Improved Apparatus for Promoting Muscular or Physical Development."
Year: 1897

page_text: 66
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Promoting Muscular or Physical
Development."
I EUGEN SANDOW, of 52 Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly, London, Athlete, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple economical and efficient form
of "exerciser" for promoting the muscular or physical development of the human
frame.
According to my invention I fix in a wall, post, door, ceiling or other convenient
position two strong metal hooks or other similar permanent fastenings (say about six
feet apart) (more or less).
To these I attach by one end two strong india rubber or other springs of (say) about
two feet six inches long or other desirable length and I connect the other ends of
these springs together in the centre between the two fixed hooks by a loop formed of cord
canvas or other suitable material of such a length that the two springs above named
shall be held in tension counteracting each other with the loop of canvas or cord
against the wall at a suitable height say about the shoulders or somewhat lower.
To this loop or other equivalent device I attach two other india rubber springs, at
the outer end of each of which is a handle.
In some cases more than two fixed hooks may be used equidistant from and
connected to a centrally placed loop or equivalent device by means of springs; the
effect being that as the centre of the wall spring so formed is pulled from the wall,
the springs will tend to strengthen the resistance and equalise the tension in certain
movements, which in the case of the springs only fixed in one line (say perpendicu-
larly) is not experienced; the wall springs, as before explained, must be stretched to
enable them to be fixed to the hooks.
The exercise is given by pulling at the handles either singly, alternately, or both
together so as to draw the loop or its equivalent away from the wall or otherwise
displace the same which movement is resisted by the springs.
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When it is required to make the exercise more severe, this may be done by
hooking-on or otherwise attaching one, two or more additional springs between the
loop or band or its equivalent and the fixed hooks or fastenings; so that the same
"exerciser can be adapted to give any desired amount of resistance, either light,
medium, or heavy by simply hooking on or removing the corresponding number of
springs. The "pull may be given either horizontally diagonally upwards, or
downwards, and either forwards or backwards, according to the effect desired to be
produced, and without creating any extra tension or strain, which results when the
handle springs are fixed to, or pass through fixtures to, the wall or other part.
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Dated this 6th. Day of February 1897.
GEO. DAVIES & SON
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,

page_text: "Improved Apparatus for Promoting Muscular or Physical
Development."
I, EUGEN SANDOW, late of 52 Shaftesbury Avenue, now of 9 Sackville Street,
Piccadilly, London, Athlete, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple economical and efficient form
of "exerciser" for promoting the inuscular or physical development of the human
frame; and the invention will be readily understood from the following description on
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a face view of an apparatus for the development
of muscules made according to my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 shew modifications
thereof.
According to my invention I fix in a wall a as shewn or in a post, door ceiling or
other convenient position two strong metal hooks b or other similar permanent
fastenings (say about six feet apart, more or less).
To these I attach by one end two strong india rubber or other springs c of (say)
about two feet six inches long or other desirable length and I connect the other ends
of these springs c together in the centre between the two fixed hooks by a loop d
formed of cord canvas or other suitable material of such a length that the two
springs c above named shall be held in tension counteracting each other with the
loop d of canvas or cord (or its equivalent) against the well at a suitable height say
about the shoulders or somewhat lower. Or instead of the loop d I may use more
than one loop linked together as seen dotted at Fig. 4.
To this loop or other equivalent device at d I attach the other india rubber
springs e e, at the outer end of each of which is a handle ƒ ƒ.
In some cases more than two fixed hooks 6 may be used as seen at Fig. 3,
equidistant from and connected to a centrally placed loop or equivalent device d by
means of springs c; the effect being that as the centre of the wall spring so formed
is pulled from the wall, the springs c will tend to strengthen the resistance and
equalise the tension in certain movements, which in the case of the springs only fixed
in one line (say perpendicularly) is not experienced; the wall springs, as before
explained, must be stretched to enable them to be fixed to the hooks.
The exercise is given by pulling at the handles ff either singly, alternately, or
both together so as to draw the loop or its equivalent (at d) away from the wall or
otherwise displace the same (see dotted lines Figs. 1 and 2) which movement is
resisted by the springs c.
When it is required to make the exercise more severe this may be done by
hooking-on or otherwise attaching one, two or more additional springs c¹ (see Fig. 4)
between the loop or band or its equivalent at d and the fixed hooks or fastenings b;
so that the same "exerciser" can be adapted to give any desired amount of resistence,
either light, medium, or heavy by simply hooking on removing the corresponding
number of springs. The "pull" may be given either horizontally, diagonally, upwards,
or downwards, and either forwards or backwards, according to the effect desired to be
produced and without creating any extra tension or strain, which results when the
handle springs are fixed to, (or pass through fixtures to) the wall or other part.
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
An apparatus for muscular and physical development consisting of a pair of handles

page_text: connected by spring cords to a central device held in place by springs capable of
being fastened at their outer end to fixtures substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated this 5th day of November 1897.
GEO. DAVIES & SON
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
GEO. DAVIES & SON
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.