Apparatus for physical exercise.

Application filed January 7,1905. Serial No, 239,993.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Rosa B. Smolik, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Physical Exercise, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of improved apparatus for physical exercise; and it consists, essentially, of hand and foot hold means in connection with an inclined chute intended for difficult means of ascending the chute by the exercise of strenuous physical effort calculated to cause desirable and healthful development of the organs of the human system, as hereinafter described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a side elevation with a part broken out of the apparatus as applied to a supporting-wall. Fig. 2 is a detail in front view on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation on a reduced scale, showing a construction for independent support.

The part A is an inclined chute to be constructed either in the wave-line, as shown in the drawings, or in a straight line, as preferred, and having more or less inclination, as may be found best in practice, to be placed with a foot end resting on the floor or ground, as shown at b, and an upper end provided with a seat c and supported against a wall d or a backstay <?, also resting on the floor or ground, with such other stays or braces f as may be necessary, and the upper end may be connected to the wall d or backstay e by hooks A and eyes g for being readily detachable when it is desired to remove the apparatus for storage. The chute A may have side guards 7, and the seat c may have side rails j. With such a chute on which rapid and exhilarating descfent may be made by gliding down I provide gripholds for the hands consisting of slots A, cut in the face of the chute, so as to afford gripping-places for the fingers at suitable intervals along up the chute, but not too easy of use, together with footholds consisting of ribs Z, whereon the toes or side edges of the shoesoles or bare feet may cling to some extent, said ribs being also at suitable distances apart I as may be found best in practice, thus providing difficult and exhilarating exercise for mounting to the summit from which to descend by sliding on the chute or by stairway m, if desired, which may be provided also. The footholds may be in clusters of two or more.

For more interesting use of the chute I provide one or more seat-pockets, as n, in the front face, into which the climbers may swing themselves for temporary rest if too much overcome by the difficulties of the ascent. These seat - pockets and the foothold-ribs k will not be materially obstructive to the sliding on the chutes, and the pockets may be avoided altogether in the descent, if desired.

Thus I provide very entertaining amusement and physical-culture apparatus of cheap and portable . construction for use either indoors or out and such as may be made in simple form or more elaborate design to suit all tastes and fancies.