U.S. patent number 3,706,451 [Application Number 05/094,764] was granted by the patent office on 1972-12-19 for target type scoring device.
Invention is credited to Jack R. Dixon.
United States Patent |
3,706,451 |
Dixon |
December 19, 1972 |
TARGET TYPE SCORING DEVICE
Abstract
A target type scoring device which includes a target formed of
resilient material such as a net supported by elastic members and a
frame, there being a plate positioned in spaced relationship behind
the target and having indicia thereon to define a scoring area on
the target, there being a rotatable member carried by the plate and
having markings to indicate a score as a result of the scoring area
of the target being struck by an object, there being means coupling
the rotatable member with the scoring area of the target so that
when the target of resilient material rebounds as a result of being
struck by an object the means is actuated to rotate the rotatable
member and thus indicate a score.
Inventors: |
Dixon; Jack R. (Miami, OK) |
Family
ID: |
22247034 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/094,764 |
Filed: |
December 3, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/383 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
63/00 (20130101); A63B 2024/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
63/00 (20060101); A63b 069/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/26A,12.1C,127R,12.1E |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Brown; Theatrice
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and
desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
1. A target type scoring device comprising:
a target formed of resilient material;
a plate positioned behind said target and having indicia thereon to
define a scoring area on said target;
a rotatable member carried by said plate and having markings
thereon to indicate a score as a result of the scoring area of the
target being struck by an object thrown at the target; and
means coupling said rotatable member with said scoring area of the
target to rotate said member and thereby indicate a score as a
result of the scoring area of the target being struck by an
object.
2. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 1, said means
coupling the rotatable member with the scoring area being actuated
to rotate the member as the target of resilient material rebounds
as a result of being struck by an object thrown at the target.
3. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 2, there
being a passage through said plate to selectively expose to the
user of the device individual markings on said rotatable member,
said markings indicating the score achieved.
4. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 3, said
coupling means including a length of material having one end
thereof connected to the scoring area of the target; and a
swingable arm for rotating said member, the other end of said
length of material being connected to said arm.
5. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 4, there
being a plurality of apertures formed in said member, said arm
having a loop thereon, said loop being selectively engageable with
said apertures to rotate said member about an axis of rotation.
6. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 5, there
being an aperture in said member corresponding to each of the
markings thereon.
7. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 6, there
being a spring coupling one end of said arm with said axis of
rotation, the other end of said arm being received within an
opening formed in said plate, said spring urging the loop on said
arm into said aperture.
8. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 7, said
length of material and said spring being connected to said arm at
said one end thereof, said arm being swingable about said other end
thereof.
9. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 8, the fit
between said other end of the arm and the opening in the plate
being a loose fit.
10. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 9, the
rotatable member being circular, the apertures circumscribing said
axis of rotation, the markings circumscribing said apertures.
Description
It is the most important object of this invention to provide a
target type scoring device which includes a target of resilient
material, there being a plate positioned behind the target and
having a rotatable member coupled with the target, there being
indicia on the rotatable member whereby, as the target and, more
particularly, a scoring area thereof rebounds, due to its
resiliency after being struck by a thrown object, the rotatable
member will be actuated to indicate that the target has been struck
in the scoring area and therefore a score achieved.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a target type
scoring device particularly intended, in the embodiment chosen for
illustration, to permit the user thereof to determine whether or
not an object thrown at the target has fallen within a particular
scoring area such as, for example, a baseball strike zone, the
device being of such a nature that when the target is struck in the
scoring area the resilient target, as it rebounds to its initial
position, will actuate means coupling the target with a rotatable
member which is supported by a plate positioned behind the target,
the rotatable member having markings thereon visible through a
passage in the plate, whereby the user of the device may determine
if the target has been struck in said scoring area.
Other objects of this invention include details of construction of
the rotatable member and the means for causing the same to rotate,
these taking the form of a length of material having one end
thereof connected to the scoring area of the target, the other end
being connected to one end of a swingable arm, which arm has a loop
formed therein which is engageable in apertures formed in the
rotatable member and is urged thereinto by a spring coupled with
the axis of rotation, the arm serving to urge the rotatable member
through one cycle when the scoring area of the target is struck to
thereby expose a selected marking.
Other objects of this invention include yet further details of
construction which will become apparent from the following
specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the target type scoring
device;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the plate and rotatable
member which constitute the scoring unit;
FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the plate and rotatable member
which constitute the scoring unit;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, rear elevational view of the plate and
rotatable member showing the manner in which the member is rotated
by the arm as the resilient target rebounds; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
The target type scoring device is broadly designated by the numeral
10 and is intended to incorporate recreational apparatus of the
type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,816. Thus, there is provided
a tubular frame 12 of desired configuration, which frame supports a
target 14 of resilient material, the target constituting a net 16
and a plurality of elastic members 18 affixed to the periphery of
the net and connecting the same to the frame 12 whereby the net is
supported in a substantially vertical plane, although it will be
appreciated that the target 14 can be inclined to any desired
position. The frame 12 is suitably supported by means of normally
rearwardly extending legs 20.
A scoring unit, broadly designated by the numeral 22 is positioned
behind the target 14, the scoring unit 22 including as its major
components, a plate 24 and a rotatable member 26, the rotatable
member 26 in the embodiment chosen for illustration being circular
in plan configuration and rotating about an axis of rotation 28
disposed centrally thereof and defined by a pin 30 which extends
through plate 24 and rotatable member 26 whereby to mount the
member 26 on the plate 24 rearwardly thereof and in position to
rotate about pin 30, there being a spacer block 32 positioned
between the rear face 34 of the plate 24 and the front face 36 of
rotatable member 26, the plate 24 having a front face 38 and the
rotatable member 26 having a rear face 40.
The scoring unit 22 is positioned rearwardly of the target 14 and
is maintained in said position by means of a plurality of cords
coupled with said unit 22 and the frame 12 and supporting legs 20
of target 10. Specifically, a first length of cord 42 is connected
to the normally uppermost portion of frame 12 and extends through a
pair of spaced holes 44 adjacent the upper edge of plate 24 and is
then again attached to the normally uppermost portion of frame 12
whereby to suspend the plate 24 from the uppermost frame, all as is
clearly illustrated for instance, in FIG. 1 of the drawing. In
order to space the scoring unit 22 the desired distance from the
target 14, a second cord 46 is threaded through holes 48 in the
plate 24 and the free ends of cord 46 stretched tautly and
connected, as by suitable hooks 50, to the lower ends of supporting
legs 20. In this manner the scoring unit 22 is positioned in a
generally vertical condition rearwardly of the target 14 and a
distance spaced sufficiently therefrom so that the scoring unit
itself will not be struck by an object thrown at the target 14.
The front face 38 of plate 24 is provided with suitable indicia 52
in the form of a catcher's mitt for instance in the embodiment
chosen for illustration. This indicia 52 defines on target 14, a
scoring area 54 of approximately the same size as the indicia 52,
it being contemplated that in the embodiment of the invention
chosen for illustration, the indicia 52 will define a scoring area
of approximately the size of a baseball strike zone whereby an
object striking the target 14 in the scoring area 54 would be
considered a strike in baseball.
The scoring unit 22 is coupled with the target 14 and, more
particularly, scoring area 54 thereof by means of a length of
material 56, as for instance a cord, which cord is first tied to
the target 14 at a point normally directly in front of the indicia
52, it being desirable that the cord 56 be so utilized to place the
plate 24 approximately 12 inches behind the scoring area 54 of
target 14. It will be appreciated that the scoring area 54 is in a
general area surrounding the point of attachment of the length of
material 56 to the target 14 and coincides approximately with the
area of indicia 52.
As described above, the scoring unit 22 is suspended behind the
target 14 by means of a harness consisting of cords 42 and 46 and
also by means of length of material 56 which has one end thereof
secured to the target 14. The other end of length of material 56 is
connected to a swingable arm 58 which is carried by plate 24. Arm
58 is in the nature of a length of relatively rigid wire, there
being a loop 60, offset in the direction of the member 26 as best
seen in FIG. 5, formed intermediate the ends thereof and more
nearly adjacent one end 62, said one end 62 defining an eye 64
which receives the said other end of length of material 56 whereby
to couple the scoring unit 22 and, more particularly, rotatable
member 26, with the target 14. The other end 66 of arm 58 extends
through an opening 68 formed in the plate 24 and has a loose or
sloppy fit within said opening whereby to permit the arm 58 to
swing about said other end 66 thereof. As is evident from FIGS. 2,
3 and 4, the other end 66 of arm 58 has a laterally offset stretch
70 which extends through the opening 68 and a turned end 72 which
extends beyond the opening 68 and lies in parallel relationship
with the surface 38 of plate 24, all to the end that said other end
66 of the arm 58 is retained within the opening 68 for swinging
movement under the urging of cord 56 which is connected to eye 64
at the other end 62 of the arm 58.
A coil spring 74 is also connected to the eye 64 and spans the
distance between eye 64 and the rearmost end of pivot pin 30, the
other end of spring 74 being connected to said pivot pin 30 as
illustrated, for instance, in FIG. 5 of the drawing.
The rotatable member 26 is provided with a plurality of apertures
76, which apertures circumscribe the axis of rotation 28, said
apertures extending through the rotatable member 26. A plurality of
markings 78 are on the front face 36 of the rotatable member 26,
there being a marking corresponding to each of the apertures 76,
the markings 78 being visible to a user of the device by means of a
passage 80 which is formed through the plate 24. In the embodiment
chosen for illustration, the markings are in the form of numerals
zero through nine, said markings being disposed circumferentially
about the face 36 of rotatable member 26.
As is apparent from the foregoing, the coil spring 74 urges the
offset loop 60 of arm 58 into a selected aperture 76 and retains
the same therewithin until such time as an object strikes the
scoring area 54 of target 14. When this occurs, the coil spring 74
serves to urge the arm 58 in a downward direction viewing FIGS. 3
and 4 for instance, this urging causing the loop 60 to fall into
the next succeeding aperture; that is the aperture 76 corresponding
to the next following marking on the face 36 of the rotatable
member 26. As the resilient material constituting the target 14
rebounds from its indented condition to its initial planar
condition, the cord 56 is pulled outwardly by virtue of such
rebounding action of the target 14, this pulling action serving to
swing the arm 58 about its end 66 in an upward direction viewing
FIG. 4 for instance, whereby to rotate member 26 about its axis of
rotation 28 by virtue of the loop 60 now being in the next
succeeding aperture, thereby moving the next succeeding marking on
the face 36 of said member into a position behind passage 80
whereby the user of the device may view said marking and thus
determine that a score has been achieved. It is to be noted that
the loose fit of the other end 66 in the opening 68 allows the arm
58 with its loop 60 to move rearwardly a slight bit as the latter
falls into the next aperture. Thus, only the point of the loop 60
is in contact with the member 26 during the time that the loop 60
is falling into the next aperture, such contact normally not being
sufficient to cause undesirable rotation of the member 26 at this
time.
Thus, it will be appreciated that by utilizing the above mentioned
target type scoring device an area comparable to a baseball strike
zone may be created, this area constituting the scoring area 54 of
the target 14 of resilient material whereby, when the target 14 is
struck by an object thrown thereat, the rebounding action of the
target 14 will cause length of material 56 to be drawn tight and
thereby swing the arm 58 in the manner hereinabove described to
rotate member 26 to a position placing the next succeeding marking
78 within the passage 80 whereby it is visible to the user of the
device, thus indicating that a score, strike or the like has been
achieved. Notwithstanding the fact that the embodiment illustrated
has been shown in the form of a baseball type scoring apparatus, it
will be readily appreciated that this same type of device may be
utilized for a plurality of scoring functions and can be placed in
various positions; various markings and indicia utilized, all
depending upon the specific function for which the device is to be
used.
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