The Process Of Design

Leather Pulling Strap Anchor Lock

The Problem

The Reformer Carriage has a leather strap attached to the bottom of it, the strap is threaded through an anchored caster wheel and on the other end is a pulling handle. On the bottom of most every “Classical” Reformer there is an “L” bracket. The bracket has a hole through it that the leather strap with a permanent D-Ring and I-Bolt attached to it is placed through the hole with locking nuts on both sides.

This setup takes two wrenches to attach and adjust the strap as it stretches with use (it is near unanimous amongst Classical Pilates teachers that leather straps are the only ones that have the correct feel)

An extra problem for our Reformer Design is that the shoulder blocks are adjustable, accommodating clients of average height and shorter. With the movement of the shoulder blocks there is a corresponding adjustment that needs to be made for the straps

Maintaining the original attachment mechanism would make this on the fly adjustment impossible

What is needed is a quick release lock for the strap

The Solution 

Cut two slots into the pipe for the strap to go through

Drill and Tap a screw hole into the pipe centered to the slot

Cut a circular retaining  notch into a thumbscrew

Using a piece of copper pipe half the internal diameter of the frame pipe drill a hole the diameter of the reduced thumb screw notch

Cut a slit lengthwise in the copper pipe, round off edges so the sleeve can be slid over the thumbscrew once it is threaded into the larger Carriage Frame pipe

This creates a guillotine clamp that distributes the pressure while providing a very secure hold, all while needing no more tools or much turning pressure on the thumbscrew to provide a positive lock

The Process

The process is a whole other story! The process was many many thoughts in all sorts of directions. Drawing and modeling at least five different relatively good solutions. Building two rough working proof of concepts. The first proof of concept had a rounded nose bolt, threaded into the pipe that just pressed into the leather strap. This was a simple solution, and easy to execute. Unfortunately it created an indent in the leather that over time would weaken the leather. All of this is speaking to the very mechanical and linear aspect of designing and building something. The truth of the matter is that the process is one of deep thinking, tangent connections while pouring over the most abstract details of others solutions to other problems not your own. But you go through all of this process and thinking in hopes of solving your problem! And truth be told it is not just you! It is a spouse and children who look at you and repeat simple questions multiple times waiting for you to come out of that place where you dwell most of the time to produce an answer such as “coffee sounds good!” Now we’re not saying that every designer/hacker is this way, but in our house this is the way it goes. It is also because of a loving and understanding, an appreciative family that we have that unstructured time to just think and ponder these sorts of problems.