Football Training Harness

Abstract

A football training harness in which detachable rigid connections adjustable in length extend from the shoulder pads to the rear of the football helmet to prevent hyperflexion and the bending of the head of the player forwardly during blocking and tackling. The connection includes rings secured to the helmet and shoulder pads and swivel snap hooks connected to the shoulder pad rings by means of a wire so as to be adjustable in length, with the snap hooks snaping into the rings fastened to the helmet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a training harness for football players which prevents hyperflexion or the bending of the head forwardly during blocking and tackling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a rigid connection made between the rear of the football players helmet and the shoulder pads which is adjustable in length to prevent the forward bending of the head during blocking and tackling.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a football training harness which is inexpensive to manufacture and which will train the player to retain his head in erect position during blocking and tackling.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse cross-section taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a football players training harness constructed in accordance with the invention.

The football training harness 10 is adapted for use with a conventional helmet 11 formed of hard material such as rigid plastic. The helmet 11 is used in conjunction with rigid shoulder pads 12 also of conventional construction and formed of rigid plastic or the like.

A strap loop 13 is secured to the helmet 11 by a round rivet 14 as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The strap loop 13 has a ring 15 secured therein for swiveling movement about a generally horizontal axis. A second strap loop 16 is secured to the helmet 11 by a round rivet 17 in the same manner as the strap loop 13. A ring 18 is mounted in the strap loop 16 and is adapted to be swiveled about a generally horizontal axis.

A strap loop 19 is secured to one side of the shoulder pads 12 by a round rivet 20 and has a ring 21 mounted therein for swivel action about a generally horizontal axis. A strap loop 22 is secured to the opposite side of the shoulder pads 12 by a round rivet 23 and has a ring 24 secured therein for swiveling movement about a generally horizontal axis.

A snap hook 25 is snapped onto the ring 15 and has a ring 26 secured to the opposite end thereof by a swivel pin 27. A snap hook 28 is snapped to the ring 18 and has a ring 29 secured to the opposite end thereof by a swivel pin 30.

A wire connector 31 extends through the ring 21 and the ring 26 and has its opposite ends twisted or tied to maintain the desired distance between the ring 21 and the ring 26. A wire 32 extends through the ring 24 and the ring 29 and has its free ends tied or twisted to maintain the proper length between the ring 24 and the ring 29.

In the use and operation of the invention the football helmet 11 and the shoulder pads 12 are donned in the usual manner following which the snap rings 25, 28 are snapped into the rings 15, 18 and the wires 31, 32 are connected respectively between the rings 21, 26 and the rings 24, 29 to establish a length such that the head of the football player can not be bent forward during blocking and tackling. Once the proper length of the wire connectors 31, 32 is established the snap hooks 25, 28 are disconnected from the rings 15, 18 when putting on and taking off the football uniform.

In training football players it is extremely difficult to train them to keep the head erect against the natural tendency to bend the head forward when blocking and tackling. With the harness of the instant invention the players head is restrained during training sessions and thus he learns to keep his head erect even during regular games.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A football training harness comprising a helmet, a pair of rings secured in spaced apart relation to the rear of said helmet, shoulder pads, a pair or rings secured in spaced apart relation to the rear of said shoulder pads, a pair of swivel snap hooks extending between the rings on said shoulder pads and the rings on said helmet, and means adjustably connecting said pair of swivel snap hooks to the rings on said shoulder pads, said snap hooks being snapped onto the rings on said helmet to detachably connect said helmet to said shoulder pads to restrain said helmet from bending forward with respect to said shoulder pads.