Exercise device

Claim 2

In an exercising device, the combination of, a support, first and second members disposed in face-to-face relation on said support and mounted to rotate about a common axis, said members being supported for relative rotation and for relative axial movement, means connected to said first member and operable to rotate said first member in one direction when moved manually during the performance of an exercising operation, a series of angularly spaced raceways formed in the opposing inboard faces of said members and positioned such that the raceways of one member are substantially alined with the raceways of the other member, substantially spherical balls captivated within the alined raceways and operable to rotate said second member in said one direction while spreading said members axially during rotation of said first member in said one direction, and a braking element mounted on said support and frictionally engageable with the outboard face of one member as an incident to such spreading thereby to retard rotation of said members and resist movement of said manually operable means.

Claim 3

An exercising device as defined in claim 1 in which the raceways in said first member are curved substantially arcuately about said axis and increase in depth upon progressing in said one direction, the raceways in said second member also being curved substantially arcuately about said axis but decreasing in depth in said one direction whereby said balls spread said members axially only when said first member is rotated in said one direction.

Claim 4

In an exercising device, the combination of, a support, first and second members disposed in face-to-face relation on said support and mounted to rotate about a common axis, means captivating said first member from shifting axially away from said second member, said second member being free to rotate relative to said first member and also being free to shift axially away from said first member, means connected to said first member and operable to rotate said first member in one direction when moved manually during the performance of an exercising operation, means for rotating said second member in said one direction in response to rotation of said first member in said one direction while permitting limited relative rotation of said members and while shifting said second member axially away from said first member as an incident to such relative rotation, said last-mentioned means leaving said members free to rotate in the opposite direction without substantial axial shifting of said second member away from said first member and comprising: a. a series of raceways spaced angularly around the inboard face of said first member, said raceways being curved substantially arcuately about said axis and increasing in depth upon progressing in said one direction, b. a series of raceways spaced angularly around the inboard face of said second member and disposed in substAntial alinement with the raceways in said first member, the raceways in said second member also being curved substantially arcuately about said axis but decreasing in depth upon progressing in said one direction, and c. substantially spherical balls captivated within the alined raceways, and said exercising device further comprising a braking element captivated on said support against axial movement away from said second member and frictionally engageable with the outboard face of said second member during axial shifting of the second member thereby to retard rotation of said members in said one direction.

Claim 5

In an exercising device, the combination of, a support, first and second members disposed in face-to-face relation on said support and mounted to rotate about a common axis, means captivating said first member from shifting axially away from said second member, said second member being free to rotate relative to said first member and also being free to shift axially away from said first member, means connected to said first member and operable to rotate said first member in one direction when moved manually during the performance of an exercising operation, means for rotating said second member in said one direction in response to rotation of said first member in said one direction while permitting limited relative rotation of said members and while shifting said second member axially away from said first member as an incident to such relative rotation, said last-mentioned means leaving said members free to rotate in the opposite direction without substantial axial shifting of said second member away from said first member and comprising: a. a series of raceways spaced angularly around the inboard face of said first member, said raceways being curved substantially arcuately about said axis and increasing in depth upon progressing in said one direction, b. a series of raceways spaced angularly around the inboard face of said second member and disposed in substAntial alinement with the raceways in said first member, the raceways in said second member also being curved substantially arcuately about said axis but decreasing in depth upon progressing in said one direction, and c. substantially spherical balls captivated within the alined raceways, and said exercising device further comprising a braking element captivated on said support against axial movement away from said second member and frictionally engageable with the outboard face of said second member during axial shifting of the second member thereby to retard rotation of said members in said one direction.

Claim 6

In an exercising device, the combination of, first and second members disposed in facing relation, said members being supported for relative turning about a predetermined axis and also being supported for relative bodily shifting, means operable to turn said first member in one direction relative to said second member when said means are moved manually during the performance of an exercising operation, a series of raceways formed in the opposing faces of said members and positioned such that the raceways of one member are substantially alined with the raceways of the other member, spreading devices captivated within the alined raceways and operable to force said members apart when said first member is turned relative to said second member in said one direction, and braking means operable to automatically retard movement of said manually movable means when said members are forced apart by said spreading devices.

Claim 7

In an exercising device, the combination of, first and second members disposed in facing relation, said members being supported for relative turning about a predetermined axis and also being supported for relative bodily shifting, means operable to turn said first member in one direction relative to said second member when said means are moved manually during the performance of an exercising operation, a series of raceways formed in the opposing faces of said members and positioned such that the raceways of one member are substantially alined with the raceways of the other member, spreading devices captivated within the alined raceways and operable to force said members apart when said first member is turned relative to said second member in said one direction, and braking means operable to automatically retard movement of said manually movable means when said members are forced apart by said spreading devices.

Claim 8

An exercising device as defined in claim 4 in which said spreading devices comprise substantially spherical balls, the raceways in said first member extending substantially arcuately about said axis and increasing in depth upon progressing in said one direction, the raceways in said second member also extending substantially arcuately about said axis but decreasing in depth in said one direction whereby said balls force said members apart only when said first member is turned in said one direction relative to said second member.