disfiguring same, while the construction is
such that the pull exerted on the elastic or spring cord will be evenly distributed
throughout the length thereof, without exerting a special strain at the point at
which such cord is secured to or suspended from the part which is detachably
fixed to the door, so that the cord will not be liable to wear or break at this point.
The essential feature of the invention consists in substituting a revoluble
pulley for the cord to pass over instead of suspending same directly to the hook
in the device for securing the apparatus to the door or other part, which is de-
scribed in the specification of my prior Patent No. 12832 dated 8th June 1898.
But in order that my invention may be fully understood I will now proceed
to describe same by the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the detachable device secured to the door for re-
ceiving the cord of the exercising apparatus.
Fig. 2a front elevation thereof, and
Fig. 3 a perspective view of the door and such device together with the cord
of the exercising apparatus and the handles which are to be seized by the person
desiring to use same, such cord being practically shown in the position it would
occupy when the apparatus is being used.
A is the clip or cap described in the specification of the prior Patent above re-
ferred to, B is the door to which same is applied, and C the bell-crank or lever
pivotted to such cap or clip, and the lower end of the arm of which bears
against the inside of the door B and is preferably covered with india rubber,
leather, or other suitable yielding material ³, while the other arm c¹ of such bell-
crank or lever is in the form of a hook c.
To this hook e is suspended a part D the lower end of which is forked, and
which forms a carrier for a grooved pulley or roller E, which is mounted so that
it can revolve therein.
It will be readily understood that the carrier might be pivotted directly to
the arm of the bell-crank C instead of being suspended to the hook e thereof,
in which case the latter would not be required. Such carrier D would then have
to be provided with a swivel joint, so as to permit the lower end of same carry-
ing the pulley E to turn freely in any direction.
'
F is the elastic or spring cord which passes over the pulley E between the arms
of the fork, and to the opposite ends of which cord the handles G, to be grasped
by the person using the apparatus, are secured.
It will be seen that if any pull is exerted on either end or on both ends of the

page_text: cord F, the strain will be distributed practically equally right throughout, from
one end of the cord to the other, the revoluble pulley E permitting this, while
at the same time it enables the cord to pass freely over same.
The whole apparatus is exceedingly simple and will occupy but very little space
and is capable of being readily adjusted to a door or other part without in any
way injuring or disfiguring same, the thickness of the part to which it is to be
applied being immaterial, as the pull on the hook will always cause the clip to be
securely clamped thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
The improvements in exercising apparatus consisting in a clip or cap to fit
over a door or other part to which it is desired to apply such apparatus, such clip
being provided with a pivotted bell-crank or lever, one arm of which is caused
to bear against the door or other part, while to the other arm thereof is applied
a carrier wherein a grooved pulley or roller is mounted, over which passes an
elastic or spring cord, the opposite ends of such cord being fitted with handles
to be grasped by the person desiring to use the apparatus, all substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 6th day of December 1899.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.