Apparatus for retaining weights on a barbell

Apparatus for captively retaining a weight member on a weight lifting bar slidably received in an opening in the weight member and having an outer end portion of said bar projecting outwardly therefrom along a first axis, said apparatus comprising:

• a collar member having a relatively rigid radially outer body section with an annular cross-section and an outer end and radially inner gripping means defining a central opening extending through said collar member along a second axis, said radially inner gripping means being configured to closely and removably receive said outer end portion of said bar in a manner permitting said collar member to be easily moved along said outer end portion, against a relatively low frictional resistance force between said gripping means and said outer end portion of said bar, toward and away from the weight member when said first and second axes are essentially aligned;
• and
• weight engagement means, carried by said collar member and responsive to forceable interengagement with the weight member, for tilting said collar member about a third axis generally transverse to said first axis to thereby radially press a portion of said gripping means against the weight bar in a manner frictionally and releasably locking said collar member on the weight bar to prevent axially outward dislodgement of the weight member therefrom,
• said weight engagement means having an outer end portion extending generally parallel to said second axis, proportion axially beyond said outer end of said radially outer body section, and forceably interengageable with the weight member in a manner transmitting the interengagement force to said collar member to tilt the same and frictionally lock the tilted collar member on the weight bar in a axially spaced relationship with the weight member.