Abstract:
A weight lifting power cage for use by a weight lifter includes a frame assembly including a pair of side frames and a rear lateral frame interconnecting the pair of side frames. A carriage is carried by the side frames and is movable simultaneously vertically and front to back. The carriage retains a weight bar mount for retaining a weight bar spanning between each side frame. The weight bar is movable by the carriage vertically and front to back.. The movable carriage also carries a pair of vertical weight rack bars. An engagement mechanism enables the weight lifter to rack the weight bar from a weight lifting position without stepping forward or backward.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     None  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention generally relates to weight lifting cages for free weights and more particularly to a weight lifting cage having a movable carriage with slave racking capability.  
         [0004]     Safety is always a concern to weight lifters, especially as the amount of weight approaches and passes the body weight of the weight lifter. Even lesser amounts of weight can be dangerous if the lifter loses control of the weight bar. For that reason, a spotter often is employed to assist the lifter should the amount of weight being lifted prove uncontrollable or should the lifter lose his/her balance while lifting weights. Often, however, a spotter is unavailable to the lifter and other safety means need to be employed.  
         [0005]     One such other safety means is a weight lifting apparatus, often referred to as a power rack or power cage, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,510 or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,859. Such power cages are designed for the lifter to lift free weights without the need for a spotter. Power cages generally include a pair of side frames interconnected by a back frame. Each side frame carries a carriage, movable front to back and up and down. A weight bar runs laterally and is carried by the movable carriage. The lifter can add any desired amount of free weights to the weight bar and stand within the cage. The lifter can lift the bar while being able to step slightly forward and slightly backward within the cage, while simultaneously lifting the weight bar up and down. The dual-movable carriage permits such dual movement.  
         [0006]     In one power cage model (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,859), each vertical side bar of the front and back frames have a series of outwardly projecting pins while the weight bar carriage has outwardly projecting hooks. The lifter can move to the front or to the back of the power cage and rack the weight bar by engaging the hooks onto the pins.  
         [0007]     While this safety feature was a welcome addition to the weight lifting art, it still requires the lifter to move forward or backward to the cage frames in order to rack the weight bar. In an emergency, the lifter may not have sufficient time to walk to the frame periphery to rack the weight bar. The present invention is addressed to improving the ability of the lifter to rack the weight without stepping forward or backward.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     A weight lifting power cage for use by a weight lifter includes a frame assembly, a carriage, weight rack bars, and an engagement mechanism. The frame assembly includes a pair of side frames and a rear lateral frame interconnecting the pair of side frames. A carriage is carried by the side frames and is movable simultaneously vertically and front to back, i.e., depthenally. The carriage also carries a weight bar mount for retaining a weight bar spanning between each side frame. The weight bar is movable by the carriage vertically and depthenally, i.e., front to back. The movable carriage also carries a pair of vertical weight rack bars. An engagement mechanism enables the weight lifter to rack the weight bar from a weight lifting position without stepping forward or backward by dint of the rack bars also being mounted on the movable carriage.  
         [0009]     Advantages of the present invention include a weight lifting power cage, which permits simultaneous vertical and depthenal movement of the lifter during lifting. Another advantage is the ability of the lifter to rack the weight bar without stepping forward to backward from the weight lifting position. These and other advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based on the disclosure set forth herein. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the weight lifting power cage;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the weight lifting power cage of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of racking latch circled in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is an overhead view of the weight lifting power cage of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of the weight lifting power cage of  FIG. 1  with weights placed on the weight bar;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of an alternative engagement mechanism for racking the weight bar; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a partial view of the power cage having an alternative upper carriage assembly. 
     
    
       [0018]     The drawings will be described in further detail below.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Definitional terms appropriate for the present invention include:  
         [0020]     “weight lifting power cage” or “power cage” means a frame assembly retaining a weight bar, upon which free weights can be secured, such as are disclosed in U.S Pat. Nos. 5,215,510 and 5,669,859.  
         [0021]     “rack” means to place a weight bar, barbell, or other weight lifting assembly to a stationary or home position.  
         [0022]     “vertical” means both upwardly and downwardly in a generally vertical direction.  
         [0023]     “lateral” means side to side.  
         [0024]     “depthenally” means front to back, back to front, or forwardly and rearwardly.  
         [0025]     “weight bar” means a generally horizontal bar, often made of metal, upon which weights, often called “free weights”, can be secured for a weight lifter or lifter to perform a series of repetitive movements of the weight bar as part of an exercise program or regimen, most often associated with body builders.  
         [0026]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a weight lifting power cage,  10 , is shown for retaining a weight bar,  12 , which can carry free weights,  62  and  64 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Power cage  10  is formed from a pair of spaced-apart side frame assemblies,  14  and  16 . Each side frame assembly includes an upper depthenal frame member,  18  and  20 ; a lower depthenal frame member,  22  and  24 ; a pair of forward vertical frame members,  26  and  28 ; and a pair of rearward vertical frame members,  30  and  32 . The side frame assembly  14  and  16  and joined by an upper lateral member,  34 , and a lower lateral member,  36 , and in the front by an upper lateral member,  35  (see  FIG. 4  also). The respective frame members can be affixed together to form frame assemblies  14  and  16  by a variety of techniques, such as, for example, bolts, welds, rivets, screws, or any similar joining technique. The precise joining technique is unimportant, so long as requisite rigidity and strength are achieved for the intended weight lifting purposes of the inventive power cage. Also, such frame members often are formed from metal for strength and durability; although, other materials of construction are possible. Other than using nylon or other friction-reducing materials where appropriate, the entire power cage typically is constructed from metal, i.e., primarily constructed from metal.  
         [0027]     Each frame assembly  14  and  16  carries a carriage assembly that supports weight bar  12 . Since each carriage assembly is the same, only carriage assembly,  38 , carried by frame assembly  16  will be described in detail. Running along with upper and lower side rails  20  and  24  of frame assembly  16  are a lower slide bar,  40 , and an upper slide bar,  42 . Each of these bars  40  and  42  carry a guide sleeve,  44  and  46 , respectively, movable depthenally along the extent of slide bars  40  and  42 , and including linear bearings, rollers, or similar mechanisms. Guide sleeve  44  carries a stop pin,  48 , which can be engaged to prevent guide sleeve  44  from moving along the extent of slide bar  40  whereby the inventive power cage becomes a traditional “Smith” or fixed power cage mechanism.  
         [0028]     A vertical slide bar,  50 , extends between lower guide sleeve  44  and upper guide sleeve  46 . Vertical slide bar  50  retains a spring assembly,  52 , about its lower end. Spring assembly  52  protects the lifter and guide sleeve  44  should weight bar  12  be inadvertently dropped. Vertical slide bar  50  also carries a weight bar slide assembly,  54  (see also  FIG. 3 ), which can slide along with vertical extend of vertical slide bar  50 . Weight bar slide assembly  54  in turn carries weight bar  12 .  
         [0029]     Guide sleeves  44  and  46  also retain therebetween a vertical rack bar,  56 , which as a series of projecting rack pins, such as, for example, rack pin  58 . Now, weight bar  12  carries a latch assembly,  60 , which is rotatable about weight bar  12  and matable with rack pin  58 , as well as the other rack pins carried by vertical rack bar  56 . Latch assembly  60  is shown as a U-shaped assembly; although, a variety of shapes are operable. The same is true of the rack pins, which can be formed in a variety of shapes. So long as latch assembly  60  can be caught and retained by rack pin  58 , the desired racking purpose is achieved. That is, should the lifter desire to cease lifting weight bar  12 , the lifter need only move weight bar  12  slightly to the rear of the lifter and engage the rack pins with the latch assemblies to rack weight bar  12 . The lifter can accomplish racking simply by rotating or flipping the wrists slightly backwards, either under normal or emergency (imminent loss of control of weight bar  12 ) conditions, to rack weight bar  12 .  
         [0030]     Latch assembly  60  is one suitable engagement mechanism for racking weight bar  12 . Another suitable engagement mechanism is shown in  FIG. 6  and consists of vertical slots, such as vertical slot  61  in vertical rack bar  57 , which can be coupled with a hook,  63 , carried by weight bar  12 . Again, the weight lifter can simple rotate the wrists slightly backwards for hook  63  to fit into slot  61  and, thus, rack weight bar  12 . It will be appreciated that a multiplicity of such slots are formed in vertical rack bars  56  and  57 . So, too, does weight bar  12  carry a hook that mates with the vertical slots formed into vertical rack bar  59 . The skilled artisan can envision additional engagement mechanisms based on the disclosure set forth herein.  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , an adjustable/movable safety spotter,  52 , can be moved up and down vertical slide bar  50  by a position assembly,  51 , formed by a latch,  53 , engagable by the rack pins and a fraction stop assembly,  55 . By squeezing friction stop assembly  55  together slightly, it can be moved up and down vertical slide bar  50  carrying latch  53  with it. At any desired vertical position, the lifter can engage a rack tooth carried by vertical rack bar  56  to lock spring assembly  52  into any desired position. A similar safety spotter also is associated with the other vertical slide bar.  
         [0032]     Guide sleeve  44  enables the lifter to stand in almost any location within power cage  10  and even to move forward and backward as the lifter lifts weight bar  12 . Since vertical rack bar  56  also is carried by guide sleeve  44 , the lifter can rack weight bar  12  also at almost any location within power cage  10 .  
         [0033]     While a variety of variations on the inventive power cage are within grasp of the skilled artisan, one such variation, for example, is depicted in  FIG. 7 . The upper portion of the power cage has been adapted to function with but a single upper carriage assembly,  70 , mating a depthenal slide bar,  72 , and a side slide bar,  74 , joined at either end to a pair of vertical slide bars,  76  and  78 . Carriage assembly  70  can move depthenally along slide bar  72  and laterally along slide bar  74 . Again, this is but another variation on the inventive power cage disclosed herein.  
         [0034]     While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. In this application all units are in the metric system and all amounts and percentages are by weight, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Also, all citations referred herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference.