GB2441744A - Apparatus for limiting the flight of a ball - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for limiting the flight of a ball having a relatively rigid frame (3A, 3B) supporting a relatively flexible retaining member, the rigid frame designed to be extended from a collapsed, stowed position to a deployed position where it forms a tunnel. Preferably the frame extends in a concertina or telescopic action, comprises sub-frames linked by hinged connecting member, is mounted on pivotally attached wheels or castors 8 to assist extension of the frame and may be mounted to a wall or other supporting structure. The flexible member is optionally a net which in conjunction with the frame provides a sports cage.

Description

2441744

Apparatus for Limiting the Flight of a Ball

The following invention relates to apparatus for limiting the flight of a ball and is thought to be particularly useful for use in the training or playing of ball sports such as cricket or baseball.

5 It is conventional when practising such games to use an enclosure commonly referred to as a 'net' or a 'cage' to restrict the flight of balls after being pitched at, and possibly hit by, a batsman.

Crickct training grounds arc frequently shared for use with other sporting activities and thus it is preferable that any equipment used during training can be taken away or 10 compactly stored on premises.

Existing cricket net dividers are formed from two lengths of netting which are either supported by posts in the ground, or when indoors, by rails supported on the ceiling or upper portion of an interior wall. At the end of training, the nets can be drawn in and the posts removed for storage. An alternative form of enclosure is the free 15 standing cage which is particularly useful where no supporting walls are available. However, the storage of cages is often more difficult than of nets as they require disassembly into many pieces which is time consuming.

The following invention was conceived with the purpose to provide a cricket cage which can be quickly and easily collapsed for storage where there is limited space and 20 reassembled with equal speed and ease.

There is provided apparatus for limiting the flight of a ball having a relatively rigid frame supporting a relatively flexible retaining member, the rigid frame being designed to be extended from a collapsed, stowed position to a deployed position where it forms a tunnel.

-2-

The term tunnel is used in this specification to include tunnel-like structures having two side walls and a ceiling, particularly those which are significantly longer than they are wide. It is also used to describe enclosures which do not have a ceiling.

In a preferred embodiment, the structure is formed from a number of sub-frames 5 which are connected together with hinged connecting members such that the frame can be extended with a concertina or telescopic action. It is further preferred that the hinged connecting members can be releasably locked in an open position.

It is beneficial to mount the structure on wheels to ease extension. Preferably, these wheels are allowed to pivot so that they can track the direction of the frames as they 10 move during extension.

Another preferred feature is the inclusion of brackets or other means for attaching the enclosure to a wall or other supporting structure.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following figures in which:

15 Figure 1 illustrates a collapsible cricket cage in an opened position;

Figure 2 illustrates a collapsible crickct cage in a stowed position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a slidable locking mechanism in an unlocked position;

Figure 4 is plan view of a slidable locking mechanism in a locked position;

20 Figure 5 is a plan view of a ccntral hinge unlocked and in a folded position;

and

-3-

Figure 6 is a side view of a central hinge in an unlocked position

Referring to Fig 1 and 2 there is shown a cricket cage 1 formed from a series of upturned 'U' frames 3B and a square end frame 3A supporting netting 2. The frames 3 are hingedly interconnected at their ends and corners by pairs of traversing 5 members 4 which are themselves hinged 5 at a point near their centre. Supported substantially near the centre of each hinge 5 are sliders 6.

Upper and lower sliders 6A and 6B associated with upper and lower pairs of connecting members 4 between each frame 3, are supported on one of each pair member 4 and connected together by a vertical member 7. The vertical member 7 10 allows pairs of sliders to be slid to an open or closed position simultaneously and also acts to provide strength to the cage 1. The sliders can be moved between an unlocked position (Fig 3), away from the central hinge 5 and a locked position (Fig 4) in which the slider 5 straddles between the hinged members 4 and prevents movement of the members 4 about the hinge 5. The slider 6 defines a guide channel 6A and a notch 15 6B into which bolts 4A are homed and which check and guide the motion of the slider 6 between locked and unlocked positions.

To improve the stability of the structure, brackets 9 are attached to the square-end frame 3A so that the cage 1 can be connected and supported by a wall or other supporting structure. To stabilise the connecting members and reduce the weight 20 carried by the hinges 5; the frames 3 A and joints between the traversing members 4 and frame 3 are strengthened by inclusion of a diagonal strut which is also hinged to the frame 2.

At the base of frames 3B are attached castors 8 which facilitate the movement of the frames 3B across the ground during the opening and closing of the cagc 1.

25 The cage 1 is collapsed in stages starting at the end furthest from the square end frame 3A by collapsing the furthest frame 3B from frame 3A to the next furthest

-4-

frame 3B. This collapsed portion is then itself collapsed towards the next furthest frame and so on. To fold (or collapse) each segment the sliders 6 associated with that segment are first moved from their locked position, to their unlocked position. This leaves the hinged traversing members 4 free to pivot inwards about the hinge 5 5 causing the pairs of members 4 to fold together until substantially parallel with each other and the cross bars of frames 3B. This movement is aided by the castor 8. The above process is repeated until all of the frames have been folded in on each other and lie against the square frame 3 A. To open up the cagc, the above proccss is reversed.

-5-

Claims (7)

Claims

1. Apparatus for limiting the flight of a ball having a relatively rigid frame supporting a relatively flexible retaining member, the rigid frame being designed to be extended from a collapsed, stowed, position to a deployed position where it forms 5 a tunnel.

2 Apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the frame is designed to extend in a concertina or telescopic action.

3 Apparatus according to Claims 1 or 2 in which the frame comprises a scries of sub-frames linked together by hinged connecting members.

10

4 Apparatus according to Claims 1 -3 in which the frame is mounted on wheels to assist in the extension of the frame.

5 Apparatus according to Claim 4 in which the wheels are attached pivotally so as to allow the wheel to follow the direction of movement of frame as it is extended or collapsed.

15

6 Apparatus according to Claims 3,4, 5 when dependent upon claim 3 in which the hinges arc releasably locked in an open positioned by a sliding catch means.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6 in which sliding catch means associated with an upper and lower sliding catch means are connected by a supporting strut.

7 Apparatus according to ant preceding Claim in which the flexible member is a 20 net.

-6-

8 Apparatus according to any prcccding Claim further having means for attaching the frame to a wall or other supporting structure.

9 A sports cage constructed according to any preceding claim.