US3622111A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Counterbalance for gymnastic apparatus
Assignee: Nissen Corp
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Filing: 1969-12-05
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Granted: 1971-11-23
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Expires: 1989-12-05
Abstract
Abstract A counterbalance for gymnastic apparatus, such as parallel bars, having one or more upright tubular columns, each of which in turn is provided with a piston telescopically adjustable therewithin. In the preferred forms of the invention, one or more spirally rolled springs of flat spring material are located within each column, the outer ends of the springs being fixed therein so that the spring axes are disposed transversely of the column axis. The lower end of the piston is in continuous contact with one of the springs so that as the piston is lowered that spring, together with any others, are unrolled thereby and vice versa. The strength of the spring or springs is selected so that it or they alone will maintain the piston at any desired elevation independently of any other mechanism employed for adjusting its elevation or for locking it to the column.
Inventors
- 👤 George P Nissen
- 👤 Harlan J Kelly
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 20:29
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B3/00; F; F16; F16F; F16F1/00; F16F1/02; F16F1/04; F16F1/12; A63B2208/00; A63B2208/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
290 words
A counterbalance for use in an upright hollow column forming part of gymnastic apparatus and adapted to act between the column and the lower end of a piston received in and movable along the column, said counterbalance comprising: a self-contained assembly separate from the column and piston adapted to be removably inserted as a unit and wholly contained in the column, said assembly including at least one rolled-up spring of flat ribbonlike spring material carried by said assembly and secured at its outer end to said assembly to fix said spring end relative thereto, said spring being unrollable about an axis against its resiliency relative to said spring end upon movement of said spring in a direction corresponding to downward movement of the piston in the column, said spring axis being disposed transversely of said direction of spring movement and intersecting a line generally corresponding to the axis of movement of the piston in the column, said spring being guided during said movement thereof by guide means formed in part by said assembLy and carried by the rolled-up portion of said spring, said guide means resisting lateral axial movement of the rolled-up portion of said spring and rotation of the axis thereof in planes parallel to said direction of spring movement to restrain twisting of said spring, and means adapted to fix said assembly relative to the column, said means including a pair of compressible retainers and spacing means holding said retainers in spaced relationship, the outer end of said spring being fixed adjacent one of said retainers so that said direction of spring movement is toward the other of said retainers, said spacing means comprising a pair of parallel members lying in a plane substantially through said spring axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
290 words
A counterbalance for use in an upright hollow column forming part of gymnastic apparatus and adapted to act between the column and the lower end of a piston received in and movable along the column, said counterbalance comprising: a self-contained assembly separate from the column and piston adapted to be removably inserted as a unit and wholly contained in the column, said assembly including at least one rolled-up spring of flat ribbonlike spring material carried by said assembly and secured at its outer end to said assembly to fix said spring end relative thereto, said spring being unrollable about an axis against its resiliency relative to said spring end upon movement of said spring in a direction corresponding to downward movement of the piston in the column, said spring axis being disposed transversely of said direction of spring movement and intersecting a line generally corresponding to the axis of movement of the piston in the column, said spring being guided during said movement thereof by guide means formed in part by said assembLy and carried by the rolled-up portion of said spring, said guide means resisting lateral axial movement of the rolled-up portion of said spring and rotation of the axis thereof in planes parallel to said direction of spring movement to restrain twisting of said spring, and means adapted to fix said assembly relative to the column, said means including a pair of compressible retainers and spacing means holding said retainers in spaced relationship, the outer end of said spring being fixed adjacent one of said retainers so that said direction of spring movement is toward the other of said retainers, said spacing means comprising a pair of parallel members lying in a plane substantially through said spring axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The counterbalance of claim 1 wherein said spring in its rolled-up state includes a hollow core, said core having a guide member disposed therein constituting said guide means carried by said spring, the axial ends of said guide member closely abutting said parallel members and together therewith constituting part of said guide means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The counterbalance of claim 1 wherein said spring is a double spring comprising two elements of said spring material rolled up together in laminate face-to-face contact.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
255 words
A counterbalance for use in an upright hollow column forming part of gymnastic apparatus and adapted to act between the column and the lower end of a piston received in and movable along the column, said counterbalance comprising: a self-contained assembly separate from the column and piston adapted to be removably inserted as a unit and wholly contained in the column, said assembly being adapted to be fixed relative to the column and including at least two rolled-up springs of flat ribbonlike spring material carried by said assembly and secured at their outer ends to said assembly to fix said spring ends relative thereto, said springs being unrollable about their axes against their resiliency relative to said spring ends upon movement of said springs in a direction corresponding to downward movement of the piston in the column, the axes of said springs being laterally spaced from each other in and disposed transversely of said direction of spring movement and intersecting a line generally corresponding to the axis of movement of the piston in the column, said springs being guided during said movement thereof by guide means formed in part by said assembly and carried by the rolled-up portions of said springs, said guide means resisting lateral axial movement of the rolled-up portions of said springs and rotation of the axes thereof in planes parallel to said direction of spring movement to restrain twisting of said springs, and means disposed between said springs for transmitting said spring movement from one to the other of said springs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
255 words
A counterbalance for use in an upright hollow column forming part of gymnastic apparatus and adapted to act between the column and the lower end of a piston received in and movable along the column, said counterbalance comprising: a self-contained assembly separate from the column and piston adapted to be removably inserted as a unit and wholly contained in the column, said assembly being adapted to be fixed relative to the column and including at least two rolled-up springs of flat ribbonlike spring material carried by said assembly and secured at their outer ends to said assembly to fix said spring ends relative thereto, said springs being unrollable about their axes against their resiliency relative to said spring ends upon movement of said springs in a direction corresponding to downward movement of the piston in the column, the axes of said springs being laterally spaced from each other in and disposed transversely of said direction of spring movement and intersecting a line generally corresponding to the axis of movement of the piston in the column, said springs being guided during said movement thereof by guide means formed in part by said assembly and carried by the rolled-up portions of said springs, said guide means resisting lateral axial movement of the rolled-up portions of said springs and rotation of the axes thereof in planes parallel to said direction of spring movement to restrain twisting of said springs, and means disposed between said springs for transmitting said spring movement from one to the other of said springs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The counterbalance of claim 4 wherein said assembly includes means adapted to engage the inner wall face of the column to locate said assembly therein and to permit slidable insertion and removal of said assembly from the column.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The counterbalance of claim 4 wherein at least one of said springs is a double spring comprising two elements of said spring material rolled up together in laminate face-to-face contact; and wherein said transmitting means comprises a follower disposed between the adjacent outer faces of said springs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
260 words
In gymnastic apparatus having one or more upright supports, each of said supports including a hollow column and a piston received in and movable along said column, the improvement in each of said supports comprising: a self-contained assembly separate from the column and piston and inserted and removable as a unit through an end of said column and wholly contained therein, said assembly including at least one rolled-up spring of flat ribbonlike spring material carried by said assembly and disposed within said column but at all times outside of said piston, said spring being secured at its outer end to fix said spring end against movement relative to said column, said spring being operaTively associated with the lower end of said piston and unrollable about an axis against its resiliency relative to said spring end in the event and in the direction of downward movement of said piston, said spring axis being disposed transversely of said direction of spring movement and generally intersecting the axis of movement of said piston, the strength of said spring being effective to independently maintain said piston at any selected position between upper and lower most positions thereof in said column; and means to guide said spring to resist lateral axial movement of the rolled up portion of said spring and rotation of the axis thereof in planes parallel to said direction of spring movement to restrain twisting of said spring, said guide means including the inner wall of said column and means carried by said assembly and by the rolled-up portion of said spring.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
260 words
In gymnastic apparatus having one or more upright supports, each of said supports including a hollow column and a piston received in and movable along said column, the improvement in each of said supports comprising: a self-contained assembly separate from the column and piston and inserted and removable as a unit through an end of said column and wholly contained therein, said assembly including at least one rolled-up spring of flat ribbonlike spring material carried by said assembly and disposed within said column but at all times outside of said piston, said spring being secured at its outer end to fix said spring end against movement relative to said column, said spring being operaTively associated with the lower end of said piston and unrollable about an axis against its resiliency relative to said spring end in the event and in the direction of downward movement of said piston, said spring axis being disposed transversely of said direction of spring movement and generally intersecting the axis of movement of said piston, the strength of said spring being effective to independently maintain said piston at any selected position between upper and lower most positions thereof in said column; and means to guide said spring to resist lateral axial movement of the rolled up portion of said spring and rotation of the axis thereof in planes parallel to said direction of spring movement to restrain twisting of said spring, said guide means including the inner wall of said column and means carried by said assembly and by the rolled-up portion of said spring.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 7 including means retaining said assembly in said column, said retaining means being carried by said assembly and engaging said inner column wall.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said retaining means comprises a pair of upper and lower compressible retainers and spacing means holding said retainers in spaced relationship, the outer end of said spring being fixed adjacent the upper of said retainers so that said direction of spring movement is toward the lower of said retainers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
83 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said spacing means comprises a pair of parallel members and wherein said spring in its rolled-up state includes a hollow core at its axis having a guide member disposed therein, said guide member constituting said guide means carried by said spring portion, said spacing members lying in a plane substantially through said spring axis and closely abutting the axial ends of said guide member, said axial ends and parallel members constituting a part of said guide means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said spring is a double spring comprising two elements of said spring material rolled up together in laminate face-to-face contact.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
82 words
The apparatus of claim 7 including two of said springs, each of said springs having their outer ends secured against movement relative to said column and disposed in spaced tandem relationship one below the other, both of said springs unrolling in said direction of spring movement, the lower end of said piston being operatively associated with the upper of said springs; and including means disposed between said springs for transmitting said spring movement from the upper to the lower of said springs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of said springs is a double spring comprising two elements of said spring material rolled up together in laminate face-to-face contact; and wherein said transmitting means comprises a follower disposed between the adjacent outer faces of said springs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-11-22 | 1975-05-24 | 1975-11-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-11-22 | 1979-05-24 | 1979-11-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-11-22 | 1983-05-24 | 1983-11-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |