Foot pedal operated fluid type exercising device

Claim 1

A fluid dynamometer for use in an exercising device comprising: a housing containing a pair of cylinders having their longitudinal axes in a common plane, each cylinder having a bottom wall and an open end and a centrally located passage in the bottom wall; a piston each cylinder, the piston having a rod connected to the working end of the piston and extending through the centrally located passage; the housing also having a pair of valve assemblies, each valve assembly having a valve seat and a pressure controlled valve member cooperative with the valve seat; a pair of first passages, each of said first passages extending, respectively from the bottom wall of each cylinder to the upstream side of one of the valve assemblies; a pair of second passages, each of said second passages extending respectively from the downstream side of each valve assembly to a location adjacent to each bottom wall of the cylinder the locations of the connections of each of said first and second passages in each cylinder being spaced apart from each other the valve assembles providing separate independent paths of fluid communication from one cylinder to the other cylinder, the second passages having a cross sectional configuration whereby fluid being driven from one cylinder to the other cylinder will take the predominant portion of its pressure drop across the valve seat and dissipate heat generated; and force receiving means connected to the piston rods to receive a force to drive the piston toward the bottom wall, the force required to move the piston being relatively independent of speed of movement.