Floor-mounted exercise machine

Claim 1

A muscle exercise machine, shaped and dimensioned for home use, comprising: (a) a floor-supported frame, including (i) an elongate rail having a horizontal floor-supported lower portion, and an upwardly extending upper portion, (ii) a cross-member carried transversely of said lower rail portion to maintain said upper portion perpendicular to the floor; (b) a body support bench tiltably mounted for movement in a vertical plane above said lower rail portion; (c) a force-applying bar, movable by muscle force in a vertical plane, pivotally attached at its forward end to said upper rail portion and extending rearwardly above said bench and said lower rail; (d) muscle-force resisting means carried by said frame, including: (i) a spring housing fixed to said frame, (ii) a torsion spring enclosed by said housing, the fixed end of which is attached to said housing, (iii) a single cam-shaped pulley in said housing, journaled for rotation co-axially with the transverse axis of said torsion spring; and (e) a single cable connecting said pulley and said force-applying bar such that movement of said bar causes rotation of said pulley against the resistance provided by said torsion spring.