TRAINING APPARATUS

Abstract

Training apparatus 1 includes exercise equipment 3, 4 mounted to a side surface 8a or a roof 19 of a land vehicle or for mounting to a surface such as a wall of a building or ship. The exercise equipment includes a support structure which is attached to the surface 8a or roof 19 and is manoeuvrable by pivoting with respect thereto whilst remaining attached thereto, between a stowed condition and an exercising condition.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A training apparatus comprising a trailer which comprises: a container having a wall which has a vertically extending outside surface; wheels enabling the trailer to be transported by being towed; and exercise equipment; wherein the exercise equipment comprises a support structure which is stowed during towing of the trailer, and which is configured to adopt an exercising condition attached to the vertically extending outside surface of the container when the trailer is stationary; wherein the support structure comprises first and second ground engaging legs each configured to extend vertically at a spacing from the outside surface of the wall and to engage the ground with the legs horizontally spaced apart when the support structure is in the exercising condition; wherein the support structure comprises first and second arm members each configured so that when the support structure is in the exercising condition each arm member projects away from the outside surface of the wall with the arm members being horizontally spaced apart, with the first arm member having an end rigidly secured to the first ground engaging leg and an opposite end located at and connected to the outside surface of the wall, and with the second arm member having an end rigidly secured to the second ground engaging leg and an opposite end located at and connected to the outside surface of the wall; and wherein the exercise equipment further comprises an exercise bar which in the exercising condition is supported by the ground engaging legs at said spacing from the outside surface of the wall.

22. (canceled)

23. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the exercise bar is supported horizontally.

24. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first and second ground engaging legs are spaced apart in a lengthwise direction of the trailer when the support structure is in the exercising condition whereby the first ground engaging leg is a front ground engaging leg and the second ground engaging leg is a rear ground engaging leg.

25. (canceled)

26. The training apparatus of claim 24, wherein the support structure comprises a front and rear ground engaging plates by which the front ground engaging leg and the rear ground engaging leg respectively engage the ground when the support structure is in the exercising condition.

27. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the container has a second vertically extending outside surface on the opposite side of the trailer with respect to a towing direction of the trailer, wherein the exercise equipment comprises a second support structure which is stowed during towing of the trailer, and which is configured to adopt an exercising condition attached to the second vertically extending outside surface of the container when the trailer is stationary, and wherein the second support structure comprises a third ground engaging leg configured to engage the ground when the second support structure is in the exercising condition.

28. The training apparatus of claim 27, wherein the container has a roof surface, and wherein the exercise equipment comprises a cantilevered exercise apparatus having a cantilever component which projects away from the roof surface in a rearward direction with respect to the towing direction of the trailer and does not engage the ground when said cantilevered exercise apparatus is in an exercising configuration.

29. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the container has a roof surface, and wherein the exercise equipment comprises cantilevered exercise apparatus having a cantilever component which projects away from the roof surface and does not engage the ground when said cantilevered exercise apparatus is in an exercising configuration.

30. The training apparatus of claim 29, wherein the cantilever component extends upwardly in a direction intermediate between horizontal and vertical, when the cantilevered exercise apparatus is in the exercising configuration.

31. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the exercise equipment comprises a cantilevered exercise apparatus which projects away from the container and does not engage the ground when said cantilevered exercise apparatus is in an exercising configuration, the cantilevered exercise apparatus having at least one exercise bar to be gripped by a user during exercise, and the cantilevered exercise apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end at which a container attachment portion of the cantilevered exercise apparatus is located, the container attachment portion at the proximal end of the cantilevered exercise apparatus being fixed to the container and the cantilevered exercise apparatus extending from the container attachment portion thereof upwardly in a direction intermediate between horizontal and vertical when the cantilevered exercise apparatus is in the exercising configuration.

32. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the support structure is manoeuvrable by pivoting with respect to the outside surface of the container whilst remaining attached thereto, between a stowed condition for use during towing of the trailer, and the exercising condition for use when the trailer is stationary.

33. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first ground engaging leg is in a first orientation when the support structure is in the exercising condition, and is manoeuvrable whilst remaining attached to the outside surface to a second orientation spaced from the ground when the support structure is stowed, so as to occupy less vertical space than when the first ground engaging leg is in the first orientation.

34. The training apparatus of claim 21, wherein the support structure is manoeuvrable with respect to the outside surface of the container whilst remaining attached thereto, between a stowed condition for use during towing of the trailer, and the exercising condition for use when the trailer is stationary, the first and second ground engaging legs being spaced from the ground when the support structure is in the stowed condition, and wherein the first and second ground engaging legs are independently manoeuvrable with respect to each other when the support structure is manoeuvred between the stowed and exercising conditions.

35. A training apparatus comprising a trailer which comprises: a container; wheels enabling the trailer to be transported by being towed; and exercise equipment; wherein the exercise equipment is stowed during towing of the trailer, and is configured to adopt an exercising condition attached to the container for use when the trailer is stationary; and wherein the exercise equipment comprises a cantilevered exercise apparatus which projects away from the container and does not engage the ground when said cantilevered exercise apparatus is in an exercising configuration, the cantilevered exercise apparatus having at least one exercise bar to be gripped by a user during exercise, and the cantilevered exercise apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end at which a container attachment portion of the cantilevered exercise apparatus is located, the container attachment portion at the proximal end of the cantilevered exercise apparatus being located at and fixed to the container and the cantilevered exercise apparatus extending from the container attachment portion thereof upwardly in a direction intermediate between horizontal and vertical when the cantilevered exercise apparatus is in the exercising configuration.

36. The training apparatus of claim 35, wherein the exercise bar extends horizontally and in a lateral direction with respect to the trailer.

37. The training apparatus of claim 36, wherein the trailer has a footprint as viewed from above, and wherein the at least one exercise bar comprises a pair of exercise bars which are both disposed outwardly of the footprint of the trailer as viewed from above.

38. A training apparatus comprising a trailer which comprises: a container having side walls and a roof, at least one of the side walls and the roof having an outside surface on which a pair of pivot mounting structures is provided, the pivot mounting structures being spaced apart from each other on the outside surface; and exercise equipment; wherein the exercise equipment comprises a support structure which is attached to the outside surface by the pair of pivot mounting structures on the outside surface and is manoeuvrable by pivoting with respect to the outside surface whilst remaining attached thereto, between a stowed condition for use during towing of the trailer, and an exercising condition for use when the trailer is stationary; and wherein in the stowed condition substantially the entire support structure is in a collapsed state in which it lies adjacent to the outside surface and generally parallel thereto.

39. The training apparatus of claim 38, wherein the support structure is configured to engage the ground when the support structure is in the exercising condition.

40. The training apparatus of claim 38, wherein the support structure is pivotable about a first axis perpendicular to the outside surface, and is pivotable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

41. A training apparatus as claimed in claim 21, further comprising first and second support plates for supporting the respective opposite ends of the first and second arm members when the support structure is in the exercising condition, with the support plates each being bolted or welded to the wall of the container.

Description

[0057] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0058] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the training apparatus, viewed from the rear, with the exercise equipment in a stowed condition;

[0059] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the training apparatus, viewed from the rear, with the exercise equipment in an exercising condition;

[0060] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the training apparatus, viewed from the front, with the exercise equipment in the exercising condition;

[0061] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a leg of ground engaging exercise apparatus when the apparatus is in an exercising configuration; and

[0062] FIG. 5 is a side view of cantilevered exercise apparatus when the apparatus is in an exercising configuration;

[0063] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of another embodiment of training apparatus comprising ground engaging exercise apparatus in a stowed configuration; and

[0064] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the ground engaging exercise apparatus of FIG. 6 in an exercising configuration.

[0065] As seen in the drawings, training apparatus 1 comprises a land vehicle in the form of a trailer 2 provided with exercise equipment attached to the outside of the trailer. The trailer has wheels 20 enabling it to be transported by being towed by a vehicle.

[0066] The trailer 2 has an outside 7 which comprises two opposite lateral walls having outside side surfaces 8a and 8b, two opposite front and rear end walls having outside front and rear side surfaces 9 and 10, and a roof having a roof surface 19. At the front of the trailer 2 a tow bar 11 is provided. The rear side surface 10 comprises a pair of doors for gaining access to the inside of the trailer, where further exercise equipment or other material may be stored during transport of the trailer.

[0067] The exercise equipment comprises ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 and cantilevered exercise apparatus 4. In alternative embodiments, not shown, the exercise equipment may comprise only the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3, or only the cantilevered exercise apparatus 4, and it may comprise more than one ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 and/or more than one cantilevered exercise apparatus 4. In this embodiment, two ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 and one cantilevered exercise apparatus 4 are provided.

[0068] FIG. 1 shows the exercise equipment, i.e. the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 and the cantilevered exercise apparatus 4, in the stowed condition. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the exercise equipment in the exercising condition.

[0069] The ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 comprises a leg 5 which engages the ground when the apparatus is in an exercising configuration by means of a ground engaging plate 6. A pair of legs 5, each with a corresponding ground engaging plate 6, is provided, with the legs being spaced apart in a lengthwise direction of the trailer 2, whereby there are front and rear legs 5.

[0070] An arm member 12a extends between the trailer and each ground engaging leg 5, thereby forming respective leg and arm member units. The leg and arm member units together form a support structure of the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3. There are front and rear arm members 12a, respectively for the front and rear legs 5. Each arm member 12a has an end 13 rigidly secured to a respective leg 5, and an opposite end 14 connected to a respective U-shaped bracket 15a, 15b.

[0071] Each bracket 15a, 15b is pivotally mounted on a respective support plate 18, as seen in FIG. 4. Each support plate 18 is bolted or welded on the inside of lateral side surface 8 of the trailer 2 (and hence is not seen in FIG. 1, 2 or 3). Alternatively, it may be welded in place. Thus, each support plate 18 is rigidly mounted to the trailer and defines a respective first pivot axis, perpendicular to the lateral side surface 8 of the trailer and about which a respective U-shaped bracket 15a, 15b is rotatable. It may be rotatable about the shank of a bolt (not shown).

[0072] The bracket 15a is nearer to the front of the trailer and will be referred to as the front bracket 15a, while bracket 15b is nearer to the rear of the trailer and will be referred to as the rear bracket 15b. Front bracket 15a has a pair of distal holes 16 each provided on a respective limb of the U and defining a second pivot axis for the second end 14 of the front arm member 12a. The second pivot axis defined by holes 16 is in a plane generally parallel to the outside lateral side surface 8a of the trailer, i.e. a vertical plane. The second pivot axis is perpendicular to the first pivot axis of the front U-shaped bracket 15a.

[0073] Rear bracket 15b has a pair of proximal holes 17 each provided on a respective limb of the U and defining a second pivot axis for the second end 14 of the rear arm member 12a. The second pivot axis defined by holes 17 is in a plane generally parallel to the outside lateral side surface 8a of the trailer, i.e. a vertical plane. The second pivot axis is perpendicular to the first pivot axis of the rear U-shaped bracket 15b. The vertical plane of the second pivot axis defined by the holes 17 for the rear arm member 12a is closer to the outside lateral side surface 8a than the vertical plane of the second pivot axis defined by the holes 16 for the front arm member 12a.

[0074] The arm member 12a for each leg 5 may be pivoted about the respective second pivot axes defined by the holes 16 or 17 in the respective U-shaped brackets 15a or 15b, and each of these brackets may be rotated about a respective first pivot axis perpendicular to the outside lateral side surface 8a of the trailer. The result is that each arm member 12a is attached to the outside of the trailer so as to be movable in more than one plane. In this embodiment the first pivot axes are horizontal.

[0075] FIGS. 2 and 3 show a pair of leg holding brackets 50 secured to the outside lateral side surface 8a. Each bracket 50 has a horizontally projecting limb formed with a vertical hole through which a respective hitch pin 51 passes. When the legs 5 are stowed as shown in FIG. 1, the hitch pins pass through holes in the legs and through the vertical holes in the brackets 50, to hold the legs in the stowed condition.

[0076] As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a connecting bar 21 is secured between the front and rear legs 5 and provides an exercise bar, for example to do pull-ups.

[0077] In use, with the exercise equipment in the stowed condition, the trailer 2 is towed to a site where the exercise equipment is to be used. At the deployment site, the hitch pins 51 are lifted to release the legs to permit movement of the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 from the stowed configuration to the exercising configuration. In the stowed configuration, the front leg 5 and arm member 12a unit is positioned laterally outwardly of the trailer relative to the rear leg 5 and arm member 12a unit, and so the front unit is moved first. The front arm member 12a is pivoted upwardly about the second pivot axis defined by the distal holes 16 in the U-shaped bracket 15a. Subsequently, the bracket 15a is rotated anticlockwise about the first pivot axis perpendicular to the lateral side surface 8a of the trailer, bringing the ground engaging plate 6 at the bottom of the leg 5 into engagement with the ground. A similar operation is carried out on rear leg 5 and arm member 12a unit, with the difference that rotation about the first pivot axis for that unit is carried out in the clockwise direction. The connecting bar 21, which may be stored inside the trailer during towing thereof, is then secured between the front and rear legs 5.

[0078] The ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 is then ready for use. By engaging the ground the legs 5 act as stabilising members which stabilise the exercise equipment, in particular the ground engaging exercise apparatus, in the exercising condition.

[0079] Since the front and rear legs 5 are moved independently, a user must deal with the weight of each leg one at a time. This makes the exercise equipment easy to deploy and, after use, to stow.

[0080] The leg 5 and arm member 12a units together form a support structure of the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3. When the support structure is in the exercising condition shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the ground engaging legs are in a first, vertical orientation. When the support structure is in the stowed condition shown in FIG. 1, the ground engaging legs are in a second, horizontal orientation, whereby they occupy less vertical space than when in the first, vertical orientation. The leg 5 and arm member 12a units when stowed thus do not project above or below the lateral side surfaces 8a, 8b, and the length of the trailer is made use of in accommodating the length of the legs 5, so that they do not project in front of or behind the trailer, or project only to a small extent. This is to be contrasted with a situation if the ground engaging legs were to pivot upwardly about the brackets 15a, 15b in a generally vertical plane, in which case they would project above the roof of the trailer.

[0081] The cantilevered exercise apparatus 4 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5. The cantilevered exercise apparatus comprises a cantilever component, in the form of an exercise frame 22, and a support frame 25. The support frame 25 comprises a pair of arm members 12b connected together by a pair of diagonal brace members 24. A pair of laterally spaced support frame brackets 26 are secured on the roof surface 19 of the trailer 2. The support frame 25 is pivotally mounted by the support frame brackets 26 so as to be rotatable about a support frame pivot axis 36 between a generally horizontal position as seen in FIG. 1, when the cantilevered exercise apparatus 4 is in its stowed configuration, and a generally vertical position as seen in FIG. 2, when the apparatus 4 is in the exercising configuration. Thus the arm members 12b have pivotally mounted ends and free ends remote therefrom. The support frame pivot axis 36 is horizontal.

[0082] The exercise frame has a proximal end portion 37 and a distal end portion 32.

[0083] The exercise frame 22 is pivotally mounted to the free ends of the arm members 12b of the support frame 25, about an exercise frame pivot axis 34. The exercise frame 22 has at its proximal end portion 37 a trailer attachment portion 27 which is releasably fixed to the trailer when the cantilevered exercise apparatus is in the exercising configuration shown in FIG. 2, by a releasable anchoring device 28. The releasable anchoring device 28 comprises a pair of anchoring brackets 29 laterally spaced from each other and fixed to the roof surface 19 of the trailer 2 in a position forwardly of the support frame brackets 26. A clamp member 30 is pivotally mounted to each anchoring bracket 29.

[0084] In FIG. 1 the clamp member 30 on the right hand side of the roof surface 19 is shown partially open. The clamp members 30 may be pivoted to an open position to allow a lateral bar 31 of the trailer attachment portion 27 of the exercise frame 22 to be received in a U-shaped socket provided in the anchoring bracket 29. The clamp member 30 is also provided with a U-shaped socket which, when the clamp member 30 is pivoted to the closed position engages the lateral bar 31 of the exercise frame to clamp it in position. At this time, the exercise frame 22 extends upwardly and horizontally, supported by the support frame 25 at a location intermediate between the trailer attachment portion 27 held by the anchoring brackets 29 and clamp members 30 and the distal end portion 32 at the projecting end of the exercise frame 22.

[0085] The exercise frame 22 has a pair of lateral exercise bars 33 disposed outwardly of the footprint of the trailer (as viewed from above). These extend horizontally, both when the cantilevered exercise apparatus 4 is in its stowed configuration and when it is in its exercising configuration.

[0086] The exercise frame 22 has a pair of laterally projecting locking bars 35 disposed intermediate between the exercise frame pivot axis 34 and the proximal end portion 37. When the cantilevered exercise apparatus is in the stowed configuration seen in FIG. 1, it may be locked in this position by the locking bars 35 engaging in the clamp member 30 so that it is secure during towing of the trailer. In the stowed configuration, the substantially the entire cantilevered exercise apparatus lies in a generally horizontal plane.

[0087] In use, when the trailer has been transported to a deployment site, the releasable anchoring device 28 is operated to release the locking bars 35. The support frame 25 is pivoted about its pivot axis 36 from the horizontal to a vertical position, thereby causing the exercise frame pivot axis 34 to move away from the roof surface 19 of the trailer 2. The trailer attachment portion 27 of the exercise frame 22 is manoeuvred so that its lateral bar 31 engages with the anchoring brackets 29, where it clamped by the anchoring brackets 29 and clamp members 30 of the releasable anchoring device 28. At this time, the distal end portion 32 projects upwardly and outwardly of the trailer to place the exercise bars 33 in an elevated position for exercising purposes.

[0088] FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of a training apparatus comprising ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 suitable for mounting to any wall (not shown), not necessarily that of a land vehicle, for example a fixed wall of a building or a ship. The ground engaging exercise apparatus comprises a pair of upright posts 40 spaced apart from each other and each having a floor plate 43 for resting on a floor, e.g. of a ship or a building. An upper wall mounting plate 41 extends between the two upright posts and includes holes for receiving bolts to enable the upper wall mounting plate 41 to be secured to a wall. A lower wall mounting plate 42 is downwardly spaced from the upper wall mounting plate 41 and also extends between the two upright posts 40 and has holes to allow it to be bolted to the wall.

[0089] In the stowed configuration of the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 6, the connecting bar 21, to be used as an exercise bar, is stowed by being supported between the two upright posts 40. As seen in FIG. 7, which shows the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 in the exercising configuration, the connecting bar 21 has been moved from the upright posts 40 so that it extends between the ground engaging legs 5.

[0090] In other respects, the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 is generally the same as that described in relation to the first embodiment, and corresponding reference numbers are used.

[0091] The operation of the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3 of FIGS. 6 and 7 also corresponds to that described in relation to the first embodiment. In particular, each leg 5 and arm member 12a unit is independently manoeuvred between the stowed and exercising conditions, so that a user need only deal with the weight of each unit one at a time.

[0092] The leg 5 and arm member 12a units together form a support structure of the ground engaging exercise apparatus 3. When the support structure is in the exercising condition shown in FIG. 7, the ground engaging legs are in a first, vertical orientation. When the support structure is in the stowed condition shown in FIG. 6, the ground engaging legs are in a second, horizontal orientation, whereby they occupy less vertical space than when in the first, vertical orientation. This is to be contrasted with the amount of vertical space which would be required if the ground engaging legs were to pivot upwardly about the brackets 15a, 15b in a generally vertical plane, in which case a substantial amount of headroom would be required above the upright posts 40 to accommodate the vertical space then occupied by the legs 5.

[0093] It will therefore be seen that by allowing the ground engaging legs to have different orientations when stowed and when deployed the exercise equipment can be used in places where there is restricted headroom.