Gute Vorsätze....Patente heute vor 100 Jahren

Heute vor 100 Jahren, britische Patentanmeldung „Improved Exercising Apparatus“

Dieses Gerät wirkt sehr modern, und gewiss hat man schon im November vor 100 Jahren gute Vorsätze für den Sport und die Fitness in der kalten Jahreszeit gefasst. 

Unmodern erscheint fast die Bezeichnung des Gegenstandes: Tretmühle / treadmill. 

Heutige Sportartikelhersteller lassen sich da Geschmeidigeres einfallen – wobei neben Tretmühle auch Laufband die gängige Übersetzung ist.

Auf den ersten Blick wirkt das Gerät ziemlich gefährlich. Auf den Rollen (2) muss man ja stolpern. 

Aber so ist es gar nicht, wenn man die Zeichnung genau ansieht, sind gestrichelt zwei Bänder (9) angedeutet, welche im Text sehr hübsch als „endless carpets“ bezeichnet werden. 

Zur Sicherheit bietet das Sportgerät mittels zweier Handgriffe (7) den Laufband-Läufern festen Halt. 

Heute verwendet man ein paar Rollen weniger und in der Regel einen Motorantrieb, aber das ist gar kein riesiger Fortschritt in 100 Jahren.

Auszug aus der Original-Patentschrift:

Improved Exercising Apparatus.
We, WILLIAM SCOULER, Of 171, Wolseley Street, Glasgow, HENRY BLACK, of 43, Dryburgh Avenue, Rutherglen, and JOHN MALLOCH, of 200, Mill Street, Rutherglen, aforesaid, all British subjects, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows : This invention relates to improved treadmill apparatus for exercising the muscles of the feet and body. According to our invention the apparatus comprises a plurality of parallel rollers supported in an inclined framework so as to form an inclined roller platform. The framework rests upon the floor or ground or is fixed in-position and uprights are provided at or near the raised end of the platform to carry hand-grips or a horizontal bar, by which the operator supports himself on the roller platform.
It will be understood that the roller platform constitutes an automatically driven receding platform for the operator's feet, no mechanism being required to drive the rollers.
The rollers may be of wood, metal or other suitable material and, if desired, an endless belt or band may be passed over the two end rollers so as to be driven . by frictional contact between the operator's feet and the rollers.
The uprights for the hand-grips or horizontal bar are preferably curved or bent outwardly to give sufficient room between them for the operator's knees and may be fixed either in the floor. or ground or to the roller framework.
The uprights may be bent rearwardly or towards the operator at their upper ends to form the hand-grips.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-

1. Treadmill exercising apparatus of the kind described, comprising one or more endless carpets passing around the end rollers of an inclined roller platform and automatically-driven by the receding of the exerciser's feet.

2. Treadmill exercising apparatus according to Claim 1 having hand-grips carried by rotatable uprights, substantially as described.

3. The improved treadmill exercising apparatus constructed substantially as described and illustrated.