# US 5,066,003 A · Leg curl exercise machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,066,003 A - Document ID: US5066003A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/581,585 - Filed: 1990-09-12 - Granted: 1991-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 1990-09-12 - Assignees: Hammer Corporation - Inventors: Gary A. Jones - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5066003A ## CPC - A63B 23/03533: {With separate means driven by each limb, i.e. performing different movements} - A63B 21/0615: {pivoting about a fixed horizontal fulcrum} - A63B 21/08: anchored at one end - A63B 21/4047: {Pivoting movement (weight pivoting A63B21/0615)} - A63B 23/03508: {For a single arm or leg, (A63B21/0726 takes precedence)} - A63B 23/0494: {primarily by articulating the knee joints (A63B23/0405, A63B23/0476 take precedence)} - A63B 2208/0257: prone - A63B 2225/30: Maintenance - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A leg curl exercise machine includes a frame, a platform supported by the frame along a vertical midplane and a pair of levers pivotally connected to the frame in front of the platform. The forward ends of the levers are adapted to hold removable weights and, during performance of a leg curl exercise, are adapted to be acted upon by the legs of an exerciser supported on the platform. The levers pivot along outer planes of movement that diverge from the front of the frame and tilt inwardly toward the top of the frame, thereby coupling the force applied by the legs against separate weight resistances that move through planes that naturally accommodate the musculoskeletal make-up of a person. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A leg curl exercise machine comprising: a frame; a platform secured to the frame along a vertical midplane; a lever pivotally connected to the frame in front of the platform, the lever adapted to hold at least one removable weight at a forward, lower end thereof and adapted to be pivoted upwardly by the back of the leg of an exerciser supported on the platform during the performance of a leg curl, the lever being pivotal in a plane that is non-parallel with respect to the central vertical plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the non-parallel plane of pivotal lever movement diverges from the front of the frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 2 wherein the angle of divergence is about 4.degree.. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the non-parallel plane of pivotal movement tilts inwardly towards a top portion of the frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 4 wherein the plane of pivotal movement tilts inwardly at an angle of about 2.degree.. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the non-parallel plane of movement diverges from the front of the frame and tilts inwardly toward the top of the frame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 and further comprising: a counterweight connected to a rearward end of the lever. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 and further comprising: a support rod having an outer end for holding removable weights, an opposite end of the support rod extending inwardly toward the vertical midplane; a connector attached to an inner end of the support rod and extending forwardly and upwardly therefrom; and a hub and pad assembly connected to an upper end of the connector, the hub adapted to be acted upon by the back of the leg of an exerciser supported on the platform during the performance of a leg curl. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the pivotal lever has an initial, at rest, position at an angle of about 25.degree. from vertical. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 and further comprising: means for selectively varying an initial, at rest, angle of the pivot lever. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the platform includes two sections. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 11 wherein a forward section of the platform declines forwardly and a rearward section of the platform declines rearwardly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 12 wherein the forwardly and rearwardly declinging angles are about 10.degree. and 5.degree., respectively. ### Claim 14 A leg curl exercise machine comprising: a frame; a platform secured to the frame along a vertical midplane; a pair of levers pivotally connected to the frame in front of the platform, each lever having a forward end adapted to hold at least one removable weight and adapted to be pivoted upwardly by one leg of an exerciser supported on the platform during the performance of a leg curl, the levers being pivotal in outer planes that are non-parallel with respect to the vertical midplane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 14 wherein each of the outer planes diverges from the front of the frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 15 wherein each of the outer planes diverges at an angle of about 4.degree.. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 14 wherein each of the outer planes tilt inwardly toward the top of the frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 17 wherein each of the outer planes tilt inwardly at an angle of about 2.degree.. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 14 and further comprising: a pair of support rods, each support rod connected to one of the levers and oriented perpendicular to the outer plane of pivotal movement of the respective lever, each support rod having an outer end adapted to hold one or more removable weights; a pair of connectors, each connector secured to an inner end of a support rod and extending forwardly and upwardly therefrom; and a pair of pads, each pad connected to a forward end of a connector, the pads adapted to be acted upon by an exerciser supported on the platform during performance of a leg curl. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 19 wherein each connector is angularly displaced from its respective lever by an angle of less than 90.degree.. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 20 wherein each connector is angularly displaced at an angle of about 77.degree.. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 14 and further comprising: a pair of counterweights, each counterweight connected to an upper rearward end of a lever and adapted to substantially counterbalance a forward end of the lever when no removable weights are held thereon. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 14 wherein each lever has an initial, at rest, position of about 25.degree. from vertical with its respective outer plane. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 14 and further comprising: means for selectively varying an initial, at rest, angle of each of the levers within its respective outer plane. ### Claim 25 A leg curl exercise machine comprising: a frame; a platform supported by the frame along a vertical midplane; and a pair of pivotal levers, each lever having a forward end adapted to hold at least one removable weight and adapted to be acted upon by the leg of an exerciser supported on the platform during the performance of a leg curl, each lever adapted to pivot in an outer plane of movement that diverges from a forward end of the machine. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 25 wherein the outer planes tilt inwardly toward a top of the frame. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The leg curl exercise machine of claim 25 wherein the platform includes a forwardly declining section and a rearwardly declining section.