Patent ID: 7163488

Claim:
A free weight assistance and training device comprising: a base; a generally upright weight support structure mounted on and extending upwards from and over said base; a free weight support bar; a computer-controlled weight tensioning device mounted on said base generally adjacent said upright weight support structure; at least two cables movably mounted on said upright weight support structure and extending between and connecting said free weight support bar and said computer-controlled weight tensioning device; said computer-controlled weight tensioning device, said at least two cables and said free weight support bar operatively cooperating such that tensioning force applied by said computer-controlled weight tensioning device via said at least two cables to said free weight support bar controllably decreases the amount of downwards force exerted by said free weight support bar due to the weight of said free weight support bar and weights thereon whereby a user of said free weight assistance and training device may receive assistance during lifting of said free weight support bar via said computer-controlled weight tensioning device; and a bar position detector device including two interconnected elements, a cable angle detection device and a bar position detection light curtain, each connected in information transmission connection with said computer-controlled weight tensioning mechanism, said cable angle detection device and said bar position detection light curtain cooperating to determine the position of said free weight support bar during a lift, said cable angle detection device mounted on said generally upright weight support structure generally adjacent each of said cables to detect the angles at which said cables depend from said generally upright weight support structure, said cable angle being computed in combination with the length of said cables to track the location of the free weight support bar thereby permitting the user of said free weight assistance and training device to maintain a better lift track during the lift thus reducing the chance of injury from improper lifting.