Self spotting barbell press

Abstract

A self-spotting barbell press is composed of an adjustable bench and uprights located on either side of the bench adjacent the lifters upper body. Barbell support arms extend from the uprights into the barbell's pathway and have the ability to slide up and down to contact the barbell and decrease the weight exerted on the exerciser. A single hydraulic cylinder in conjunction with a pulley system provides force to each lifting arm, which is depressed below the barbell's path before use. When assistance is needed, the weightlifter places a three-way valve into a valve position that allows hydraulic fluid under pressure to flow from an accumulator tank to a hydraulic cylinder with push-rod that causes the barbell support arms to ascend removing a user-determined amount of weight from the barbell. If the total amount of weight is not to be removed, the user can continue performing repetitions with assistance from the hydraulic system. Another valve position allows only upward movement should the exerciser fail.

1 . An apparatus for safely supporting a barbell comprising: 
 a) first and second spaced uprights, each of said uprights including a barbell support arm having a raised position and a lowered position;    b) a single hydraulic cylinder having a push-rod with extended and retracted positions, whereby movement of said push-rod between its extended and retracted positions raises and lowers each barbell support arm;    c) a pre-charged accumulator tank having a pressure housing for storing hydraulic fluid under pressure;    d) an actuatable valve having a plurality of valve positions for controlling the hydraulic fluid flow and direction of hydraulic fluid flow between said pre-charged accumulator tank and said hydraulic cylinder, whereby one of said plurality of valve positions allows fluid flow from said cylinder into said accumulator allowing said barbell support arms to descend towards said lowered position at a predetermined rate, and whereby another of said plurality of valve positions only allows fluid flow into said hydraulic cylinder thereby urging said barbell support arms toward their raised position; and    e) at least one valve actuator for urging said actuatable valve into its plurality of valve positions.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of said uprights includes a slotted outer housing, a slide bar longitudinally aligned within said housing, and a sleeve slidable on said slide bar, said barbell support arm being attached to said sleeve and extending outwardly from said upright through said slot.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the range of push-rod travel, and the range of either barbell support arm travel is about 2:1.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including an enclosure for said accumulator tank and said hydraulic cylinder, said enclosure extending between said uprights.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a check valve between said actuatable valve and said hydraulic cylinder, wherein said check valve only allows hydraulic fluid to flow into said hydraulic cylinder.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one valve actuator is positioned for access by a user's foot.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said actuatable valve is a three-way valve having three fluid ports.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus for safely supporting a barbell during weight lifting comprising: 
 a) a weight bench having a head end and a lower end;    b) first and second spaced, elongated uprights positioned on opposite sides of said bench head end, each of said uprights including a barbell support arm having a raised position and a lowered position, said uprights each having a top end with a pulley wheel;    c) a single hydraulic cylinder having a push-rod with extended and retracted positions;    d) first and second cables, each cable extending around a pulley from an anchored end to an opposed end in communication with said barbell support arm, whereby movement of said push-rod between its extended and retracted positions raises and lowers each barbell support arm;    e) at least one pre-charged accumulator tank having a pressure housing for storing hydraulic fluid under pressure;    f) an actuatable valve having a plurality of valve positions for controlling the fluid flow and direction of fluid flow between said pre-charged accumulator tank and said hydraulic cylinder, whereby a first valve position lets fluid flow from said cylinder into said accumulator allowing said barbell support arms to descend towards said lowered position, whereby a second valve position prevents fluid flow from and to said cylinder, thereby locking said barbell support arms in a fixed position, whereby a third valve position allows fluid to flow into and out of said cylinder, and whereby a fourth valve position only allows fluid flow into said hydraulic cylinder thereby urging said barbell support arms toward their raised position; and    g) at least one valve actuator for urging said actuatable valve into its plurality of valve positions.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the ratio between the range of push-rod travel, and the range of either barbell support arm travel is about 2:1.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said at least one valve actuator is positioned adjacent the lower end of said bench.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further including a first check valve between said actuatable valve and said hydraulic cylinder, wherein said first check valve only allows hydraulic fluid to flow into said hydraulic cylinder.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further including a second check valve between said actuatable valve and said hydraulic cylinder, wherein said second check valve only allows hydraulic fluid to flow from said hydraulic cylinder.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said actuatable valve is a three-way valve having three fluid ports and wherein each of said valve positions is separated by a quarter turn.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further including an enclosure for said accumulator tank and said hydraulic cylinder, said enclosure extending between said uprights.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus for safely supporting a barbell during weight lifting comprising: 
 a) a single hydraulic cylinder having a push-rod with extended and retracted positions;    b) a pre-charged accumulator tank having a pressure housing for storing hydraulic fluid under pressure;    c) first and second spaced, elongated uprights positioned to straddle said single hydraulic cylinder, each of said uprights including a slotted outer housing, a slide bar longitudinally aligned within said housing, a sleeve slidable on said slide bar between a raised position and a lowered position, and a horizontal barbell support attached to said sleeve and extending outwardly from said housing through said slot;    d) first and second cables, each cable extending around a pulley from an anchored end to an opposed end attached to a slidable sleeve, whereby movement of said push-rod between its extended and retracted positions raises and lowers each slidable sleeve and barbell support arm;    e) an actuatable valve having a plurality of positions for controlling the fluid flow and direction of fluid flow between said pre-charged accumulator tank and said hydraulic cylinder, whereby a first valve position lets fluid flow from said cylinder into said accumulator allowing said barbell support arms to descend towards said lowered position, whereby a second valve position prevents fluid flow from and to said cylinder, thereby locking said barbell support arm in a fixed position, and whereby a third valve position only allows fluid flow into said hydraulic cylinder thereby urging said barbell support arms toward their raised position; and    f) at least one valve actuator for urging said actuatable valve into its plurality of valve positions.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each of said actuatable valve's valve positions is separated by a quarter turn.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the ratio between the range of travel of each barbell support and the range of push-rod travel is about 2:1.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further including an enclosure for said accumulator tank and said hydraulic cylinder, said enclosure extending between said uprights.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further including a single check valve between said actuatable valve and said hydraulic cylinder, wherein said single check valve only allows hydraulic fluid to flow into said hydraulic cylinder.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one valve actuator is positioned for access by a user's foot when the user is on said bench.