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An arm and shoulder exercise machine (20) including a base (22), a vertical rack (32) and resistance means (38) is disclosed herein. Resistance means (38) can be adjusted vertically and pivotally with respect to rack (32) using a unique rack-and-pinion system. A preferred machine (20) also includes an exercise arm (130) which carries a sliding or floating hand grip assembly (142). A preferred machine (20) further includes a pair of pivoting caster assemblies (50), each including a pair of casters (66) and a handle (54). In their raised positions, caster assemblies (50) are above feet (29); when the caster assemblies (50) are in their lowered positions casters (66) are below feet (29), thereby rendering machine (20) transportable.
1. An arm and shoulder exercise apparatus comprising:
(a) a base;
(b) a resistance unit operatively connected to the base;
(c) an exercise arm extending from the resistance unit; and
(d) a hand grip assembly slideably mounted on the exercise arm, comprising:
(i) a hand grip suitable for grasping;
(ii) a hand grip support for supporting the hand grip forming an exercise arm aperture suitable for receiving the exercise arm; and
(iii) a plurality of spaced elongate plastic slides separating the hand grip support from the exercise arm, wherein the exercise arm has a square cross section, the exercise arm aperture is square, and the slides are L-shaped and located at the four corners of the exercise arm and exercise arm aperture, wherein each of the slides includes enlarged ends which bear on the outer edges of the hand grip support, whereby the individual nature of the slides permits easy insertin of the slides into the exercise arm aperture prior to mounting the hand grip assembly on the exercise arm, and whereby the slides provide a low friction interconnection between the hand grip assembly and the exercise arm.
2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slides are polyethylene.
3. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion of the hand grip support which forms the exercise arm aperture is about 6 inches long, whereby binding of the hand grip assembly on the exercise arm is substantially precluded.
4. An arm and shoulder exercise apparatus comprising:
(a) a base comprising four depending feet;
(b) a pair of caster assemblies operatively connected to the base, each caster assembly comprising:
(i) a lift frame pivotally connected to the base; and
(ii) a pair of casters pivotally connected to the lift frame, each lift frame having a raised position wherein the associated pair of casters is above the associated pair of feet and a lowered position wherein the associated pair of casters is below the associated pair of feet;
(c) a rack extending vertically upward from the base;
(d) an electromagnetic brake unit suitable for providing controlled exercise resistance;
(e) a pair of yokes which extend from the rack and pivotally support the electromagnetic brake, wherein the yokes can be vertically adjusted along the rack, wherein a wide variety of orthogonal and oblique exercises can be accommodated;
(f) a friction pin received by one of the yokes suitable for frictional engagement with the rack, whereby the yokes and the electromagnetic brake unit can be frictionally secured to the rack in their selected vertical position;
(g) a pair of spring-loaded pins operatively supported by the base suitable for selectively locking the lift frames in their lowered positions, whereby when the lift frames are locked in their lowered positions the exercise apparatus is mobile, and when the lift frames are in their raised positions the exercise apparatus is supported by the feet and is stationary;
(h) an exercise arm extending from the brake unit;
(i) a hand grip assembly slideably mounted on the far end of the exercise arm, comprising:
(1) a hand grip suitable for grasping;
(2) a hand grip support suitable for supporting the hand grip forming an exercise arm aperture suitable for receiving the exercise arm; and
(3) a plurality of spaced elongated plastic slides separating the hand grip support from the exercise arm, wherein the exercise arm has a square cross section, the exercise arm aperture is square, and the slides are L-shaped and located at the four corners of the exercise arm and exercise arm aperture, wherein each of the slides includes enlarged ends which bear on the outer edges of the hand grip support, whereby the individual nature of the slides permits easy insertion of the slides into the exercise arm aperture prior to mounting the hand grip assembly on the exercise arm, and whereby the slides provide a low friction interconnection between the hand grip assembly and the exercise arm,
(j) a removable elbow support extending from the resistance unit proximate the near end of the exercise arm, whereby relative motion between an individual's elbow and shoulder can be substantially eliminated; and
(k) means for providing audible stops at adjustable exercise arm limits of motion.
The present invention relates generally to machines for exercising, testing and rehabilitating various muscle groups of the body. More specifically the invention pertains to machines for exercising the shoulder and elbow.
Exercise machines of various types are well known. One way to categorize exercise machines is based on the particular muscle group, limb or joint being exercised. As is well known, there are multistation machines which are capable of exercising several different muscle groups. An example of this type of machine is the Isopower 5000 machine sold by The Toro Company Minneapolis, Minn., the assignee herein. The Isopower 5000 multistation exercise machine includes a pair of magnetic particle brakes which are freely adjustable along a pair of arcuate support bars, and are also angularly adjustable with respect to the support bars. Such a machine can provide a wide variety of exercises, including leg extension/curl; chest press; pullover; hip-back/abdominal flex; shoulder press/lat pull-down; declined chest press/rowing; biceps curl/triceps extension; chest cross/rowing; and hip adduction/abduction.
There are also single station exercise machines which are specifically designed to exercise a single joint or muscle group. The present invention is particularly directed to a shoulder and elbow single station machine. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the elbow and shoulder machine of the present invention could be incorporated into a multistation machine as well. It should also be noted that the preferred shoulder and elbow machine of the present invention can be used for general exercise and also for rehabilitation therapy under the guidance of a trained physical therapist.
As noted above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a single-station shoulder and elbow exercise machine. Although the desirable structural and functional features of shoulder and elbow exercise machines may varY depending on the application, i.e., light duty exercise, heavy duty exercise, or therapy, certain desirable features for all types of shoulder/elbow machines can be identified. Of course, a shoulder/elbow exercise machine must be capable of exercising a wide variety of shoulder and elbow movements. While it is fairly easy to exercise the elbow joint, since the elbow provides a simple hinging between the upper and lower arm portions, the shoulder is an extremely complex structure whose multiple articulations result in a range of motion which exceeds that of any other joint, and places unique requirements on a shoulder/elbow exercise machine. Given the complexity ot the shoulder joint, a shoulder and elbow machine should preferably accommodate a wide variety of exercises, including all extension/flexion, abduction/ adduction and internal/external rotation motions of the elbow and shoulder complex.
Arm and shoulder exercise machines should preferably be adjustable. Exercise machines have "resistance units" which are traditionally hydraulic, pneumatic or simply mechanical (e.g., weight stack), as in the case of Nautilus machines and the like. Coupled in some manner to the "resistance unit" is an "exercise arm," the free end of which is grasped by the user and pivoted or translated in accordance with the prescribed exercise. The resistance unit is preferably vertically adjustable to accommodate different table or chair heights user sizes and positions and exercises. In addition, the resistance unit or the entire exercise machine should be angularly adjustable, in a vertical plane, for various orthogonal and diagonal exercises. For dynamometer resistance units that include an armature the axis of the dynamometer's armature must be adjustable so that it is colinear with the assumed axis of rotation of the joint.
Not only should shoulder/elbow machines be adjustable, they should also provide a wide range of motion. Any machine designed to exercise the shoulder must accommodate the natural movement of the joint, for exercise should increase flexibility as well as strength. Movement of the shoulder, in particular, results in a changing user "lever arm". Thus, Applicants perceive that the free end of the exercise arm should carry a "floating" or sliding cuff or grip so that the user's natural motion is not hindered by the exercise arm, but instead the exercise machine itself can dynamically realign itself to the natural joint motion. Applicants have found that a floating hand grip allows for a more accurate torque transfer throughout the range of motion and increases patient comfort through reduced ]oint stress.
Shoulder/elbow exercise machines, in addition to accommodating various natural shoulder and elbow movements, should preferably be portable. It is desirable to have a plurality of therapy tables or beds and only one comparatively expensive piece of shoulder/elbow rehabilitation equipment which can be readily moved from user to user. It should be very easy to convert the exercise machine from the stationary to the mobile mode. And, the mechanism for providing mobility to the exercise machine should be very simple easy to maintain, and not contribute significantly to the cost of the machine. Finally, the exercise machine should be lightweight, well balanced and maneuverable.
Exercise and rehabilitation devices typically include casters or wheels for portability. The casters are lockable or, alternatively, a set of auxiliary legs can be lowered to in effect raise the casters off the floor surface to render the equipment nonrollable. Locking casters are useful in some circumstances, but they are inconvenient since each caster must be individually locked. Further, since only a very small portion of each caster touches the floor the traction provided by locked casters is oftentimes inadequate. Thus, it is perceived that the latter method, i.e., providing a set of auxiliary legs which can be lowered in relation to the casters to provide a stable base, is superior.
Such machines should be stable once transported and adjusted. Shoulder/elbow machines should be capable of providing up to approximately 80 foot-pounds of torque. The machine must not be susceptible to swaying, tipping or sliding, for otherwise the machine will be difficult to use.
Although prior art multipurpose exercise machines are generally useful for their intended purposes including shoulder and elbow exercises they do not include all of the desirable features discussed above. For example the Cybex II machine sold by Cybex, Division of Lumex, Inc., Ronkonkoma N.Y., includes a fixed lever arm i.e. a hand grip or cuff which is fixed to the exercise arm. This fixed lever arm system provides an accurate indication of the force being applied by the user, by measuring the torque at the pivoting end of the dynamometer but tends to restrict the natural motion of the joint since the pivot point of the shoulder changes throughout a motion. The Cybex system also includes a dynamometer which is indeed portable but is unstable and must be clamped to a rather massive and expensive wooden table. In order to use the Cybex dynamometer for elbow and shoulder exercising, the user sits or lays on an expensive therapy table and the user, not the exercise machine, is adjusted depending on the prescribed exercise. Thus, the exercise machine itself cannot be wheeled to a standard bed or chair, but instead must be rigidly clamped to a massive support structure. The Cybex dynamometer cannot be adjusted once it is clamped in place.
Further, the Cybex "UBXT" therapy table which is sold in conjunction with the Cybex dynamometer has a very complex leg support system which includes four casters and four auxiliary legs, wherein the auxiliary legs can be raised or lowered relative to the casters to render the machine mobile or stationary. The means for moving the auxiliary legs includes a complex rod and pivot linkage between a pair of foot pedals and the legs, and the whole mechanism is connected to a shock absorber which is apparently incorporated to control the rate of movement of the auxiliary legs relative to the rest of the therapy table. It is perceived that this auxiliary leg system makes for a cumbersome and complicated table which is quite expensive, heavy and mechanically complex; and that it would be better to use a stationary therapy table in conjunction with a portable and adjustable exercise/therapy device.
Another prior art exercise system commonly used for shoulder/elbow exercise is sold by the Biodex Corporation. While the Biodex machine includes a "floating" hand grip, it is perceived that the grip sliding mechanism is too flimsy for relatively heavy exercising. Also, the Biodex machine like the Cybex machine, is disadvantageous because the resistance unit itself is not portable but is instead connected to a massive support structure. Thus, it is impossible to wheel the resistance unit from one location to another without either moving the rather large and expensive support structure, or having multiple support structures.
While the prior art multipurpose exercise machines discussed above are generally effective for their intended purposes, including shoulder and elbow exercises it is perceived that they have numerous shortcomings. The present invention addresses these problems. In particular, a preferred shoulder/elbow machine according to the invention includes a "floating" hand grip sturdily mounted on an exercise arm; and is a fully adjustable, portable and stable exercise machine suitable for use with any type of therapy table or any type of bed or chair. Preferred machines according to the invention include a simple, lightweight and compact means for selectively engaging casters with the floor surface. Other advantages and features of the present invention are described below.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is directed toward an exercise apparatus having a simple means for changing an exercise apparatus from its stationary mode to its mobile mode, and vice versa. In particular, one embodiment of an exercise apparatus according to the invention includes:
(a) a base comprising a plurality of depending feet;
(b) a plurality of caster assemblies operatively connected to the base, each caster assembly comprising:
(i) a lift frame pivotally connected to the base; and
(ii) a caster pivotally connected to the lift frame, each lift frame having a raised position wherein the associated caster is above the associated feet and a lowered position wherein the associated caster is below the associated feet;
(c) a resistance unit operatively connected to the base; and
(d) means for selectively locking the lift frames to the base in their lowered positions, whereby when the lift frames are locked in their lowered positions the exercise apparatus is mobie, and when the lift frames are in their raised positions the exercise apparatus is stationary.
Preferably, the exercise apparatus includes a pair of caster assemblies and each lift frame carries a pair of casters. Further, each lift frame preferably forms an upwardly-extending handle, whereby the exercise apparatus can be changed from its mobile state to its stationary state, and back again, by manipulating the handles and "locking means."
The "locking means" preferably includes a plurality of spring-loaded pins operatively connected to the base, one each of the spring-loaded pins being selectively engageable with one each of the lift frames.
A preferred exercise apparatus according to the invention also includes means for vertically and pivotally adjusting the resistance means relative to a rack which extends vertically from the base of the exercise apparatus. A friction pin can be included to frictionally engage the rack once it is placed in its selected vertical position. Also the exercise apparatus can include a pair of yokes which extend from the vertical rack and pivotally support an electromagnetic brake. Thus a preferred apparatus according to the invention is readily portable and can be adjusted to accommodate a wide variety of orthogonal and oblique exercises.
To prevent shoulder compression, a preferred arm and shoulder exercise apparatus according to the invention includes a floating grip assembly, wherein a hand grip support is separated from the exercise arm by a plurality of spaced slides, whereby the slides provide a low friction interface between the hand grip assembly and the exercise arm.
Finally, a preferred exercise arm according to the invention includes a removable elbow support extending from the resistance means suitable for preventing relative motion between the exercising individual's elbow and shoulder, particularly useful for shoulder rotation exercises.
Additional features and aspects of the invention are described below in connection with the Drawings.
The invention will be further described with reference to the Drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoulder and arm exercise machine according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the resistance unit of the exercise machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned top plan view of the resistance unit of the exercise machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a portion of the exercise machine of FIG. 1, showing on of the caster assemblies in the raised position, in solid line, and in the lowered position. in phantom:
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view showing one of the caster assemblies in its raised position in solid line, and in its lowered position in phantom;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the hand grip assemblies of the exercise machine of FIG. 1, taken substantially along line 6--6 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the hand grip assembly of the exercise machine of FIG. 1, taken substantially along line 7--7 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1 being used for shoulder abduction and adduction exercise;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1 being used for horizontal shoulder abduction and adduction exercise;
FIG. 10 shows the machine of FIG. 1 being used for shoulder extension and flexion exercise;
FIG. 11 shows the exercise machine of FIG. 1 provided with a shorter exercise arm being used for shoulder internal and external rotation with 90� abduction exercise;
FIG. 12 illustrates the exercise machine of FIG. 1 outfitted as shown in FIG. 11 and being used for shoulder internal and external rotation with 90� flexion exercise;
FIG. 13 shows the exercise machine of FIG. 1 being used to exercise the shoulder in neutral position, internal and external rotation;
FIG. 14 illustrates the exercise machine of FIG. 1 with an elbow exercise attachment, being used for elbow extension and flexion exercise; and
FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.
Referring to the drawings. wherein like reference numerals designate like parts and assemblies throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a shoulder and elbow exercise machine 20 according to the invention. Exercise machine 20 includes a tubular base 22 having a pair of inverted U-shaped end members 24a and 24b spanned by a pair of parallel horizontal cross members 26a and 26b welded thereto. Each U-shaped end member 24 includes a horizontal top portion 25 and a pair of comparatively short vertical end portions 27. Each end portion 27 terminates at its lowermost end with an adjustable glide 29 suitable for leveling machine 20 when it is in its stationary mode.
A substantially planar cast metal top clamp 28 and a similar cast metal bottom clamp 30 sandwich the cross members 26 and are bolted together using conventional threaded fasteners. It should be noted that each cross members 26 can be a single piece of round tubular steel, or can alternatively be a pair of axially-aligned tubes which are in effect coupled together within the cavity formed by top and bottom clamps 28 and 30.
Top and bottom clamps 28 and 30 include central vertically-aligned bosses which receive a vertical rack 32. Rack 32 consists of (i) a chromed steel tube 34 which is engaged by a pair of threaded fasteners which also engage the bosses on the top and bottom clamps 28 and 30; and (ii) a toothed bar 36 attached to the rear side of chromed steel tube 34 and running substantially along its entire length. Rack 32 carries a means 38 for providing resistance to shoulder and elbow exercise. Resistance means 38 includes an electrically-operated brake 40 which is longitudinally moveable on rack 32, by virtue of toothed bar 36, and also vertically pivots with respect to rack 32 so that the working axis of brake 40 can be shifted between different orientations to accommodate exercising movements which require the shoulder and elbow joints to pivot in different planes. The structure and function of resistance means 38 are further described below.
Exercise machine 20 preferably includes a pair of caster assemblies 50a and 50b operatively connected to base 22 suitable for assisting in the selective transportation of the exercise machine 20 from place to place. That is, caster assemblies 50a and 50b can be used to switch machine 20 from a "stationary mode" to a "mobile mode" and vice versa. FIG. 4 shows a front elevational view of caster assembly 50a and FIG. 5 shows an end elevational view of same; caster assembly 50b is a mirror image of assembly 50a. Each caster assembly 50 comprises a tubular steel lift frame 52 having an upwardly-extending lift handle 54; a pair of spaced caster-supporting elements 56; and a transverse portion 58 spanning between the caster-supporting elements 56. Preferably, lift frame 52 consists of a single piece of appropriately bent round steel tubing. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, lift handle 54 extends upwardly from the left caster-supporting element 56 (as viewed in FIG. 5). The transverse portion 58 of lift frame 52 is substantially parallel to the horizontal top portion 25 of end member 24. And, when machine 20 is in its "mobile mode," caster-supporting elements 56 are substantially parallel to cross member 26 of base 22.
Referring to FIG. 5, each lift frame 52 is pivotally attached to the associated end member 24 by means of a pair of bushing assemblies 60. Each bushing assembly 60 includes an L-shaped rod welded to and extending upwardly from transverse portion 58 of lift frame 52, wherein the long leg of the "L" is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular transverse portion 58, and the short leg of the "L" is substantially perpendicular thereto. The "L" long legs are received by bushings which are fixedly attached beneath base top portions 25. Thus, lift frames 52 can pivot relative to base 22.
Each caster-supporting element 56 of lift frames 52 receives a caster 66 which can horizontally pivot relative to its caster-supporting element 56 in familiar fashion. Thus it can be seen, referring to FIG. 4, that clockwise rotation of handle 54 causes the associated casters 66 to lower; and counterclockwise rotation of handle 54 raises the casters 66 relative to base 22.
Extending downwardly from each handle 54 is a bracket 68 which forms a slotted aperture 70. Bracket 68 consists of a substantially vertical portion 100 adjacent handle 54, and an oblique portion 102 which angles away from cross members 26. Aperture 70 is formed in the vertical portion 100. The function of bracket 68 is discussed below.
Extending downwardly from either end of the rearmost cross member 26a is an apertured upwardly pointing U-shaped pin bracket 72. pin bracket 72 is suitable for slideably receiving a spring-loaded pin 74. Spring-loaded pin 74 is spring biased to the left (as viewed in FIG. 5) toward the associated apertured bracket 68.
Spring-loaded pin 74 is situated horizontally and includes a handle portion 76 which is graspable to draw the pin 74 to the right, as shown in FIG. 5. The oblique end 102 of bracket 68 angles away from spring-loaded pin 74 so that when frame 52 is pivoted clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 4 the obligue portion 102 of bracket 68 urges pin 74 against the spring pressure to the right, as viewed in FIG. 5, and eventually allows pin 74 to enter aperture 70, thereby locking lift frame 52 against further rotation in either direction. To allow frame 52 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, it is necessary to withdraw pin 74 against spring pressure out of aperture 70. Therefore, if casters 66 are in their lowered positions, as shown in phantom line in FIGS. 4 and 5, such that glides 29 are above casters 66 and machine 20 is in its mobile mode, casters 66 can be raised by withdrawing spring-loaded pins 74 out of apertures 70 and simply allowing the weight of machine 20 to push upward on casters 66 to rotate frames 52 upwardly.
If the casters 66 are in their raised positions, as shown in solid line in FIGS. 4 and 5, and it is necessary to lower them to change machine 20 from its "stationary mode" to its "mobile mode," it is simply necessary to grasp handle 54 and rotate frame 52 in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 4. When the lower oblique portion 102 of bracket 68 engages spring-loaded pin 74, pin 74 will move against the spring pressure onto the upper vertical surface 100 of bracket 68 and ultimately into aperture 70 to lock frame 52 relative to base 22. Each caster assembly 50 operates in identical fashion, but they must be rotated in opposite directions inasmuch as they are mirror images of one another. Therefore, it is clear that machine 20 can be quickly converted from its "stationary mode" to its "mobile mode," or vise versa, by simple manipulation of handles 54 and/or spring-loaded pins 74.
As noted above, machine 20 includes resistance means 38 which includes an electromagnetic brake 40 Although a wide variety of electromagnetic brakes could be used, a preferred brake is a 24 VDC 1.7 amp magnetic particle brake manufactured by Shinko Electric Company, Ltd., Japan, under the designation PRB-10A. Brake 40 includes a generally circular case 91 that has an output shaft 84 projecting from one side thereof. Output shaft 84 forms part of or is connected to the armature of brake 40 with the armature being surrounded in a known manner by electrical stator windings (not shown). When electricity is supplied to the windings, a magnetic field is generated which resists rotation of the armature. Thus, rotation of output shaft 84 will be resisted by a variable force that is directly dependent upon the current supplied to the windings. The greater the amount of current, the greater the resistance to rotation, i.e. the greater the force against which the user exercises. The stator windings of brake 40 are electrically coupled to a controllable DC power supply 78 which in turn is connected to a standard 115 VAC power source 79. power transistors within DC power supply 78 are modulated by a controller 80 mounted on a mast 82 Which extends upwardly from the rearmost cross members 26. Controller 80 includes a microcomputer which is programmed by means of pushbuttons or keypads on its face, and controller 80 preferably includes several digital displays which conveniently show the number of repetitions of the exercise cycle per minute, total number of repetitions per session, rate of energy expended per hour and the cumulative energy expended during the session. The power transistors (not shown) within power supply 78 are controlled by controller 80 to apply 0 to 24 volts DC and 0 to 11/2 amps DC to the stator windings of brake 40.
Operation of controller 80 in conjunction with power supply 78 and brake 40 is discussed in detail in U.S. patent application Nos. 903,297 filed Sept. 2, 1986; and 675,366 filed Nov. 27, 1984, incorporated herein by reference. Briefly controller 80 is provided to allow the user to set the effort level or force provided by brake 40 depending upon the configuration of the apparatus and the particular exercise being performed, and the overall conditioning level of the user. Electronic control system 80 permits the user to set a first torque setting for one direction of movement of the brake shaft 84, corresponding to a first half-cycle of the exercise, and a second torque setting for the return movement or second half-cycle. This allows the user to set or "tailor" the force levels in each half-cycle to the strength of the muscle group being exercised in that particular half-cycle. Thus, the force levels in the second half-cycle could be higher or lower than the force levels in the first half-cycle. And, as noted above controller 80 monitors operation and provides the user with convenient displays of repetitions of the exercise cycle per minute, and so on. If a specific range of motion is desired, this may be set by positioning the arm at one desired limit, pressing a "limit range" key pressing a "set range" key, and moving the arm through a "rep" or cycle. Then, as the exercise arm 130 is raised and lowered a beeper within controller 80 will sound when each limit is reached. This "soft" range of motion limit is described U.S. patent application No. 903.297. filed Sept. 2, 1986, incorporated herein by reference.
Circular case 91 of brake 40 is bolted to a cast metaI ring-like brake mount 90 which pivotally spans between a pair of yokes 92 which in turn slideably clamp around rack 32. Brake mount 90 includes an annular central portion 104 which is apertured around its periphery at regular angular intervals to receive threaded fasteners which also engage the circular periphery of case 91. At either end of the annular portion of mount 90 is a flat 106 which is perpendicular to the annular portion and forms a hole suitable for receiving a pivot pin 108. The flats 106 at either end of the annular portion 104 are parallel and the pin-receiving holes in the flats are axially-aligned Each yoke 92 also forms a flat 110, wherein the yoke flats slideably engage the ring mount flats 106 as shown in FIG. 3. pins 108 are held within the yoke holes using set screws (not shown); bushings 112 are press fit into brake mount 90; and pins 108 slide within bushings 112. Brake 40 can thereby pivot such that the axis of shaft 84 moves in a vertical plane passing through the centerline of rack 32.
As noted above, each yoke 92 includes a flat portion 110 at its forward end suitable for pivotally engaging brake mount 90. Extending rearwardly from each flat portion 110 is a substantially L-shaped portion 114. The two L-shaped portions 114 converge toward and surround the frontmost half of chromed steel tube 34. The back portion of tube 34 and toothed bar 36 are encased by a curved cap 94 which connects to the front yokes 92 using a plurality of standard threaded connectors. Yokes 92 and cap 94 combine to form a round aperture which receives a pair of split nylon bushings (not shown) which slide on chromed tube 34. It should be noted that the parts comprising yokes 92 and cap 94 could be a single integral part. Sufficient clearance or a pair of low friction bushings between the yokes 92 and cap 94 and rack 32 is used to insure smooth, non-binding vertical movement of the entire resistance means assembly 38.
As noted above, toothed bar 36 extends rearwardly from chromed tube 34. The gear teeth of toothed bar 36 face to the outside of the bar. As shown in FIG. 3, cap 94 forms an aperture which contains a rotatable pinion 116 that is engaged with toothed bar 36, thereby forming a rack and pinion connection between rack 32 and resistance unit 38. Pinion 116 is mounted or keyed to the end of a shaft 118 which extends outwardly through cap 94 to be coupled by a roll pin to the end of a rotary handle 120. A rotatable ball 122 on the free end of handle 120 can be gripped to turn the handle. When handle 120 is rotated, pinion 116 will rotate in engagement with toothed bar 36 to cause resistance means 38 to move up and down along the length of rack 32. This rack and pinion also helps support the weight of resistance means 38 and eases the task of moving it up and down rack 32.
There are two separate locking means, i.e. a main lock and a secondary lock, for locking resistance means 38 in position on rack 32. The main lock is illustrated in FIG. 3 and comprises a friction pin 124 which is threadedly received by an aperture in cap 94 on the opposite side from handle 120. Friction pin 124 is suited to bear against the side of toothed bar 36 and spans across a number of the gear teeth. At the outer end of friction pin 124 is a handle 126 which can be gripped by the user of machine 20. When handle 126 is turned in the appropriate direction friction pin 124 is forced into engagement with the outside of toothed bar 36 to lock resistance means 38 on rack 32. This main lock is desirably used whenever the brake 40 is in use as an exercise device since it has more holding power than the secondary lock now to be described.
When it is desired to move resistance means 38 from one position to another, the main lock defined by friction pin 124 must first be released. However, if the user is not at the same time holding onto handle 120 Applicants have found that the weight of resistance means 38 will tend to move entire resistance means 38 downward. Thus, a spring-loaded detent ball (not shown) is mounted within cap 94. A recess in handle 120 periodically engages the detent ball as it rotates so as to control the free movement of handle 120 in the event that the main lock is released without grasping resistance means 38 or handle 120.
Brake 40, in addition to being longitudinally or vertically moveable, is also pivotal relative to yokes 92. Brake mount flat 106a (the top flat 106 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3) forms a plurality of apertures circumferencially spaced about the aperture which receives pivot pin 108. A spring-loaded pin 128 mounted in the corresponding yoke flat 110a is urged toward these spaced apertures, and when received by one of the apertures, locks brake 40 in the selected position relative to yokes 92. Brake 40 has a first position in which it is generally vertical, with output shaft 84 being generally horizontal as shown in FIG. 1. However, when it is desired to pivot brake 40 either to its horizontal position (shaft 84 in the vertical position) or to some intermediate oblique position, spring-loaded pin 128 is first pulled outwardly and thereby disengaged from brake mount flat 106a. Brake mount 90 is then rotated about pivot pins 108 until it reaches the selected position. Pin 128 is then released, to engage the selected aperture in brake mount flat 106a.
As shown in the Drawings, a variety of exercise arms can be attached to brake output shaft 84 extending from the armature of brake 40, depending on the desired exercise. FIGS. 1 and 8-10 show an exercise arm 130 suitable for use in shoulder abduction/adduction and extension/flexion exercises. These exercises are further discussed below. Another type of exercise arm 132 is shown in use in FIGS. 11-14. Arm 132 can be used by itself for elbow extension/flexion exercises, or an elbow stabilizer 134 can be added to maintain the position of the elbow relative to the shoulder for various shoulder rotation exercises, as further described below. Elbow stabilizer 134 includes a round tubular portion 135 which is notched at one end to receive the square tubing of exercise arms 130, 132. The other end of tubulat portion 135 supports a substantially U-shaped sheet metal pad support 137 which in turn carries a pair of elbow pads 139. As shown in FIG. 12, the exercising individual wedges his or her elbow between pads 139 and relative motion between the shoulder and elbow is thereby precluded.
Arms 130, 132 attach to brake shaft 84 using a quick-release technique. Shaft 84 is externally splined to receive an internally splined collar 136 included on each of the exercise arms 130, 132. The mating splines allow resistance torques to be transmitted between brake 40 through arm 130, 132 and ultimately to the exercising individual. Also. referring to FIG. 3 brake shaft 84 is radially apertured to receive a locking pin 138 and is axially apertured to receive a roll pin which extends between lock pin 138 and a quick disconnect knob 140 mounted on the far axial end of brake shaft 84. A compression spring within brake shaft 84 urges lock pin 138 radially outward so that the outer radial end of lock pin 138 extends into the trough between a pair of adjacent splines on the brake shaft 84. To attach an exercise arm 130, 132, one simply pushes exercise arm collar 136 over brake shaft 84. Collar 136 engages an inclined surface on the front edge of pin 138 and pushes pin 138 into shaft 84. Once collar 136 is in position, the compression spring within shaft 84 forces pin 138 outward so that it bears on the outer edge of collar 136 to prevent exercise arm 130, 132 from inadvertently disattaching itself from shaft 84. To remove exercise arm 130, 132 from brake shaft 84, it is necessary to push knob 140 radially inward toward the centerline of shaft 84. This causes lock pin 138 to recede within shaft 84 and permits collar 136 to freely slide over the end of shaft 84.
As noted above, exercise arm 130 preferably includes a floating hand grip assembly 142 which freely floats or slides relative to exercise arm 130. Use of floating hand grip assembly 142 permits the shoulder to move naturally, since the shoulder joint does not have a single pivot, but instead the virtual pivot of the shoulder moves during any given shoulder motion. If the grip assembly 142 were fixed to the exercise arm this could result in potentially harmful compression of the shoulder joint structure.
A longitudinal cross section of floating hand grip assembly 142 is shown in FIG. 6. Assembly 142 includes a cast metal support 144 which at one end forms a square aperture slideably receiving the sguare tubing of exercise arm 130. Four L-shaped support slides 146 (shown in FIG. 7), preferably made of polyethylene or the like, separate the metal support 144 from the metal exercise arm 130 so as to reduce the frictional contact therebetween. A transverse sectional view of slides 146, exercise arm 130 and support 144 is shown in FIG. 7. As illustrated, support slides 146 do not completely surround arm 130, there being spaces between adjacent L-shaped slides 146.
The square apertured end of support 144 which receives arm 130 is preferably approximately 6 inches long. It has been found that by making the square apertured portion this long, and by using polyethylene slides 146, floating hand grip assembly 142 smoothly slides on arm 130 irrespective of the nature or magnitude of the forces on 142. That is, assembly 142 does not tend to bind on arm 130 even when subjected to extensive twisting and bending moments.
Support 144 carries, at its other end, a substantially U-shaped grip yoke 148. A standard threaded fastener 150 interconnects support 144 and grip yoke 148, and a polyethylene washer 152 separates yoke 148 from support 144 and creates a low friction interface therebetween, thereby allowing grip yoke 148 to rotate on fastener 150 relative to support 144. Spanning the forks or legs of grip yoke 148 is a hand grip 154 which is preferably rotatable relative to yoke 148 and is coated with a resilient material which can be comfortably grasped by the user.
Referring to FIGS. 11-14, arm 132 carries a grip assembly 156 which is similar in some respects to grip assembly 142. Grip assembly 156 includes a T-shaped support 158 which is preferably made of cast metal and is separated from the sguare tubing of exercise arm 132 through the use of four L-shaped support slides identical to support slides 146 described above. Support 158 carries on one side a resilient grip 160 which can rotate relative to the square apertured portion which surrounds tube 132; and on the other side carries a threaded friction pin 162 which, when appropriately rotated, frictionally bears against arm 132 to lock assembly 156 onto arm 132. Thus, when it is necessary to adjust the effective length of arm 132 it is simply necessary to loosen friction pin 162 and slide assembly 156 relative to arm 132 to the desired position, and then retighten friction pin 162. Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is not necessary or desirable to allow grip assembly 156 to "float" during actual use, since the distance between the elbow and the hand of a user (see FIG. 11 for example) should not vary during shoulder rotation exercises. While shoulder joint compression could occur during shoulder abduction/adduction and extension/ flexion exercises if a non-sliding hand grip were used, there is no danger of compressing the elbow joint by fixing the grip assembly 156 relative to arm 132.
Although exercise machine 20 has been described in some detail above, and most if not all of the functional aspects of the machine have also been discussed the operation of machine 2o is summarized below.
The first step is to decide what type of exercise is to be performed. Once this decision is made machine 20 can easily be located adjacent the patient table or chair so that the patient may perform the desired exercise. As discussed above, machine 20 is placed in its "mobile mode" by simply lowering caster assemblies 50 relative to frame 22 by manipulating handles 54. Caster assemblies 50 are locked in their lowered positions when spring-loaded pins 74 engage apertures 70 in brackets 68 extending downward from handles 54. Once machine 20 is maneuvered into position, it is secured in place by withdrawing pins 74 from corresponding apertures 70 and allowing the weight of machine 20 to force caster assemblies 50 upward, thereby allowing glides 29 to contact the floor surface to provide a stable base for resistance unit 38. If necessary, glides 29 can be adjusted to level machine 20 by rotating them relative to elements 27 which threadedly receive glides 29.
Once machine 20 is in position and secured, power supply 78 should be connected to a standard 115 volt AC grounded outlet. Upon doing so and after pressing an appropriate power switch mounted on power supply 78, digital displays on the face of control module 80 will activate.
Resistance unit 38 is then vertically and pivotally adjusted in accordance with the exercise to be performed. As noted above EMR unit 38 can be vertically adjusted by rotating handle 126 to withdraw friction pin 124 away from toothed bar 36. Then by grasping ball 122 and rotating handle 120, pinion 116 rotates relative to toothed bar 36 and causes resistance unit 38 to traverse up or down along rack 32. Split nylon bushings between yokes 92 and cap 94 allow resistance unit 38 to easily slide up and down chromed tube 34. Once resistance unit 38 is appropriately vertically positioned, handle 126 is manipulated to cause friction pin 124 to once again frictionally engage toothed bar 36, thus locking resistance unit 38 against further vertical movement relative to rack 32.
Resistance unit 38 can also be pivotally adjusted by withdrawing spring-loaded pin 128 from one of the holes in flat 106a and rotating brake case 91 relative to yokes 92, and finally releasing pin 12 to allow it to engage another of the apertures in brake mount flat 106a. As noted above, there are several apertures in brake mount flat 106a, so as to accommodate all of the standard orthogonal exercises and, in addition, many oblique or diagonal motions.
Once resistance unit 38 is vertically and pivotally adjusted, either arm 130 or 132 can be attached simply by sliding splined collar 136 of the chosen exercise arm 130, 132 over the externally-splined brake shaft 84. When collar 136 is in the proper position, spring-loaded lock pin 138 prevents collar 136 from being removed from shaft 84 until quick disconnect knob 140 is appropriately engaged.
The patient or user should then be appropriately stabilized on the chair or table using straps as necessary. The elbow stabilizer 134 should be used in conjunction with exercise arm 132 for internal/external shoulder rotation exercises.
Following the mechanical setup, it is necessary to select the desired clockwise and counterclockwise torque by activating switches or key pads on the face of controller 80. Of course, controller 80 could be desiqned or preprogrammed so as to apply certain default resistances or torques in the event that no resistances are affirmatively selected.
Finally, if a specific range of motion is desired, "soft" (audible) stops may be established using the process described above. Then as the exercise arm 130, 132 is rotated in one direction and then the other, a beeper will sound when each end of motion is achieved.
Specific exercises are shown in FIGS. 8-14 as follows:
FIG. 8 illustrates shoulder abduction/adduction exercise. For this exercise, exercise arm 130 is used and brake 91 is adjusted so that brake shaft 84 is pointing vertically downward and aligned with the shoulder.
FIG. 9 illustrates horizontal shoulder abduction and adduction. In this case, machine 20 is adjusted to that brake shaft 84 is horizontal and is aligned with the exercising individual's shoulder.
FIG. 10 illustrates use of exercise arm 130 for shoulder extension/flexion exercising.
FIGS. 11-13 show use of exercise arm 132 and elbow stabilizer 134 to provide various shoulder rotation exercises as well known to those skilled in the art.
Finally, FIG. 14 illustrates use of exercise arm 132 without elbow stabilizer 134 for elbow extension/flexion exercising.
FIGS. 8-14 clearly show why it is desirable to have a shoulder and elbow exercise machine which is portable and adjustable. This point becomes even more clear when the many possible obligue or diagonal exercises are considered.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is described above. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. Variations and modifications of the various parts and assemblies can certainly be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Thus, the invention is limited only to the apparatus and method recited in the following claims, and equivalents thereto.
Patent Citations
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text:
"I ordered these invitations for my daughters baby shower. She wanted to start a library for the baby and it was already on invitation. I received a lot of compliments on the invitations. Sweet and simple."
"I'm very happy with this product and the Tiny Prints site as well. You have a great selection of baby shower invitations to choose from. The "Puppy Kisses" invitation was easy to customize and I was able to include a cute photo of the expectant mother and her two dogs on the back of the invitation. The paper quality of both the invitation and the envelope were great and the completed invitation was adorable and professional looking! I would definitely use Tiny Prints again."
"I ordered these invitations for a baby shower I am hosting for my Niece. Since we do not yet know if she will be having a boy or a girl, I was worried the selection would be limited. Not only did I find a nice assortment of "gender neutral" designs, I absolutely adored the card that was ultimately selected. I ordered the invitation in Pearlized paper with the scalloped edges and it is fantastic. I highly recommend this design/paper selection."
"Adorable shower invite. I got compliments on it from the shower honoree and guests. Highly recommend. Only downside was that we weren't able to fit all the text we wanted - i.e. for the address, we had to leave off the state abbreviation. Overall, very happy with it."
"This card is adorable ! Great fun design for a boy . Because of the design style printing on signature matte worked out great! I would definitely recommend this card. I will be ordering the matching thank you cards . The only issue I had was trying to fit the amount of text in each box ."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Commissioned by hotel brand ME by Meliá, Zaha Hadid has created Crest, a temporary installation at the V&A Museum as part of the London Design Festival. After the festival, Crest will be taken to Dubai to be installed at the ME Dubai hotel.
HG-Architecture | LIVE COMPONENTS have been commissioned by the National Musem of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, to create 'Part to Whole', an installation made from 9076 pieces of wood.
Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena have created 'Mi Casa, Your Casa', an interactive design installation on Siftly Piazza, as part of their designers-in-residence program at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Visual artist and designer Fabrice Le Nezet has created a concept sculpture named Elasticity for Dalston Junction Station in London.
Rob Ley of Urbana Studio has recently completed May-September, an interactive art facade made from 7,000 angled metal panels attached to a parking structure at the new Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.
You can watch a video about the project – here
KORBAN/FLAUBERT have created a new gallery space above their workshop in Sydney, Australia.


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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Thomas B. Clarkson, D.V.M., professor of comparative medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, has received the 2009 American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) Mentor Award. This award recognizes individuals who have contributed substantially to the membership of ACLAM by mentoring postdoctoral fellows, graduate students or junior level ACLAM diplomats during the course of their professional careers.
Clarkson arrived at Wake Forest Baptist in 1957 and is known internationally for his work in nonhuman primates as models for human disease research, including atherosclerosis research with the American Heart Association in the 1970s and 1980s, hormone replacement and women's health. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and 86 book chapters.
"Clarkson was a 'translational researcher' long before the term was so popular," said Janice D. Wagner, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of comparative medicine. "His research has brought millions of dollars to Wake Forest University Health Sciences throughout the years."
This award was presented Monday at the ACLAM Forum Awards Dinner at the Loews Ventana Canyon Hotel in Arizona.
On March 20, seniors at Wake Forest School of Medicine learned where they will begin their careers as doctors at Match Day, an annual event at which graduating medical students learn where they'll be doing their residencies. This year 113 Wake Forest medical students, 59 men and 54 women, matched in 20 specialties.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.


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Celtic languages scholar who specialised in the Irish dialects of Ulster
- People
- March 14, 2015, 01:00
Cathal Ó Dochartaigh, who has died aged 72, was emeritus professor of Celtic at the University of Glasgow. Cathair Niall Ó Dochartaigh, known to frien(...)
Dara Ó Briain visits UCC to pay respect to 'father of digital age'
- Irish News
- February 8, 2015, 11:31
Comedian and science aficionado Dara Ó Briain paid his respects to mathematician George Boole at the weekend when he visited University College Cork t(...)
Many hands make light slow down – permanently
- Science
- January 23, 2015, 00:01
The speed of light never changes, right?Wrong.Scientists from two universities in Scotland have managed to slow down light as it moved through free sp(...)
Life after the Leaving: Derek Palmer has a first-class honours degree from the University of Wales. It all started with a PLC
- Education
- August 18, 2014, 01:00
"I was born in Bray, Co Wicklow but grew up in Scotland. When I finished school I was offered a place in English and geography at the University of Gl(...)
The moral sense of Down man Francis Hutcheson
- Culture
- August 8, 2014, 01:00
It's just like a philosopher to be born and to die on the same date. Such was the fate of Co Down man Francis Hutcheson (August 8th, 1694, to Augus(...)
Irish and UK scientists use stem cells to grow red blood cells
- Science
- April 15, 2014, 01:00
Scientists in the UK and Ireland have successfully used stem cells to grow large numbers of red blood cells in the laboratory and are now preparing(...)
Pinocchio: a rebel icon that appeals to real boys and girls
- Culture
- October 15, 2013, 01:00
When Mairéad and Ionia Ní Chróinín were small, their father, Dáibhí, would read them the tale of Pinocchio, which had been translated into Irish direc(...)
New heart treatment could save thousands of lives
- Health
- September 11, 2013, 14:26
New research has found that inserting stents in all narrowed arteries of heart attack patients, rather than the current practice of only treating bloc(...)
Giant prehistoric fish grew to 16 metres, scientists claim
- Science
- August 27, 2013, 18:07
The biggest fish ever to swim in the sea grew to the astonishing length of 54 feet, research has shown. It sounds like a fisherman's tale. But the gia(...)
Urban blackbirds pay price for tuning into city rhythms
- June 5, 2013, 01:00
City life can take its toll, even on birds, judging by new research that shows blackbirds living among humans wake up earlier and sleep less – leading(...)


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Success with Flannel Flower
Hi folks,thought I might pass on what I have learnt regarding The flannel Flower (actinotus helianthi) If someone is going to attempt growing them out of their usual territory. I am in SE Qld.
But I would like to refer you to an article an the web by Sonia Purcell.
www.anbg.gov.au Gardens actinotus helianthi. Sonia covers it very well.
It has taken 3 years to reach the point you see in these photographs and if you have the correct soil mix and situation then seed direct into the garden.
I tried seeds in tubes in both Forrest sand and half and half, sand and quality potting mix. With the potting mix I was able to transfer the tube stock into a prepared garden and large pots without exposing the fine roots. With sand only it collapsed.
I think I can safely say if the soil collapses during transfer then discard that one.
As for soil composition the half potting mix is the better way. I have another garden where it is all forest sand, seeded direct and in 3 years the plants wouldn't be 12cm high.
Also once established I fed these plants with a weak mix of Seasol and now feeding with slow release granules.
It has been a slow process, a challenge but it looks like they are here to stay. Please ask if I have missed anything.


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- Top of page
- Summary
- Introduction
- Materials and methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Acknowledgements
- Disclosure
- References
Vitamin D has been shown to modulate innate immune responses in vitro and ex vivo; however, human in-vivo data are lacking. At high latitudes, seasonal vitamin D deficiency is common due to alternating ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation exposure. In the present study, we investigated whether levels of 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and its active metabolite 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] are subject to seasonal variation and whether plasma levels of these vitamin D metabolites correlate with the in-vivo cytokine response during experimental human endotoxaemia [administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in healthy volunteers]. Plasma levels of 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 were determined in samples obtained just prior to administration of an intravenous bolus of 2 ng/kg LPS (derived from Escherichia coli O:113) in 112 healthy male volunteers. In the same subjects, plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 were analysed serially after endotoxin administration. Plasma levels of 1,25(OH)2D3, but not 25(OH)D3, were subject to significant seasonal variation, with lower levels in autumn and winter. 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 levels did not correlate with plasma cytokine responses. Furthermore, 25(OH)D3 deficient subjects (< 50 nmol/l) displayed an identical cytokine response compared with sufficient subjects. In conclusion, plasma levels of vitamin D are not correlated with the LPS-induced TNF, IL-6 and IL-10 cytokine response in humans in vivo. These findings question the direct role of vitamin D in modulation of the innate immune response.


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Narrow your search
The redesigned Sony Morpheus VR headset fits better on your head, has a better screen, and its demos are more compelling.
The QuietComfort 25 model takes Bose's already stellar noise-canceling headphones and levels them up to new heights.
Its list price of $300 is a bit high, but the the M2BT is well-designed, good sounding wireless headphone.
Google Street View has released gorgeous explorable locations from NSW's national parks and oceans to showcase Australia's wild beauty.
The Nokia Lumia 735's body has a colourful back that's really comfy. Its 4.7-inch screen is good and it's extremely affordable too. Hit play to check out Andrew Hoyle's video review of this budget beauty.
With OnStar telematics and 4G data, the Buick LaCrosse offers a fast Wi-Fi hotspot in its roomy cabin.
With the freshly redesigned QC25 ($299.95), Bose has not only enhanced the sound and noise reduction of its flagship NC headpone, but made other small design improvements.
The new phablet sets itself apart from all others on the market with a screen that curves over the right edge of the device, with a sort of infinity pool effect.
Leaked photos examined by blog site uSwitch imply Apple may enlarge the screen of its next iPhone but keep the device small enough to use with one hand.
Budget specs? Yep. Killer deal anyway? Yep.


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Hoping to tap demand, it introduces 150 new products.
A version of Cheerios is getting an infusion of protein, as General Mills tries to capitalize on diet trends.
Hoping to capitalize on consumer preferences for gluten-free and organic foods, General Mills formally introduced 150 new products Monday, from granola with pea protein to hot and spicy iterations of Chex Mix.
New products are crucial for big packaged foodmakers like General Mills, whether they be completely new items or fresh takes on existing foods. New products in General Mills' previous fiscal year drove nearly 5 percent of its U.S. retail sales.
With protein prominent in consumers' minds these days, General Mills' new lineup includes two key protein-enhanced products. Protein Cheerios, a high-protein version of the leading cereal line, hit grocery stores recently.
Under its Cascadian Farms brand, General Mills has also launched a "protein granola" made with pea protein, the first mainstream product of its kind, the company says.
Golden Valley-based General Mills also aims to continue capitalizing on the popularity of gluten-free foods.
Following up on successful gluten-free versions of Chex ready-to-eat cereal, General Mills is releasing Chex gluten-free oatmeal. Under its Larabar brand, the company is launching what it says is the first national grain-free granola, Renola. Its new brown rice crackers include gluten-free grains like sesame and flaxseeds, quinoa and amaranth, available in sea salt, roasted red pepper, and tomato and basil flavors.
Spicy foods also are part of the rollout, including Chex Mix Xtreme, a snack that comes in such flavors as Habanero Lime and Sweet & Spicy Sriracha.
Other top new products include Progresso Chili, available in Southwest Style Chicken and Smokehouse Pork and Beef; and Nature Valley "Fruteria" bars, a snack designed to appeal specifically to Hispanic consumers.
Ken Powell, General Mills chairman and chief executive, will discuss the company's plans for growth with other company executives at an investor day event at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Tom Meersman • 612-673-7388


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An adaptive system for dynamically provisioning a shared computing infrastructure among a plurality of software applications and a plurality of types of applications servers providing run-time environments for the software applications. The system includes computing engines assigned to execute instances of the software applications, clients accessing the computing engines to request and receive services from the software applications, and a broker device that dynamically allocates engines domains for executing the software applications. The broker device includes an optimization module for allocating the computing engines to the domains, and a configuration manager for configuring the engines. The configuration manager reconfigures a computing engine by halting a current instance of a first software application, and by loading and starting an instance of a second software application. The system is capable of reconfiguring software applications running in environments provided by different types of software applications servers.
1. A system for provisioning a shared computing infrastructure that supports a plurality of software applications and a plurality of types of applications servers, each type of applications server providing a run-time environment for executing at least one of the plurality of software applications, the system comprising:
two or more computing engines each assigned to execute an instance of one of the plurality of software applications in a run-time environment provided by one of the plurality of types of application servers;
two or more clients each accessing one of the two or more computing engines to execute the software application assigned to the one computing engine; and
a broker including:
an optimization module for periodically determining an optimal allocation of the plurality of software applications and applications servers among the two or more computing engines; and
a configuration manager for instructing one of the two or more computing engines to reconfigure by halting a current instance of a software application of a first type, and by loading and starting an instance of a software application of a second type, wherein the software application of the first type operates in a run-time environment created by a first type of software application server and the software application of the second type operates in a run-time environment created by a second type of software application server.
2. The system of
3. The system of
a router that routes service requests from the two or more clients to the two or more computing engines, the router being operative to balance at least one of a number of service requests initiated by the two or more clients and a service load resulting from the requests among the two or more computing engines.
4. The system of
a monitor for collecting statistical information from at least one of the two or more clients, the two or more engines and the router,
wherein the optimization module periodically determines the optimal allocation based on the statistical information collected by the monitor and a defined policy.
5. The system of
6. The system of
7. The system of
8. The system of
9. A method for provisioning a shared computing infrastructure that supports a plurality of software applications and a plurality of types of applications servers, each type of applications server providing a run-time environment for executing at least one of the plurality of software applications, the method comprising the steps of:
allocating each of two or more computing engines to execute an instance of one of the plurality of software applications in a run-time environment provided by one of the plurality of types of applications servers;
instructing one of the two or more computing engines to reconfigure by halting a current instance of a software application of a first type, and by loading and starting an instance of a software application of a second type, wherein the software application of the first type operates in a run-time environment created by a first type of software applications server, and the software application of the second type operates in a run-time environment created by a second type of software applications server.
10. The method of
providing a client with an engine proxy for accessing one of the two or more computing engines.
11. The method of
routing service requests from two or more clients via a gateway router to the two or more computing engines, the gateway router being operative to balance at least one of a number of service requests and a service load among the two or more computing engines.
12. The method of
collecting statistical information from at least one of the two or more clients, the two or more engines and the router, and
periodically determining an optimal allocation of the two or more computing engines to the plurality of software applications and applications servers based on the collected statistical information and a defined policy.
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. The method of
storing components of the two or more applications servers and the plurality of software applications in an archival database;
retrieving components from the archive database that define the software application of the second type and applications server of the second type, the retrieved components to be loaded by the one computing engine; and
registering the software application of the second type and applications server of the second type in association with a domain.
16. The method of
17. The system of
18. The method of
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. � 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/688,418, filed on Jun. 7, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for dynamically allocating and provisioning shared computing resources in a distributed computing environment. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and method for dynamically allocating and provisioning shared computing resources among a plurality of different types of software applications in run-time environments provided by a plurality of different types of application servers.
The global marketplace is forcing companies to respond quickly to dynamic market conditions while reducing costs. Businesses increasingly must have the ability to meet, or beat, competitors by introducing new and innovative products and services. These new offerings are often customer-facing and transaction-oriented, and introduce additional complexity and higher levels of volatility for the enterprise computing resources called upon to provision these products and services. Higher transaction volumes and demands for improved response times create an ever-increasing need for computing resources.
In a conventional enterprise computing environment, computing resources are usually manually assigned and provisioned to support various applications. This approach creates several problems. As the assigned resources are generally fixed at a point in time to meet a current demand level, the conventional enterprise computing environment is ill-equipped to adapt over time to meet increasing demand levels for some applications and decreasing demand levels for others. In order to meet minimum service requirements, computing resources are often assigned and provisioned according to peak-level demands. As a result, during periods of less than peak-level demands, computing resources are underutilized.
With the advent of grid computing, conventional enterprise computing environments have been adapted to �virtualize� applications so that computing resources may be dynamically provisioned to applications in response to current demand levels. For example, the GRIDSERVER Virtual Enterprise Edition adaptive grid infrastructure software available from DataSynapse, New York, N.Y. provides a computing operating environment that virtualizes application and data services, independent of specific system resources. Client applications submit service requests to the grid environment, and GRIDSERVER dynamically provisions services on specific system resources in the grid to meet the service requests. For example, requests from multiple client applications cause GRIDSERVER to create multiple service instances to handle the requests in parallel on different computing resource nodes in the computing resources grid. As a result, underutilization of resources can be substantially reduced, and service levels can be commensurately improved.
GRIDSERVER has been particularly effective at providing a virtualized computing environment that adapts to meet resource demands for computing-intensive processes. It would be of further benefit to develop a virtualized computing environment that effectively adapts to meet resource demands for high throughput, low latency transactional applications such as distributed web applications and other services-based application. In addition, it would be of further benefit to develop a virtualized computing environment that adaptively provisions computing resources for web and other services-based applications supported by a variety of different types of application servers.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for adaptively provisioning a shared computing infrastructure to support a plurality of software applications and a plurality of types of applications servers each providing a run-time environment for one or more of the software applications. The system includes computing engines assigned to execute instances of the plurality of software applications, clients accessing the computing engines to request and receive services from the software applications, and a broker that dynamically allocates computing engines to the clients for executing the software applications.
The broker includes an optimization module for periodically determining an optimal allocation of the computing engines to the software applications and applications servers. To reallocate resources based on an optimal allocation, the broker device also includes a configuration manager for reconfiguring a computing engine by halting a current instance of a software application of a first type, and for loading and starting an instance of a software application of a second type, where the software application of the first type and the software application of the second type may be configured to operate in run-time environments created by different types of software application servers. In such a heterogeneous computing environment, the broker is fully flexible to allocate software applications supported by a variety of types of application servers.
For web applications, for example, where the client is simply a web browser or other http client seeking to connect to a web application or web service, the system may further include a router or �virtual gateway� for alternatingly routing requests among the computing engines, for example, so that at least one of the number of service requests per engine and the service load per engine are balanced across the engines. A monitor of the broker periodically collects statistical information from one or more of the engines, the clients and the router. The statistical information is used then used by the broker together with a usage policy to determine the optimal resource allocation.
In addition, the broker device includes a software distribution module for retrieving components of the software applications and applications servers from an archival database so that these components may be distributed to and loaded on the engines.
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings of illustrative embodiments of the invention wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the several views and in which:
The present invention is directed to an application virtualization and provisioning (AVP) platform that creates a highly adaptive shared computing infrastructure. Within this infrastructure, application servers and other service-oriented components are hosted and virtualized on shared computing resources, and are adaptively provisioned and activated in response to demand. The shared computing resources may be geographically localized, or may be distributed over a wide geographic area and managed as a computing grid. See Mark Baker et al., Grids and Grid technologies for wide-are distributed computing,� Softw. Pract. Exper., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Application virtualization enables the removal of static, host-specific configuration dependence from the application environment by using the AVP platform to automatically and adaptively allocate, configure, start, deploy, monitor and manage software applications and services. Explicit usage policies are defined that guide provisioning and dynamic allocation of the shared computing resources The configuration of software applications and services is in particular enabled by a broker component of the AVP platform that stores applications servers, configurations and software applications in a central repository for deployment to the shared computing resources as required according to the resource allocation, and manages the allocation of the shared computing resources based on the usage policies. This component also includes a facility for deploying new application code to the shared computing resources while existing applications are running in the currently-allocated configurations.
The AVP platform is directed to managing �domains,� which may comprise an enterprise business application, utility service or data source that is allowed a certain percentage of available resources at a specified time, based on the usage policy. Domains consist of the artifacts that make up the application, service or data source (e.g., web archive (WAR) files making up a web application), and may be classified among three domain types: service domains, data domains and web domains.
Service domains are used to virtualize Java programming objects, including plain old Java objects (POJOs), Spring Beans and Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs), by turning them into services. These virtualized services may then be accessed by Java clients via dynamic proxies.
Data domains provide data services such as databases or scalable caching services. Data domains may preferably be implemented, for example, as JBOSS cache and TANGOSOL's COHERENCE cache.
Web domains provide web applications and services such as web servers, messaging brokers, message-driven services and other services that typically require multiple running instances at any given point in time. Web domains include collections of application services that are accessible over the Internet via communications based on the hypertext transfer protocol (http).
Domains can be launched or hosted on one or more application servers (or �containers�). Containers are effectively �sandboxes� for hosting the domains. Each container type is capable of hosting one or more domain type, and a given domain can be launched by any container that supports its type. For example, a JBOSS container can host web application, web service and EJB service domains. Other container types may include but are not necessarily limited to APACHE TOMCAT containers, CAUCHO RESIN containers, IBM WEBLOGIC containers, and other generic containers supported by the AVP platform.
A service-level policy, or consistent set of rules, is applied to dictate the operation and division of computing resources. The service-level policy may be defined for example by software application and/or by user group, and may be conditioned on certain performance requirements including but not necessarily limited to response time, throughput and minimum/maximum allocation of computing resources (�percentage of grid�). In accordance with the defined service-level policy, the AVP platform operates to provision and activate services according to demand for improved performance and utilization of resources.
A system-level architecture for the AVP platform 100 is illustrated in
As illustrated in
Broker 30 also configures a daemon 22 that runs on each host computer in each grid node 26 that monitors the host, manages the engines 22 that are running on the host, and deploys binary code provided by the broker 30 for running a container (or applications server) 26 and/or an application, service or data source to be run by the container 26. In addition, broker 30 collects performance statistics provided by the engines 20 (and/or by clients 10 a and Vgateway 31) for storage in a database 39, for reporting and/or as inputs to the allocation optimization. Broker 30 may also provide failover services for reallocating an application, service or data source from a failed host computer to an operating host computer.
AVP platform 100 of
In addition, the administrative interface allows the platform administrator to monitor and manage various performance metrics, including but not necessarily limited to throughput, latency, resource usage, and exceptions. For example,
As illustrated in
Web Domains
Web domains 45 provide web applications and services, for example, including web servers, messaging brokers, message-driven services and other services that typically require multiple running instances. Web domains represent any collection of application services that are accessible via http, and can effectively represent any object or process that can be started, stopped and interrogated for its current load. Types of web domains include web applications accessible via a browser, and web services made available via simple object access protocol (SOAP) over http.
Web domains are preferably targeted for J2EE application servers. For example, an existing J2EE application may be represented as a web service, with an application cluster size varying between 2 and 5 nodes, base on policy. The physical locations of the web domain instances are decided by the AVP platform 100 at runtime, and the resources are provisioned dynamically. The AVP platform 100 then instantiates each domain on one or more grid nodes. The policy that dictates how many instances are created, and at what time they are created, are dictated by a service-level policy that is maintained by the broker 30.
As illustrated in
Service Domains
Service domains 46 include a collection of interfaces that can be virtualized across distributed computing resources (�grid resources�). By grouping these resources within a service domain, specific policies can be set to determine how many resources each service domain will be allowed to consume. JAVA-based service domains 45 may be defined, for example, using J2EE, plain old JAVA objects (�POJOs�) or the Spring framework
Service domains 45 may be used, for example, to define any standard JAVA class or Enterprise Java Bean (EJB). No proprietary application programming interface (API) or class format is required to virtualize the associated Java service. For example, POJOs can be defined with application context, or the complete and necessary environment for making the associated Java object instance work correctly. For example, a JAVA class that represents a business service would be defined with access to database connections and messaging services in order to perform the required processing. Preferably, a simple Extensible Markup Language (XML) format is provided for declaring the proper context for each object.
Among supported service domain types, the POJO domain type is the simplest to construct. Any JAVA class can be included in a POJO service domain. In addition, a Spring service domain type may preferably be supported. See Rod Johnson, Introduction to the Spring Framework, May 2005, available at www.theserverside.com/articles/article.tss?l=SpringFramework, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The Spring framework simplifies J2EE development by using POJOs instead of EJBs, and allowing for the abstraction and encapsulation of implementation dependent components (for example, Hibernate and JDBC mapping tools). In addition, this framework allows for dynamic proxy-based aspect oriented programming (AOP). AOP is a programming facility that allows developers the ability to inject logging, transaction, security and transaction capabilities across modules and components. The Spring framework also uses AOP to provided declarative transaction management for POJOS. For legacy components that are packaged as EJBs, an EJB service domain allows for virtualized access to EJB functionality.
Data Domains
Data domains 47 of
Creating Domains
According to the principles of the present invention, domains are launched or hosted on one or more applications servers, or containers. Each container type is capable of hosting one or more domain types, and a given domain can be launched by any container that supports its type.
Domains may be created for example by means of a domain wizard within the administrative interface.
Policy and Resource Allocation
The broker 30 of
The service-level policy defines a hierarchical, constraint-based division of computing resources in the grid. For example, a first level of partitioning may be by domain, followed by a second level of partitioning by user group. Additional and/or alternate partitioning criteria may be arbitrarily selected (for example, partitioning by work project), all of which are fully contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
The service-level policy will generally define a minimum number and maximum engines that should be allocated for each domain, either in terms of a number of engines or a percentage of available engines. A �minimum allocation percent� specifies a least amount of resource always held by an associated domain. If no clients are running, the rule may be excepted in order to make resources available to other grid clients (the �minimum allocation percent� is set to zero, so that no resources are assigned unless no other clients are running). However, these resources are relinquished as soon as a non-running client starts up. If the minimum allocation percents for grid clients do not sum to 100%, and all types of grid clients are active, the broker may continuously redistribute resources to optimize service-level agreements (SLAs) for the grid clients or domain.
A �maximum allocation percent� specifies a cap on the amount of resources to be given to an associated domain. This maximum is preferably enforced even if idle resources are available. As illustrated in
The broker may in addition apply a policy schedule that indicates how policies are to be applied over the course of a day. As illustrated for example in
Once the minimum and maximum number of engines is established, the broker 30 proceeds to provision resources to a minimum level. The broker 30 may choose to allocate more than the minimum number of engines to a domain if there is a statistical rule that can be used to understand the performance of the application. For example, if queue size can be measured as an indication of current load on the application, a rule can be established for adding an additional engine when the average queue size for all engines in the domain over a specified time interval exceeds a specified level. In addition, a rule for relinquishing an engine can be established based on the average queue size falling below a specified level over the specified time period.
The broker 30 allocates engines (or application server instances) to domains based on a current active policy and current application performance statistics. The broker reevaluates and reapplies this policy periodically (for example, every 5 minutes), and then decides to take one of three courses of action: a) to make no change in the current allocation, b) to assign available engines to some domains, or c) to re-assign some engines from some domains to other domains.
As illustrated in
Engines create service instances on demand, based on scheduling decisions made by the broker. A service is created with the first client request for an operation having the created service type. After creating and running the requested operation, the engine stores the newly-created service in a cache. A scheduler is made aware of the contents of the cache, such that it will route other requests for that service to the engine.
By default, engines operate as single-threaded processes (�engine instances�) performing only one service operation at a given time. As a result, more than one engine instance 21 is generally running at one time on the host computer 23. Processes running on multiple engine instances are started and managed by an agent that also runs on the host (engine daemon 22).
Engine daemon 22 is capable of starting and stopping engines based on a pre-defined engine policy. Engine policies may for example be based on one or more of CPU utilization of the host, user activity (in the case that the host is a user's desktop) or time of day. In most cases, the engine daemon 22 starts and monitors engine instances 21, and restarts the engine instances 21 in response to failures or reconfigurations.
One engine daemon 22 runs per host. In addition to starting engine instances 21, the engine daemon 22 preferably controls the configuration of engine instances 21. For example, when changes to an engine configuration are made by a platform administrator (for example, to configure a new application server), the changes may be automatically propagated to an engine instance 21 via the engine daemon 22. Engine daemons 22 may log into the broker 30 for administration and configuration.
Engine instances 21 are the processes that perform tasks for executing application software in the domain. On multi-CPU hosts, an engine daemon 22 will be able to run multiple engine instances 21. In addition, more than one engine instance 21 may be run on a single CPU.
Engines 20 report to the broker 30 when they are available to perform work. After logging in and synchronizing resources, the engines accept work assignments, perform tasks for executing the applications software, and notify the broker 30 when results are ready. Because the engine daemon 22 controls the state of configuration for each engine instance 21, and engine configuration can be controlled centrally via the administrative interface of the broker, it is easy to control and configure engine instances across the computing resource grid.
Engines can be configured to run in a variety of modes, depending upon the type of host machines 23 on which they will be installed. Dedicated machines are configure to run continuously, and are best suited for computing resources devoted to full-time processing on the grid. A non-dedicated mode may be enabled for host machines that are only used on a part-time basis on the grid, and otherwise used for other purposes (for example, user PCs sometimes made unavailable to the grid for user process use).
Engines configured in the non-dedicated mode determine when to run based on two different modes. In the user interface (UI) idle mode, a non-dedicated engine will start running after user inactivity on the host machine. Alternatively, in CPU idle mode, the engine will start to run when CPU utilization is sufficiently low. Engines are installed only once on a host machine. As engines are centrally managed by an engine daemon 22, they can be easily upgraded when later versions to the AVP platform 100 are available by using the administrative interface. In addition, to gain additional efficiencies, configuration profiles may be created by the administrative interface which may be used by multiple host machines to synchronize configurations.
At step 604, a client, having received information relating to the engine instance 21 and its associated domain from the broker 30, connects to the engine instance to run a service. At step 605, when the service has completed, the engine instance establishes another connection to the broker 30 to indicate that it has completed the service and to request another assignment.
At step 607, if the engine instance 21 is interrupted or otherwise fails gracefully, it connects to the broker 30 to send a message indicating that it has logged out. Otherwise, if the engine instance 21 fails unexpectedly, an engine monitor of the broker will log the engine instance off. In either case, if available, the broker will provision anther engine instance to the associated domain to replace the failed instance.
As illustrated in
As illustrated for example in
Communications between the engine 20 and the client 10 are managed by an engine proxy 13. As illustrated in
Each client 10 has a performance monitor (not shown) for monitoring call requests and keeping statistics on recent history. Request statistics monitored by the client 10 preferably include but are not necessarily limited to total response time, time in the queue 12, time in transport and time in user code (i.e., direct application or service processing time). The client monitor calculates average statistics for each of the measured statistics, as well as average throughput. The average statistics are periodically sent by the client 10 to the broker 30, as further described herein.
The broker 30 provides policy-driven resource allocation and monitoring for the AVP platform 100. Specific broker tasks include message routing and client authentication, engine allocation, engine provisioning and resource management, performance monitoring, and application and application server code distribution. Engines and clients are able to log in to the broker 30 in support of these tasks.
The broker 30 provisions engines according to the service policy based on the operational mode of the broker, allocation policies and client activity. Schemas include �broker-initiated� provisioning and �client-initiated� provisioning). Broker-based provisioning is useful for controlling engine allocation across domains, and is required to enable engine sharing.
As illustrated in
Two kinds of engine allocation are supported by broker-based provisioning. With exclusive allocation, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The broker performs a number of additional functions on behalf of the AVP platform 100. For example, the broker configures and stores a variety of operational settings and parameters, including but not necessarily limited to user identification, passwords, client information, routing properties and engine configuration. Using this stored data, for example, associated tasks may be carried out by platform administrators via the administrative interface of the broker 30.
An internal database of the broker stores reporting data, including for example user, engine, client and broker information, and an external reporting database is used to log events and performance statistics. Associated database configurations may be managed by platform administrators via the administrative interface.
Domain resources are staged on the broker 30, for deployment to engines. For example, files may be uploaded to deploy service, web and data domains using the domain wizard component of the administrative interface as illustrated in
Monitoring and Statistics Tracking
The broker 30 carries out a performance monitoring function with the assistance of the clients 10 and engines 20.
At regular intervals, the broker 30 asks at least one of each client 10 and engine 20 associated with service and web domains (preferably, at least each engine 20) to collect and forward averaged performance statistics. The information is collected and forwarded by at least one of a statistics collector 10 c of the client 10 and a statistics collector 20 c of the engine 20 to the statistics manager 33 of the broker 30. This process may for example be facilitated by means of a JMX proxy for clients and engines running J2EE applications.
The statistics manager 33 places the forwarded information in client and engine statistics queues 34 of
A sample list of statistics tracked is provided in
With frequent collection of statistics from each client 10 and engine 20, large amounts of statistical data accumulate. Accordingly, at frequent intervals, the broker operates to average the data collected for each client and engine, to calculate statistics for the entire grid, and to save the resulting records in the broker databases. Archiving may be performed after successive intervals, using similar averaging methods.
The collected statistics may be viewed in a variety of ways via tracking tools in the administrative interface of the broker 30. As illustrated in
For example, as illustrated in
Adaptive Provisioning
At step 1020, the resources are provisioned according to the policy. Engines are assigned to domains by the broker 30, and configured by downloading and installing associated application server and application software in the engines. Once configured, engine instances are also started in response to the receipt of service requests, and stopped upon task completion.
At step 1030, the broker 30 periodically collects averaged performance statistics from one or more of the clients and the engines, and compares the averaged statistics with service-level agreements (SLAs) 1035 defined in service-level policies. The statistics may provide measures of throughput, response time, CPU occupancy, memory occupancy and other attributes that may for example be defined as JMX attributes. In the event that SLAs are not being met, the policy is again applied at step 1010 and the resources are reallocated at step 1020. In addition, at step 1040, alerts indicating violation of the SLAs may preferably be reported to administrators via a �dashboard� of the administrative interface of the broker 30.
Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or steps which perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
All references, publications, pending and issued patents are herein each incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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