NZ202490A - One piece,plastics moulded clamp for retaining weights on barbell - Google Patents

Description

2524?e> COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AFTER PROVISIONAL #202490 DATED 12 November 1982 A COLLAR DON OLIVER BARBELL (1977) LIMITED, a New Zealand company of: 66a Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 202490 This invention relates to a collar and has particular application to collars suitable for use on bars of barbells and dumbells which can be secured to the bar and used to hold one or more weights on the bar.

Hitherto, barbell collars have been formed of metal, and have either taken the form of a metal cylinder having a grub-screw passing radially therethrough to contact the bar, or have consisted of two or more separate metal components which are clamped together by a pair of bolts or the like. Neither of these are particularly satisfactory, as they are relatively expensive to form, and do not grip the bar securely. The grub-screw arrangement tends to mark the bar, and provide only a small point of contact, whilst collars having two or more bolts tend to be difficult to tighten evenly, and even then do not grip the bar securely.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved collar for a barbell or dumbell, or one which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In one aspect, the invention provides a weight retaining collar for a bar of a barbell or a dumbell having a one piece resilient body portion which is substantially C-shaped in cross-section, means for clamping the open ends of the C-shape together, and one or more flanges extending about one end of the body.

The resilient body is preferably formed from a plastics material, enabling the collar to be of low cost.

Other aspects of the invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will ,become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1; Figure 2; Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: illustrates a perspective view of an outer collar. is a front elevational view of the outer collar. is a top plan view of the outer collar. is a perspective view of an inner collar. shows a barbell and dumbell incorporating the collars of this invention. 202490 - 3 -- A preferred collar 10 has a substantially C-shaped body 11, in the form of a cylindrical portion having a split 12 down the length of one side, with the internal diameter of the body portion corresponding to the diameter of a bar to which it is to be attached. Conveniently, 5 the internal circumference of the body portion, excluding the split 12, is slightly less than the circumference of the bar.

It is preferred that the split portion has longitudinal jaws 13, 14, to which securing means 15 can be attached. The securing means conveniently takes the form of a bolt 16 having a fastener such as a wing nut 17 10 attached thereto enabling the jaws 13 and 14 to be clamped together to hold the collar on a bar.

An appropriate recess 18 is formed on one side of jaw 14 enabling the hexagonal head of the bolt 16 to be held against rotation.

Preferably, a small flange 20 is provided at one end of the collar, 15 whilst a large flange 21 is provided at the other end, adapted to provide an abutment for weights held on the bar.

It is preferred that this large flange 21 has a radial slit 22 in the flange oppositely disposed to the main opening 12. This may be of such a size as to separate the flange into 2 arcuate flanges.

Strengthening ribs 23 can be provided on either side of the collar and provision for name plates or the like can be provided on either side of the collar.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings, it has been found that the combination of the slit 22 in the flange together with the relative 25 sizes of the end flanges 21 and 20, enables the collar to be readily clamped about the bar with the clamping action taking place substantially uniformly resulting in even pressure of the collar on the bar without undue twisting or clamping at one or other end of the collar. It will be appreciated that as the flanges 13 and 14 are clamped together by 30 the wing nut being tightened on the bolt, the slit 22 will tend to open in the direction of arrow A to create a wedge-rshaped opening i iiv::;:35 \ 202^0 It is preferred that the body is formed of a resilient plastics material, having a memory, so that the collar can be clamped on the bar for considerable periods of time, and then slackened and readily removed from the bar with the collar reverting to its original untensioned 5 shape. The collar is preferably formed from a plastics material by injection moulding, and a preferred material is polypropylene copolymer, however, other plastics materials can be used, depending upon the user's requirements. It will be generally convenient to mould the collar so that the flanges 13 and 14 spring apart in the relaxed state so that 10 they have their inner faces inclined to one another in a wedge shape with the consequent result that tightening of the wing nut on the bolt will cause these faces to be moved towards one another moving from the inclined position towards a substantially parallel position when in the fully closed position.

Instead of using a bolt and nut, to clamp the collar into the closed position, other forms of fasteners can be used, e.g. ratchet straps, toggle clamps, or the like.

In another embodiment, the end flanges 20 and 21 can be omitted, and replaced by a series of radial flanges corresponding to jaws 13 and 14, 20 e.g. in positions say spaced at intervals such as 120 degrees about the circumference of the body 11 with their ends providing a contact surface for weights on a bar. It will be appreciated that the provision of longitudinal flanges will minimize resistance to the clamping of the collar onto the bar. The presence of the large end flange 21 tends 25 to resist clamping, and if such a flange is provided, the slot 22 is desirable to facilitate the clamping action. Instead of a one piece body 11, it could be formed from 2 arcuate portions hinged together.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of the body and clamping flanges 13 and 14 provide strength for the collar and provide a secure grip onto 30 the bar, whilst the main flange 21 provides an abuttment face for weights on the bar. The size of the main flange 21 will depend on the diameter of the bar and the diameter of the apertures in the weights. Indeed, in one embodiment (see Figure 4) the size of the end flange 21 is reduced, so that the collar can be conveniently used as an inner collar 30 for a 35 barbell or dumbell, and the wing nut can be replaced with an hexagonal nut which can be secured by a spanner. 202490 Figure 5 shows a barbell 31 having a pair of inner collars 30 and a pair of outer collars 10 holding weights 33, whilst a dumbell 35 has a pair of outer collars 10 which hold the weights against a central sleeve 36.

The collar shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings is preferably used as an outer collar, enabling quick release so that the collar can be removed and fresh weights added or removed, and the collar quickly returned to the bar and clamped in place.

The prototype collar illustrated in the drawings has been found to be easy to use, and provides a quicker and secure gripping action on bars and can be used with light weight bars formed of light gauge tubing as the collar does not mark or damage the tubing. The collar is also suited for use with chromed tubing or solid bars as it does not damage the surface of the chrome.

Finally, it will be appreciated that various alterations or modifications may be made to the foregoing without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined in the following claims. <i *7 v ; ^ ^ o r Is .J13 ftoO

Claims (7)

lT WE CLAIM IS: - 6 - 202490

1. A weight retaining collar for a bar of a barbell or a dumbell having a one piece resilient body portion which is substantially C-shaped in cross-section, means for clamping the open ends of the C-shape together, and one or more flanges extending about one end of the body.

2. A collar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for clamping include a pair of outwardly extending jaws and adjustable securing means capable of clamping the jaws towards one another to cause the collar to grip the bar.

3. A collar as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more flanges extending about one end of the body include a circumferential flange having a radial slit or opening therein substantially opposite the pair of jaws.

4. A barbell or dumbell having removable weights mounted thereon and secured by collars as claim in claim 3.

5. A barbell or dumbell as claim in claim 4, wherein the bar of the barbell or dumbell is formed from tubing.

6. A collar, substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 - 2, or Figure 3, of the, accompanying drawings.

7. A barbell or dumbell substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. DON OLIVER BARBELL (1977) LIMITED By its Attorneys JAMES W PIPER & 00.