Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a conversion of provisional application No. 61/464,751 filed on Mar. 9, 2011. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of exercise equipment, and more particularly to devices for anchoring an end of long, flexible exercise apparatus such as ropes and elastic bands. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A recent trend in exercise equipment has been to attach a portion of a heavy rope to a fixed anchoring point and alternately raising and lowering the free end of the rope by arm movements. The rope apparatus used for this exercise is known among fitness professionals as “battling ropes.” The user of the rope apparatus either raises and lowers two rope ends in unison or in opposite timing, one rope going up while the other rope goes down. The exercise can be used to strengthen the shoulder muscles by moving the whole arm to raise and lower the ropes or strengthen the biceps and triceps by flexure and extension of the elbows. Use of these exercises has also been found to be beneficial to overall balance and stability by strengthening body core muscle groups. Current practice has been to attach the rope ends to wall mounted brackets or equipment holders. With multiple people using ropes for exercise simultaneously, each person is facing the wall and they are standing in a line. 
     While the description below is directed mainly to rope exercise equipment, elastic bands are also adaptable to the stanchion provided. In the case of elastic bands, the exercises involve extension of the bands to work arm, abdominal, back and leg muscle groups. 
     Many gyms, especially gyms in schools, have tubular sockets permanently set into the gym floor. The sockets are designed to hold the posts for supporting a volleyball net or similar device. The invention described below is adapted for being mounted in this type of post socket to allow the ropes or other exercise equipment to be anchored in the middle area of a gym floor to improve accessibility. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The stanchion provided allows multiple users to perform rope or elastic band exercises simultaneously while facing one another in the center area of a floor. The stanchion is configured for being removably anchored in a tubular socket in a gym floor. The stanchion has resilient, compressible fittings at its lower end for securely engaging the socket. A number of connector loops are provided around the stanchion post for attachment of a rope or elastic band. When the exercise session is completed, the stanchion may be removed from the socket and stored. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the stanchion of the present invention with a rope anchored thereto. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the stanchion shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the invention stanchion fitted into a socket mounted into a floor. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a stanchion  10  of the present invention is illustrated in perspective view with a “battling rope”  40  anchored to a loop  20  that is affixed to post  12 . In the stanchion  10  shown, four loops  20  are fixedly mounted to post  12  in angularly dispersed locations. Loops  20  may be configured in any shape that will receive and hold a rope  40 . Rope  40  is typically on the order of 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) in diameter, and each loop  20  is sized to slidingly receive rope  40 . Alternate numbers of loops  20 , e.g. two or five loops, are equally useful within the spirit and scope of the invention. A cap ring  14  is supported at the upper end of post  12  by a plurality of spokes  16 . In addition to loops  20 , cap ring  14  may be sized to receive a rope  40  in each open section between adjacent spokes  16 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 1 , post  12 , cap ring  14  and loops  20  are preferably formed of substantially rigid material, e.g. iron or aluminum, post  12  being in the form of a round tube. Forming these components of metal allows construction to be accomplished primarily by welding for efficiency and permanence. Post  12  has a diameter sized to slidingly fit into a floor-mounted socket as is available in many gyms to support posts for a volleyball net, as will be discussed below. 
     Continuing with  FIG. 1 , a metallic plug  24  is fixedly mounted to the bottom end of post  12 , preferably by welding. A resilient pad  26  is positioned in contact with the lower surface of plug  24 . A rigid washer  30  is held in contact with the lower surface of pad  26 , and a resilient cushion  32  is held in contact with the lower surface of washer  30 . Washer  30  is preferably formed of stamped steel. Pad  26  and cushion  32  are preferably formed of a resilient material, e.g. rubber or polyurethane. Cushion  32 , washer  30  and pad  26  are held in position by a fastener (not visible in this view), to be described below. Cushion  32  is resilient in order to prevent the bottom of stanchion  10  of the invention from damaging a floor surface such as exists in most gyms. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , stanchion  10  is shown in an exploded perspective view. Loops  20  are fixedly attached at the approximate mid-height of post  12 , with cap ring  14  at the top thereof. Plug  24  is formed with an upper portion sized to match the inside diameter of post  12  and a flange at the lower end of plug  24  sized to match the outside diameter of post  12 . Plug  24  is formed with a central hole having internal threads to receive a fastener  34 , e.g. a machine bolt. Alternately, plug  24  may be formed with an outside diameter sized to fit within the bottom of post  12  and be welded in position. Pad  26 , washer  30  and cushion  32  are shown in sequence immediately below plug  24 , each having a matching central hole. Fastener  34  is provided to be passed through the central holes in cushion  32 , washer  30  and pad  26  to anchor into the threaded hole in the center of plug  24 . Fastener  34  has a diameter to snugly engage the inside diameter of cushion  32  and pad  26 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , stanchion  10  is shown in front elevation view in assembled condition. Plug  24  is welded into the bottom of post  12  with the flange of plug  24  congruent with the outside diameter of post  12 . The outside diameters of post  12 , plug  24  and washer  30  are configured to fit slidingly within a socket  48  that is fixedly mounted in a floor  44 . When the bottom of stanchion  10  is placed into socket  48  in gym floor  44 , the outside diameters of pad  26  and cushion  32  snugly engage the inside diameter of socket  48 . As illustrated, a cavity is formed in the lower surface of cushion  32 , the cavity configured to enclose the head of fastener  34  and further prevent damage to the gym floor. 
     Referring further to  FIG. 3 , post  12  is seen positioned with cushion  32  in contact with the bottom of floor socket  48 . Post  12  is now rotated clockwise to more firmly engage fastener  34  into plug  24 , simultaneously compressing resilient pad  26  and resilient cushion  32 . Pad  26  and cushion  32  resist rotation relative to floor socket  48 , and fastener  34  resists rotation relative to pad  26  and cushion  32 . Therefore, fastener  34  is pulled further into the threaded hole in plug  24  in a manner to axially compress resilient pad  26  and cushion  32  and cause radial expansion, thereby forming a tight grip against the interior wall of floor socket  48 . A sufficient length of post  12  is held in the floor socket to prevent stanchion  10  from tipping. At the completion of the exercise session, stanchion  10  may be removed from floor socket  48  by rotating post  12  in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) and lifting stanchion  10  upward. Alternate types of lock member may be substituted for the compressible, resilient pad and cushion members described herein. 
     In an alternate utilization of the stanchion for anchoring exercise equipment of the invention, elastic cords or bands may be used in place of the rope described above. Exercises such as bicep lifts, shoulder lifts and triceps extensions may be practiced with the cord or band attached to either cap ring  14  or loops  20 . 
     While the description above discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is contemplated that numerous variations and modifications of the invention are possible and are considered to be within the scope of the claims that follow.

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