Improvements in electrical exercising machines / [Albert Williamson Courtney].

  • Courtney, Albert Williamson.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Improvements in electrical exercising machines / [Albert Williamson Courtney]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    O Lake's Improvements in Electrical Exercising Mach ines. suitable construction are preferably arranged in a shunt around the generator- circuit. The circuit-breakers shown in the drawings consist of a pair of toothed or star wheels o ol, secured to the hollow armature-shafts, respectively, and elect rically connected therewith, and metallic spring fingers or brushes o2 d\ 5 secured to the casing and bearing at their free ends against the teeth of the star- wheels in such manner that the springs snap over the teeth successively by the rotation of the wheels in either direction. The brushes o2 o3 are connected with the insulated contact-rings $ rp by wires o4 or\ Whenever by the rotation of the star-wheels one of these brushes comes in contact with a tooth of the corresponding* 1 () star-wheel a ‘circuit is established through the coils of the armatures and the latter are short-circuited, while during the instant that the brush is snapping from one tooth to the next it is out of contact with the star-wheel and the circuit through the brush is broken and established through the electrodes and the body of the operator. By this arrangement every time that the circuit is established ] 5 through the handles F or through the handles and the foot-plate L a current is produced which, as is well known, is of much higher electromotive force than that generated directly by the rotation of the armature in the field-magnets, giving the operator a succession of comparatively strong shocks. For the purpose of enabling the strength of the current received by the operator 20 to be graduated or reduced below the maximum more or less a shunt-circuit containing a number of connected resistance-coils p, p1, p2 is combined with the main circuit. These resistance-coils are preferably mounted on the front plate of the casing A and connected, respectively with the shanks of contact- buttons p3, p4, p5, p&, which extend through the front plate of the casing, p7 is 25 a dead-button arranged at the rear end of the series of buttons and having no connection with the shunt or the main circuit. The first active button p3 of the series is connected by a wire q with a contact q1, which is secured to the inner side of the front plate of the casing and which is adapted to bear against an internal contact q2 secured to the top board of the casing when the front plate is .TO in place. The contact q2 is connected with the adjacent contact-brush o2 by a wire q3. r is a switch-lever pivoted by a pin r1 to the front plate of the casing and arranged to traverse the contact-buttons pfi p7. The pivot of this lever is con¬ nected by a wire s with a contact s, preferably secured to the inner side of the To front plate of the casing and bearing against a contact s2 at the top of the case when said front plate is in place. This contact s2 is connected with the other brush o3 by a wire s3. When the shunt-circuit is switched into the main circuit, the strength or pressure of the current received by the operator is greater or less, according to 40 the amount of resistance included in the shunt-circuit, the same being greater when the resistance is increased and less when the resistance is reduced. When the switcli-lever r is moved upon the first active button p3, the exercising-current is short-circuited, and no appreciable current passes through the same. When the lever is shifted upon the second active button p4, the first resistance-coil p 45 is included in the shunt-circuit, and the resistance offered by said circuit is increased accordingly, thereby increasing the amount of current received by the operator in the same measure. The strength of the current passing over the exercising-circuit is still further increased by shifting the lever upon the third button p:> or the fourth button p6. FTpon shifting the lever upon the dead- 50 button p7 the shunt-circuit is cut out altogether, and the operator receives the maximum strength of the current. When it is desired to pass the current only through the arms and the upper portion of the body, the arm-circuit is estab¬ lished by removing the switch-plug M from its socket. The operator then grasps the handles F and reciprocates the same either together, alternately, or one at a 55 time, according to the nature of the particular exercise desired or the fancy of the operator. If it is desired to use both the arm and the foot circuits, the operator simply inserts the switch-plug M1 in its socket, as hereinbefore described.