Electric treadmill with a single motor for adjusting the height of a running board and for folding the treadmill

An exercise treadmill having a treadmill frame with a horizontal section, a hand rail mounted on the frame and comprising:

• a) a running support with a running belt thereon, the running support having a first end and a second end, with at least one rear wheel on the second end;
• b) an L-shaped actuating rod pivotally connected to opposite sides of the running support adjacent the first end, and pivotally connected to the horizontal section of the treadmill frame;
• c) a first motor to drive the running belt;
• and,
• d) a height adjusting and folding mechanism including:
• i) a second motor driving a gearbox;
• ii) output shafts extending from and rotated by the gearbox;
• iii) connecting rods attached to the output shafts, each connecting rod having at least one wheel thereon;
• and,
• iv) sliding rails on the horizontal section of the treadmill frame, each sliding rail engaged by the at least one wheel so as to limit movement of the at least one wheel to a linear path having a predetermined length, whereby the height adjusting and folding mechanism adjusts a height of the first end of the running support and pivots the running support about the actuating rods between a use position and a folded position.