Exercise treadmill

An exercise treadmill, comprising:

• a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned substantially parallel to each other;
• means for rotating one of said pulleys;
• an endless, moveable surface looped around said pulleys to form an upper run and a lower run, said moveable surface being rotated when one of said pulleys is rotated;
• and
• support means for providing support for the upper run of said moveable surface including a deck member secured beneath at least a portion of said upper run, said deck member having a crowned portion crowned substantially upward between the front and rear of said exercise treadmill.

An exercise device for providing an endlessly movable exercise surface comprising:

• an exercise treadmill having two rotatable pulleys substantially parallel to each other and an endless moveable exercise surface looped around said pulleys to form an upper run and a lower run, said moveable exercise surface being rotated when one of said pulleys is rotated and providing a surface on which a user can walk or run while exercising;
• means for sensing the lateral position of said moveable exercise surface on said pulleys;
• and
• means for correcting the lateral position of said moveable exercise surface on said pulleys including pivoting means for pivoting one end of one of said pulleys in a longitudinal direction where said pivoting means includes a first pivot block capable of pivoting movement about a vertical axis into which one end of said pulley to be rotated is rotatable mounted, and a second block into which the other end of said pulley to be rotated is rotatably mounted, and further including means for moving said second block through said longitudinal direction.

An exercise treadmill, comprising:

• endless belt means including two rotatable pulleys substantially parallel to each other and an endless belt looped around said pulleys, said belt being rotated when one of said pulleys is rotated for providing a movable exercise surface;
• a support deck located below a portion of said belt means for limiting the downward deflection of the exercise surface;
• a treadmill frame having longitudinal and lateral frame members;
• and
• a plurality of sets of at least two vertically oriented cylindrical elastomeric deck support members fastened between said deck and said frame for allowing the deck to move in the longitudinal and lateral horizontal directions and for limiting movement of said deck in the vertical direction.

An exercise treadmill, comprising:

• a frame structure including two substantially parallel, rotatable pulleys and at least two longitudinally spaced apart cross-members;
• an endless, moveable surface looped around said pulleys to provide an exercise surface on which a user can walk or run while exercising, said moveable surface being rotated when one of said pulleys is rotated;
• a deck for supporting said exercise surface from below when a user's foot impacts said exercise surface, said deck underlying substantially the entire length of said exercise surface;
• and
• a plurality of non-inflatable, elastomeric support members effective to permit said deck to flex downwardly in response to the impact of the user's foot on said exercise surface, said support members being secured between said deck and said crossmembers.

An exercise treadmill, comprising:

• a frame structure including two rotatable pulleys, said pulleys being positioned substantially parallel to each other, and two laterally spaced apart longitudinal support members;
• means for rotating one of said pulleys;
• an endless, moveable surface looped around said pulleys to form an upper run and a lower run, said movable surface being rotated when one of said pulleys is rotated, and providing an exercise surface on which a user can walk or run while exercising;
• a deck member secured beneath at least a portion of said upper run;
• a first plurality of elastomeric support members aligned with a first of said longitudinal support members and positioned intermediate of said pulleys;
• and
• a second plurality of elastomeric support members aligned with a second of said longitudinal support members and positioned intermediate of said pulleys;
• wherein said elastomeric support members are secured between said frame and said deck to permit said deck to flex downwardly in response to the impact of the user's feet on said exercise surface.