US2676802A - Bar bell - Google Patents

Description

p l 27, 1954 M. O'BRIEN 2,676,802

3A3 B'ELL Filed Aug. 18, 1952 Michael O'Brien IN V EN TOR.

I vention Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES E N T OFFICE- BAR BELL Michael OBrien, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 304,884

'I'Claim. l

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exercising devices for human beings and relates with greater particularity to the category which has to do with dumbbells, bar bells, and similarly constructed and performing implements.

Those who are advocates of physical culture and those who go in for spasmodic exercising find use for dumbbells and bar bells. With a view toward developing muscles varying forms and styles of dumbbells and bar bells have been evolved and used. The purpose of the instant invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon known prior art exercising constructions in the field under consideration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction which is such that it may be used as one of a pair of dumbbells or may be enlarged and used as a single unit, that is, as a barbell.

A further object of the invention, generally speaking, is to improve upon and reduce the number of parts entering into the over-all combination thereby not only increasing the efiiciency of the structure as a whole, but also rendering the same less costly to manufacture and to otherwise simplify factors of assembling, sale, use, etc.

Briefly summarized, the preferred embodiment of the invention has to do with a linearly straight bar providing a satisfactory handle. This is provided at its opposite ends with journals. Mounted for oscillation and rotation on the journals are discs. The discs have sufficient mass that they are more aptly referred to as weights. By providing the discs with eccentric bearings and mounting the journals in the bearings the discs become valuable, manipulable weights which through the medium of a trained and A skillful handling, result in exercising finger, wrist and other muscles which are. not usually brought into play when ordinary dumbbells are employed.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single dumbbell (or alternatively a barbell) constructed in accordance with the principles of the present in- Figure 2 is an enlarged view with portions in elevation and section showing the structural de tails in the manner in which they cooperate.

Referring now to the drawings by way of reference numerals the bar or rod, which is of suitable rigid non-corrodible easy-to-grip material, is denoted by the numeral 4. It might be stated here that it is within the purview of the invention to use the construction in making up what may be called a pair of dumbbells or a single barbell and the construction is the same except that the size is different as will be clear to the reader. In any event the bar is provided with reduced terminal ends which provide the aforementioned journals 6-6. The weights are of suificient size and mass, depending on the requirements of the particular user or individual as the case may be. Each weight is here shown as of solid disc-like form. It has an eccentrically located hole 8 providing a bearing for the journal and the hole is channeled to provide a runway for the anti-friction roller bearings Ill. The weight itself is denoted by the numeral l2 and it is held in position by an assembling and retaining nut H! on the screw threaded terminal portion l6 of the journal. It is, of course, to be noticed that the weights at opposite ends are identical with one another and both are rotatably joined with the bar by way of the eccentrically arranged bearing openings. In certain respects the Weights may be said to have a crank motion on the ends of the linearly straight bar.

The instrumentality disclosed has sometimes been referred to as a turnbar although it is presumed that, strictly speaking, it is. primarily in the class which has to do with dumbbells and barbells. In any event the device is an efiicacious muscle building structure. It will develop idle muscles that ordinary instrumentalities in this class would have no effect on whatsoever. When the user raises and lowers the bar with the weights thereon and imparts a wrist twisting motion to the bar it is possible to cause the weights to either swing like pendulums back and forth or sufiicient momentum may, when the handle is skillfully maneuvered, cause the weights to rotate throughout an orbital path. Since one in using the device will be moving the arms up and down and in and out from the shoulders and back and forth toward and from the chest etc. and, when the barbell size is used lifting the device up from the floor and placing it over the head, it is evident that suificient spacev could not be justly employed here to set out all ofthe exercises and the muscles involved and how the weights can be skillfully caused to oscillate through short arcs or long arcs and rotated completely, etc. It is believed that experience is the best teacher in fully understanding the over-all usefulness of the device herein revealed.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details-coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the claimed as new is:

In an exercising device of the class described, a linearly straight bar which is adapted to be grasped by and held directly in the hands of the user, said bar being provided at its respective invention, what is ends with journals, a pair of duplicate discoidal weights, each weight being provided with an off-- center bearing, the respective journals extending through the respective bearings of the weights and said journals being provided on their outer ends with assembling and retaining nuts, said nuts serving to maintain the weights on their journals and to permit the weights to spin or otherwise turn freely on their respective journals.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,058,786 Newkirk Apr. 15, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,843 Great Britain 1912

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