# US 10,118,071 B2 · Rotator cuff muscle exercise machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,071 B2 - Document ID: US10118071B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/443,047 - Filed: 2017-02-27 - Published: 2017-06-15 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-12 - Assignees: Rotator Cuff Rehab, LLC - Applicants: Rotator Cuff Rehab, LLC - Inventors: Kenneth R. Cervone; Robert J. Irvine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118071B2 ## CPC - A63B 23/1209: {Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously} - A63B 21/00072: {by changing the length of a lever} - A63B 21/0615: {pivoting about a fixed horizontal fulcrum} - A63B 21/154: {using special pulley-assemblies} - A63B 21/159: {Using levers for transmitting forces} - A63B 21/4035: {for operation by hand} - A63B 23/03508: {For a single arm or leg, (A63B21/0726 takes precedence)} - A63B 23/03541: {Moving independently from each other (A63B22/00 takes precedence)} - A63B 24/0087: {Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load} - A63B 69/0057: {Means for physically limiting movements of body parts (A63B23/0211 takes precedence)} - A63B 2208/0233: in 90/90 position, like on a chair - A63B 2225/09: Adjustable dimensions - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A machine for exercising the rotator cuff muscles that is operable to individually and separately isolate and exercise each of the four rotator cuff muscles while the user is in a seated position. The exercise machine includes a plurality of structural elements including a main vertical beam and a base frame operable to be positioned on the ground, where the main beam extends vertically from the base frame. The machine includes a plurality of pulleys mounted to the structural elements and a plurality of exercise cables running through the pulleys, where handles are coupled to the exercise cables. A seat is mounted to the vertical beam and the handles are positioned relative thereto to allow the user to grasp the handles and perform the several exercises for each arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exercise machine comprising: a plurality of structural elements including a main vertical beam and a base frame operable to be positioned on the ground, said main beam extending vertically from the base frame; a plurality of pulleys mounted to the structural elements; a plurality of exercise cables running through the pulleys; a plurality of handles coupled to the exercise cables; and a seat mounted to the vertical beam, wherein the configuration and orientation of the structural elements, pulleys, cables and handles allow a user seated in the seat to independently exercise each of the user's right-side supraspinatus muscle, right-side infraspinatus muscle, right-side subscapularis muscle, right-side teres minor muscle, left-side supraspinatus muscle, left-side infraspinatus muscle, left-side subscapularis muscle, and left-side teres minor muscle without causing any other muscle of the user including any other rotator cuff muscle to be exercised. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exercise machine according to claim 1 further comprising a gull wing assembly including a back plate mounted to the vertical beam above the seat, said gull wing assembly including a left-side gull wing and a right-side gull wing both being pivotably mounted relative to the back plate, said left-side gull wing and said right-side gull wing being positioned in a down position for the exercises for the left-side infraspinatus muscle, the right-side infraspinatus muscle, the left-side subscapularis muscle and the right-side subscapularis muscle and being positioned in an up position for the exercises for the left-side supraspinatus muscle, the right-side supraspinatus muscles, the left-side teres minor muscle and the right-side teres minor muscle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The exercise machine according to claim 2 wherein the gull wing assembly includes a left-side slide assembly and a right-side slide assembly that are mounted on slide bearings positioned on the back plate, said left-side gull wing being mounted to the left-side slide assembly and said right-side gull wing being mounted to the right-side slide assembly so as to allow the gull wings to be spaced closer or farther apart for different sized users. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The exercise machine according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of exercise cables is three exercise cables, wherein a first one of the exercise cables is used for the exercises for the left-side supraspinatus muscle and the left-side teres minor muscle, a second one of the exercise cables is used for both the exercises for the right-side supraspinatus muscle and the right-side teres minor muscle, and a third one of the exercise cables is used for the exercises for the left-side infraspinatus muscle, the right-side infraspinatus muscle, the left-side subscapularus muscle and the right-side subscapularus muscle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The exercise machine according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of pulleys include a weight lifting pulley, a first pulley assembly including an upper pulley and a lower pulley and second pulley assembly including an upper pulley and a lower pulley, wherein the first exercise cable runs through the upper pulley of the first pulley assembly, the second exercise cable runs through the upper pulley of the second pulley assembly and the third exercise cable runs through the lower pulley of the first pulley assembly, the weight lifting pulley and the lower pulley of the second pulley assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The exercise machine according to claim 5 wherein the structural elements include a left-side vertical post positioned at a left-side front of the machine and a right-side vertical post positioned at a right-side front of the machine, wherein the plurality of handles include a first handle mounted to a top end of the left-side post and being coupled to one end of the third cable and a second handle mounted to a top end of the right-side post and being coupled to an opposite end of the third cable, and wherein the third cable runs through a plurality of other pulleys in addition to the lower pulley of the first pulley assembly, the weight lifting pulley and the lower pulley of the second pulley assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The exercise machine according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of handles include a first handle coupled to one end of the first cable and being used to exercise the left-side teres minor muscle and a second handle coupled to one end of the second cable and being used to exercise the right-side teres minor muscle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The exercise machine according to claim 7 wherein the structural elements include a horizontal beam mounted to the main beam above the seat, said exercise machine further comprising a left-side exercise bar pivotably mounted to a left end of the horizontal beam and a right-side exercise bar pivotably mounted to a right end of the horizontal beam, said left-side and right-side exercise bars each including a bar handle slidably mounted to a lower end of the exercise bar and a counter weight rigidly mounted to an upper end of the exercise bar, wherein an end of the left-side exercise bar opposite to the bar handle is coupled to an opposite end of the first cable from the first handle and an end of the right-side exercise bar opposite to the bar handle is coupled to an end of the second cable from the second handle, and wherein the left-side exercise bar is used to exercise the left-side supraspinatus muscle and the right-side exercise bar is used to exercise the right-side supraspinatus muscle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The exercise machine according to claim 8 wherein the left-side exercise bar and the right-side exercise bar are configured and positioned to maintain an angle of 30° between the user's arm and a plane running through the user's body when performing the exercise. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The exercise machine according to claim 1 further comprising a weight assembly including a weight and a weight bar where the weight is movable along the weight bar and where the weight bar is mounted to the base frame at a pivot point, wherein moving the weight on the weight bar relative to the pivot point increases or decreases the weight of the exercises. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The exercise machine according to claim 10 wherein one of the structural components is a top plate mounted to a top of the main beam, wherein a plurality of the pulleys are mounted to the top plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exercise machine according to claim 11 further comprising a stabilizing bar pivotally coupled to the bottom of the top plate, wherein an end of the weight bar is slidably mounted to the stabilizing bar, said stabilizing bar maintaining an alignment between a pulley mounted to the weight beam and another pulley. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The exercise machine according to claim 1 wherein the seat is slidably mounted to a seat bar, said seat bar being mounted to the main beam perpendicular thereto. ### Claim 14 An exercise machine for independently exercising each rotator cuff muscle including a right-side supraspinatus muscle, a right-side infraspinatus muscle, a right-side subscapularis muscle, a right-side teres minor muscle, a left-side supraspinatus muscle, a left-side infraspinatus muscle, a left-side subscapularis muscle and a left-side teres minor muscle of a user of the machine without causing any other muscle of the user including any other rotator cuff muscle to be exercised, said machine comprising a plurality of cables, handles and pulleys for performing the independent exercises. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The exercise machine according to claim 14 wherein the plurality of cables is three cables, wherein a first one of the cables is used for the exercises for the left-side supraspinatus muscle and the left-side teres minor muscle, a second one of the cables is used for the exercises for the right-side supraspinatus muscle and the right-side teres minor muscle, and a third one of the cables is used for the exercises for the left-side infraspinatus muscle, the right-side infraspinatus muscle, the left-side subscapularus muscle and the right-side subscapularus muscle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The exercise machine according to claim 15 wherein the plurality of pulleys include a weight lifting pulley, a first pulley assembly including an upper pulley and a lower pulley and second pulley assembly including an upper pulley and a lower pulley, wherein the first cable runs through the upper pulley of the first pulley assembly, the second cable runs through the upper pulley of the second pulley assembly and the third cable runs through the lower pulley of the first pulley assembly, the weight lifting pulley and the lower pulley of the second pulley assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The exercise machine according to claim 16 wherein the plurality of handles include a first handle coupled to one end of the first cable and being used to exercise the left-side teres minor muscle and a second handle coupled to one end of the second cable and being used to exercise the right-side teres minor muscle. ### Claim 18 An exercise machine comprising: a plurality of structural elements including a main vertical beam and a base frame operable to be positioned on the ground, said main beam extending vertically from the base frame; a plurality of pulleys mounted to the structural elements; a plurality of exercise cables running through the pulleys; a plurality of handles coupled to the exercise cables; a seat mounted to the vertical beam, wherein the configuration and orientation of the structural elements, pulleys, cables and handles allow a user seated in the seat to exercise each of the user's right-side supraspinatus muscle, right-side infraspinatus muscle, right-side subscapularis muscle, right-side teres minor muscle, left-side supraspinatus muscle, left-side infraspinatus muscle, left-side subscapularis muscle, and left-side teres minor muscle; and a gull wing assembly including a back plate mounted to the vertical beam above the seat, said gull wing assembly including a left-side gull wing and a right-side gull wing both being pivotably mounted relative to the back plate, said left-side gull wing and said right-side gull wing being positioned in a down position for the exercises for the left-side infraspinatus muscle, the right-side infraspinatus muscle, the left-side subscapularis muscle and the right-side subscapularis muscle and being positioned in an up position for the exercises for the left-side supraspinatus muscle, the right-side supraspinatus muscles, the left-side teres minor muscle and the right-side teres minor muscle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The exercise machine according to claim 18 wherein the gull wing assembly includes a left-side slide assembly and a right-side slide assembly that are mounted on slide bearings positioned on the back plate, said left-side gull wing being mounted to the left-side slide assembly and said right-side gull wing being mounted to the right-side slide assembly so as to allow the gull wings to be spaced closer or farther apart for different sized users. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The exercise machine according to claim 18 further comprising a weight assembly including a weight and a weight bar where the weight is movable along the weight bar and where the weight bar is mounted to the base frame at a pivot point, wherein moving the weight on the weight bar relative to the pivot point increases or decreases the weight of the exercises.