U.S. patent application number 11/654882 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-17 for baseball and softball base anchoring system.
Invention is credited to Rodney Dean Jacobson.
Application Number | 20080171621 11/654882 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39618218 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080171621 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jacobson; Rodney Dean |
July 17, 2008 |
Baseball and softball base anchoring system
Abstract
A tapered box that is buried in the ground with a removable lid
that is used to anchor baseball bases in place but also allows for
them to be easily removed when the playing surface is being
groomed. This novel system eliminates the problems created when
soil accidentally falls into the present art anchoring systems.
Additionally no concrete is needed to hold the anchor in place;
non-corrosive materials are used to eliminate rusting parts from
adhering to one another and, because the lid is made of a
rubberized material it has shock absorbing properties to help
prevent injuries.
Inventors: |
Jacobson; Rodney Dean;
(Montpelier, ID) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Rodney Dean Jacobson
163 Valleyview Dr.
Montpelier
ID
83254
US
|
Family ID: |
39618218 |
Appl. No.: |
11/654882 |
Filed: |
January 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/499 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 69/0013
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/499 |
International
Class: |
A63B 71/00 20060101
A63B071/00 |
Claims
1. This invention unlike other base anchor system eliminates the
need to "fish" soil out of the base receptacle, it comes ready to
install (no concrete needed), requires no ground anchor plugs, is
non-corrosive, and has shock absorbing capabilities.
Description
SPECIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] While there are several different manufacturers of baseball
bases, the system used to anchor these bases to the playing surface
is very similar. The typical present art-anchoring system is a
solid square shaft that slides into a corresponding hollow square
tube. The portion of the anchoring system that is buried in the
ground typically arrives with each new base that is purchased but
requires further assembly. The portion of the anchoring system that
goes into the ground (which may be the solid square rod or more
typically the hollow square sleeve) needs to be cemented into the
ground itself as indicated in FIG. 12. This requires the purchaser
to purchase dry mix concrete and mix the contents and wait for the
concrete to cure before burying the anchor. Also the placing of the
concrete into the ground must be done very exactly as there is no
way to adjust a slightly misplaced or misaligned concrete anchor.
Because the present invention comes completely assembled and ready
for use, installation is much more forgiving since it can be moved
or removed fairly easily.
[0002] With reference to the present art, once the ground anchor is
installed the base stem is slid over or into the ground assembly so
that the base rests on the playing surface (ground). Currently the
male/female portions of the anchoring systems are made of metal and
often times due to moisture, the metal sections will anodically
corrode and become inseparable. However, the anchoring means of the
present invention addresses this problem because it is made of
non-corrosive materials.
[0003] The most significant drawback of present art anchoring
systems has to do with the need to level or groom the playing
surface. To groom a field the bases need to be removed from their
ground anchor and set aside while a leveling device is pulled over
the playing surface. It is necessary with current anchoring systems
to place plastic or rubber plugs in the ground unit to keep soil
from falling into the space occupied by the bases stem. This means
having to keep track of these plugs when they are not in use,
carefully inserting the plugs to keep soil from falling into the
anchor prior to dragging the field and then carefully extracting
the plugs after the grooming is done. It should be noted that if or
when soil falls into the stems space it is a very tedious and
time-consuming chore to "fish" soil out of the space.
[0004] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a base
anchoring system that will allow the playing field to be leveled
and groomed without having to insert plugs into the bases support
system.
[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
system that is impervious to corrosion and freezing of the working
parts of the anchoring means, thereby adding life and longevity to
the base anchoring system.
[0006] It is another object of the present invention to eliminate
the need for frequent cleaning of the base system supporting
means.
[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
base anchoring means that will allow easy removal of dirt and
foreign matter that may enter the anchoring system.
[0008] It is also an objective of the present invention to provide
a base anchoring means that will reduce the labor of maintaining
and grooming the playing field.
[0009] And finally, it is an objective of this invention to use
shock absorbing, rubberized material for the lid of the invention
to reduce the potential of personal injury when players incorrectly
slide into a base. Several thousand injuries of this type occur
every year.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The above objects are realized in the present invention by
providing both a baseball and/or softball base anchoring system,
designed to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks that are
commonplace with the present art base anchoring systems. The
uniquely implemented tapered ground box with the removable lid of
the present invention eliminates these current drawbacks by
addressing three common problems that exist with the current
anchoring systems: [0011] 1. The present invention requires no
additional assembly or purchase of additional materials or delay in
the installation and the installation is not as exacting. [0012] 2.
The present invention eliminates the problem of corrosion freezing
of the male/female base and anchoring assemblies together. [0013]
3. The present invention eliminates the concerns and the problems
dealing with the soil getting into the anchoring assembly. [0014]
4. The present invention reduces the labor required to maintain the
playing field. [0015] 5. Lastly, the present system, through the
use of rubberized material in the lid of the invention, provides
for a more forgiving stationary object when sliding: into a
base.
[0016] Therefore, the present inventions design emphasis and is
primary purpose and objectives, are characterized by its ability to
provide a more effective, efficient, and comprehensive method for
securing the bases of a playing field, while concurrently
eliminating the above mentioned drawbacks and problems, as outlined
by the claims.
DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1. A sectional side view of the present invention
installed in the ground and taken at the centerline of the securing
bolts.
[0018] FIG. 2. A side view of a typical base presently being
manufactured.
[0019] FIG. 3. A sectional side view of the present invention
installed in the ground and taken at the centerline of the securing
bolts with the typical present art base inserted.
[0020] FIG. 4. A sectional side view of the present invention
installed in the ground and taken at the centerline of the securing
bolts with the lid and base removed.
[0021] FIG. 5. A side view of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 6. A plan or top view of the present invention with the
lid removed.
[0023] FIG. 7. A dimensional side view of the lid of the present
invention.
[0024] FIG. 8. A dimensional plan view of the lid of the present
invention.
[0025] FIG. 9. A side view of the present invention with a typical
present art base inserted.
[0026] FIG. 10. An exploded side view of the present invention
utilizing a typical present art base.
[0027] FIG. 11. An exploded sectional side view of the present
invention utilizing a typical present art base.
[0028] FIG. 12. A sectional side view of a typical installation of
a present art base and its anchoring means.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] The present invention including parts, steps, sequences, and
processes shall more fully be made to appear in the course of the
following descriptions: the drawings merely present and the
description merely describe preferred embodiments of the present
invention by way of illustration or example, and in no way are
meant to be circumscribing as to the actual embodiments which may
be needed for a particular situation, operation, or
application.
[0030] An example of a preferred embodiment satisfying the
objectives of the present invention can be seen by directing
attention to the drawing or illustrations in FIG. 1. As can be
seen, the present invention is characterized by providing a base
anchoring means consisting primarily of a two piece tapered ground
box 10 having tapered side walls 13, an inner lid supporting shelf
or lip 14, an open bottom 11, two securing nuts 22a & 22b and a
stabilizing/strengthening bottom support lip 12, designed to be
buried approximately 101/2 inches in the ground or earth 30 with
its lid 20 approximately level or slightly lower than the playing
surface of a baseball or softball infield. The present invention is
designed to replace present art base anchoring systems that have
several drawbacks as described above. This novel anchoring system
is designed for ease of installation in the ground and comes fully
assembled and ready for installation. Its design is such that it
will not snag leveling devices that may be dragged over it (all
surface angles being rounded, as shown in FIG. 1) and to withstand
the scrapings of a typical infield leveling drag. The reinforced
sidewalls 26 of the lid 20 seat on lip 14 of tapered ground box 10
and is secured by mounting bolts 21a & 21b. Lid 20 also has a
reinforced opening 25 consisting of sidewalls 24 in its center
sufficient to accommodate the supporting stem 45 of most present
art bases currently being manufactured) illustrated in FIG. 2. The
open bottom 11 of the tapered ground box 10 allows for any moisture
within the present invention to easily drain from the box 10 into
the earth or ground 30 and a reservoir where soil that falls
through the opening 25 can accumulate without adversely affecting
the function of the anchoring system.
[0031] Referring now to FIG. 3 it will be recognized by those
skilled in the art, how a typical present art manufactured base 40
can be easily inserted into the lid 20 of the present invention.
Once the bases stem 45 is inserted in the lid of the present
invention the base will not rotate or elevate unless pried up or
intentionally lifted for cleaning or grooming purposes. Because lid
20 is made of corrosion resistant materials it will not attach or
bond itself to the painted metal, aluminum or rubber base stems
that are typically used by present base manufacturers. In the case
of the present invention the inserted base 40 can be removed
without regard to whether or not soil falls into the anchor system,
even when leveling the playing field. The size of the tapered
ground box 10 of the present invention allows for more than a
gallon of soil to fall into it before a problem might develop (a
very unlikely occurrence) and then should such an event occur, lid
20 of the present invention can be easily removed with a screw
driver by removing the mounting screws 21a & 21b to allow
cleaning when and if it becomes necessary. Soil that falls into the
ground box can be scooped out easily by hand. Thus, the plugs in
the present art anchoring system are no longer needed nor or
special tools needed to clean the dirt from an anchors stem and
removing and reinstalling the bases is much faster and requires far
less effort.
[0032] Looking now to FIG. 4 of the present invention illustrates a
sectional side view of the present invention installed in the
playing field or ground 30 and cutaway at the centerline of the
securing nuts 22a & 24b, with the lid and base having been
removed.
[0033] FIGS. 5 & 6 further illustrate the tapered ground box 10
of the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 5 is a side view and FIG. 6 is a plan or top view.
[0035] Likewise, FIGS. 7 & 8 further illustrate the removable
lid 20 of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 7 is a side view and FIG. 8 is a plain or top view.
[0037] FIG. 9 further illustrates the present invention by showing
a side view of the tapered ground box 10 with typical manufactured
base 40 being inserted into its top.
[0038] FIGS. 10 & 11 are included to further illustrate the
present invention by showing an exploded view of all working parts
of the present invention. FIG. 10 illustrating a side view and FIG.
11 a sectional side view of a typical installation of a present art
base and its anchoring means.
[0039] FIG. 12 is common prior art base anchoring system having the
drawbacks mentioned earlier in the background section of this
document.
[0040] While the present invention has been described with
reference to specific embodiments, various modification as well as
alternative embodiments of the invention will become apparent to
the persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the above
described invention. Thus it should be realized that various
changes or alterations might be made without departing from the
disclosed inventive subject matter. It is, therefore, contemplated
that the following claims will cover such modifications that fall
within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *