Abstract:
A weightlifting apparatus that supports a free weight barbell when activated using two counter-weight controlled support arms that are mechanically attached to a vertical support on a bench press system. The vertical supports each have a slide rail that is mechanically coupled to a locking assembly that acts to release the support arms using buttons. The support arms are attached to independent counterweights or springs by means of a cable. When released by a foot pedal these support arms are elevated by the counterweights. The support arms hold the barbell and prevent it from downward movement via the one-way locking assembly mounted to the support arms. The support arms work independently of one another so that a user may reset each support arm independently.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This U.S. non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/646,166, entitled “Weightlifting Spotting Machine,” filed on Jan. 24, 2005, having at least one co-inventor in common with this application, which provisional Patent Application is herein incorporated by reference. This U.S. non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/710,872, entitled “Weightlifting Spotting Machine with Springs,” filed on Aug. 25, 2005, having at least one co-inventor in common with this application, which provisional Patent Application is herein incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND 
   The invention relates generally to free weight exercise equipment, and more particularly to an improved self-spotting bench press system. 
   The use the barbells for conditioning and enhancement of the body&#39;s muscular tone is widely practiced by a variety of people. Most common weight training is executed with a spotter, that is, someone who can assist the lifter when they become fatigued, are having difficulty, or are about to drop the weight. Style, communication, consistency and reaction time are all factors that vary depending on the spotter being used at any given time. Bench pressing, however, without a spotter can be dangerous. Without someone to grab the barbell and prevent the barbell from dropping on the weightlifter there is a significant danger of serious injury due to fatigue or improper technique. This danger exists in a wide variety of situations, from private to professional weightlifting. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,726 is directed to a safety device for use in conjunction with bench press exercise equipment, wherein a pair of arms controllable by the exerciser may be elevated into engagement with a barbell to raise it clear of the exerciser before the barbell can seriously injuring him should he be unable, due to fatigue, to raise the barbell to its normal support panel off the bench. The elevating mechanism may be a power operated jack or counterweights normally controlled by a jack. This invention enables the user by activation of an electric switch to raise and lower the structure which acts as a safety support for the barbells. A pair of limit switches may be engaged by an adjustable stop assembly to stop the arm once a predetermined elevation is reached. The adjustable stop assembly also acts as a ratchet to prevent inadvertent lowering of the arms. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,072 is directed to a free weightlifting apparatus adapted for return of a free-weight barbell to a stationary barbell support rack without other ancillary assistance for a lone exerciser participating in a variety of free weightlifting exercises. The frame is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder which is powered by an electrically driven pump. Electrical switches on the support rack are activated when the free-weight barbell depresses the sleeves, and the electrical switches are deactivated when the barbell automatically rolls off the sleeve and repositions itself on the support rack. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,506 is directed to a weightlifting station including a pair of guideposts for guiding a barbell assembly in a vertical direction. The barbell assembly includes a weight bar, a sleeve telescoped over the weight bar and stops attached to the sleeve with catch pins to restrain the stops in any one of three conditions of orientation. In one condition, the catch pins lock the stops in engagement with apertures in the posts, thereby preventing vertical movement of the bar from a selected vertical position. In another condition, the catch pins lock the stops in a position disengaged and remote from the apertures permitting the barbell assembly to slide vertically on the guide posts. In the third condition, a user may manually rotate the sleeve, throughout a small range limited by the catch pins from a position where the stops are fully engaged with the apertures, to a position where the stops are withdrawn from the apertures, thereby providing the user with a self stopping capability. In this invention there is no mechanism to pull up a support rack automatically to a fixed position to hold the barbells. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,379 is directed to a self stopping safety bench press comprising an adjustable bench and up-rights located on either side of the bench adjacent the lifters upper body. Lifting arms extend from the uprights into the barbells pathway and have the ability to slide up and down to contact the barbell and decrease the weight exerted on the exerciser. Hydraulic cylinders provide force to each lifting arm, which is depressed below the barbells path before use. When assistance is needed, the exerciser releases a hydraulic restrictor valve causing the arms to ascend removing a user determined amount of weight from the barbell while permitting the user to continue performing repetitions. A second restrictor valve can allow only upward movement should the exerciser fail. A third flow restrictor valve adjusts the rate of arm travel. An air charged hydraulic accumulator provides the hydraulic pressure to the cylinders. This invention provides no mechanism to lock the lifting arm in a position to hold the barbells in a predetermined fixed position. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,027 is directed to an automatic spotting weight machine used to support a weight bar and create an escape opening after a failed bench press lift. In one of the embodiments, a foot release mechanism and mechanical knuckle work in conjunction to drop the head end of the weight bench so that the weights are resting on a pair of support bars. In one embodiment, there is a disclosed means of controlling the drop of the bench portion of the weight machine so that it is lowered gently. 
   It would therefore be desirable for an self-spotting safety bench press that assists in lifting barbells and automatically hold them in place without user assistance and without the use of electrical or hydraulic motor means. 
   BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
   Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a self-spotting bench press for safely supporting a barbell above a weightlifting bench having a pair of vertical supports with a slide rail that is coupled to the respective vertical support and a pair of support arms. Each of the support arms is mechanically coupled to each of the vertical supports and to the slide rail and move independently of each other. A locking mechanism is integrally attached to the each of the support arms. The locking mechanism has a locking arm that engages with the slide rail to prevent vertical downward movement of the support arm when the locking arm is in the locked position and to enable vertical movement when the locking arm is in the unlocked position. Each support arm is also lockingly engaged with a foot switch that when activated acts to release a foot pedal locking arm to allow vertical movement along the slide rail, using force provided by counter-weights or spring tension. 

   
     DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the self-spotting bench press system of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side cutaway view of the vertical support and corresponding counter weight assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a top cutaway view of the support arm assembly and counter weight assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the locking support mechanism of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an alternative embodiment of the locking mechanism of the present invention that uses a weight instead of a locking arm spring. 
       FIG. 6  is a embodiment of the counter-weight assembly consisting of a single-line diagram of a spring loaded assembly and locking support mechanism of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The present invention is a self spotting safety bench press with a pair of support arm&#39;s that may be elevated and locked into engagement with barbells so the barbells can be rested on the support arm before the barbells seriously injuring a user should the user be unable to raise the barbell during a normal exercise routine. The support arms are independently lifted by a pair of counter-weights and held in place by mechanical locking devices that allow only for upward movement of the barbell and support arms while in the locked position. The counterweights are used to lift the support arms. While the support arms hold the barbell, the exerciser can push upward on the barbell and the support arms will continue to move vertically upward and lock into the next position available on the vertical support and thus prevent the support arms from moving downward. After the user regains control by lifting the barbells using the support arms, the barbells can be put on barbell rests before the locking mechanism can be reset to its original position. Resetting the locking mechanism and returning the support arms to the original position does not require removal of the weight plates on the barbell to return the barbell to the barbell rests at the top of the vertical support. In this Specification the term barbells may comprise a barbell rod and free weights physically attached to and in locking engagement with the barbells, and a bench press may comprise an adjustable decline/incline military bench press. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the present invention. The self spotting safety bench press machine comprises a pair of vertical supports  14  having a hollow center, barbell rests  26 , slide rails with notches  13 , and support slide rails  20 . Barbell rests  26  are fixedly attached to vertical support  14  along an inside surface so as to enable support arm  11  to be movable along vertical support  14 . This invention also comprises a foot pedal  27 . The support arms  11  are vertically movable along support slide rails  20 . The support arm  11  has at an end barbells stops  21  which will prevent the barbell from falling off the end of support arm  11 . Foot pedal  27  is operable by a user to unlock support arm  11  such that support arm  11  is movable along vertical support  14  by a counter weight system illustrated further in  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a cut-out view of a counter weight assembly and bearing support system of the vertical support  14 . The counter weight assembly comprises a counter weight  15 , a cable  19 , and a pulley  18 . The cables attach at one end to the counter weight  15  and at the other end to the support arm  11 . The counter weight is in a range from about 15 to about 100 pounds. Although a counter weight range of about 15 to 100 pounds has been selected in this embodiment any weight may be selected that will automatically raise support arm  11  so as to contact the barbells and lock in place when the foot pedal switch  27  is activated. When a locking mechanism  23  (further described in  FIG. 5 ) is unlocked the counter weight  15  acts to pull up the support arm  11  along the vertical support  14 . Locking mechanism  23  is fixedly attached to support arm  11  and is further described in  FIG. 5 . Support base  29  is fixedly attached to support slide rail  20 , vertical support  14 , and notched slide rail  13  to provide support for these elements of the present invention. It is within the scope of this invention for cable  19  to be a belt, which may also be expandable and compressible, or a chain, or a cord. 
     FIG. 3  is a top cut-away view of the support arm assembly and counter weight assembly of the present invention. A pulley  18  its fixedly attached at the upper end and disposed inside vertical support  14 . A cable  19  is movably attached to pulley  18  and is fixedly attached a counterweight  15  at one end. Counter weight  15  is disposed inside vertical support  14  and movable within vertical support  14 . Flat bearing  12  is movably coupled to notched slide rail  13  along the front surface, but not along the surface having notches. Linear bearing  17  its fixedly attached to a support arm  11 . Upper bearing and locking mechanical support  22  is fixedly coupled to support arm  11  and provides rigidity to support arm  11 . Upper bearing and locking mechanical support  22  is engagingly attached to notched slide rail  13 . Barbell stop  21  is fixedly attached to the front end of support arm  11  and acts to prevent barbells and falling off support arm  11 . A side surface  52  of support arm  11  is disposed around linear bearing  17 , support slide rail  20 , vertical support  14 , notched slide rail  13  and upper bearing and locking mechanism support  22  to conceal these elements from view. Slide rail support  16  is fixedly attached to a back surface of vertical support  14  so that support arm  11  is movable along vertical support  14 . Slide rail support  16  is fixedly attached to support base  29  to provide rigidity and support to vertical support  14 . A linear bearing  17  is moveably attached to support slide rail  20  and acts to move up and down support slide rail  20 . 
     FIG. 4  illustrates locking mechanism  23 . Locking mechanism  23  comprises notched slide rail  13  having a plurality of teeth  54  along a side surface, each notch in approximately 1 inch from the adjacent notch and may be shaped having a flat surface at an upper end a ramp surface at the lower end. The saw-tooth shape of the notches enable locking arm  30  to engage and lock in place when a support arm  11  moves in a downward direction and to ratchet against the saw-tooth shaped notches when support arm  11  moves in an upward direction. It is within the scope of the present invention for slide rail  13  to have teeth with any shape that enables locking arms to engage slide rail  13  to lock when locking mechanism moves downward but not lock when locking mechanism moves upwards. Locking arm  30  is pivotal about pivot  56  so as to engage and disengage teeth  54 . A locking arm spring  31  maintains tension between surface  52  and locking arm  30  acts so as to maintain contact between the locking arm  30  and teeth  54  of notched slide rail  13  in the absence of force from on locking buttons  24 . Locking button  24  act on locking arm  30  to set it in the unlock position when locking button  24  is depressed thus enabling support arm  11  to move in a vertical upward and downward direction. When the button  24  is set to the locking position, support arm  11  may only be moved vertically upward along vertical support  14  and is adapted to be locked by each notch of slide rail  13  as vertical support arm  11  moves downward. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates an alternative embodiment of locking mechanism  23 . In this exemplary embodiment locking arm  30  is coupled to a weight  45  instead of a locking arm spring  31 . The gravitational force of weight  45  acts on locking arm  30  through pivot  56  to secure it against slide rail  13  so that the saw-tooth shape of the notches enable locking arm  30  to engage and lock in place when a support arm  11  moves in a downward direction and to ratchet against the saw-tooth shaped notches when support arm  11  moves in an upward direction. Slide rail  13  is secured to vertical support  14 . Weight  45  may for example be in a range from about 0.2 to about 1 pounds. Locking button  24  act on locking arm  30  to set it in the unlock position when locking button  24  is held in the unlock (that is the upward position), thus enabling support arm  11  to move in a vertical upward and downward direction. When button  24  is released to the locking position, (that is in the downward position) support arm  11  may only be moved vertically upward along vertical support  14  and is adapted to be locked by each notch of slide rail  13  as vertical support arm  11  moves downward. 
   In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention notched slide rails  13  may not have notches but be relatively smooth. In this instance locking arms  30  enter into locking engagement with slide rail  13  by force created by locking arm weight  45  and the force generated by the weight of the locking support mechanism  23 . 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a single-line diagram of the operation of the present invention. A spring  40  is physically disposed inside vertical support  14  and fixedly coupled to spring mount  39 . Spring mount  39  is fixedly coupled to vertical support  14  at an upper end and disposed within vertical support  14 . Spring  40  is physically coupled to a lower spring pulley  48  at the bottom of spring  40  and upper spring pulley  46  is fixedly coupled to the top of vertical support  14 . A cable  19  is physically attached to spring mount  39  on vertical support  14 , is moveably attached to lower spring pulley  48  and upper spring pulley  46  and attached to support arm  11 . When support arm  11  is move to a reset position spring  40  coils to provide tension force of about 15 pounds and up to about 100 pounds. A foot pedal locking arm  58  is adapted to be in locking engagement with an arm support notch  60 . Support notch  60  is fixedly coupled to support arm  11 , thus in the reset position foot pedal locking arm  58  holds support arm  11  in the reset position. The locking arm spring  31  holds foot pedal locking arm  58  in the locked position. A foot pedal cable  43  is physically coupled to foot pedal locking arm  58  and a foot pedal  27 . Foot pedal  27  is pivotally attached to foot pedal plate  62  and acts to extend cable  43  so as to unlock foot pedal locking arm  58  when foot pedal  27  abuts against a foot pedal cable stop  44 . Locking mechanism  23  is said to be in an unlock position when foot pedal  27  is depressed to foot pedal stop  44 . Although a tension force range of about 15 to 100 pounds has been selected in this embodiment any force may be selected that will automatically raise support arm  11  so as to contact the barbells and lock in place when the foot pedal switch  27  is activated. 
   To operate the self spotting safety bench press  10  of the present invention, a user can place a barbell on the barbell rests  26  and began lifting the barbells up-and-down the normal manner after the support arms are set to the reset position. If the user is unable to return the barbell to the barbell rests the user may depress the foot pedal  27  and unlock the foot pedal locking arm  58 . The release will allow counterweights  15  to drop down thus causing the support arms  11  to rise as the counter weight  15  pulls the support arm  11  upwardly to make contact with the barbell. Once contact is made by the support arm  11  with the barbell, the user can let go of the barbell and get out from under the weight. To raise the barbell to the barbell rests  26  the weightlifter may raise one side of the barbell up at a time and the locking mechanism  23  of the support arm  11  will prevent the barbell from falling back down. After raising the bar high enough using the support arms  11  and locking mechanism  23 , the weightlifter can lift the barbell one side at a time back onto the barbell rests  26 . Pushing the locking mechanisms buttons  24  and holding in the locking buttons  24  in the unlatch position on support arm  11  and pushing the support arm  11  back down to the lower end of the vertical support  14 , they can resent the support arm  11  on one side. The user can repeat this procedure to raise the other side of the barbell to the barbell rests  26 . Thus the support arms  11  can be locked in place by releasing buttons  24  after support arms  11  have been moved to the reset position. This action makes the self spotting bench press of the present invention and ready for the next exercise set. 
   The previously described embodiments of the present invention have many advantages, including having support arms  11  that are independently lifted by counter-weights  15  and held in place by a mechanical locking assembly  23  that allow only upward movement of the barbell and support arms  11  when the release button  24  is not engaged. The counterweights  15  are not used to lift the weight of the barbell only but to lift the support arms  11 . The present invention also does not use an external power source such as an electric or hydraulic motor. It is designed to stop a free-weight barbell from downward movement and support the barbell in place when the locking mechanism  23  is activated. A foot switch  27  activates the locking mechanism  23 . While the support arms  11  hold the barbell, the exerciser can push upward on the barbell and the support arms  11  will continue to move upwardly and will lock into the next tooth  54  available on the vertical support  14  and thus prevent the support arms  11  from moving downward. Only upward movement of the barbell is possible once the foot pedal locking arm  58  has been activated and the support arms  11  contact the barbell. The barbells must be put on barbell rests  26  before arm supports  11  can be reset to its original position. Resetting this machine is possible by the user and does not require removal of the weight plates on the barbell to return the barbell to the barbell rests  26 . 
   While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.