Rope / cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine

Abstract

A rope or cable lifting and pulling resistance training machine comprises a raised platform 2 standing on corner located rubber feet 13 with a continual rope 3 attached in a loop which passes through

Description

The present invention relates to machines which are used to improve a person’s fitness using weight resistance. Background The use of fitness machines for resistance or weight training is well known and a is a worldwide activity at home or in the gymnasium, the machines vary in many different styles and formats and usually involve the lifting and pulling of weights for toning or development of arm, upper body, leg and other muscle groups, as well as general fitness. The different styles of machine have been almost exhausted with a mass of weight and pulley related gym systems having been designed extensively over many years, with the first being in the early twentieth century. These show ways to lift weights, with the weights being adjustable to suit the needs of the user, including beginners who may start with a smaller weight and therefore less resistance and also the need to increase weights to help promote the building of muscle and fitness. However, these machines do not provide the physicality of a person pulling a heavy weight upwards using a rope, which is a credible and more natural developer of muscle and fitness, primarily around the shoulders, upper back and arms. The prior art therefore shows that there is a need for a more effective fitness resistance machine that is designed specifically to recreate the action of lifting a weight using a rope. The present invention aims to provide an improved fitness resistance machine which is comprised as a platform housing on which the user stands and a continual rope loop which passes through an internally disposed mechanism of wheel pulleys and emerges through a hole at the front of the top surface to be pulled and then passes back into a second hole in the rear top surface of the machine. The tensioning of the rope and therefore its resistance to being lifted and pulled, is controlled by a sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal, also on the surface of the platform where the user stands slightly crouched forward to use the machine. Summary of the invention According to the present invention there is provided a raised platform on which the user stands upon, with a piece of continual rope / cable attached in a loop, set between a group of adjustable pulleys, located within the platforms housing. The user stands with their legs apart and the rope / cable between their legs and they bend down to pick up the rope / cable, that is laid on top of the platforms surface, presented from two surface holes, to the front and rear of the surface. The user then raises into a slightly bent over comfortable stance and proceeds to pull the rope towards them, moving hand over hand for an unlimited period or until the user feels they have done enough exercise or to a set time displayed on the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen. As aforementioned, the rope I cable is a continual loop which passes through an internally disposed mechanism of tensioned adjustable wheel pulleys and emerges through a hole at the front of the top surface to be pulled and then passes back into a second hole in the rear top surface of the machine, as shown in the accompanying Figures. The holes in the platform with the rounded running collars for the cable are to aid against the rope / cable snagging or getting caught on its journey through the holes and therefore around the equipment. The pulley wheels are adjustable as they respond to the pulling of the rope I cable and are separated by the distance from each other, as this ensures the correct amount of slack in the rope / cable is provided where necessary, to ensure comfort and good form while exercising. This also enables users of different heights to use the equipment without there being too much or too little slack in the rope / cable to allow comfortable use of the equipment. Each pulley wheel is sprung loaded into a channel which enables the spring tension to allow controlled movement of the wheels. For example; when the rope is pulled upward, the looped length of the rope pulls against the pulley wheels and they move inward on their sprung channel allowing the rope to extend, for a taller person and when being pulled. If the pulley wheels could not move in their fixture, the rope would not be able to extend upward from the platform surface and the whole system would be very restricted. A sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal is provided on the standing area on top of the platform. This is seated on a sprung compression fitting which can be used under foot while using the machine and when it is pressed down, with the foot, an arm which extends down inside the platform presses a resistance pad onto a feed pulley wheel, to disrupt the ease of flow of the rope / cable over the pulley wheels and therefore creating measured levels of resistance when pulling the rope, controlled using the foot pedal. Each press of the pedal sets the arm, and therefore its end attached resistance pad, one step down onto the pulley wheel, the first press offering very slight connection with the pulley wheels surface and further presses each with a staged stop press, so the foot does not have to remain on the pedal, to create a further level of pressure of the pad foot onto the wheel exterior, adding more resistance with each press. The pulley wheels may consist of a number of tensioned wheels, which are aforementioned, are mostly movably tensioned using sprung mechanism in channels and to the frontal area may be a larger disposed tensioning wheel which may not be sprung or movable and may have three rope I cable grooves to enable three turns of the rope I cable to pass around the large pulley wheel which then extends the rope I cable onto a final smaller tension feed wheel before the rope I cable exits out the rounded running collar and hole at the frontal area of the platform and through the users hands and then back into the rear hole, with rounded running collar and onto the return pulley. The rope I cable loop may then continue onto the feed pulley, which has the sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal engaging with it, when the surface mounted foot pedal is pressed. This pulley is wider than the others, to enable the resistance foot, which may be rubber, to controllably press down onto the smooth wheel surface located at the side of the rope I cable groove, as shown. By applying the resistance control to the feed pulley the action is smoother as the pulley wheel is more part of the travel of the rope I cable, wherein if the pedal is applied closer to the larger main pulley wheel, the action of adding tension to the rope would be far more difficult, as this is the main delivery of the rope I cable feed. When the foot pedal is pressed a processing chip in the pedal measures the resistance level which is being created and displays this and other required information as figures on a LCD screen connected to it and mounted adjacent to the pedal, on the top surface of the platform. This numeral measurement may be shown in a variation of figures, including pounds, kilos or a numbered level of tension, which, for example; 10 being the highest and most difficult level to pull, this being with the foot pedal of the resistance control foot pedal fully pressed down. The rope I cable then further continues onto a slightly larger delivery pulley wheel which does not require movement or tensioning with the sprung mechanism and feeds the rope / cable to the three groove large wheel. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the Patent Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine which has all the advantages of the prior art training machines and none of the disadvantages. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine which is of durable and reliable construction. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a product available to the buying public. Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. Brief description of figures Figure 1 shows a dimensional through view of the rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine. Figure 2 shows a side through view of a person in a typical stance for using the rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine. Figure 3 shows a dimensional view of the rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine, with the rope I cable extended at the top. Figure 4 shows a side through view of the route of travel of the rope / cable and the movement of the wheel pulleys when being used in a typical way. Detailed description of figures A typical embodiment of the multipartite resistance training machine is shown in Figure 1. It comprises the rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine 1 which has a raised platform 2 on corner located rubber feet 13, on which the user stands upon its surface 8, pulling a piece of continual rope / cable 3 attached in a loop which is presented through the top of the said platform via holes with inset rounded running collars 7 through which the rope I cable smoothly slides, the rope I cable is 3 set between a group of adjustable pulley wheels 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 located within the platform 2 housing. Each pulley wheel is transversely seated onto a horizontal wheel axle 5, which is affixed into the inner supporting wall sections of the interior. The rotatable pulley wheels each have a centrally disposed grove into which the rope I cable seats, in the known way, to prevent it from coming off the wheel. The wheel axles are each set into horizontal channels 19 (in Figure 2) which are each sprung loaded 4 which enables the spring tension to allow controlled movement of some of the pulley wheels. In use, the user 17 stands with their legs apart with the rope / cable 3A between their legs and they bend down to pick up the rope / cable, that is laid on top of the platforms surface 8, presented from two surface holes with inset rounded running collars 7, to the front and rear of the surface. The user then raises into a slightly bent over comfortable stance and proceeds to pull the rope 3A tensioned by the ensemble of tensioned pulley wheels 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 towards them, moving hand over hand for an unlimited period, with the rope I cable passing around the series of tensioned adjustable pulley wheels and then back up through the first hole with the inset rounded running collar at the front of the platform, back to where the user reaches for it and the rope I cable passed through their legs, under their body, down into the rear surface hole with inset rounded running collar 7, and so on until the user feels they have done enough exercise or to a set time displayed on the LCD. The holes with inset rounded running collars in the platform are to aid against the rope / cable snagging or getting caught on its journey around the equipment. The pulley wheels are adjustable as they respond to the pulling of the rope I cable 3A and are separated by the distance from each other, as this ensures the correct amount of slack in the rope / cable is provided where necessary, to ensure comfort and good form while exercising. The adjustable pulley wheel is shown in Figure 2 when the rope I cable 3A is pulled by the user 17 the pulley wheel 6A is pulled against the spring tension 5 in the horizontal channel 19 as the rope I cable forces the wheel to move to the right due to the pulling tension, indicated by the black arrow. As the rope I cable passes at the rear into the rear surface hole with inset rounded running collar 7A the receiving wheel pulley 10A is more centrally disposed within the channel 19, as it is slackened at that point. This also enables users of different heights to use the equipment without their being too much or too little slack in the rope / cable to allow comfortable use of the equipment. Within the rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine 1B each pulley wheel is sprung loaded into a channel which enables the spring tension to allow controlled movement of the wheels. For example; when the rope I cable 3B is pulled upward, the looped length of the rope I cable therefore pulls against the pulley wheels and they move inward on their sprung channel allowing the rope to extend, for height adjustment for a taller person and when being pulled generally during exercise. If the pulley wheels could not move in their fixture, the rope would not be able to extend upward from the platform surface and the whole system would be very restricted. A sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal 21 is provided on the standing area surface 8B on top of the platform. This is seated on a sprung compression fitting which can be used under foot while using the machine and when it is pressed down, with the foot, an actuator arm 22 which extends down inside the platform it presses a resistance pad 23 onto the widened surface 15B of the feed pulley wheel 15B to disrupt the ease of flow of the rope / cable 3B over the pulley wheels and therefore creating measured levels of resistance when pulling the rope, controlled using the said foot pedal 21. Each press of the pedal sets the sprung compression and therefore the arm 22 at a lower level, step by step, and therefore its end attached resistance pad 23 onto the pulley wheel, the first press offering very slight connection with the pulley wheels widened surface 15B and further presses each lowering the pad 23 slightly further, in a least 3 steps, so the foot does not have to remain on the pedal, to create a further level of pressure of the pad foot onto the wheel exterior, adding more resistance with each press. When the foot pedal 21 is pressed a processing chip in the pedal measures the resistance level which is being created and displays this and other required information as numerical measurement figures on a LCD screen 20 connected to it and mounted in adjacent to the pedal on the top surface of the platform. This numeric measurement may be shown in a variation of figures, including pounds, kilos or a numbered level of tension, which, for example; 10 being the highest and most difficult level to pull, this being with the foot pedal of the resistance control foot pedal fully pressed down. The pulley wheels may consist of a number of tensioned wheels, which are aforementioned, are mostly movably tensioned using sprung mechanism in channels and to the frontal area may be a larger tensioning wheel which may not be sprung or movable and may have three rope I cable grooves to enable three turns of the rope I cable to pass around the large pulley wheel which then extends the rope I cable onto a final smaller tension feed wheel before the rope I cable exits out the rounded running collar and hole at the frontal area of the platform and through the users hands and then back into the rear hole, with rounded running collar and onto the return pulley. The rope I cable loop may then continue onto the feed pulley, which has the sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal engaging with it as and when the surface mounted foot pedal is pressed. This pulley is wider than the others, to enable the resistance foot, which may be rubber, to controllably press down onto the smooth wheel surface located at the side of the rope I cable groove, as shown in Figure 3 and aforementioned herein. The foot being applied to the foot pedal 21C by the user 17C is shown in Figure 4. By applying the resistance control to the feed pulley the action is smoother as the pulley wheel is more part of the travel of the rope I cable, wherein if the pedal is applied closer to the larger main pulley wheel, the action of adding tension to the rope would be far more difficult, as this is the main delivery of the rope I cable feed. The rope I cable then further continues onto a slightly larger delivery pulley wheel which does not require movement or tensioning with the sprung mechanism and feeds the rope / cable to the three groove large wheel.

Claims

1) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine comprising a raised platform standing on corner located rubber feet, on which the user stands upon its surface pulling a piece of continual rope / cable attached in a loop which is presented through the top of the said platform via holes with inset rounded running collars through which the rope I cable smoothly slides, the rope I cable is set between a group of adjustable pulley wheels located within the platform housing, each pulley wheel being transversely seated onto a horizontal wheel axle which is affixed into the inner supporting wall sections of the interior the rotatable pulley wheels each have a centrally disposed groove into which the rope I cable seats to prevent it from coming off the wheel, said wheel axles each being set into horizontal channels which are sprung loaded which enables the spring tension to allow controlled movement of some of the pulley wheels, resistance levels of the pulling of the rope I cable are controlled by a sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal provided on the standing area surface on top of the platform, this is seated on a sprung compression fitting which can be used under foot while using the machine, the differing levels of resistance and other required information being displayed on a LCD screen.2) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pulley wheels are mostly movably tensioned using a sprung mechanism in some channels and to the frontal area may be a larger tensioning wheel which may not be sprung or movable and may have three rope I cable grooves to enable three turns of the rope I cable to pass around the large pulley wheel which then extends the rope I cable onto a final smaller tension feed wheel before the rope I cable exits out the rounded running collar and hole at the frontal area of the platform and through the users hands and then back into the rear hole, with rounded running collar and onto a return pulley wheel and then further onto the remaining pulley wheels.3) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the holes with inset rounded running collars in the platform aid against the rope / cable snagging or getting caught as it passed through the holes.4) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein as the rope I cable passes into the rear surface hole with inset rounded running collar the receiving return wheel pulley is more centrally disposed within the channel as it is slackened at that point.5) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pulley wheels are generally adjustable as they respond to the pulling of the rope I cable and are separated by the distance from each other, as this ensures the correct amount of slack in the rope / cable is provided where necessary.6) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein when the rope I cable pulled by the user the pulley wheels are pulled against the spring tension in the horizontal channels as the rope I cable forces the pulley wheel to move due to the pulling tension.7) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the pulley wheels move on their horizontally sprung channel also allowing the rope I cable to extend, for height adjustment for a taller person and when being pulled generally during exercise.8) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein when the sprung loaded resistance control foot pedal is pressed down, with the foot, an actuator arm which extends down inside the platform presses a resistance pad onto the widened surface of a feed pulley wheel, with is a part of the internally disposed pulley wheel ensemble, to disrupt the ease of flow of the rope / cable over the pulley wheels and therefore creating measured levels of resistance when pulling the rope, controlled using the said foot pedal.9) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein each press of the foot pedal sets the sprung compression and therefore the arm at a lower level, step by step, and therefore its end attached resistance pad onto the pulley wheel, the first press offering very slight connection with the pulley wheels widened surface and further presses each lowering the pad slightly further.10) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein the foot does not have to remain on the foot pedal, to create a further level of pressure of the resistance pad onto the widened exterior surface of the pulley wheel, and adds more resistance with each press.11) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein a processing chip in the pedal measures the resistance level which is being created and displays this as a numerical measurementfigure on a LCD screen connected to it and mounted in adjacent to the pedal on the top surface of the platform.12) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein said numeric measurement may be shown in a variation of figures, including pounds, kilos or a numbered level of tension, which, for example; being the highest and most difficult level to pull, this being with the foot pedal of the resistance control foot pedal fully pressed down.13) A rope I cable lifting and pulling fitness resistance training machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in use, the user stands with their legs apart with the rope / cable between their legs in a slightly bent over comfortable stance and proceeds to pull the rope, tensioned by the ensemble of internally disposed tensioned pulley wheels, towards them, moving hand over hand for an unlimited period until they feel they have exercised enough or to a set time displayed on the LCD.A

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