Patents by Inventor William W. Potts

William W. Potts 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: 6277055
    Abstract: The flexibly coordinated stationary exercise device (10) includes a frame (12) which has a forward upright member (20). The axle mounts (30) and (32) are attached to the rear region of the frame (12) and support a transverse axle (36) which is preferably operatively connected to a flywheel (38). The ends of the transverse axle (36) rotatably engage left and right crank arm assemblies (50) and (52) that are coupled to the left and right foot links (60) and (70) so that the foot links travel in an arcuate reciprocal path as the transverse axle rotates. The foot links are operatively connected to swing arm mechanisms (80) and (90), which in turn are rotatably connected to the forward upright member (20) at pivot points (84) and (94). The swing arm mechanisms further contain hand-gripping portions (82) and (92), and the foot links further contain foot support portions (66) and (76).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: James S. Birrell, William W. Potts, Thomas Moran
  • Patent number: 5129872
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus having foot beams (38a, 40a) rotatably mounted to an upright post member (140a) of a frame to rotate about a first axis (322). Hand levers (132a, 134a) are secured to pivot members (152a) pivotally mounted to the upright post member to rotate about a second axis (328). The hand levers are coupled by resilient linkage members (340) to the foot levers so that as each foot lever rotates about the first axis, the corresponding hand lever normally rotates a related distance about the second axis. The linkage members are resiliently deformable to allow discontinuity between the rotation of the foot levers and hand levers when an exerciser exerts a differential force on the hand levers relative to the corresponding foot levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Cole J. Dalton, Lawrence J. Graf, William W. Potts
  • Patent number: 4770411
    Abstract: An ergometer (28) is employed on an exercise cycle (10) having a flywheel (20) rotated by pedals (16). A selectively tensionable endless belt (26) extends around the perimeter of flywheel (20) and a separate strap (160) is attached to the endless belt (26) to extend tangentially from the flywheel (20). The opposite end of strap (160) is connected to one end of an indicator plate (162) with the other end of the indicator plate attached to one end of an extension spring (164). The extension spring (164) imparts a tensile load on strap (160) equal to the opposing tensile load on the strap (160) imposed by the frictional force acting between endless belt (26) and the flywheel (20). This force level is sensed by the movement of the indicator plate (162) which coincides with the extension of spring (164), which plate movement corresponds to the workout level being achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy O. Armstrong, Larry J. Graf, William W. Potts
  • Patent number: D283530
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: Precor, Incorporated
    Inventors: David B. Smith, William W. Potts