U.S. patent number 3,840,228 [Application Number 05/270,250] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-08 for jockey goal combined with y-shape goaltender therefore.
Invention is credited to Daniel F. Greaney.
United States Patent |
3,840,228 |
Greaney |
October 8, 1974 |
JOCKEY GOAL COMBINED WITH Y-SHAPE GOALTENDER THEREFORE
Abstract
A device for use by children or adults in training or practicing
hockey, characterized by its ability to return or deflect hockey
pucks and so shaped that it represents a goalie's position in front
of a standard goal which causes the players to develop habits which
they can translate to actual play. The device is affixed in a
forwardly disposed V-shape in front of a hockey goal whereby pucks
striking the device are diverted to either side thereof.
Additionally, the device has an aperture therethrough simulating
the opening between the legs of a player and a pocket therein for
receiving and holding a puck simulating the catching of a puck by a
player.
Inventors: |
Greaney; Daniel F. (West
Roxbury, MA) |
Family
ID: |
23030539 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/270,250 |
Filed: |
July 10, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/446;
273/127B; 473/164; 273/127R; 273/402 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
63/00 (20130101); A63B 69/34 (20130101); A63B
2208/12 (20130101); A63B 2024/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
63/00 (20060101); A63b 069/00 (); A63b
071/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/1B,26A,127R,127B,29A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Marlo; George J.
Assistant Examiner: Stouffer; R. T.
Claims
I claim:
1. A goaltender for rejecting pucks to prevent scoring in
combination with a hockey goal commonly used in the popular hockey
game comprising,
a first vertical puck rejecting frame,
a second vertical puck rejecting frame,
resilient deflecting energy absorbent means for covering said
frames,
means for interconnecting said frames at a preselected angle, said
frames being interconnected with an opening midway therebetween,
said opening being shaped to simulate the opening between the legs
of a goalie, at least one of said first frame and said second frame
further including means therein for receiving and holding a puck
simulating the catching of a puck by a player, and means for
affixing said interconnected frames in a forwardly disposed V-shape
in front of said goal whereby pucks striking the surface of each
angularly disposed frame are diverted to either side of said goal
forcing the players to chase after it.
2. A goaltender according to claim 1 wherein said covering means is
selected from the group consisting of, sheet rubber, sheet plywood,
a fine nylon mesh, fiberglass and plastic strips.
3. A goaltender according to claim 1 wherein said means for
affixing said goaltender in a predisposed position in front of said
goal includes struts attachable to said goal by means of a clamp
arrangement.
Description
This invention relates to hockey, and more particularly to a device
useful in practicing and training for hockey players.
Hockey is a well-known game and is played very actively in the
northern climates where ice is available. Several players wearing
ice skates, using a hockey stick, cause the puck, a hard round
rubber object, to be sent past a goaltender who tries to prevent
its passage into a net called the goal. Quite often the players do
not have enough players to practice hockey on the ice;
consequently, a device which would enable them to play and practice
without the need of a goaltender, would accommodate this shortage
of players.
The goaltender necessarily is the object of numerous injuries. He
is required to wear considerable padding and special equipment for
the puck, if it hits him, will cause injury and pain. Therefore, if
during practice sessions and in training one were able to eliminate
the need for a goaltender, injuries from the game could be
considerably reduced. Moreover, the special equipment which
goaltenders would require would not be necessary during practice
and training sessions.
No such equipment has been made available in the prior art,
however, in other fields such as baseball devices have been made to
return the ball to pitchers so that they could practice pitching.
However, the ball is returned directly and in hockey a specific
training requirement is that the hockey player aim at certain
segments of the net which are likely to be unguarded so they will
be able to score. Moreover, they are required to take a shot and if
the guard deflects it like he does they must attempt again to head
towards that new place so that they can recapture the hockey puck
and try for another goal. The present invention, therefore,
delivers or returns the puck in such a way that it duplicates what
one would encounter in actual play.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a
goaltender for the game of hockey.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the injuries
to goaltenders by eliminating their need during practice and
training sessions.
Another object of the present invention is to enable hockey
practice and training sessions, although all the players,
especially a goaltender are not available.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a goaltender
which duplicates that encountered in actual play.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a goaltender,
whereby the equipment required of goaltenders is not necessary in
playing hockey on the street or ice.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention
will be better understood from the following detailed
specification, especially when read in conjunction with the
attached drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a straight view of the present invention.
Referring now to FIG. 1, we see a hockey player and the present
invention from on top of the ice or just above it. Ordinary goal 11
and the hockey player 16 are encountered on ice 24 quite often,
with his stick 31, the player 16 causes puck 17 to be launched or
sent with a rather considerable force to the goal 11. Normally
another player dressed in the necessary padded equipment to protect
him tends the goal, his job is to intercept the puck and he causes
it to go to the left or the right. All the players including
players from the opposing team, head for the puck if it goes left
or right and the goaltender does this very swiftly. Accordingly,
the players on both teams must attempt to immediately retreave the
puck when a player has tried to score a goal and have the puck
diverted by the goaltender.
It is obvious then that the goaltender is in the line of fire and
can be injured by the puck, however, although inherent in the game,
injuries can be reduced if during hockey practice or training
sessions the goaltender is duplicated by means of the present
device. Referring again to FIG. 1 we note that a device 22 called
the goaltender is placed immediately in front of goal 11. The
supports 20 keep the goaltender erect on the ice. We note two
slopping services 12 and 13 separated by an angle theta, this angle
can be changed at will by pushing in or pulling out the slopping
surfaces. This enables the coach to change the angle of deflection
so that the players do not become accustomed to having the puck
diverted the same amount of angle everytime. It also enables the
coach to introduce variety into the play.
The player 16 with his stick 31 now launches puck 17 along path 18,
it strikes the slopping surface 13 and is diverted off to side
along path 34. We note that the puck along path 34 will cause the
player 16 an anybody in his immediate environment to immediately
skate to the right of the tender to retrieve the puck and attempt a
new goal, or if it is a competing player, to get the puck and bring
it back to the other end of the ice. It is seen then that the
goaltender in actual practice duplicates a real live goaltender in
every essential way by the simple expedient of deflecting the puck
to the right or left depending upon which surface is struck.
Referring now to FIG. 2, we see the goaltender of the present
invention straight on, we have painted on here for purposes of
esthetics an actual player. The player presents approximately this
sort of frame, the corners of the goal 11 which are 37 and 38 must
be the targets for the players. Goaltender cannot cover the entire
goal, accordingly he centers himself and necessarily leaves open
the corners 38 and 37 during actual play. Accordingly, the players
must develop motor reactions which force them to head for those
positions. However, their control over the puck is limited and they
quite often have their puck intercepted by the goalie 22. And as
seen above depending upon the sloping surface the puck is diverted
to the left or right. This is what one encounters in actual play
for the goalie as he intercepts the puck, obviously attempts to get
rid of it immediately so that it can not slip into the goal by
accident, so if he is on the left side of the goal will cause the
puck to go to the left, if he is on the right side of the goal he
will cause the puck to go to the right. Accordingly the present
invention on this score duplicates what one encounters in actual
play. At the same time, obviating the need for an actual goalie and
his equipment thereby avoiding the necessity for the equipment, the
extra player and above all avoiding injury to a player who plays in
this game.
Referring now again to FIG. 2, we see an opening 14, this
duplicates the opening one encounters in actual play between the
goalie's legs and if you are fortunate enough to hit dead center,
the puck will score. However, this is not too common, but it does
give variety and a sense of reality to the players so that they
will learn to accommodate this facet of play.
Along this same line, a pocket has been placed where the goalie's
hand is at 15. Pocket 15, if the puck is hit there, will be caught
by the player and it will not be diverted to the left or the right
and the puck will remain there and the players will have to
retrieve it in order to continue play. Again a sense of realism is
introduced to the game by way of this pocket and if the player aims
his puck toward the goalie to his hand it will be intercepted and
the diversion to the left or the right will not be encountered and
he will not be able to retrieve the puck, so accordingly he will
avoid aiming the puck or letting the puck leave the ice to that
height.
The present invention is constructed of tubing 39 which makes a
complete frame, the frame has two parts for sloping surfaces 12 and
13 which are hinged together by a simple loop mechanism 40. The
supports 20 are also of steel tubing and are pivotally connected at
point 41 by means of a simple pin arrangement. Struts 20 are held
to the goal frame by means of thumb screws 45, such arrangements
are well-known in the art and will not be discussed further. Any
clamp which is easily affixed to the frame will do, nothing is
complex about it. The entire frame 12 and 13 are covered preferably
by means of a latex material, the latex material will absorb the
impact of the puck and cause it to be deflected to the right or
left as the case maybe. However, canvas and even plywood can be
used effectively in this regard, however plywood would be quite
noisy and if the game were in front of one's house, on the street,
neighbors would complain from the constant impact of the puck
against the hard plywood surface. Accordingly, the preferred
material is sheet latex or rubber of about a 1/8-inch grade,
thinner grades might rip due to constant usage. It is apparent now
that the simple frame of steel or aluminum or even wood for that
matter, can be affixed by means of simple clamps to the goal and a
sheet of latex or similar material covering the framework will
provide a very inexpensive goaltender. Some grades of plastic might
be found as durable and more inexpensive and may be substituted for
the sheet material. An open net, although possibly useful, is not
held desirable because the puck after a while would be caught in
the openings or diverted in an askew manner, so preferably a solid
sheet would be the preferred material.
As I have pointed out, through this specification the embodiment of
a goaltender as I have described it can be useful on ice hockey
during training and practice sessions. Owing to its inexpensive
nature, it can also be used in the popular game of street hockey,
whereby children play in the street without skates, but use hockey
sticks and a puck. The danger of injury to a goaltender is again
considerably reduced by means of the present invention.
Accordingly, owing to the inexpensive nature of the present
invention, this unit will find extensive use for young people in
the game of street hockey.
Although I have described my invention with reference to specific
apparatus, I do not wish to be limited thereby. I wish to be
limited only by the appended claims.
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