Patent Publication Number: US-9889329-B2

Title: Barbell with reciprocating weight sleeves

Description:
Notice is given that the following patent document contains original material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital download reproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwise reserves all copyrights. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention pertains to exercise equipment, and more particularly, to barbells designed to target specific chest muscles. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     It is well known that lifting weights causes microscopic tears in muscle tissues and that the body quickly responds by rebuilding and adding new tissues to the muscle. It is also well known that if improper lifting techniques are used, the muscles, ligaments, and tendons can also be strained or torn. If the damage is severe, it can take several weeks or months to recover. 
     Many weight lifting exercises require the use of a barbell that is a solid bar made of steel between 4 to 8 feet in length and 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Identical disc weights are slid onto the opposite ends of the barbell to provide the desired total weight needed for the exercise. End collars are attached to the ends of the barbell to hold the disc weights on the ends of the barbell. The central portion of the barbell often includes knurled crosshatching to improve the weight lifter&#39;s grip on the barbell. 
     Experienced weight lifters know the location and orientation of the muscles groups on different parts of the body and which exercises they should use to strengthen these specific muscle groups. For example, the main chest muscle that extends across the front of the chest from the sternum to the humerus is the pectoralis major muscle. An important muscle that extends diagonally across the front of the chest and partially under the pectoralis major and connects the middle front rib to the scapula is the pectoralis minor muscle. The size and shape of both muscles play an important role on the overall appearance of the chest. Because of their locations and orientations on the chest, however, lifting exercises that use a standard barbell to target these muscles are not known to the inventor. 
     What is needed is a barbell used to lift weights that targets the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles and leads to faster and greater hyperplasia. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a barbell used with weight lifting exercises that targets the pectoralis major and minor muscles and leads to faster and greater hyperplasia. 
     A key discovery is that stressing the pectoralis major and minor muscles simultaneously in two directions when performing lifting exercises, creates greater muscle damage to the pectoralis major muscle and the pectoralis minor muscle and leads to faster repair and rebuilding. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a free weight barbell with rotating weight sleeves with axially moveable hand grips mounted on the barbell located inside the weight sleeves. 
     Each hand grip is attached to the distal end of an elongated rack that extends centrally and longitudinally inside the barbell up to or slightly beyond the lifting bar&#39;s center axis. The barbell includes an elongated bar circular in cross-section and made of solid material with two axially aligned channels on opposite top and bottom surfaces which extend from the bar&#39;s opposite ends to a central adapter attached at the center axis of the elongated bar. The hand grips slide over the ends of the elongated bar and the two racks are inserted into the two opposite channels. The hand grip and the rack on each end of the bar are coupled together and slide back and forth as a single unit over the elongated bar. 
     Each rack includes a plurality of teeth formed on its inside surface that mesh with teeth formed on a disc gear in the center adapter. The teeth on the two racks mesh with teeth on opposite sides of the disc gear which allows the two racks to travel longitudinally in the same distances on opposite sides of the bar. In one embodiment, the disc gear is attached to the elongated bar with a threaded connector that includes a flat braking washer. During use, the user may tighten or loosen the threaded connector to adjust the pressure exerted by the braking washer against the disc gear to control the resistance of the two racks in the two channels. 
     An important benefit of the above described barbell is that the user may simultaneously slide his or her hands longitudinally over the elongated bar as the bar is manipulated. Because the two hand grips are coupled together, lateral forces exerted on the two hand grips are shared. Resistance force exerted on one hand grip is automatically shared with the opposite hand grip allowing the user to not only maintain control of the barbell, but also apply the same lateral force. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the targeting chest muscles barbell 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, exploded side elevational view of the barbell shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partial, sectional view of a sliding hand grip mounted on the barbell. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional end elevational view of the hand grip taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional end elevational view of the hand grip taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a partial, sectional view of the central adapter showing the coupler attached to the barbell and showing the two racks meshing with the gear on opposite sides. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional end elevational view of the central region of the barbell shown along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     In the accompanying Figs, there is shown free weight barbell  10  with an elongated bar  12  with rotating weight sleeves  20 ,  30  mounted on each end and with axially moveable hand grips  40 ,  50  located inside the two weight sleeves  20 ,  30 , respectively. At the center axis  18  of the elongated bar  12  is a central adapter  70  that controls and couples together the longitudinally movement of the two hand grips  40 ,  50  over the bar  12 . 
     The weight sleeves  20 ,  30  are t-shaped, cylindrical structures with perpendicular aligned flanges  21 ,  31 , respectively. During use, disc weights  90  are placed on the weight sleeves  20 ,  30  and forced against the flanges  21 ,  31 , respectively. Lock rings  22 ,  32  are attached to the weight sleeves  20 ,  30 , respectively, which are forced inward to hold the disc weights  90  in place against the flanges  21 ,  31 . 
     Each hand grip  40 ,  50  is a hollow cylindrical structure that slides longitudinally over the section of the  12  that extends from the flanges  21 ,  31  to the bar&#39;s center axis  18 . Each hand grip  40 ,  50  is attached to an elongated rack  46 ,  56 , respectively. The elongated racks  46 ,  56  fit into recessed channels  14 ,  16  formed on the bar&#39;s top surface  13  and bottom surface  15 , respectively. The channels  14  and  16  are parallel to the bar&#39;s longitudinal axis  19  and extend from the weight sleeve  20 ,  30  to a distance slightly beyond the bar&#39;s center axis  18 . The channels  14 ,  16  are sufficient in depth so that the top surfaces of the racks  46 ,  56  are substantially even or flush with the top surface  13  and bottom surface of the bar  12 . The proximal end of each rack  46 ,  56  is securely attached to the inside surface of the hand grip  40 ,  50 , respectively, so that each hand grip  40 ,  50  and its rack  46 ,  56 , respectively, move longitudinally as a unit over the bar  12 . 
     As shown more clearly in  FIG. 3 , each hand grip (only one hand grip  40  is shown) includes a cylindrical linear bearing  42  containing a plurality ball bearings  5  spaced evenly and radially apart. Formed on the opposite ends of each hand grip  40 ,  50  may include optional end flanges  45 ,  55 , respectively. Each rack (only rack  46  shown in  FIG. 3 ) includes a plurality of teeth  47  formed on its outside surface that mesh with compatible gear teeth  81  formed on a rotating disc gear  80  in the center adaptor  70  shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The disc gear  80  as a diameter that approximately matches the space between the two racks  46 ,  56 . Also, center area of the bar  12  includes a center recess area sufficient in size to accommodate the disc gear  80 . In one embodiment, the disc gear  80  is attached to the elongated bar  12  with a threaded connector  95  hat includes a flat braking washer  84 . During use, the user may tighten or loosen the threaded connector  95  to adjust the pressure exerted by the braking washer  84  against the outside surface of the disc gear  80  to decrease or increase the rotational resistance of the disc gear  80  on the elongated bar  12 . By controlling the rotational resistance of the disc gear  80 , the user can control the sliding resistance of the two racks  46 ,  56  in the two channels  14 ,  16 , respectively. 
     As stated above, the barbell  10  may be used in a normal manner to lift weights. When vertically lifting, the user may simultaneously slide the two hand grips  40 ,  50  longitudinally and in opposite directions over the bar  12 . Because the two hand grips  40 ,  50  are coupled to the disc gear  80 , the lateral forces exerted on the two hand grips  40 ,  50  are shared. Resistance force exerted on one hand grip is automatically shared with the opposite hand grip allowing the user to not only maintain control of the bar  12 , but also apply the same lateral forces to each hand grip  40 ,  50 . The lifting motion and the inward and outward movement of the hand grips  40 ,  50  over the bar  12  allows the user to exercise both the pectoralis major muscle and the pectoralis minor muscle. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention described has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, comprises the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     This invention has application in the exercise industry. More specifically, to the weight lifting exercise industry.