An Improved Exercising Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Improved Exercising Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, in the City of Birming-
ham, Lord Street, Liverpool, Bank Street, Manchester, and High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
which has been communicated to me by Stanislaw Sachs, of 13, Leipzigerstrasse,
Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Gentleman, to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved exercising apparatus, by which
universal gymnastic movements can be made for developing a person's muscles
and joints in all cases whether for domestic purposes, or in case of bodily infir-
mity. The said apparatus is such as to allow all possible movements, whether
active, passive, or against resistance, to the user without any particular exertion,
and without aid and without fatigue.
The apparatus consists of a base plate or base plates and a pair of rods or poles,
the latter having upon one of their ends a ball formation and the former upon
its, or their, top sides flared sockets or a flared socket to form a seating or seatings
for the ball ends or the rods or poles, and to allow them a universal movement
as a base. The said base plates or plate are, or is, made of any suitable material,
and the underside or undersides thereof are faced with a layer of rubber or a
ring, to make a non-slipping joint with the floor upon which it or they may rest.
The ball ends of the exercising poles may be formed rigid therewith, or be
detachably connected by screws; their other ends are formed with eyes for the
purpose of hanging up the poles when not in use. A rigid handle may form the
top terminations to the poles if necessary, or separate handles may be attached
by means of a ball and socket connection, so that a semi-universal movement of
the said handles is obtainable; the importance of which is for exercising wrist
movements.
The exercising poles may be loaded or weighted so as to give a greater resis-
tance to their lifting movement, and for this purpose a casing or carrier is con-
nected by a sleeve clip to each of the exercising poles, and these carriers, which
are adjustable along the poles' length, support weights or blocks capable of being
easily placed into and out of position.
The base plates carrying the flared sockets, as aforesaid, are provided with
piercings which will enable them to be connected to a hook, or its equivalent,
upon a vertical wall for giving a horizontal working of the apparatus. It is
preferable to make the ball ends of the exercising poles detachable for replacing
different lengthed poles, and in some cases the eye for hanging the same up is
formed upon the ball-ended fitting. A hook and an eye may form the connec-
tion between the exercising poles and their base plates.
An apparatus consisting of a foot board to which the feet are detached, and
having straps connected thereto, the latter for connection to the exercising poles, is
used in conjunction with the apparatus previously described for giving natural com-

page_text: pulsory movements to the feet, ankles, and knees simultaneously with the move-
ments of the arms. The foot board is formed with a triangular block and heel
plates upon it, to space the feet and turn them to a natural angle, and straps are
provided for holding the feet against the inclines and within their heel seatings.
With such an apparatus a large number of movements can be gone through,
either in a standing, sitting, or lying position, by simply taking hold of the ends
of the exercising poles and working them in the sockets of their base plates, and
with the pinioning apparatus natural relative movements from all parts of the
body can be made by working the arms.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, in the City of Birming-
ham, Lord Street, Liverpool, Bank Street, Manchester, and High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(which has been communicated to me by Stanisław Sachs, of 13, Leipzigerstrasse,
Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Director) and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for its object an improved exercising apparatus by which
universal gymnastic movements can be made for developing a person's muscles
and joints in all cases, whether for domestic purposes or for bodily infirmity.
The apparatus is such as to allow all possible movements to the user whether
active, passive, or against resistance, without any particular exertion, aid, or
fatigue.
In the accompanying sheets of drawings such an apparatus is set forth, Sheets 1
and 2 comprising the modified constructions thereof, and Sheet 3 some examples
of using the apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a pair of base plates and rods or poles, the latter
working in conjunction with the former to constitute the apparatus, the poles
being the parts varied by the person taking exercise. Such a base plate and pole
is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first named fig. showing a top side plan of the
plate, & the second fig. a vertical section therethrough with the pole resting in
position upon it. The pole has upon one of its ends a ball formation g and
upon its other end an eye h, the latter for the purpose of hanging the pole when
not in use.
The base plate a has upon its top side a flared socket c, to form a seating for
the ball end of the pole b, and to allow the said pole a universal movement
within it as a base or connection. The said base plate a is made of any suitable
material, and its underside is faced with a rubber ring A to make a non-
slipping joint with the floor upon which it may rest; a piercing or eye i being
also provided through the said base plate to admit of it being supported by a
hook from a wall for horizontal exercising purposes as shown in Fig. 3.
The ball end 9 of the exercising pole may be formed rigid therewith, or be
attachably connected by screws, and instead of the eye or loop h being formed

page_text: upon the upper end of the pole a termination may be used such as is shown
in Fig. 5.
In Fig. 4 an eye h is substituted for the ball g at the end of the pole, and a
hook connection forms the medium of connection therewith to the base plate.
The exercising poles may be loaded or weighted so as to give a greater resistance
to their lifting movement, and for this purpose a casing or carrier o (shown in
Fig. 6) is connected by a sleeve clip p to the upper part of the exercising pole b
for the purpose of carrying rings r, which constitute weights. These carriers are
adjustable along the pole's length, and the weights or blocks can be removed or
attached when required.
A further means for attaching rings of metal constituting weights to the pole
is shown in Fig. 13. This consists of a screwed bolt B working in a slot cut in
the side of the ring of metal (which rings have circular holes for taking onto the
pole) and having a pressure or bearing plate C attached by rivetting to its lower
end. Working on this screwed bolt C and within a recess F cut in the metal of
the ring is an adjusting plate E having a dissimilar thread to that of the screwed
bolt. When it is desired to make the weight G fast to the pole the bolt B is
screwed up.
In consequence of this the pressure or bearing plate C is forced
tightly against the pole band, at the same time, the adjusting plate E is rotated
against the inside face of the weight G, so that both pole and weight are firmly
united. By this means the weight or weights can be adjusted along the pole's
length, it only being necessary to unscrew the screwed bolt B and tighten up
again to effect an adjustment.
In Fig. 7 the handle to the pole is made detachable, its connection being by
means of a ball attached to the lower part of the handles and a socket attached
to the upper part of the pole b. Such an attachment of handle is for the purpose
of giving a semi-universal movement thereto for the purpose of obtaining wrist
exercising movements.
In Fig. 8 an apparatus consisting of a foot board t, to which the feet are
attached, and having straps y connected thereto for connecting the said board
with the exercising poles, is used in conjunction with the apparatus previously
described for giving natural compulsory movements to the feet, ankles, and
knees, simultaneously with the movements of the arms. The foot board
formed with a triangular block u and heel plates v, with heel indentations w
within the latter to space the feet and turn them to a natural angle as shown,
their position being guaranteed by the straps .
is
With such an apparatus a large number of movements can be got through
either in a standing, sitting, or lying position by simply taking hold of the
exercising poles and working them in the sockets of their base plates. By the
aid of the feet pinioning apparatus natural relative movements can be imparted
to all parts of the lower extremity of the body by the working movements of the
arms.
Fig. 9 of Sheet 3 illustrates a rowing movement with the exercising apparatus,
Fig. 10 a movement for expanding the chest and making respiration deep, Fig. 11
a movement for developing the muscles of the arms, and Fig. 12 a pulling move-
ment executed by a person reclining. In this latter case the exercising poles are
attached to simple wall hooks.
It is preferable to make the ball end of the exercising pole detachable for
replacing different length poles, and in some cases the eye for hanging the same
up can be formed upon the ball-ended fitting and in one piece therewith. A
base plate may be formed comprehending two flared sockets rigidly connected.
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:-
First. An exercising apparatus composed of base plates a having flared sockets

page_text: in their upper faces, and exercising poles having ball ends for working univer-
sally in said sockets substantially as described and set forth.
Second. An exercising apparatus comprising base plates a having flared
sockets c, rubber facings A, eye i, and poles b carrying balls on their one end and
an eye or a rigid handle on the other, substantially as described and set forth.
Third. The means for connecting the exercising pole to the base plate described
in connection with Fig. 4.
Fourth. In an exercising apparatus such as claimed in the preceding claims
the combination with an exercising pole 6 of an adjustable carrier o, for the
purpose substantially as described with reference to Fig. 6.
Fifth. In an exercising apparatus the combination with an exercising pole of a
loose handles having a ball end, a socket attached to the pole 6 for the handle's
affixment thereto, and a concave sinking in the said hole for the ball to take into,
substantially as set forth in Fig. 7.
Sixth. The combination with an exercising apparatus consisting of a pair of
poles and sockets, of an appliance comprising a foot board t with inclination
blocks u, heel indentations w to poise the feet, and straps x and y for respectively
attaching the feet to the board and the board to the poles, substantially as and
for the purpose described and set forth in Fig. 8.
Seventh. In an exercising apparatus the means described for adjustably con-
necting weights to the exercising pole, consisting of a screwed bolt B with its
bearing plate C working against the exercising pole b, and differentially screwed
plate E rotating on said screw bolt and taking its bearing against the weight G;
the whole working in a slot cut in weight substantially as described and set forth
in Fig. 13.
1000