Patents by Inventor Willem J. Van Straaten

Willem J. Van Straaten has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5232426
    Abstract: The exercising machine has support legs (12), a pair of support members (16) and one or more resistance elements (22) in the form of elastic bands. The legs and support members are pivotally interconnected. The nature of the pivotal interconnection is such that the legs and support members can assume operative and inoperative states. In the operative state the legs define a stand and the support members are supported by the stand. The support members can themselves be pivoted relative to the stand to various inclinations to provide different forms of support for a user, the user when supported by the support members being able to exercise against the resistance offered by the resistance element. In the inoperative state, the legs and support members are pivoted together so as to be parallel or nearly parallel with one another, so the machine is extremely compact in this state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Verimark CC
    Inventor: Willem J. Van Straaten
  • Patent number: 5046726
    Abstract: An exerciser comprises a tube, a spring in the tube, a plunger reciprocable in the tube, handles on the plunger and transverse supports extending from the bottom of the tube for comfortably resting against the thighs or in the lap of a user. Stomach muscles are exercised by grasping the handles with the transverse supports on the thighs and applying a pumping action to the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: Verimark Close Corporation
    Inventor: Willem J. Van Straaten
  • Patent number: 5029850
    Abstract: Elastic bands extend between anchor points on a bottom bar and pulleys on a top bar. Their free ends are engaged individually or jointly by handles. A brace extends between stretchers spacing the bars apart. By standing on the bottom bar while the apparatus leans against a wall a large number of exercises can be performed by manipulating the handles. The device can be inverted for further exercises or laid flat for further exercises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Verimark (Proprietary) Limited
    Inventor: Willem J. van Straaten
  • Patent number: 4911438
    Abstract: An exercising machine having a board slidable on a beam has a rope and pulley system by means of which an exerciser sitting on the board pulls himself up an incline. To increase the resistance rubber bands are looped between axles and on the board and the beam respectively. In other embodiments other pulley systems are used and a plurality of bands may be used on each side of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Verimark (Proprietary) Limited
    Inventor: Willem J. Van Straaten
  • Patent number: D389205
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Inventor: Willem J. van Straaten