Abstract:
The system includes a tall, open, multi-sided framework having a number of laterally spaced, upright legs that are interconnected by overhead structure in the form of elongated beams. The beams are located above normal human height so as to avoid interference with activities conducted within the open space defined by the framework. A number of trolley-like hangers are adjustably moveable along at least certain of the overhead beams for the purpose of suspending training devices such as kick bags or the like down into the space. Releaseable locks on the hangers are accessible by persons standing beneath the beams to facilitate selective engagement and disengagement of the locks and manual pulling of the hangers along the rails to either deployed positions out in the room space or stored positions adjacent the side of the framework. The framework is constructed in sections using removeable fasteners so as to facilitate on-site erection and disassembly.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to personal training equipment such as that used in the development of martial arts skills and, more particularly, to equipment of the foregoing type that enables the room or other space in which the equipment is placed to be productively used for other purposes when the equipment is not in use, notwithstanding the continued presence of the equipment.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Martial arts schools are typically located in rented space within shopping centers and other commercial building structures. The open class room spaces typically found in such areas are conducive to handling sizable groups of students for group exercises and education. However, martial arts also involves considerable resistance training and work on such things as foot and eye coordination, eye and hand coordination, and balance. This frequently involves the use of suspended bags and other devices that can be kicked and struck in the appropriate manner. Rented space is not well-suited for this type of equipment.  
           [0003]    For example, the building spaces typically have suspended ceilings that are incapable of supporting the significant loads imposed by hanging the equipment. Further, attachment to rafters and walls may cause extensive shaking and vibration of the building structure, leading to possible damage and, in any event, becoming a nuisance to other tenants. Moreover, any kind of permanent mounting arrangement for the equipment makes its virtually impossible to conduct exercises as a group because the equipment becomes an obstacle. While individual, free-standing bag stands and the like are an option, they still present obstacles that must be dealt with when a free and open class space is desired, and they are not an efficient use of available floor space.  
           [0004]    Many individuals are also interested in having personal workout equipment in their own homes or offices. However, conventional equipment occupies such an inordinate amount of floor space and is so inconvenient to move and disassemble that the selected workout area usually needs to be dedicated solely to that one particular purpose. Most homes and offices simply do not have that luxury.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides a workout equipment system, especially but not exclusively suited for martial arts training, that can be quickly and easily placed in either deployed or stowed conditions to allow the room space to be selectively used for a wide variety of different purposes including, but not limited to, workouts and training. It is particularly well-suited for use in a classroom setting where large groups of students are involved. However, the invention is also ideally suited for embodiment in a smaller, home and office use system for individuals.  
           [0006]    One preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a relatively tall, free-standing, hollow framework or superstructure having a number of upright supporting legs and overhead beams that span and interconnect the legs so as to effectively define an open space under the beams and within the interior of the framework. Carriages or hangers are adjustably moveable along at least certain of the overhead beams to support free-hanging training devices such as kick bags and the like. Each of the hangers can be temporarily locked in any one of a number of selected positions along the length of its supporting beam so as to position one or more of the training devices out within the open space, effectively converting it into a training and skill area. The hangers with their associated training devices can, however, be selectively moved along the overhead beams into stored positions adjacent the outer limits of the framework, such as near a wall of the room, thus freeing up a large open area of the room for group exercises or other group activities. In one particularly preferred form of the invention, the various upright legs and horizontal beams are constructed from end-to-end sections that are bolted together for quick and easy installation and removal. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a typical room within a building employing a system in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and showing exemplary training devices in deployed positions out in the interior space defined by the framework;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the training devices collected off to one side of the space so as to free up the area for other types of activities such as, in the illustrated embodiment, exercises and teaching;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary isometric view of portions of the framework illustrating details of construction;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one of the hangers and supporting beams of the framework with parts broken away and shown in cross-section to reveal details of construction; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the hanger of FIG. 4 taken substantially along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    The present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. While the drawings illustrate and the specification describes certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 shows a typical room  10  within the interior of a building, such room having a floor  12 , a ceiling  14  and upright walls  16  extending between floor  12  and ceiling  14 . A door  18  provides ingress and egress to the space within room  10 . By way of example, the room  10  is depicted as being large enough to serve as a classroom for holding a group of students, although it could be a relatively small space suitable for individual use only such as found in the home or office.  
         [0014]    In accordance with the present invention, the room  10  is provided with a training system that includes a relatively tall, free-standing, multi-sided open framework  10  including a number of laterally spaced apart, upright legs  22  that are taller than the normal height of persons using the room  10 . At the upper ends of legs  22 , overhead structure in the nature of a plurality of horizontal beams  24  interconnect the legs  22  to tie the assembly together into a rigid unit that does not rely upon ceiling  14  or walls  16  for support. The lower ends of legs  22  are provided with rectangular, flat feet  26  that are considerably larger in surface area than the cross-sectional area of each leg  22  so as to contribute to the stability of free-standing framework  20 . A number of lower horizontal beams  28  near floor  12  may be provided between certain of the legs  22  if desired. In the illustrated embodiment, the framework  20  is rectangular as viewed in plan, although it will be appreciated that a number of other shapes may be obtained and utilized without departing from the principles of the present invention.  
         [0015]    At least certain of the upper beams  24  are provided with a series of hangers  30  that are used to suspend training devices such as bags  32  down into the training and class space defined by the interior of the framework  20 . Hangers  30  are moveable along their respective beams  24  such that the bags  32  may be deployed as illustrated for example in FIG. 1 in a use position occupying much of the training space, or a stored position as illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the bags of each beam are collected together in a group adjacent one leg  22  of the framework and one of the walls  16  of the room. When bags  32  are in their stored positions of FIG. 2, the interior space is opened up to provide an essentially unobstructed area. In the case of a class room setting, various types of group exercises and teaching can be carried out in the available space. In the case of the individual home or office, the opened up space (such as in the basement or garage) can be used for any number of different purposes.  
         [0016]    It will be noted that, as an option, training devices can also be stretched between the lower beams  28  and corresponding overhead beams  24 , as exemplified by the small bags  34  in FIGS. 1 and 2. The lower beams  28  can also be used to support other types of equipment, if desired.  
         [0017]    As illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the legs  22  is preferably constructed in sections so that framework  20  may be assembled and erected on-site. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a typical leg  22  includes a tubular lower section  36  and a tubular upper section  38  that are held in end-to-end alignment with one another to present a continuous length for the leg  22 . A tubular insert  40  of slightly smaller cross-sectional size than leg  22  but complementary shaped relative thereto is received within leg  22  in such a manner that one half projects up into the upper section  38  while the lower half projects down into the lower section  36 . Fasteners in the nature of bolts  42  pass through holes  44  in section  36  and  38  and into corresponding, aligned holes  46  in insert  40  for the purpose of securing the sections  36  and  38  to the common insert  40 . Insert  40  and bolts  42  thus serve as a coupling for the two sections  36 ,  38  of each leg  22 . To facilitate assembly and erection of the framework  20 , the insert  40  could be pre-welded to one of the sections  36 ,  38 , eliminating one set of the bolts  42 .  
         [0018]    The upper beams  24  may be constructed similarly to legs  22 , as also illustrated particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the particular embodiment illustrated, each of the upper beams  24  that carries a hanger  30  is constructed in three end-to-end sections, two of which are illustrated in FIG. 3 and are denoted by the numerals  48  and  50 . A coupling for interconnecting the two sections  48 ,  50  comprises a tubular insert  52  that is slightly smaller in cross-section than the tubular sections  48  and  50  so as to be complementally received within those structures. One-half of insert  52  projects into section  48 , while the other half projects into section  50 . Fasteners in the nature of bolts  54  pass through holes  56  in beam sections  48 ,  50  and into holes  58  in insert  52 . As perhaps shown best in FIG. 4, the upper holes  58  in insert  52  are threaded so as to threadably receive the upper end of bolt  54 , eliminating the need for nuts as used on the legs  22  as shown in FIG. 3. As with the legs  22 , the insert  52  could be pre-welded to one of the sections  48 ,  50  to facilitate assembly and erection.  
         [0019]    Opposite ends of each beam  24  are provided with mounting plates  60  that abut the corresponding flat surface of the leg  22  to which the beam  24  is attached. Bolts  62  fasten the mounting plates  60  to the corresponding leg  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the beams  24  that carry hangers  30  are significantly larger in cross-sectional configuration than other beams that do not carry any particular load, as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 3. If desired, all beams could be of the same cross-sectional size and configuration.  
         [0020]    As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and  5 , each hanger  30  comprises a relatively large, rectangular sleeve  64  that is received on the corresponding beam  24 . A pair of bolts  66  and  68  across the upper portions of sleeve  64  and at opposite ends thereof rotatably support a pair of anti-friction rollers  70  and  72  that ride along the top surface of beam  24  to render hangers  30  moveable axially of the beams  24 . Longitudinal, Nylon anti-friction guide strips  64   a  and  64   b  on opposite interior walls of sleeve  64  prevent lateral movement on beam  24 , while transverse Nylon anti-friction guide strips  64   c  and  64   d  at opposite ends of sleeve  64  help prevent untoward vertical movement relative to beam  24 .  
         [0021]    Each hanger  30  includes a releaseable lock  74  that is used to temporarily latch the hanger in a selected position along the length of its beam  24 . In a preferred embodiment, lock  74  includes a spring-biased pin  76  on sleeve  64  that is yieldably urged toward the bottom of beam  24  for reception within any one of a number of locking holes  78  along the bottom of beam  24 . Pin  76  is carried by a hollow bracket  80  fixed to the bottom of sleeve  64 , there being a compression spring  82  within bracket  80  that urges pin  76  toward the beam  24 . A clip  84  inside of bracket  80  and fixed to pin  76  traps spring  82  against the lower interior surface of bracket  80 . For convenience, pin  76  may be provided with a pull ring  86  at its lower end to facilitate gripping and actuation by a person standing within the interior of framework  20  below the beams  24 . A suitable strap or pull rope (not shown) may be tied to ring  86  to facilitate release of pin  76  and to provide a convenient way for the user to pull the unlocked hanger along beam  24 .  
         [0022]    Each sleeve  64  also includes an eye bolt  88  that is fixed to the bottom of sleeve  64  and projects downwardly therefrom. Eye bolt  88  may be used to secure the suspension chains  90  or other hanging means for bags  32  to the hanger  30 .  
         [0023]    In use of the invention, it will be appreciated that the system can be relatively quickly and easily erected at a selected site without requiring any modification to existing floors, walls and ceilings. Although it is not absolutely essential that the framework  20  be totally free-standing, and it is within the concepts of the present invention to provide additional stabilizing structures if desired, there is no need for such supplemental stabilizing means in order to enjoy the benefits of the invention. By virtue of the fact that framework  20  is comprised of a number of component parts that are secured together by releaseable fasteners, framework  20  can be readily erected on-site in a fairly short period of time and arranged to take on virtually any desired configuration. Although a simple rectangular overall configuration has been illustrated in one preferred embodiment, other shapes that will satisfy the specific needs and desires of the user are within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0024]    It will be appreciated that when all of the bags  32  or other training devices are moved off to the side in stored positions as illustrated in FIG. 2, the space within room  10  is largely unobstructed by the system. Because the overhead beams  24  are disposed at a height significantly above normal human height, they present no obstruction whatever to activity therebeneath. Although the upright legs  22  occupy a certain amount of floor space at eye level, as do the bags  32 , the space occupied by those structures is minimal compared to the open space available within the room.  
         [0025]    It will be appreciated further that it is not necessary for all of the bags  32  to be either stored or deployed. Depending upon the activities or use planned, such as for a classroom setting, only a few of the bags  32  might be positioned out in the space for training use by a relatively few number of students, while the rest of the area remains open and free for group exercises and the like. Or, the reverse situation could obtain where most of the area is occupied by the bags in a deployed position, while along one end of the area the bags are fully moved over to their stored positions. In any event, it will be appreciated that great flexibility is afforded by the present invention while at the same time avoiding the significant costs and other problems associated with modifying or reconstructing the walls, ceiling or floor of the room.  
         [0026]    Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be recognized that such disclosure is by way of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0027]    The inventor(s) hereby state(s) his/their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his/their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.