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US 8,708,870 B2Granted
Weight plate with center post locking cartridge
OwnerMark Nalleyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A weight plate for use with physical fitness weightlifting equipment so that the weight plate may be coupled to other weight plates and lifted together in a stack. Each weight plate includes a pivotal switch arm including a first end at which to receive a pushing force to cause the switch arm to rotate relative to the weight plate and an opposite end at which a curved fork is carried. In one embodiment, a center post runs continuously through the center bore holes of the weight plates. In another embodiment, an insert is located in the center bore hole of each weight plate to be mated to the insert from an adjacent plate. When the pivotal switch arm of any weight plate is rotated to a locked position, the curved fork is rotated with the switch arm into surrounding engagement with the center post or the insert.
Claims20
A combination comprising:
- a weight plate having a bore hole formed therethrough;
- and
- a post received through the bore hole of said weight plate so that said weight plate can be coupled to and lifted by said post,
- said weight plate also having a pivotal switch arm that is rotatable relative to said weight plate, a first end of said pivotal switch arm receiving a force for causing said switch arm to rotate in either a first direction to an unlocked position at which the weight plate is uncoupled from the post or an opposite direction to a locked position at which the weight plate is coupled to the post so as to be lifted thereby, the opposite end of said pivotal switch arm being curved so as to lie in surrounding locking engagement with said post when said switch arm is in said locked position.
1 more element
A combination, comprising:
- a first weight plate having a bore hole formed therethrough;
- a second weight plate to be coupled to said first weight plate and having a bore hole formed therethrough;
- a first insert and a second insert;
- each of the first and second inserts having a hollow locking receptacle at one end thereof and a plug at the opposite end, the locking receptacle of said first insert being located in the bore hole of said first weight plate, the locking receptacle of said second insert being located in the bore hole of said second weight plate, and the plug of said first insert extending from said first weight plate for receipt within the locking receptacle of said second insert located in the bore hole of said second weight plate;
- a first pivotal switch arm rotatable relative to said first weight plate between locked and unlocked positions, and a second pivotal switch arm rotatable relative to said second weight plate between locked and unlocked positions;
- and
- a first catch carried by and rotatable with said first pivotal switch arm, and a second catch carried by and rotatable with said second pivotal switch arm,
- said second pivotal switch arm receiving a force for causing said second pivotal switch arm to rotate in one of a first direction to said locked position at which said second catch is correspondingly rotated into locking engagement with the plug of said first insert received within the locking receptacle of said second insert, whereby said second weight plate is coupled to said first weight plate, or in an opposite direction to said unlocked position at which said second catch is rotated by said second pivotal switch arm out of said locking engagement with the plug of said first insert, whereby said second weight plate is uncoupled from said first weight plate.
5 more elements
A combination comprising:
- a first weight plate having a bore hole formed therethrough and a channel formed therein that communicates with said bore hole;
- a second weight plate having a bore hole formed therethrough and a channel formed therein that communicates with said bore hole;
- coupling means running through the bore holes of said first and second weight plates to receive a lifting force by which said first and second weight plates are correspondingly lifted;
- and
- each of said first and second weight plates also having a respective pivotal switch arm including a first end at which to receive a pushing force and an opposite end at which a curved catch is located,
- the pivotal switch arm of each of said first and second weight plates rotating through said channel thereof to a locked position in response to a pushing force applied in a first direction to the first end of said pivotal switch arm by which the curved catch at the opposite end of said pivotal switch arm moves into surrounding engagement with said coupling means at said bore hole, and said pivotal switch arm rotating through said channel to an unlocked position in response to a pushing force applied in an opposite direction to the first end of said pivotal switch arm by which said curved catch at the opposite end of said pivotal switch arm is moved out of said surrounding engagement with said coupling means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.