Flag Football Belt Device

Abstract

An improved belt mounted separable holder for displaying the flags used in playing flag football and other flag-tag games. The belt anchored portion of a male and female coupling, used to form the separable holder, is swivelly attached to the belt so as to allow free motion of the flag in any direction thereby improving the motion of the flag and then adding an element of unpredictability to play.

Description

This invention relates to a flag-tag device, and more particularly to a flag-tag coupling, for detachably securing a flag to a belt where the portion of the coupling anchored to the belt is swivelly connected to the belt.

PRIOR ART

In U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,356, which issued Dec. 27, 1960 a flexible separable flag belt device for use in tag games such as flag or touch football is disclosed which includes a ball and socket arrangement for detachably securing a flag to the belt of a player. In the particular device described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,356, one portion of the ball and socket coupling is rigidly mounted on the belt or on a belt mounting pad causing the flag holding device to be displayed at an angle to the body. This angled display of the flag has presented a number of hitherto unexpected problems.

The flat in the prior art device can be disengaged by contact other than pulling. Such contact as the player's arm brushing along the body or body contact between players while executing various plays can dislodge the flag carrier.

In addition, the angled display of the flag from a coupling fixed to the player's belt causes the flag to be displayed in a relatively restricted zone detracting from the enjoyment of the game because of the relative predictability in the motion of the flag.

More seriously the fixed position of the coupling on the player's belt causes the flag holding portion of the coupling to assume a perpendicular position to the player's body during a fall in the direction of the flag which could increase the chance of injury to the player.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,109, which issued May 17, 1966 discloses an improvement in the flag-tag device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,356 wherein the male member of a male and female coupling used to detachably secure a flag to a belt contains means for varying the pull force necessary to dislodge the male member from the female member. In all embodiments of the invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,109, the belt portion of the coupling is rigidly affixed to a belt mounting pad causing the degree of movement of the flag to be limited in the same manner described above for the device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,356.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved coupling for a flag-tag device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved coupling mounting for a flag-tag device wherein the flag is free to swivel and turn to any point in the hemisphere adjacent the player's body.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a means for the coupling to assume a linear position with respect to the pull force exerted on the flag thereby causing the tension necessary to dislodge the flag to be uniform regardless of the direction in which the tension is exerted.

A further object of this invention is to provide a safer flag-tag coupling.

Another object of this invention is to provide for freer movement of the flag making it more elusive and adding an unpredictable element to the game.

Still another object is to provide a coupling which is easily repaired by replacement of the parts receiving the greatest wear action without the necessity of also disposing of low wear parts.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention in general includes a deformable male member or plug and female member or socket for frictionally receiving and retaining the plug. The plug may be a ball or cylinder generally as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,356 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,109. The socket is a cylinder open at one end swivelly attached either directly to the belt or to a mounting pad adjustably secured to the belt. The flag is secured to the plug by a flag holder. As an alternative embodiment of the invention, the relative positions of the plug and socket may be reversed. In the preferred embodiment the socket is swivelly secured to a mounting pad which is adjustably secured to the belt, and the plug is a ball secured to the flag on a stem integrally formed on a flat flag holder.

An omega-shaped hasp is detachably secured to a belt plate so as to cooperate with a loop element integrally formed on the closed end of the socket. Said cooperation between the hasp and loop allows the coupling to move freely in a hemisphere about the mounting pad. Any tension exerted on the outer portion of the coupling causes the inner portion of the coupling to assume a linear relationship to said outer portion. To break the coupling it is only necessary to exert a uniform pull or force on the outer coupling. This linear juxtaposition of the elements of the coupling eliminates the variable tension required to separate the coupling because of the use of a lever force which exists in the prior art devices when one portion of the coupling is more or less rigidly connected to the belt and a force is exerted on the coupling at an angle 90.degree. from the perpendicular center of the rigidly secured portion of the coupling.

Both the female and male members of this invention are formed of a tough, wear-resistant plastic material that produces a popping sound when the male member is pulled or jerked from the female member, thus producing an audible signal at the time the player is deflagged. As an alternative embodiment of the invention the swivel action can be created by equivalent substitutes for the hasp and loop arrangement such as cooperating split rings respectively affixed to the baseplate and coupling and like means.

Any equivalent device such as handles, loops, rings and such may be substituted for the flag without departing from the principals of the invention.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments shown in accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flag-tag device in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1, showing the hasp and loop arrangement for swivelly connecting the female socket member to the mounting pad.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the mounting pad and detachable hasp and loop taken along line A-A' in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded sectional view of the mounting pad and detachable hasp taken along line B-B' in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded sectional view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the relative positions of the plug and socket members are reversed.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention including a male and female coupling wherein the swivel action is created by the cooperation of interlocking split rings attached respectively to the mounting pad and coupling.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a flag 21 detachably secured to a mounting pad 10 which is adjustably secured to a belt 20. Although only one unit is shown, any number of flags can be similarly attached to the belt 20. Flag 21 is preferably durable cloth and may be formed of nylon coated with colorfast vinyl plastic or the like. Rings, loops or other handles may be substituted for the flags. The mounting pad consists of a belt plate 24 and detachable omega-shaped hasp 11. Belt plate 24 may be square, rectangular or elliptical and is preferably formed of a tough, wear-resistant rubberlike plastic material. Hasp 11 is detachably secured to belt plate 24 by detent 16.

As shown in FIG. 2 belt plate 24 is provided with a pair of slits 17 through which belt 20 is passed permitting mounting pad 10 to be adjustably positioned about the waist of a player. A circular central opening 23 is provided in belt plate 24 to permit hasp 11 to be passed through the belt plate 24, a straight portion 25 of the omega-shaped hasp 11 is positioned in a channel 15 in belt plate 24 and the detent 16 positively engages the top of belt plate 24 detachably securing the hasp 11 to the belt plate 24. The positioning of straight portion 25 of hasp 11 in channel 15 prevents the rotation of hasp 11 about the belt plate 24 and aids in securing hasp 11 to the belt plate 24.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the hasp 11 cooperates with a loop 13 integrally formed on the closed end of the cylindrical socket member 12. Socket 12 has a central opening 14 and as shown in FIG. 4, a restricted opening flange or knurl 26 which frictionally engages ball 22 attached as shown in FIG. 3 to flag carrier 18. Flag carrier 18 is provided with an opening or aperture 19 as shown in FIG. 2 to receive flag 21 which can be secured to the flag carrier by sewing, riveting, cinch studs or such means. Socket 12 is formed of a tough rubberlike plastic material which has sufficient resilience to allow the ball to snap in and out therefrom with sufficient difficulty to cause a popping sound.

Hasp 11 is made of any material able to withstand the strain, pull tension and impact to which this part is ordinarily subjected. The hasp 11 must be sufficiently rigid to allow detent 16 to positively engage belt plate 24, thereby securing hasp 11 to belt plate 24.

Hasp 11 is preferably formed from the same type of tough rubberlike plastic material used for flag carrier 18, socket 12 and belt plate 24.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the relative positions of the plug and socket are reversed. A socket 112 having a central opening 114 and flag carrier 118 integrally formed thereon is shaped to frictionally engage the ball element 122 which is swivelly and detachably joined to mounting pad by means of an integrally formed loop 113 which cooperates with hasp 11 in the manner as the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1--4.

FIG. 6 discloses a further alternative embodiment of the invention in which a socket 212, having a central opening 214, is swivelly connected to the mounting pad 210 by means of a ring 232 which passes through an aperture 233 in stem 231 which is integrally formed on socket 212. Ring 232 swivelly cooperates with ring 234 which is attached to belt plate 224 by means of stem 237. Ring 234 is pivotally connected to stem 237 by being passed through aperture 236. The stem 237 is detachably secured to the belt plate 224 by means of disc or flange 238 integrally formed thereon. The belt plate 224 is provided with slits 217 for detachably securing the mounting pad 210 to a belt.

In the alternate embodiment the belt plate 224, the stem 237 and the socket 212 are made from a tough, resilient rubberlike plastic material and the rings 232 and 234 are steel split rings commonly used in key chains and like devices. By turning the spiral formed split ring 234 or 232, the rings 234 and 232 can be swivelly connected to each other and to the respective stems 233 and 237.

The interlocking loop and hasp or ring and ring system described above allows the flag a free and unpredictable motion in the hemisphere of space surrounding the side of the player to which the flag is attached. Although described as a device for flag football, the device may be used in a variety of other tag games, such as those described in "Flag Games for Young and Old" published by Flag-a-Tag Co. (1968).

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact structural details herein as the invention is subject to numerous modifications. Although the flag, socket and plug members are preferably formed of tough, wear-resistant inexpensive plastic material, these components can of course be made of other material such as leather, rubber of the like. Further, although it is preferred that the mounting pad be used, this is not essential as the plug or socket could be swivelly attached directly to the belt. Therefore, in view of the numerous changes and modifications that can be made within the principles of the invention, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A flag-tag device, having a detachable flag, comprising a flexible belt, a mounting pad member adjustable secured to said belt, a ball and resiliently expandable socket coupling member having interlocking loop elements, said coupling member being detachably connected to said mounting pad member by said interlocking loop elements, and an element having a flag attached thereto, adapted for detachable cooperative engagement with said coupling member, whereby said flag can be separated from said socket by a pulling force.

2. A flag-tag apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said resiliently expandable socket member comprises a cylinder open at one end and a loop element extending from the closed end of said socket member and integrally formed thereon for swivelly attaching said socket member to said mounting pad member.

3. A flag-tag apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein said mounting pad member comprises a belt plate, an opening in said belt plate, a hasp element in said opening for swivelly attaching said belt plate member to said socket member and means for detachably securing said mounting pad member to said belt.

4. A flag-tag apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said resiliently expandable socket member is swivelly connected to a mounting pad member said mounting pad member comprises a belt plate, means for detachably connecting said belt plate to said belt, a hasp element detachably secured to said belt plate, means for detachably securing said hasp to said belt plate and an opening in said belt plate for said hasp element, said hasp element swivelly cooperating with said socket member.

5. A flag-tag apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said socket member comprises a cylinder opened at one end and a loop element extending from the closed end of said socket member and integrally formed thereon, swivelly connected to a mounting pad member which comprises a belt plate, means for detachably connecting said belt plate to said belt a hasp element detachably secured to said belt plate, means for detachably securing said hasp to said belt plate and an opening in said belt plate for said hasp, said hasp element swivelly cooperating with said loop element integrally formed on the closed end of said socket member.