U.S. patent number 3,612,523 [Application Number 05/011,675] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-12 for tilting lift bar weight trainer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Challenger Athletic Goods Company. Invention is credited to Robert P. Glynn.
United States Patent |
3,612,523 |
Glynn |
October 12, 1971 |
TILTING LIFT BAR WEIGHT TRAINER
Abstract
An improved weight lifting apparatus used primarily in
gymnasiums and the like for training athletes. It includes a rigid
framework structure that supports two opposed pairs of guide rods.
A tiltable lifting bar and weight supporting assembly is slidably
mounted on each pair of the guide rods, the lifting bar serving to
join the two assemblies so that they reciprocate in unison when the
apparatus is in use. The principal feature of the invention resides
in universal joint means connecting the lift bar to a slide plate,
such that one end of the lifting bar may be elevated with respect
to the other. Another principal feature resides in guide wheels
located on the slide plate which mate with the opposite sides of
the guide rod through a concave configuration of the periphery of
the guide wheels.
Inventors: |
Glynn; Robert P. (Memphis,
TN) |
Assignee: |
Challenger Athletic Goods
Company (Memphis, TN)
|
Family
ID: |
21751496 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/011,675 |
Filed: |
February 16, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/98 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
21/0632 (20151001); A63B 21/06 (20130101); A63B
21/0626 (20151001); A63B 21/0724 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
21/06 (20060101); A63B 21/072 (20060101); A63B
21/062 (20060101); A63b 023/00 (); A63b
023/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;272/81,82,83R,84,79R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Browne; William R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A weight lifting apparatus of the character described
characterized by spaced first and second vertical guide rod means,
a horizontally disposed lifting bar means extending between said
first and second vertical guide rod means and means for supporting
the opposite ends of said lifting bar on said guide rod means to
provide for sliding vertical movement with respect to said guide
rod means said support means comprising universal connector
elements for receiving the opposite ends of said lifting bar and
for permitting tilting movement of said lift bar with respect to
the guide rod.
2. The weight lifting apparatus of claim 1 in which the universal
connector elements comprise a socket having a spherical recess, a
hub element receiving the end of the lifting bar and having a
spherical surface fitting in mating relation within said
socket.
3. The weight lifting apparatus of claim 2 in which the hub element
has a cylindrical opening receiving said lifting bar.
4. The weight lifting apparatus of claim 1 in which the first and
second vertical guide rod means are each comprised of a pair of
spaced vertical guide rods and a sideplate is provided for
supporting said support means and having rod engaging means for
permitting said support means to slide vertically with respect to
said pair of vertical guide rods.
5. The weight lifting apparatus of claim 4 in which the rod
engaging means comprises a pair of top wheels supported on the
sideplate engaging the inwardly faced sides of the guide rods in
each pair of rods and a pair of bottom wheels supported on said
plate engaging the outwardly faced sides of the guide rods, said
wheels having a generally V-shaped periphery conforming to the
surfaces of said guide rods.
6. The weight lifting apparatus of claim 4 in which the side plates
support the universal connector elements and the universal
connector elements comprise a socket having a spherical recess, a
hub element receiving the end of the lifting bar and having a
spherical surface fitting in mating relation within said
socket.
7. The weight lifting apparatus of claim 6 in which the rod
engaging means comprises a pair of top wheels supported on the
sideplate engaging the inwardly facing sides of the guide rods of
each pair of rods and a pair of bottom wheels supported on said
plate engaging the outwardly facing sides of the guide rods, said
wheels having a generally V-shaped periphery conforming to the
surfaces of said guide rods.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to mechanical devices for use in the
art of improving physical fitness, and is particularly directed to
an improved weight lifting apparatus provided with universal joint
means to provide for relative elevation of one end of the lifting
bar with respect to another, in order that a weight lifter may tilt
the lift bar and provide a greater amount of exercise for one arm
as desired. The invention is further directed to improved guide
means for a slide plate connecting the lifting bar through the
universal joint means to guide rods to specially contoured guide
wheels which engage the guide rods and minimize tracking
friction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of the invention includes a sturdy framework adapted
for installation in a gymnasium and the like. The framework
supports two pairs of transversely spaced vertical guide rods and
each guide rod is equipped with a comparatively large diametered
shock absorbing rubber bumper that surrounds its bottom end. A
plurality or stack of weight elements that are freely reciprocable
on each pair of guide rods normally rest atop the bumpers. Each
pair of guide rods also mounts a weight supporting assembly and
manually operable means are provided for securing any selected
number of weight elements thereto.
The two weight supporting assemblies are each connected to a slide
plate that supports two pairs of opposed guide wheels which
reciprocate up and down the guide rods. The guide wheels have their
periphery of a V-shaped configuration to provide point bearing
contacts to minimize friction and engage the inwardly facing and
outwardly facing sides of the guide rods. This is accomplished by
means of an upper pair of guide wheels that engage the inwardly
facing sides of the guide rods and a lower pair which engage the
outwardly facing sides of the guide rods and through this
arrangement a tracking engagement is provided.
A lift bar is connected at its opposite ends to universal joint
connecting means supported by the slide plate. By means of this
connection, the weight supporting assemblies are connected to
effect simultaneous movement when the lift bar is lifted in a
horizontal position, or where desired, the lift bar can be tilted
away from the horizontal position to more freely follow the lifting
action in bar bells. This means that one arm can be strengthened as
needed over another arm and it may be understood that the legs may
also be strengthened by an athlete resting with his back on the
floor and exerting the feet upwardly under the lift bar. When the
apparatus is not in use, the weight supporting assemblies rest upon
the uppermost weight element of the stack.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated on the two
sheets of drawings that accompany this specification, and features
and advantages not noted hereinabove will be apparent or pointed
out in the detailed description which follows with reference to the
drawings and will be otherwise apparent to those skilled in the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an exemplary installation of the
apparatus, embodying the concepts of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of said installation;
FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 4--4 of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5--5 of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 6--6 of FIG.
5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken partially in vertical
section through the universal joint connector showing the end of
the lift bar fitting therethrough;
FIG. 8 is a view taken similarly to FIG. 7 and showing the tilting
of the lift bar;
FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of the universal joint
connector;
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the universal joint connector;
FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation of the side plates showing the
guide wheels and the weight adjustment assembly;
FIG. 12 is a top plan view of one of the weight elements;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged view in section taken on line 13--13 of FIG.
5;
FIG. 14 is an isometric view of an end portion of one of the two
auxiliary cross brace members included in the framework of the
apparatus;
FIG. 15 is a reproduction of the lower-half portion of FIG. 2
illustrating the adjustability of the weight load and the tilting
of the lift bar.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The weight lifter apparatus of the invention is generally
designated 20, and is exemplary illustrated as installed in a
gymnasium or the like having a floor F. The framework 22 of the
apparatus may, if desired, be rigidly secured to said floor and a
wall but as shown simply rests on the floor.
The framework 22 comprises a pair of boxed tubing side frames each
including a vertical base section 24, a forwardly projecting bottom
leg section 26, and a forwardly projecting top leg section 28; and
a main cross brace 30 which connects the forward end portion of the
leg section 28. A pair of vertically spaced cross braces 32 connect
the base sections 24. The forward end portions of the leg sections
26 and 28 on each side frame are also connected by a pair of spaced
vertical rods 34 that have their ends welded as shown, or otherwise
rigidly secured to said sections. In addition to adding rigidity to
the framework, each pair of rods 34 primarily serve as guide
members for one of a pair of lifting bar and weight supporting
assemblies 36 next to be described.
With attention directed particularly to FIG. 5 through 6 and FIG.
11, each assembly 36 includes a sideplate 38 to each of which is
connected at the bottom a vertical weight support bar 40 that
extends below the sideplate with its upper end portion welded
thereto.
The sideplate shown in FIG. 7 through 11 supports a universal joint
connector element 42 which is welded into the center of the pipe.
The universal connector element 42 includes an element 44 having an
opening 46 which is formed as a portion of a spherical surface.
Fitting within the opening 46 is a hub 48 having an exterior
surface of a partially spherical configuration to provide for
universal mating relationship. The hub 48 has a central cylindrical
opening 50 which receives a lift bar 52. Stop members 54 which may
be adjusted by means of a set screw 55 is employed to limit the
movement of the lift bar through the universal connector at each
end of the bar.
The sideplate is further provided with an upper pair of guide
wheels 56 which are best shown in FIGS. 6 and 13 as having a
peripheral surface of a V-shaped configuration to track upon the
guide rods with a minimum of friction. The sideplate is further
provided with a bottom pair of guide wheels 57 which are adjustable
within elongated openings 58 in the plate 38 to provide adjustment
for a loading effect to ensure proper rolling of the wheels and
eliminate undesirable sliding as shown in FIG. 13. Nylon bushings
59 are provided at the hub of each roller over bolt 60 upon which
the rollers are supported. Thrust bearings 61 in the form of flat
nylon washers are provided on opposite sides of the rollers. As is
shown in FIG. 5, the upper pair of wheels bear against the inwardly
facing sides of the guide rods while the bottom wheels bear against
the outwardly facing sides of the guide rods. This arrangement of
the guide wheels prevents untracking and twisting of the guide
plate with respect to the guide rods and ensures a proper rolling
arrangement in a vertical fashion in a completely stable
arrangement. The sideplate supports the weight of the weight
elements by means of a series of vertically spaced transverse
circular openings 62 in the weight support bar 40. These openings
provide for selective adjustment of weight elements on the weight
support bar as will be further described.
Resting on a leg section 26 and surrounding the lower end of each
guide rod 34 is a comparatively large diameter pad or bumper 64
formed of separate bumpers each equal to the thickness of a weight
element to be described. This ensures that by removing a
corresponding number of bumpers to additional weights added the
lift bar height remains constant, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
These bumpers are preferably made of an elastic material or the
like as the drawings indicate. A determined plurality or stack of
weight elements 66 is slidably mounted on each pair of guide rods
with the bottom of the sideplate resting on the uppermost weight
element in the stack and the lowermost weight element resting on
the bumpers 64.
All of the weight elements 66 are identical and best seen in FIG.
12. Each of them has a semicircular groove 68 formed centrally in
its bottom surface, said groove being intersected by a central
rectangular opening 70. The configuration of the opening 70 is such
that the weight support bar 40 will freely extend therethrough.
Each weight element is also provided with a pair of circular
openings 72. These openings are so spaced and of such size as to
enable the rods 34 to extend therethrough freely. As will be
explained in more detail, the bottommost in any selected number of
the weight element 66 and those thereabove may be mounted on each
support bar 40 by means of a round lock pin 74 is best shown in
FIG. 6.
It will be observed that the distances between the openings 62 in
the weight support bar 40 are equal to the thicknesses of the
weight element 66 and that said openings are in horizontal
alignment with the semicircular grooves 68 of the weight elements.
Consequently, insertions and withdrawals of the lock pins 74 are
simple manual operations.
OPERATION
In FIGS. 1 through 6 the apparatus is illustrated in its normal or
not-in-use status. In this status the lock pin 74 extends through
the openings 62 of the weight support bars 40 and engages in the
grooves of the uppermost weight element 66 of each stack.
Assuming that upward pressure is now applied to the lift bar 52,
the assemblies 36 will move upwardly, each with a single weight
element 66 attached thereto, as should be apparent. The clearances
about the weight support bars supported by the larger dimensioned
openings in the weight elements facilitate upward passage of the
bars through the weight elements that remain in each stack.
Assuming that it be desired to increase the weight load, the
apparatus would be restored to its normal rest status followed by a
withdrawal of the locking pins 74 and the insertion of them at a
lower level, as should be understood from an inspection of FIG. 15.
This view illustrates the apparatus in use with each assembly 36
supporting a load of six weight elements being lifted above those
remaining atop the bumper 64.
In actual use, an individual training with the weight trainer may
realize training similar to that of using bar bells where some
strength and skill is required to keep the horizontal bar of the
bar bell horizontal without tilting. Also the tilt bar which
provides for some degree of tilting through the universal joint
connecting these as shown in FIG. 15 permits the individual to
strengthen or work one arm against another with it being understood
that both arms are seldom of equal strength. Thus the weaker arm
may be used at the lower level of the tilt bar as shown in FIG. 15
for comparative strengthening. By means of the universal connecting
means, there has accordingly been achieved a realistic simulation
of bar bells through the tilting adaptability of the lift bar.
In the operation of the support assemblies 36 raising and lowering
of the sideplates along the guide rods 34 is accomplished through
the pairs of guide wheels 56 and 57. The upper pair and lower pair
engage the opposite sides of the guide rods through the tracking
engagement of the V-shaped periphery of the guide wheels with the
sides of the cylindrical guide rods to provide stable rolling and
tracking arrangement with no vibration or twisting of the
sideplates in the raising and lowering operation.
Various changes and modifications may be made in this invention as
will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes
are within the scope and teaching of this invention as set forth in
the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *