US3227446A

US3227446A - Finger, hand and wrist developer

Info

Publication number: US3227446A
Application number: US192745A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Minasola
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-07
Filing date: 1962-05-07
Publication date: 1966-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-04

Description

United States Patent O 3,227,446 FINGER, HAND AND WRIST DEVELOPER .lohn A. Minasola, 4723 S. Division Ave., Wyoming, Mich. Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,745 2 Claims. (Cl. 272--67) This invention provides an exercising device for the development of the fingers, hands, wrists, and arms. Exercises with this device may be performed for the purpose of increasing the strength, or for improving the coordination and general condition of these members. It is the objective of this invention to provide a structure having superior arrangements for positioning the fingers of the hand, while preserving compactness, portability, and economy.

The structural details of the preferred form of the invention will be analyzed through a discussion of the particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the device.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation in projection with FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional side elevation taken on the plane 3 3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the plane 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the plane 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

The housing has a base 11 provided with a group of guide holes 12. The

brackets

13 and 14 are secured to the

posts

15 and 16 of the housing by screws as shown at 117-20 to form a unitary structure. The

brackets

13 and 14 are notched as shown at 21 in FIGURE 2 to provide opposite groups of vertically-spaced notches for receiving the bar 22 in selected vertical positions. The cut-out

areas

23 and 24 and the

posts

15 and 16 provide clearance for this adjustability.

A group of pairs of washers 25-29 are secured to the bar 22 to locate the top ends of the springs Sti-34 as shown, and the lower ends of these springs are pivotally connected to the connector links 35-39. These links are rectangular in cross-section, and are slidably received in the similarly-shaped holes in the bar 40, and also in the slots in the guide 41 arranged opposite to the holes in the bar 4t). The bar 4d and the guide 41 are secured together by screws as shown, and are received in recessed portions in the

posts

15 and 16 as best shown in FIG- URE l.

The lower extremities of the links 35-39 are pivotally connected to the finger receptacles L12-46, which are shaped as a rectangular frame to provide opposite parallel walls defining passages for receiving and isolating the fingers of the user. The alignment of the lower end of the finger receptacles is maintained by the guide projections 47-51 slidably engaging the holes 12. These projections are secured to the receptacles by screws as shown at 47a in FIGURE 3. The result of this arrangement is to establish a guided path of parallel movement of the receptacles 42-46, with the springs 30-34 biasing the receptacles upwardly until movement is either controlled by the operators fingers, or arrested by the pads 52-56 surrounding the links 35-39. The degree of tension of the springs is controlled by shifting the bar 22 in the notches 21. Shock absorbers as shown at 57 are mounted on the projections 47-51 to cushion the downward movement. A panel 58 is preferably mounted on the back of the housing 10 as viewed in FIGURE 1, to protect the mechanism, and a cross member 59 interconnects the tops of the posts 1S and 16. It is also preferable to incorporate pads as shown at 60 on the tops of the screws 47a to give desired surface characteristics for re- ICC ceiving the thumb and four fingers of a hand of the user.

In normal operation, the placement of the bar 22 is selected to create the desired degree of tension, and fingers and thumb are inserted in the receptacles 42-46. Downward pressure is then applied to the limit of vertical movement permitted by the device, with the number of repetitions being selected according to good judgement. The position of the bar 22 may be reset for the exercise of each linger, with the amount of tension being determined to provide the best effect without over-strain.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is now claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An exercising device, comprising:

a housing having a series of parallel guide holes in the lower portion theijeof, and having opopsite groups of verticallyspaced notches;

a bar normally i'ixed with respect to said housing and having a series of spaced rectangular holes;

a series of connecting links of rectangular cross-section slidably and non-rotatively received in said rectangular holes, respectively;

a series of finger receptacles secured respectively to the lower ends of said links, said receptacles each forming a substantially rectangular frame;

a guide secured to the lower portion of each of said receptacles and slidably engaging said guide holes, respectively;

a series of coil tension springs connected respectively to the upper ends of each of said links;

a bar received in said housing in said notches and engaging the upper ends of said springs; and

resilient stop means limiting the upward and downward movement of said receptacles.

2. An exercising device, comprising:

a housing having a series of parallel guide holes in the lower portion thereof, and having opposite groups of vertically-spaced notches;

a bar normally fixed with respect to said housing, and

having a series of spaced rectangular holes;

a series of coil tension springs connected respectively to the upper ends of each of said links; and

a bar received in said housing in said notches and engaging the upper ends of said springs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 638,632 12/1899 Grifi'in 272-67 646,998 4/1900 Joubert 84-467 689,652 12/1901 Perry 272-68 1,796,216 3/1931 Pettersson 272-68 3,029,076 4/ 1962 Andersen 272-67 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

2. AN EXERCISING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A SERIES OF PARALLEL GUIDE HOLES IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF, AND HAVING OPPOSITE GROUPS OF VERTICALLY-SPACED NOTCHES; A BAR NORMALLY FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING, AND HAVING A SERIES OF SPACED RECTANGULAR HOLES; A SERIES OF CONNECTING LINKS OF RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION SLIDABLY AND NON-ROTATIVELY RECEIVED IN SAID RECTANGULAR HOLES, RESPECTIVELY; A SERIES OF FINGERS RECEPTACLES SECURED RESPECTIVELY TO THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LINKS, SAID RECEPTACLES EACH FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FRAME ; A GUIDE SECURED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH OF SAID RECEPTACLES AND SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID GUIDE HOLES, RESPECTIVELY; A SERIES OF COIL TENSION SPRINGS CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO THE UPPER ENDS OF EACH OF SAID LINKS; AND A BAR RECEIVED IN SAID HOUSING IN SAID NOTCHES AND ENGAGING THE UPPER END OF SAID SPRINGS.