Self-locking quick release bracket

A self-locking quick release bracket having a body which surrounds a support rod having a line of cavities. The body includes an internal projection adapted to be placed into a selected one of the cavities at a desired elevation along the rod. The body is so formed that it can be tilted relative to the rod to remove the projection from a cavity and allow the bracket to be moved longitudinally along the rod in order to change the location of the bracket on the rod.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a load supporting bracket for use with a 
vertically oriented support rod and, more particularly, to such a bracket 
which is self-locking to the rod at a desired position and is also quickly 
releaseable for movement along the rod without the use of any tools. 
The present invention finds particular utility in the environment of 
exercise equipment, especially weight benches. Modern weight benches 
typically have a floor supported base structure and, in addition to 
supports for the bench itself, also have upright support rods to which are 
mounted brackets utilized for holding weighted barbells. When different 
people utilize the weight bench, and also when a particular person 
proceeds through a regimen of different exercises, the height of the 
brackets on the rods is typically required to be changed. It is therefore 
a primary object of the present invention to provide such a bracket which 
can be quickly released from an existing position, moved to a new 
position, and locked into place without requiring the use of any tools. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing and additional objects are attained in accordance with the 
principles of this invention by providing a self-locking quick release 
bracket for use with a substantially vertical rod having cavities 
extending into the rod from a substantially vertical outer surface of the 
rod. The cavities are within a defined region of the rod, with the rod 
having a substantially uniform cross section within the defined region. 
The inventive bracket comprises a hollow tubular body having an internal 
cross section configured and sized relative to the cross section of the 
rod within the defined region so that the body is free to move along the 
rod within the defined region. The body has an upper portion encompassing 
a first part of the outer circumference of the rod including the cavities, 
a lower portion encompassing a second part of the outer circumference of 
the rod across the rod from the first part, and a central portion 
connecting the upper and lower portions. An inwardly directed projection 
is secured to the inner surface of the upper portion of the body, the 
projection being sized to fit within each of the cavities. When the 
projection is within a selected cavity, the bracket is prevented from 
being moved along the rod. The upper and lower portions of the body are 
spaced apart vertically a sufficient distance to allow the body to be 
tilted relative to the rod in a first angular direction so as to remove 
the projection from a cavity so that the tilted body can be moved along 
the rod. 
In accordance with an aspect of this invention the bracket further includes 
a support member secured to the exterior surface of the lower portion of 
the body. The support member is adapted for supporting a load thereon so 
that when the projection is within a selected cavity and a load is 
supported by the support member the body is tilted in a second angular 
direction opposite the first angular direction to insure that the 
projection remains within the cavity. 
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the body, the 
projection and the support member of the bracket are unitarily formed as 
an integral piece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a weight bench, designated 
generally by the reference numeral 10, in which a bracket according to the 
present invention may be employed. The weight bench 10 includes floor 
supported base structure 12, bench support structure 14 for supporting a 
bench 16, and a pair of substantially vertical support rods 18, 20. 
Although shown as being generally oval in cross section, the rods 18, 20 
can have any desired cross sectional configuration, such as circular or 
rectangular. The rods 18, 20 are illustratively hollow tubes and are each 
formed with a plurality of substantially identical cavities 22 (FIGS. 3 
and 4) which are spaced longitudinally along each rod. Preferably, the 
cavities 22 are positioned along a straight line, at the rear of each of 
the rods 18, 20, as viewed in FIG. 1. 
To support a weighted barbell during exercising, barbell holders 24, 26, 28 
and 30 are provided. Each of the holders 24, 26, 28, 30 includes a bracket 
32 (FIG. 2) according to the present invention, to which is secured a 
respective load holder, as will be described in full detail hereinafter. 
Thus, the two lower holders 28, 30 are typically referred to as spotter 
bars and the upper holders 24, 26 are typically referred to as holder 
bars. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the inventive bracket 32 is preferably of unitary 
construction. In one embodiment, the bracket 32 is made from cast 
aluminum. Alternatively, the bracket 32 may be molded from a plastic 
material, or any other suitable material. As shown, the bracket 32 is a 
hollow tubular body. The cavities 22 in the rod 18 are all within a 
defined region of the rod 18, with this defined longitudinal region having 
a substantially uniform cross section. The internal cross section of the 
bracket 32 is configured and sized relative to the cross section of the 
rod 18 within the defined region so that the body of the bracket 32 has 
slight clearance around the rod 18. Thus, as illustrated, the rod 18 has a 
generally oval shape and therefore the interior of the bracket body is 
also preferably oval in shape. 
The bracket 32 has an upper portion, or plate member, 34, a lower portion, 
or plate member, 36 and a central portion 38, 40 connecting the upper 
portion 34 and the lower portion 36. The upper portion 34 encompasses a 
first part of the outer circumference of the rod 18, the line of cavities 
22 being within that first circumferential part. (Although shown with an 
oval cross section, the rod 18 could have a rectangular cross section. In 
that case, the cavities 22 would all be on a flat side of the rod and the 
upper and lower portions 34, 36 of the bracket 32 would be flat.) A 
projection 42 is secured to the inner surface of the upper portion 34 and 
is sized to fit within each of the cavities 22. As illustrated, the 
cavities 22 are elongated, so that the projection 42 is generally 
rectangular. However, both the cavities 22 and the projection 42 can have 
any other desired shape, such as circular. The lower portion 36 
encompasses a second part of the outer circumference of the rod 18 across 
the rod 18 from the first circumferential part. The upper portion 34 has a 
lower extremity 44 and the lower portion 36 has an upper extremity 46 
which are spaced apart longitudinally a sufficient distance to allow the 
bracket 32 to be tilted relative to the rod 18 in a first angular 
direction (clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4). This tilting removes the 
projection 42 from whichever of the cavities 22 it was in, thereby 
allowing the bracket 32 to be moved along the rod 18, as best shown in 
FIG. 4. When the tilted bracket 32 is moved to a desired elevation along 
the rod 18, it is then tilted in a second angular direction 
(counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4) to place the projection 42 
within a selected one of the cavities 22, as shown in FIG. 3. 
A support member 48 is secured to the exterior of the lower portion 36 of 
the bracket 32. The support member 48 is formed as an outwardly extending 
projection having a pair of apertures 50 which are utilized for mounting a 
selected load holder to the bracket 32. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the 
upper holders 24, 26 have relatively short load holders 52 mounted to 
their respective brackets 32, whereas the lower holders 28, 30 have 
relatively long load holders 54 mounted to their respective brackets 32. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the weight of the support member 48, especially when a 
selected load holder 52, 54 is mounted thereto, causes the bracket 32 to 
be tilted in a counterclockwise direction. This insures that the 
projection 42 is maintained within a selected cavity 22 and also causes 
the lower edge of the lower portion 36 of the bracket 32 to dig into the 
front of the rod 18, thereby securely holding the bracket 32 in place. 
Accordingly, there has been disclosed an improved self-locking quick 
release bracket. While an illustrative embodiment has been disclosed 
herein, it is understood that other embodiments and modifications may be 
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and it is intended that 
this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. Thus, 
while the bracket has been described in the environment of a weight bench, 
it is readily apparent that it possesses utility in other environments as 
well, for example, as a support bracket in a shelving system wherein it is 
desired to be able to quickly and easily adjust the shelf heights.