Abstract:
A fabricated workout stone to provide an easily assembled and transportable equivalent of a solid cast concrete spherical stone. The fabricated steel stone includes a two-part shell body with a weight receiving rod extending inside from one shell part. A threaded opening in the free end of the rod receives a retaining bolt extending through the opposite shell securing the spherical shells together. Multiple weight lifting bar weights of varied sizes and mass are slidably secured on the rod to vary the total weight of the fabricated stone when assembled for use.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/128,773, filed Mar. 5, 2015. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    This invention relates to weight lifting training and competition devices, more specifically a large cast spherical stone which are used having different diameters and weights. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0005]    Prior art devices of this type are not known, examples of related art can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,157 directed to a weight adjustable dumbbell. A dumbbell is disclosed having a contoured housing with an integrated handle extending therefrom. An annular flat base having a pair of upstanding support posts onto which are stacked a plurality of aperture weighted disks. A pin extends through the housing and a central engagement rod securing the housing to the base and the weights on the post. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A split hollow metal sphere assembly having a central weight support and stabilization rod onto which multiple standard weight lifting weights can be positioned and retained. An alignment band is welded about the edge of one-half defining an alignment and registration lip between the respective split spheres. Multiple sphere reinforcement ribs are welded on the interior of the respective split spheres. The weight support rod extends centrally from a base sphere with a threaded end recess for receiving a retainment bolt through the remaining sphere half securing same together. Multiple weight restraint spacers are received on the rod to position and hold the weights centrally within the assembled spheres. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of the fabricated workout stone of the invention with removable weights shown in broken lines. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an exploded side elevational view thereof. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view on lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view on lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is an exploded side sectional and elevational view of an alternate fabricated workout stone with retainment spacer rings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is an assembled sectional view thereof without weights or retaining rings. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a sectional plan view on lines  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a sectional plan view on lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged side elevational view of a lifting handle for assembled spheres. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is an end elevational view thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, an adjustable weight training and competition stone  10  of the invention can be seen having a pair of hollow half hemisphere shells  11  and  12 . Each of the sphere shells in this example is preferably made of metal of a known thickness so as to be self-supporting and shape retaining when joined together during use as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
         [0018]    The half sphere shell  11  is defined as a “base shell” having an annular band  13  secured by welding along its interior perimeter edge  14 . The band  13  extends beyond a top edge  15  of the base shell  11  forming a continuous registration lip thereabout for receiving the shell half  12  thereon during assembly. 
         [0019]    A weight support and retainment rod extends centrally from the interior of the base shell  11  as best seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. The rod  16  is welded in position and extends upwardly beyond the trans-planar plane defined by the top edge  18  of the base shell  11 . The weight support and retainment rod  16  has a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertically aligned transverse apertures A extending there through in this example. The free end  16 A of the rod  16  has a centered threaded bore  19  therein for threadably receiving a corresponding physical retainment keyed bolt  20  that extends through a recessed aperture fitting  21  in the upper spherical shell  12  in alignment with the rod  16  so when registerably engaged with the base shell  11  by the hereinbefore described upstanding registration lip as will be understood and explained in greater detail hereinafter. 
         [0020]    As assembled by referring now to  FIG. 2  of the drawings, one or more retaining rings  22  will be slidably engaged over the rod  16  and secured by a pin  23  extending through aligned apertures A′ one of which may be threaded and correspondingly so aligned transverse aperture A in the rod  16  as hereinbefore described. A plurality of apertured weights  24  of a traditional barbell type having a bar engagement center opening are then selectively fitted on the rod  16  depending on their size and weight in a stacked relationship until the goal weight for the fabricated stone is reached. A corresponding apertured locking ring  25  and pin assembly is then slidably positioned on the rod  16  to secure the multiple weights  24  so positioned. A compressible spacer ring  26  of resilient material may be required to be positioned between the last weight  24 A and the retaining ring assembly  22  to assure that the weights  24  are secured against movement on the rod  16  during use. 
         [0021]    The upper spherical shell  12  is then aligned on the base shell  11  via its registration lip and joined to the base shell  11  by the threaded keyed bolt  20  positioned through the bolt engagement fitting  21  within the upper spherical shell  12  as best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 5  of the drawings. The bolt engagement fitting  21  provides for a recess  21 A therewithin to retain the bolt  20  as it is threadably received within the rod  16  as illustrated best in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
         [0022]    It will be seen that the bolt  20  can also be used to assist in lifting the sphere by selective engagement with a handle  27  illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10  of the drawings. The handle  27  has a threaded fitting extending from its base which can be threadably secured into a threaded fitting in the shell bolt opening so that just the shell can be engaged and lifted during assembly or disassembly of the alternate adjustable weight training and competition stone. 
         [0023]    By the utilization of split lightweight shells with a center support post for placing and receiving a plurality of individual uniform weight lifting weights that a lightweight transportable weightlifting stone assembly can be achieved. 
         [0024]    The handle  27  also has attached extending allen wrench fittings  27 B extending in oppositely disposed relation from the hand engagement portion  27 C of the handle  27 . 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6  of the drawings, an alternate adjustable weight training and competition stone  30  can be seen having hollow shells  31  and  32 . The base shell  31  has the same shell joining alignment band at  32 A welded therein as seen in the primary form of the invention. 
         [0026]    A solid centered weight support and retaining rod  33  extends from within the base shell rod fitting  34  with a shell attachment bolt receiving recessed threaded fitting  35  in its free end. A plurality of spacer rings  36  are registerable over the rod  33  sequentially to space and support as needed a number of apertured weights  37  positioned on the rod  33  as seen in  FIG. 5  of the drawings to obtain the desired weight required for use. 
         [0027]    The spacer rings  36  are of varied dimensional thicknesses to be mixed and matched as needed. An initial weight engagement end support resilient washers  38  are slidably positioned on the rod  33  between the spacer rings  36  and the fittings  34 . The resilient washers  38  provide a compressive cushion on each of the respective end surfaces of the stacked aligned spacer rings  36  on the support rod  33 . 
         [0028]    By joining the respective shell spheres  31  and  32  by attaching a threaded bolt  39  to the end of the rod  33 , the selected weights  37  are held immovable within the assembled spheres assuring a uniform weighted stone mass which is essentially in competition as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
         [0029]    It will be seen that corresponding number and by size (height) spacer rings  36  are selectively positioned on the rod  33  to conform with the space displaced by the weight  37 . As noted, compressible resilient rubber washers  38  are then positioned at respective ends to assure a firm compressed connection. 
         [0030]    The spacing and orientation of the weights  37  and spacer rings  36  and oppositely disposed resilient compressed washers  38  assures that the weight mass is centered on the rod  33  and therefore within the adjustable weight training and competition stone  30  when the shells  31  and  32  are fitted and retained together as hereinbefore described. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a plurality of sphere reinforcing ribs  40  are welded onto the interior surfaces  41  and  42  of the respective sphere halves  31  and  32  extending radially from the corresponding rod base engagement fittings  34 . 
         [0032]    Each of the ribs  40  have a base portion  40 A and an end portion  40 B. A contoured notch  41  is formed midway the combined rib&#39;s length defining the respective portions to provide weight clearance, if needed, adjacent rod end placement in certain weight selection application requirements. 
         [0033]    Spacer rings  36  are of uniform annular dimension with a rod receiving opening centered therein at  36 A. The respective dimensional widths vary, as noted, and in this example one-quarter to half inch to accommodate varied selection placement and variations. 
         [0034]    It will therefore be seen that a new and useful weight training and competition stone  20  and  30  of the invention has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I claim: