U.S. patent number 3,802,702 [Application Number 05/338,880] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-09 for support structure for basketball board and hoop combinations.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Equalizer Inc.. Invention is credited to Harvey E. Pulley.
United States Patent |
3,802,702 |
Pulley |
April 9, 1974 |
SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR BASKETBALL BOARD AND HOOP COMBINATIONS
Abstract
Basketball hoop and board support structure constructed for
mounting to an upright standard. The support structure basically
comprises a three dimensional parallelogram having nominally
parallel but adjustable parallelogram bars and also vertical,
forward and rearward elemental frame structures. The aforementioned
bars are pivoted to the frame structures, and an extensible,
telescoping brace structure is positioned between opposite ends, at
top and bottom, and centrally of the composite frame structure
presented, so as to hold the parallelogram structure in a
pre-selected position, the brace comprises inner and outer tubes. A
bolt is screw threaded to the outer tube and engages the inner tube
to lock to two against relative movement. A spring is fitted around
the bolt between the inner and outer tubes to help hold them in
position when the bolt is loosened. The brace structure is
adjustable at the length so that the interior angles of the
parallelogram may be adjusted, thereby automatically adjusting the
height disposition, relative to standard attachment, of the forward
elemental frame structure as well as the basket, or hoop, and
basketball board attached thereto. The interior bracing structure
is preferably supplied with a detent that can be selected and
positively engaged, whereby to secure the basketball hoop in a
predetermined vertical position.
Inventors: |
Pulley; Harvey E. (Near West
Jordan, UT) |
Assignee: |
Equalizer Inc. (Logan,
UT)
|
Family
ID: |
23326538 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/338,880 |
Filed: |
March 7, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/484;
248/284.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
63/083 (20130101); A63B 2225/093 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
63/00 (20060101); A63B 63/08 (20060101); A63b
063/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/1.5R,1.5A
;248/4,284,413 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
908,055 |
|
Oct 1962 |
|
GB |
|
1,152,846 |
|
May 1969 |
|
GB |
|
275,125 |
|
May 1951 |
|
CH |
|
44-5893 |
|
Jun 1969 |
|
JA |
|
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Shapiro; Paul E.
Claims
I claim:
1. Basketball hoop and board support structure including, in
combination: front and rear, vertical elemental frames; plural
spaced pivot means disposed on opposite sides of said frames; a
pair of sets of parallelogram bars respectively disposed on
opposite sides of said frames and pivotally attached to said pivot
means; and extensible brace means for fixing the vertical
disposition of said front elemental frame relative to said rear
elemental frame upon the pivotal repositioning of said bars,
wherein said brace means comprises an outer tubular member
receiving an inner telescoping member, and means connected to said
outer tubular member for adjustably fixing the disposition of said
inner telescoping member relative to said outer tubular member,
wherein said outer tubular member includes means for threadedly and
thereby adjustably engaging said inner tubular member, said support
structure including compression spring means disposed transversely
within said outer tubular member and circumscribing said adjustably
engaging means.
Description
The present invention relates to support structure for supporting
basketball hoops, or baskets, and also basketball boards and, more
particularly, to a new and improved support structure, attachable
or attached to an upright standard, wherein the vertical
disposition of the basketball hoop can be selectively adjusted for
proper height.
It is well known that small boys and girls who wish to practice at
a basketball-stand much prefer a hoop that can be adjusted as to
height. When larger boys come the hoop can be erected to a higher
position whereas for the small boys both hoop and board may be
lowered.
The present invention accomplishes this objective by providing
structure in the form of a three dimensional parallelogram, having
corner apices which are pivoted for desired condition. Accordingly,
the pivot structures provided provide that the forward elemental
frame structure of the invention may be raised or lowered relative
to the rearward elemental frame structure, the latter being
attached to the standard. An interior brace provided whereby during
or after basketball hoop selection for height, the brace may be
tightened conveniently so as to assure that the parallelograms
structure will remain rigid.
The bracing structure itself is a telescoping structure having
adjustable beams for accomplishing a detent, to thereby pre-select
or regulate the degree or length of extension of the interior
member of the telescoping brace relative to its exterior portion.
Stop and spring means are also provided, together with adjustable
handle and appropriate means cooperative therewith.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to
provide new and approved structure useable in or with or
supplementing current basketball standards, the same being
opperative to lower a basketball hoop and board combination or,
alternatively, raise the same as desired.
A further object is to provide, as structure useable for tying a
basketball board to an upright standard in unique structure taking
the form of an adjustable parallelogram, and means for fixing the
interior angles and hence the degree of orientation of the
parallelogram structure.
An additional object is to provide a three dimensional
parallelogram structure for basketball boards, hoops, and the like,
which structure is pivoted at its apices so that relative vertical
adjustment can be had betwwen the forward elemental frame and the
rearward elemental frame thereof.
An additional object is to provide a telescoping brace structure
basketball standards, this preferably having locking means, and the
same being useful for selective adjusting basketball apparatus for
and manner placement.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be
novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The
present invention, both as to its organization andmanner of
operation, together with further object and advantages thereof, may
best be understood by reference to the following description, taken
;in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the structure of the present
invention incorporating the brace structure provided; for
convenience of illustration the basket and board, themselves
forming no part of the invention, are disclosed in phantom
lines.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation in reduced scale of the structure in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but illustrates the structure FIG. 1 as
having been pulled downwardly relative to the front elemental
frame, the same also incorporating the brace structure, this time
elongated.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, portions of which are in
section, of the central extensible brace structure of the
invention.
For convenience of illustration, cross-bracing is shown solely in
FIG. 1. The essence of the invention is the presentation of support
structure for supporting a basketball hoop and board from an
upright standard wall or the like. The structure comprises of a
three dimensional parallelogram pivot means for which are provided
at respective apices.
A vertical post or a standard 10 has secured to it a frame 11.
Frame 11 includes rear elemental frame 12 made up of angle iron
braces 13, 14, 15 and 16. These may be all welded together, if
desired. Additionally, straps 17 and 18 are welded to standard 10
at W1 and W2 and are likewise secured at their ends by welding or
other means to elemental frame 12.
Corespondingly, a front elemental frame 18 comprises frame member
19, 20, 21 and 22, all comprising angle iron members being welded
at the respective corners as shown. Each of the elemental frames 12
and 18 include respective pivots 23, 24, 25 and 26, as to the front
elemental frame 18, and also pivots 27-30 which are provided the
rear elemental frame 12. These pivots secure opposite ends of
equal-length parallelogram bars 31-34, as seen, the latter having
cross-braces J, K, L, M secured thereto. The pivot means may
comprise bolt and nut attachments, pin and clevis attachments, and
so forth.
In any event, the rearward elemental frame 12 is provided a
forwardly facing clevis 35, whereas the forward elemental frame 18
is provided with a rearwardly facing clevis 36. Pivot means 37 and
38 coact with the opposite ends 39 and 40 of brace structure
41.
A detail of brace structure 41 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The same
is shown to comprise a tubular channel member 42 of rectangular
cross section, the same having an aperture or aperture 43. A not 44
may be welded at 45 to member 42. An aperture 46 receives the
threaded shank 47 of turndown bolt 48. The latter is provided with
handle 49. Shank 47 may be threaded into a boss 50 of the
structure, as in 51.
Extension member 52 is provided with an aperture or apertures 53
and also with an upstanding member 54 serving as a stop device.
Member 52 includes upper friction surface 55 which cooperates with
end 56 of shank 47 to effect a friction or set-screw type lock upon
the turning of handle 49. Spring 58 is disposed over the shank
between extension member 52 and the inner-wall 59 of member 42 and
its friction effect so that spring end will tend to retain member
52 in place when handle 49 is loosened.
In operation, the extension member 52 may be extended in and out of
member 42. Accordingly, if the basket B and its board A are to be
lowered, then the user would simply pull vertically downwardly upon
the board or frame structure, this prior to loosening the detent
handle bolt 48.
Once the correct position is reached, then the handle may be turned
down within nut 44, the latter being affixed at 45 to member 42, so
that a friction lock as between the bolt shank 47 and surface 55 is
maintained. The board A itself may be secured as by attachments T
to the elemental frame structure at 18. The basket, of course, may
be attached by any suitable means such as bolt means D to the
forward elemental frame 18.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been
shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art
that changes and modifications may be made without departing from
this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in
the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications
that fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
* * * * *