1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to inertial exercise apparatus and to inertial recreational apparatus which employ the principals of an inertial pendulum to provide the resistance for exercise and recreation apparatus.
More specifically this invention relates a starting mechanism for the above described apparatus that enables the user to set the apparatus in motion without preparatory winding.
2. Background of the Invention
The apparatus of this invention has its origins in the button and string amusement device that has been known to be in use since buttons have been known. A strand of string is looped through two holes in the button and tied in a loop. The ends of the loop are placed around the thumbs of the user and the button is rotated to cause the loop to wind on either side of the button. The thumbs exert tension on the string and the wound string is caused to unwind. The inertia of the button causes the string to unwind and then to wind in the opposite direction. When the inertia of the button is spent tension is again applied to the string and the button is caused to rotate in the opposite direction. With a little practice a child can keep the button and string inertial pendulum cycling for as long as the arms and thumbs can hold up.
In more recent times inertial pendulum devices have been found to be convenient exercise devices for use in office and travel situations. Imaginative users of inertial pendulum devices have found ways to employ the inertial pendulum in many of the exercises that are customarily performed with free weights and with resilient resistance apparatus.
To perform some of these exercises it is difficult to pre-wind the inertial pendulum and then get in a position to perform the exercise.
It is an object of this invention to provide starting apparatus for inertial pendulums that is self pre-winding.
It is further an object of this invention to provide the apparatus described above wherein the apparatus is incorporated into the structures of an inertial pendulum making the inertial pendulum self starting.
Other objects will be made apparent from the specifications, drawings and claims.