Treadmill

Aquatic treadmill apparatus

Treadmill Abstract
An underwater treadmill apparatus is made up of a treadmill belt trained over a drive roller and take-up roller, a fluid drive motor and flywheel coupled to a common drive shaft in direct driving relation to the drive roller, and an isolated power source outside of the body of water includes an electric motor-driven hydraulic pump to direct hydraulic fluid under pressure to the hydraulic drive motor. The upper course of the treadmill belt advances over a rigid deck having an upper cushion layer with raised straddle portions on each side, and the take-up roller is resiliently mounted at one end of the deck. A bonding grid break and sacrificial anodes are provided to inhibit corrosion, and the treadmill frame can be placed in compressible padding and be leveled from a point above the surface of the water, for example, when placed in a swimming pool.

Treadmill Claims
I claim:

1. Underwater treadmill apparatus comprising:

a body of water in an enclosed area;

a treadmill belt submerged in the body of water including a support frame, a drive roller and driven roller about which said treadmill belt is trained;

submerged drive means drivingly connected to said drive roller including a drive shaft in spaced parallel relation to said drive roller, a fluid operated drive motor coupled to said drive shaft and flywheel means coupled to said drive shaft between said fluid operated drive motor and said drive roller, and flexible fluid pressure and return lines extending to and from said drive motor;

electric motor drive means located outside of said body of water including a pressurized fluid source to deliver fluid under pressure via said pressure line to said drive motor; and

said support frame being unattached in said body of water and with respect to the enclosed area and wherein said flywheel means cooperates with said support frame in stabilizing said apparatus in the water.

2. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flywheel means is of hollow, generally cylindrical configuration with apertures therein for the entry of water.

3. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a sprocket on said drive shaft and a drive belt trained over said sprocket and being drivingly connected to said drive roller.

4. In apparatus according to claim 1, said drive roller composed of a rubber or rubber-like material and having axially spaced, circumferentially extending grooves therein.

5. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said treadmill belt has an upper course and lower course, and a rigid deck having raised sidewalls interposed between said upper and lower courses.

6. In apparatus according to claim 5, including a cushion layer disposed on said rigid deck and spaced beneath said upper course of said belt.

7. In apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said upper course is disposed beneath upper edges of said raised sidewalls and said cushion layer is disposed on said deck.

8. In apparatus according to claim 1, said driven roller being of hollow generally cylindrical configuration with apertures for the entry of water into said take-up roller.

9. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein threadedly adjustable feet extend downwardly from four corners of said frame, and an extension rod is engageable with said feet including means for adjusting the extent of downward projection of said feet from said frame.

10. Aquatic treadmill apparatus comprising:

a body of water;

a treadmill belt submerged in said body of water having an upper course and a lower course including a drive roller and driven roller at opposite ends of said treadmill belt, a support frame resting on a bottom surface beneath said body of water including sidewalls on opposite sides of said treadmill belt and a rigid deck unitary with and extending between said sidewalls beneath said upper course; and

submerged drive means drivingly connected to said drive roller including a drive shaft in spaced parallel realtion to said drive roller, a drive motor and flywheel means disposed between said drive motor and said drive roller and wherein said flywheel means cooperates with said support frame in stabilizing said apparatus in the water by imparting a downward force counteracting any tendency of said frame to be lifted from the bottom surface of the enclosed area.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said flywheel is of hollow, generally cylindrical configuration.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, said flywheel provided with apertures for passage of water into said flywheel.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said frame includes an individual foot member at each corner of said frame supporting said frame on said bottom surface.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, including a cushion layer interposed between said said upper and lower courses of said belt.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said upper course is disposed slightly beneath the upper edges of said raised sidewalls.

16. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein electrical motor drive means is located outside of said body of water and includes a pump to deliver fluid under pressure to said drive motor.

17. Aquatic treadmill apparatus comprising:

a body of water in an enclosed area;

a treadmill belt submerged in said body of water including a support frame having a rigid deck and a drive roller and take-up roller at opposite ends of said frame;

submerged drive means drivingly connected to said drive roller including a drive shaft, and a drive motor coupled to said drive shaft and a flywheel coupled to said drive shaft between said drive motor and said driver roller, said flywheel having its maximum weight in an outer peripheral portion thereof, and a pressurized fluid source outside of said body of water to deliver fluid under pressure via said pressure line to said drive motor; and

wherein said treadmill belt has an upper course and lower course, said rigid deck interposed between said upper and lower courses, said support frame being unattached to the enclosed area.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a guard member extends along one of said opposite ends of said frame slightly beneath said upper course and adjacent to said take-up roller to prevent injury to fingers or toes of a person exercising on said treadmill belt.

19. An underwater treadmill apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a body of water in an enclosed area;

an endless treadmill belt mounted on a portable, generally rectangular frame and submerged in the body of water, and a drive roller and driven roller about which said treadmill belt is trained;

drive means on said frame drivingly connected to said drive roller including a fluid operated drive motor and fluid pressure and return lines extending to and from said drive motor, a flywheel is mounted between said drive motor and said drive roller, and said flywheel having its greater mass concentrated in an outer peripheral portion thereof; and

electric motor drive means located outside of said body of water including a fluid pump to deliver fluid under pressure via said pressure line to said drive motor.

20. In apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said drive means includes a drive shaft, said fluid drive motor coupled to said drive shaft and a flywheel coupled to said drive shaft.

21. In apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said drive means includes a sprocket on said drive shaft and a drive belt trained over said sprocket and being drivingly connected to said drive roller, said drive roller having axially spaced, circumferentially extending grooves therein, and said treadmill belt has an upper course and lower course, a rigid deck interposed between said upper and lower courses, said upper course being disposed beneath upper edges of said raised sidewalls, and a cushion layer interposed between said deck and said upper course of said belt.

22. In apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a compressible padding is disposed in outer surrounding relation to sides of said frame.

23. In apparatus according to claim 19, wherein flags are disposed at corners of said frame.

24. Aquatic treadmill apparatus comprising:

a body of water;

a frame member submerged in said body of water;

a treadmill belt including a drive roller and take-up roller mounted on said frame member at opposite ends of said treadmill belt;

said frame member resting on a bottom surface beneath said body of water including sidewalls on opposite sides of said treadmill belt and a rigid deck extending between the sidewalls beneath an upper course of said treadmill belt, and an individual foot member at each of four corners of said frame resting on said bottom surface; and

drive means on said frame member drivingly connected to said drive roller including a drive shaft, a fluid-powered drive motor and flywheel means mounted for rotation with said drive shaft between said drive motor and said drive roller wherein said flywheel means cooperates with said frame member in stabilizing said apparatus in the water.

25. Apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said flywheel is of hollow, generally cylindrical configuration having its greater mass concentrated in an outer peripheral portion thereof, and said flywheel provided with apertures for passage of water into said flywheel.

26. Apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said treadmill belt has an upper course and lower course, a rigid deck interposed between said upper and lower courses, and a cushion layer interposed between said deck and said upper course of said belt.

27. Apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said interrupt means includes surge suppressor means for closing said interrupt means to conduct electrical current for limited time periods at voltages greater than 40 volts.

28. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said diodes include avalanche diodes and a surge suppressor in parallel with said diodes.

29. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said motor drive means includes a motor having an electrically non-conductive coating and sacrificial anodes in outer spaced relation to said motor to prevent corrosion of said motor.

30. Apparatus according to claim 29, said sacrificial anodes being composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum and zinc.

31. In underwater treadmill apparatus having a body of water in an enclosed area, a treadmill belt submerged in said body of water including a frame member, a drive roller and a take-up roller at opposite ends of said frame, the improvement comprising:

said take-up roller including bearing means at opposite ends thereof for resiliently mounting said take-up roller on said frame member wherein said take-up roller is movable toward and away from said drive roller in response to foot pressure applied by an exerciser to said treadmill belt.

32. In apparatus according to claim 31, wherein a guard member extends along one of said opposite ends of said treadmill belt adjacent to said take-up roller, said guard member being connected to said bearing means.

33. In apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said drive roller includes an outer tread portion of resilient material.

34. In apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said outer tread portion has axially spaced circumferential grooves therein.

35. In apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said take-up roller is of hollow, generally cylindrical configuration and provided with apertures for the entry of water into said take-up roller.

36. In apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said portable frame member is of generally rectangular configuration having raised straddle portions on opposite sides thereof, a deck extending between said straddle portions, and a cushion layer mounted on said deck.

37. In apparatus according to claim 36, said treadmill belt being in the form of an endless belt having an upper course spaced over said deck with water passing therebetween.

38. In apparatus according to claim 36, said deck being spaced beneath said straddle portions.

39. In apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said cushion layer is composed of compressible plastic bubbles, and a flexible plate mounted on said cushion layer beneath an upper course of said treadmill belt.

40. In apparatus according to claim 31, said treadmill belt provided with marker means visible to an exerciser from above the surface of the water to signal to the exerciser whether the belt is stationary or moving.

41. Aquatic treadmill apparatus comprising:

a body of water;

a frame member submerged in said body of water;

a treadmill belt including a drive roller and take-up roller mounted on said frame member at opposite ends of said treadmill belt; and

drive means on said frame member drivingly connected to said drive roller wherein electric motor drive means is located outside of said body of water and includes a fluid pump driven by said motor drive means to deliver fluid under pressure to said drive means and wherein a bonding grid is electrically connected between said electric motor drive means and said frame member, and interrupt means including diodes in said bonding grid for interrupting current flow through said bonding grid at voltages less than two volts.

42. Underwater treadmill apparatus comprising:

a body of water in an enclosed area;

a support frame submerged in the body of water and resting on a bottom surface of the enclosed area;

a treadmill belt mounted on said support frame including a drive roller at a forward end of said support frame and a driven roller at a rearward end of said support frame with said treadmill belt being trained for advancement over said drive roller and said driven roller;

submerged drive means drivingly connected to said drive roller including a fluid-operated drive motor and flexible fluid pressure and return lines extending to and from said drive motor;

electric motor drive means located outside of said body of water including a pressurized fluid source to deliver fluid under pressure via said pressure line to said drive motor; and

stabilizing means cooperating with said support frame wherein said stabilizing means stabilizes the apparatus in the body of water by imparting a downward force to said rear end of said support frame to counteract any tendency of said rear end of said support frame to be lifted off of the bottom surface when said drive motor is in operation.

43. Underwater treadmill apparatus according to claim 42 wherein said stabilizing means imparts a substantially constant downward pressure to said rear end of said support frame when said apparatus is in operation.

Treadmill Description
BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to exercise and therapy apparatus; and more particularly relates to a novel and improved underwater treadmill which enables the exerciser to utilize the effects of buoyancy