Exercise apparatus

An exercise apparatus for stimulating stair climbing comprising:

• a frame including a base and first and second support arms attached to said frame so as to extend outwardly therefrom;
• first and second support beams;
• a first elastomeric torsion spring including a first elastomeric member having a generally annular configuration, wherein the radially innermost portion of said first elastomeric member is attached to said first support arm and the radially outermost portion of said first elastomeric member is attached to said first support beam;
• a second elastomeric torsion spring including a second elastomeric member having a generally annular configuration, wherein the radially innermost portion of said second elastomeric member is attached to said second support arm and the radially outermost portion of said second elastomeric member is attached to said second support beam, wherein each of the first and second elastomeric torsion springs are constructed and configured to store torque as the corresponding support beam is reciprocated from a nominal position to a rotated position, and to release the stored torque to urge the reciprocated corresponding support beam to the nominal position;
• and
• resistance means coupled to at least one of said first and second load levers to resist movement of said load levers in the direction from their nominal positions to their rotated positions.

An exercise apparatus for simulating stair climbing comprising:

• a frame including a base and a first member attached to said base so as to extend upwardly from said base;
• first and second foot beams for receiving the feet of an exerciser standing thereon;
• mounting means coupled to said frame and to said first and second foot beams for mounting said first and second foot beams on said frame so that each of said first and second foot beams may be reciprocally pivoted about a pivot axis between an upper position and a lower portion,
• the improvement wherein:
• said mounting means includes first and second annular elastomeric members mounted on said frame about said pivot axis and coupled with said first and second foot beams, respectively, said first and second elastomeric members being designed to (a) generate and store torque when the associated one of said first and second foot beams is moved from its upper position toward its lower position by the exerciser to simulate stair climbing and (b) to release said torque, after said first and second foot beams have been moved from said upper position toward said lower position by the user and said first and second foot beams are thereafter permitted to return to said upper position, so as to urge said first and second foot beams toward said upper position;
• and
• resistance means coupled to at least one of said first and second load levers to resist movement of said load levers in the direction from their nominal positions to their rotated positions.

An exercise apparatus for simulating stair climbing comprising:

• a frame;
• first and second support beams pivotally mounted on the frame, each operable by an exerciser to reciprocate about a pivot axis between a first position and a second position;
• resistance means coupled to at least one of the first and second support beams to resist movement of the first and second support beams from their first positions to their second positions;
• and
• first and second annular elastomeric members secured about the pivot axis between an associated one of said first and second support beams, respectively, and the frame so that each of the first and second elastomeric members is deformed to store torque as the associated support beam is moved from the first position to the second position, and releases the stored torque when the associated support beam is returned to the first position, the first and second elastomeric members each storing sufficient torque to overcome bias applied by the resistance means as the associated support beams move from the second position and to the first position to urge the associated support beam to the first position.