Ski-simulator training apparatus including a track supporting a carriage for to and fro powered motion resultant from frictional contact with one or the other of oppositely moving flights of a continuously moving power driven endless belt which contact is automatically established by turning or canting motion of a pair of foot pads supported on the carriage and adapted to receive the feet of a ski trainee.
Foot pads with foot straps are mounted to roller carriages which roll along a horizontal monorail with stationary middle supports and telescoping end supports. A rotatable shaft attached to one of the end supports is attached to an ergometric input-responsive variable resistance. Each of two cables wound around a spring-loaded retractable one-way clutch driver on the rotatable shaft connects to each of the foot pads. Stepper pedals hinged to the end support opposite the rotating shaft are each attached by a cable wound around the rotatable shaft. A long front rail with sliding hand grips and a short side rail are detachably mounted. A nordic double poling attachment may be mounted midway on the front rail with cables wound over pulleys and around the rotatable shaft. The platform is hinged in the center to fold in half for storage and transportation. A stationary foot pad is positioned adjacent to the hinges, and also serves as a stop for the moving foot pads. End foot pad stops may be positioned at any of a number of locations along the monorail. An electronic microprocesser performance monitor senses, interprets, and displays information about the output of the user on the invention. Any of a number of ergometric input-responsive resistance means can be used on the rotatable shaft including: a flywheel with a band brake, a vaned flywheel inside a variable opening case, a wind load, a water load, an eddy current load, a flywheel with a centrifugal braking device, and an electric motor and flywheel load.
A device is designed to exercise foot muscle and is formed of a base on which two rotary mounts are disposed. The rotary mounts are provided with two upright fastening plates, each having a fastening hole. Two footrests are provided in the underside with two pivoting plates, each having a pivoting hole. The footrests are pivotally fastened to the rotary mounts such that the pivoting plates and the fastening plates are pivoted together by two pivots which are disposed in the pivoting hole and the fastening hole. The footrests turn horizontally along with the rotary mounts and turn up and down on the pivots.
The leg stretching device includes a slidable foot supporting plate mounted on a pair of rails extending between a pair of blocks. A person straddles one end of the device, places a foot on the plate, and obtains the desired stretch by urging the plate toward the other end.
A body shaking device for shaking a user's body by an application of a side to side mechanical force thereto. The body shaking device includes a leg rest that is movable along a pair of parallel track sections that extend across a casing, the leg rest to receive the terminal parts of both of a user's legs who is reclining on a hip rest assembly or on a floor. The leg rest is reciprocated along the track by a remotely operated motor, such that the terminal parts of both the user's legs are shaken from side to side, with this movement consequently transmitted to their whole body that is thereby shaken, which shaking movement is similar to that as occurs when a rope end is forcibly moved from side to side.
A ski exercise device is provided having at least two parallel rails held in a fixed relationship by brace elements at the ends. A carriage is provided for riding along the rails, and a first resilient element provides a restoring force on the carriage directed toward the center of the rails. Platforms for a user's feet are pivotally attached to the carriage off-center from the centerline of the platforms so that the natural action by a user in shifting weight from one platform to the other platform in operation causes the respective platforms to pivot in the correct direction to simulate the action of parallel skiing. The first resilient element is fastened to the carriage at about a mid-point. One end of the first resilient element in the preferred embodiment passes around a roller attached to one of the end brace elements, extends back toward the middle of the rails, and is clamped at a clamp assembly attached to an additional brace element between the rails. The other end of the first resilient element similarly passes around a roller at the opposite end brace element, extends back toward the middle of the rails, and is clamped in a clamp assembly attached to the additional brace element between the rails. This unique arrangement provides additional length for the first resilient element over previous devices, and results in a lower percentage of stretch in operation over the unstretched length, extending the life of the element. The end rollers substantially eliminate wearing friction on the first resilient element.