Reciprocator for a stepper exercise machine

A stepping machine comprising:

• a base for positioning on a support surface;
• an upright support connected to said base and extending upwardly therefrom;
• a left treadle pivotally mounted to said upright support to pivot about a first pivot axis, said left treadle being positioned for movement by a foot of the user;
• a right treadle pivotally mounted to said upright support to pivot about said pivot axis, said right treadle being generally aligned with and spaced from the left treadle for movement by the other foot of the user;
• a left hydraulic cylinder interconnected between said upright support and said left treadle to resist movement of said left treadle;
• a right hydraulic cylinder interconnected between said upright support and said right treadle to resist movement of said right treadle;
• a channel having two spaced-apart sides, a left end and a right end mounted to said upright support to pivot about a second pivot axis below said first pivot axis;
• a left tracking shaft transversely secured to said channel proximate said left end;
• a right tracking shaft transversely secured to said channel proximate said right end;
• a left roller mounted to said left tracking shaft to move therealong;
• a right roller mounted to said right tracking shaft to move therealong;
• left engagement means secured under said left treadle to mechanically engage the perimeter of said left roller to urge said roller to move on said left tracking shaft upon movement of said left treadle;
• and
• right engagement means secured under said right treadle to mechanically engage the perimeter of said right roller to urge said right roller to move on said right tracking shaft upon movement of said right treadle.

In an exercise machine having a frame, left and right limb pedals movably mounted thereto and operated by alternating motions of left and right limbs of a user on said limb pedals, and resistance devices connected between said frame and each of said limb pedals, a reciprocator comprising:

• rocker means for providing reciprocating motion and having left and right rocker ends positioned under said left and right limb pedals, said rocker means being rotatably mountable to said frame below the point of attachment of said limb pedals at a pivot, said rocker means being operable to perform a first movement in which said left rocker end moves generally downward and said right rocker end moves generally upward, and a second position in which said right rocker end moves generally downward and said left rocker end moves generally upward;
• left and right roller structures, mounted on said left and right rocker ends respectively;
• and
• roller engagement means attached to the underside of each of said left and right limb pedals for engaging said left and right roller structures, respectively, said roller engagement means being positioned on each of said left and right limb pedals to contact said roller structures upon movement of said left limb pedal and said right limb pedal to cause said rocker means to move alternatingly between said first position and said second position.