Barbell Weight

Abstract

A rubber tire to keep a filling plug in place in a hollow barbell weight filled with a weighting material through a filling opening in the hollow weight and having a plug to close the filling opening.

Description

This invention relates to improvements in bar bells, dumbbells and the like. One recent development in such devices has been the use of hollow weights made of inexpensive, easily molded synthetic plastic material. These are filled with sand, cement or other relatively cheap and heavy filling materials and the filling opening is then closed by a plug.

For economy and ease of molding, the hollow weights are often quite thin and if they crack in use, the filling often leaks out and the bar bell becomes unusable.

One object of this invention is to provide a device for such bar bells, which device covers the filling plug and presses against the plug so as to prevent its removal.

Another object is to provide such a device without any substantial increase in the weight or the cost of the bar bell.

Still another object is to provide a bar bell with an attractive appearance .

These and other objects will be made more apparent in the description which follows taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a bar bell consisting of a single weight mounted on the end of an elongated rod;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of a weight;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along plane 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view taken on plane 4-4 in FIG. 2 showing the filling plug; and

FIG. 5 is a similar view taken on plane 5-5 in FIG. 2 showing further details of the weight.

The bar bell shown in FIG. 1 comprises a bar 10 by which weights 12 are supported. The weights are prevented from sliding off the bar by conventional clamps 16 secured to the bar by setscrews 18 or by any other suitable means.

Weights 12 are manufactured of synthetic plastic, such as polyethylene, by any conventional molding procedures, the weights being hollow as shown in FIG. 3.

Weights 12 have a central passage 20 suitable dimensioned to receive bar 10 and a filling opening 22 through which filling material can be introduced into the cavity 24. A plug 26 is provided to close opening 22 once the weight has been completely filled with particulate material or with cementitious (settable) slurry. Plug 26 is held in place by a slight mechanical interlock and by friction.

To protect the weight, once it has been filled and to prevent the plug 26 from falling out of the filling opening 22, there is provided a band 30 of rubber, foamed plastic or other stretchable material which can be expanded and then slipped over the outer circumference of weight 12 and permitted to contract so as to firmly engage the weight.

One preferred procedure for molding the hollow weights is blow-molding, since blow-molded products are quite strong. However, blow-molded articles often exhibit a slight weakness at the thinnest point 32 on the periphery of the weight, and when the weights are dropped, as happens occasionally, the impact may cause the hollow weight to break open or to eject a plug used to seal the filling opening.

The present invention provides means for protecting the weight against both of these types of failure by protecting the pinchoff, thinner areas of the weight from impact failure by distributing the load to larger areas and by physically holding plug 26 in place.

Raised protuberances 28 are provided at spaced intervals around the opening 20, for the purpose of interlocking with the adjoining weight and to provide a more attractive appearance to the individual weights.

The bar bells may include several weights of various sizes at each end instead of the single weight shown.

Having now described the invention in its preferred embodiment, it is not intended that it be limited except as may be required by the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A hollow bar bell weight having a circular shape and molded of synthetic plastic and provided with a filling opening located on the outermost peripheral portion through which heavy material may be introduced into the hollow weight; a plug in said filling opening; and elastic band completely encircling the outermost peripheral portion of said hollow molded weight and positioned over the outer portion of said plug, to hold said plug in said opening.

2. The bar bell weight of claim 1 wherein the elastic band is a tire.

3. The bar bell weight of claim 1 including a weighting material filling the hollow therein.