Exercise devices using a rope to lift weights have been used by gyms and exercise rooms for many years. They are usually installed in a wall or other heavy support structure and are operated by pulling a handle or ring attached to an end of a rope which is connected at its other end to weights and operates through a series of pulleys. There is usually some structure at the end of the rope to allow the weight to be increased or decreased, as desired. As these devices require pulleys and weights of considerable mass, fixed installations are required which can be very expensive.
Over the past several years, various developments have been made to eliminate the requirement for a fixed installation while retaining the benefits of a rope pulling exercise device. These newer devices eliminate the pulley and weight structure by subjecting the rope to a variable resistance through a gearing arrangement or friction applying structure. As the variable resistance structure can be quite simple and small, much cheaper portable rope pull exercisers have become feasible.
A prior patented friction device has a hollow tube which is rotatable about a cast eyelet and shaft assembly. The rope enters the bottom of the tube, wraps around the shaft, loops through the eyelet, wraps around the shaft again and exits through another hole in the bottom. Resistance is placed on the rope by varying the length of rope wrapped around the shaft. The eyelet is used to attach the device to a support opposing the operator's exerted force on the rope. The operator pulls the rope back and forth through the device by handles attached at either end of the rope.
There are several disadvantages to the prior device. It is necessary that the operator exercise both arms or legs at the same time or else he is forced to pull the rope all the way through with one handle and then change handles to retract the rope. This is very inconvenient if it is desired to exercise only one arm or leg. It is also difficult to locate the operator at exactly the right distance from the device so that the muscle being exercised is exerted at the correct angle and through the correct arc about the body.
Applicant has succeeded in developing a device which provides the convenience and benefits of a rope pull exercise device while eliminating the problems inherent in prior devices. Applicant's device has only one end of the rope available for exercise and the other end is attached to a recoil wheel. The resistance is disengaged when the pull force is released from the handle, permitting rapid recoil action. This allows the operator to exercise one limb at a time and to perform exercises requiring rapid repetitions. Positioning of the device is not critical.
While most other rope exercisers have only one adjustment for the resistance, applicant's invention may have two. One adjustment may select a base level and the other may be graduated to add small increments of resistance as the operator develops the particular muscle or muscle group he is exercising. One or more base levels may be provided, as desired, giving a very wide range of resistance levels.
Applicant's invention can be more fully understood after reviewing the drawings and the preferred embodiment.