United States Patent 3738650
Doorway gym bars comprising a pair of telescoped tubes having metallic end fittings for locking the tubes to metallic brackets fastened to a door jamb. One embodiment of the invention comprises spring biased buttons protruding through apertures formed in the end fittings which releasably lock the end fittings into circular holes formed in U-shaped brackets. Another embodiment comprises circularly flared tube ends which nest in a wedge-shaped slot formed in each bracket. A third embodiment comprises wedge-shaped end-fitting blocks having offset tabs which complementarily fit into wedge-shaped bracket blocks having a pair of offset slots.
Inventors:
Ossenkop, Robert J. (Rochelle Park, NJ)
Wilson, Alfred L. (Maywood, NJ)
Application Number:
05/201128
Publication Date:
06/12/1973
Assignee:
AMF Incorporated (White Plains, NY)
Other Classes:
248/264, 248/265
International Classes:
A63B1/00; A63B21/16; A63B21/00; A63B1/00
Field of Search:
272/60,62 248/251,264,268 211/105.3,105.5,105.6,123 287/56
Primary Examiner:
Oechsle, Anton O.
Assistant Examiner:
Strappello, Harry G.
Claims:
What we claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is
1. A door way gym bar, comprising a pair of partially telescoped tubes, a pair of brackets which are adapted to be fastened to the opposite sides of a door jamb, a pair of end fittings formed on the outer ends of said tubes for mechanically locking said tube ends to said jamb at said brackets, said brackets having groove means formed therein, and said end fittings including portions adapted to be releaseably received in said groove means, wherein said brackets comprise U-shaped plates which are adapted to be connected to said jamb with the base portions thereof spaced from said jamb, said groove means comprising circular holes in said base portions; and said end fittings comprising the extremities of said tube ends, apertures in said extremities, spring biased buttons protruding through said apertures; and said buttons being adapted to be depressed by thumb pressure to clear said holes and thereby insert and then lock said tube extremities in said bracket holes after release of said buttons.
Description:
This invention relates to a doorway gym bar, and more particularly, to an improved doorway gym bar which is uncomplicated, safe, and low cost.
In the drawings FIG. 1 is a broken away top view of one form of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the device; and
FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the tube end fitting and door jamb bracket;
FIGS. 4-6 are views similar to FIGS. 1-3 of a second form of the invention; and FIGS. 7-9 are similar views of a third form of the invention.
Referring now particularly to the first sheet of drawings, the gym bar comprises a pair of partially telescoped tubes 10 and 11 which are secured to the opposite sides of a door jamb 12. The tubes have end fittings 13 and the door jamb has brackets 14 for this purpose. The brackets 14 are in the form of metallic cast blocks which are adapted to be secured to the door jamb by screws 15. Bracket blocks 14 have a downwardly tapered slot 16 and offset slots 17 at the wide end of slot 16. The end fittings 13 are also metallic cast blocks. They are wedge shaped and have offset end tabs 18 at their wide end. They are complementary in shape to the brackets. That is to say, the wedge 13 nests in the groove 16 and the tabs 18 nest in the slots 17 to lock the end fittings to the door jamb at the brackets.
The back side of the blocks 13 have grooves 19 to clear the screws 15. They also have integral central tubular portions 20 which are inserted in the outer extremities of tubes 10, 11 and secured therein by rolled indentations 21. The right hand assembly is just like the left hand one except that on the right the part 20 is slightly larger than at the left since the tube 11 is slightly larger than tube 10. However, the gym bar is reversible.
In the second sheet of drawings for the second form of the invention, the end fittings are actually integrally rolled flares 22 on the tube extremities. The door jamb brackets are U-shaped metallic plates having a wedge shaped base portion 23 and leg portions 24 which are turned toward the base 23 to be oriented with respect thereto at an acute angle 25. The base 23 and legs 24 in effect define a tapered or wedge shaped groove which is adapted to have the flares 22 nested therein. The brackets can be secured to the door jamb by screws 26. At the right the flare 22 is slightly larger than at the left since the right hand tube is slightly larger than the left hand tube. However, the device is reversible end for end since the door jamb brackets define tapered or wedge shaped grooves for nesting the flares 22. The second form of the invention is lower cost than the first and the tubes can turn in the brackets.
In the third sheet of drawings for the third form of the invention, the door jamb brackets are metallic U-shaped plates. However, their base portions 27 are spaced from the door jamb. Their legs have apertured feet 28 for securing the same to the door jamb by screws 29. The bases 27 have circular holes 30 for receiving either end of the tubes. Since the right hand end of the right tube is necked down the holes 30 in the brackets can be the same size. Therefore, as in the other forms of the invention the door jamb brackets are identical and interchangeable.
The tube end fittings comprise the extremities of the tubes having apertures 31 therein for spring biased buttons, plungers, or the like 32. The buttons 32 are retained assembled in the apertures 31 by circular curved springs 33. Buttons 32 are fastened to one end of springs 33 which extend for almost a full turn of the inside of the tubes.
The springs 33 are selected so that the buttons 32 can be depressed by finger pressure into the apertures 31 so that they clear the edges of the bracket openings 30 so that the tube extremities can be inserted through the openings 30. When the buttons 32 are released they will protrude out through openings 31 in abutting relationship to the edges of the openings 30 so that the tube ends are positively locked to the door jamb brackets. In this third form of the invention the tubes can rotate in their brackets. However, in contrast to the second form of the invention the tubes can come out of the brackets only by purpose since the bottoms must first be intentionally depressed.