CA2129864A1 - Method and tape construction for laying out a baseball diamond - Google Patents

Method and tape construction for laying out a baseball diamond

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Publication number
CA2129864A1
CA2129864A1 CA 2129864 CA2129864A CA2129864A1 CA 2129864 A1 CA2129864 A1 CA 2129864A1 CA 2129864 CA2129864 CA 2129864 CA 2129864 A CA2129864 A CA 2129864A CA 2129864 A1 CA2129864 A1 CA 2129864A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
base
marking
tape
loop
distance
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2129864
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Armand Delaurier
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2129864A1 publication Critical patent/CA2129864A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

13 A reel dedicated to the layout of a baseball diamond includes a tape with an inner end reeled onto a reel body and an outer end attached to the reel body to form a loop of the tape. The loop has a length 2x + ?2x and has a first base marking at a distance x from the outer end, a second base marking at a distance 2x from the outer end, a third base marking at a distance x + ?2x from the outer end and a pitcher's plate marking at a distance of y from the inner end. x is equal to the required distance between bases. y is equal to the distance of the pitcher's plate from home base. The loop is pulled out into a first triangle from first base to second base and back to home plate and then in a second triangle from home plate to first base and to third base to accurately lay out the positions of pegs.

Description

~ 212986~

METHOD AND TAPE CONSTRUCTION FOR LAYING OUT A
BASEBALL DIAMOND
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for layin~ out a 5 baseball diamond and to a reel of tape arranged for use in layin~ out a baseball diamond.
The baseball diamond has, as you well know, three bases, home plate and a pitcher's mound. The bases are spaced by a pre-determined distance which can varV dependin~ upon the variety 1Q of the game being played. It is of course highly desirable that the angles of the diamond be accurate so that the diamond is properly "squaren , Many baseball diamonds are permanently laid out and marked. In other situations, generally in recreational baseball, it is 15 necessary to mark out the diamond on a bare ground before the ~ame is commenced. In the latter case particularly but also generally, it is desirable that the locations for the bases relative to home plate be positioned accurately and quickly.
It's one object of the present invention, therefore, to 20 provide an improved method for laying out the base markers for a baseball diamond. -It's the second object of this invention to provide an improved tape reel which can be used in laying out a baseball diamond.

.,', : .... . . . . .

~ 2 2i29~4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordin3 ~o a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of laying out a baseball diamond comprising providing a loop of tape, defining on the loop a base position for 5 locating at home base, defining on the tape a first marking indicative of first base, a second markin~ indicative of second base and a third marking indicative of third base, the first marking being located at a distance x from the base position, the second marking being located alon~ the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance 2x from 10 the base position, the third marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the second position at a distance x + ~12x from the base position, the length of the loop being equal to 2x + ~2x, where x is equal to the required distance between bases, locatin~ the base position at a home base marker at a point on the ground selected as 15 home base, pulling the loop in a direction toward an intended location of first base, locating a first base marker on the ground at a position measured by the tape indicated by said first marking, pulling the loop around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a first triangle with the apexes at the base position, at the first base marker 20 and at the second marking, placing a second base marker at the second marking, pulling the loop around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a second triangle with the apexes at the base position, at the first base marker and the third marking, and placin~ a third base marker at the third markin~.
- .

~ 3 2129~ ~

According to a second aspec~ of the invention there is provided a reel of tape for laying out a baseball diamond comprising a reel body, a reel rotatably mounted on the reel body, a tape wound onto the reei so as to define an inner end attached to the reel and an 5 outer end separate from the reel, means on the outer end for attachment of the outer end to the reel body, a first marking on the tape indicative of first base, a second marking on the tape indicative of second base, a third marking on the tape indicative of third base and a pitcher's plate marking on the tape, the first marking being 10 located at a distance x from the outer end, the second marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance 2x from the outer end, the third marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the second marking at a distance x + ~12x from the outer end and the pitcher's plate marking being located at a position 15 along the tape beyond the second markin~ and arranged at a distance from the inner end equal to the required distance of the pitcher's plate from home base the length of the tape from the inner end to the outer end being equal to 2x + ~12x, where x is equal to the required distance between bases and a slide member which is manually 20 graspable and slideable along the tape for pulling the tape into the loop.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

4 212~

Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of a reel and tape accordin~ to the present invention.
Figures 1 A, 1 B, 1 C and 1 D show the details of the indicia on the tape of figure 1.
Figure 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F show a series of steps for use of the tape of Figure 1 in the method of layin~q out a baseball diamond .
In the drawin~s like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The tape and reel as shown in Figure 1 are basically conventional in that the reel comprises a reel body 10 with a handle 11 by which the reel can be lifted and moved from place to place. At the lower end of the reel body is provided a pointed lower member 12 which can be placed on the ~round at a required location. The reel body carries a shaft 13 to which an inner end 14 of the tape 15 is attached. An outer end 16 of the tape is attached back to the reel body for example at the pointed member 12 to form a loop of the tape of a predetermined length. The tape can thus be reeled onto the body to be carried with the ree! or can be pulled out in a loop as shown in Figure 1.
In addition to the conventional reel and tape there is provided a slide member 17 with a manually ~raspable portion 18 and a roller 19 which allows the slide member to slide along the tape to 212~

assist in pulling the loop from the reel and manually manipulatin~ the loop without sliding the loop against the fin~ers of the user.
The tape is modified by the provision of four markin~s includiny a first marking 20, a second markiny 21, a third markin~ 22 5 and a fourth markin~ 23. The first markin~ as shown in the drawin~
is indicative of first base and includes a specific location mark on the tape to~ether with the words "FIRST BASEn~ The second markin~ 21 and the third markin~ 22 are similar to the first markings except that they designate or indicate "SECOND BASE" and "THIRD BASEn 10 respectively. The fourth markin~ 23 is a~ain similar but includes the words "PITCHER'S PLATE".
The markin~s are located on the tape such that the first markin~ is spaced from the outer end of the tape by distance x, the second base marking is spaced from the first base markin~ by a 15 distance x that is by a distance 2x from the outer end. The third base markin~ is spaced from the inner end by a distance x. The full length of the loop is equal to 2x + ~12x. Thus the distance between the second base markin~ and the third base markin~ is equal to ~2x-x.
The pitcher's plate markin~q is spaced from the inner end by a 20 distance y. The distance x is equal to the required spacing between the bases. The distance y is equal to the required distance of the pitcher's mound from home plate. These distances are specified in the particular variety of ~ame concerned and-these~distances vary from 60 feet in some cases up to 90 feet in other cases.

212~

Turning now to Fi~ure 2, the steps of use of the tape and reel of Figure 1 are shown schematically. In the first step a pe~
is placed in the yround at a selected location for home plate on an unmarked fieid or a field in which the diamond is to be marked. The ;
5 point of the reel is located at the pe~ to start the layout. The reel is held at this position permanently until the layout is complete. ;
In step 2 the pulley 17 is yrasped and four further pegs are carried with the operator while the operator walks toward the desired location of first base. As the tape is pulled out, the operator 10 watches for ~he first rnarking and on reaching the first marking grasps the tape at the point, pulls the tape taut and strai~ht and locates the peg at the required position. This position can be moved in an arc around home plate until it is best located for the orientation of the diamond on the field. The tape is then wrapped around the 15 upstandin~ pe~.
In step 3 the operator ~rasps a3ain the pulley 17 and walks away from the peg pulling the tape around the pe~ while walking in the general direction of second base. The operator watches again for the second marking and on reaching the second 20 marking yrasps the tape at that point and then pulls the tape into a taut triangle with the apexes of the triangle arranged at home plate, at the peg at first base, and at the second markin~q. With the tape taut and the trian~le having strai~ht sides, the position of second base is thus located and the second pe~ is applied at this position.

~^ 7 The pe~ for second base is positioned inside the loop so as to hold the tape taut in the first trian~le.
In step 4 the operator leaves the tape in the first trian~le and walks along the tape toward home plate to locate the fourth 5 markin~. A peQ is then applied into the ~round at the fourth markin~
to identify the position of the pitcher's plate. The fourth marking is located at the required spacing from home plate that is at the distance y from the inner end of the tape.
In step 5, the tape loop is removed from the second pe~
10 and the operator walks in the ~eneral direction of third base while pullin~ the tape loop by ~raspin~ the pulley 17. At the same time the operator looks for the third markin~ and on reaching this marking 3rasps the tape at that point and pulls it so that it forms a second trian~le with the apexes at home plate, at the peg at first base and at 15 the third markiny. The fourth peg is then applied to the ~round at the third base markin~ with the triangle held taut.
The tape is then removed from the pegs and rewound onto the reel. The pegs thus indicate the positions of the bases and the pe~s can be removed and the necessary bases placed in position 20 at exactly the required location.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different emboàiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all ,''.; ~."~ ' .

8 2 1 2 ~ ~ ~ 4 matter contained in the accompanying specification sh~ll be .~ :~
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limitinQ sense.

Claims (6)

  1. CLAIMS:
    (1) A method of laying out a baseball diamond comprising providing a loop of tape, defining on the loop a base position for locating at home base, defining on the tape a first marking indicative of first base, a second marking indicative of second base and a third marking indicative of third base, the first marking being located at a distance x from the base position, the second marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance 2x from the base position, the third marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the second position at a distance x + ?2x from the base position, the length of the loop being equal to 2x + ?2x, where x is equal to the required distance between bases, locating the base position at a home base marker at a point on the ground selected as home base, pulling the loop in a direction toward an intended location of first base, locating a first base marker on the ground at a position measured by the tape indicated by said first marking, pulling the loop around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a first triangle with the apexes at the base position, at the first base marker and at the second marking, placing a second base marker at the second marking, pulling the loop around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a second triangle with the apexes at the base position, at the first base marker and the third marking, and placing a third base marker at the third marking.
  2. 2) The method according to claim 1 including providing a pitcher's plate marking on the tape at a position along the tape beyond the third marking and, with the loop in the first triangle, locating a pitcher's plate marker on the ground at the pitcher's plate marking.
  3. 3) The method according to claim 1 including winding the tape onto a reel so as to define an inner end on the reel and an outer end and attaching the outer end to the reel so as to form the loop of tape between the inner end and the outer end.
  4. 4) The method according to claim 3 including providing a slide member slideable on the tape and grasping the loop by the slide member.
  5. 5) A reel of tape for laying out a baseball diamond comprising a reel body, a reel rotatably mounted on the reel body, a tape wound onto the reel so as to define an inner end attached to the reel and an outer end separate from the reel, means on the outer end for attachment of the outer end to the reel body, a first marking on the tape indicative of first base, a second marking on the tape indicative of second base, a third marking on the tape indicative of third base and a pitcher's plate marking on the tape, the first marking being located at a distance x from the outer end, the second marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance 2x from the outer end, the third marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the second marking at a distance x + ?2x from the outer end and the pitcher's plate marking being located at a position along the tape beyond the second marking and arranged at a distance from the inner end equal to the required distance of the pitcher's plate from home base the length of the tape from the inner end to the outer end being equal to 2x + ?2x, where x is equal to the required distance between bases and a slide member which is manually graspable and slideable along the tape for pulling the tape into the loop.
  6. 6) A method of laying out a baseball diamond comprising providing a loop of tape, defining on the loop a base position for locating at home base, defining on the tape a first marking indicative of first base, a second marking indicative of second base and a third marking indicative of third base, the first marking being located at a distance x from the base position, the second marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance 2x from the base position, the third marking being located along the loop of tape beyond the second position at a distance x + ?2x from the base position, the length of the loop being equal to 2x + ?2x, where x is equal to the required distance between bases, providing a pitcher's plate marking on the tape at a position along the tape beyond the third marking, locating the base position at a home base marker at a point on the ground selected as home base, providing the tape as a continuous tape, providing a slide member slideable on the tape along the full length of the continuous tape and grasping the loop by the slide member, pulling the loop by the slide member in a direction toward an intended location of first base, locating a first base marker on the ground at a position measured by the tape indicated by said first marking, pulling the loop by the slide member around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a first triangle with apexes of the triangle at the base position, at the first base marker and at the second marking, placing a second base marker at the second marking, locating a pitcher's plate marker on the ground at the pitcher's plate marking, pulling the loop by the slide member around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a second triangle with apexes of the second triangle at the base position, at the first base marker and the third marking, and placing a third base marker at the third marking.
CA 2129864 1993-08-10 1994-08-10 Method and tape construction for laying out a baseball diamond Abandoned CA2129864A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10317993A 1993-08-10 1993-08-10
US103,179 1993-08-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2129864A1 true CA2129864A1 (en) 1995-02-11

Family

ID=22293811

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2129864 Abandoned CA2129864A1 (en) 1993-08-10 1994-08-10 Method and tape construction for laying out a baseball diamond

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2129864A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104511950A (en) * 2014-12-19 2015-04-15 重庆大江渝强塑料制品有限公司 Hole drilling device for wood plate

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104511950A (en) * 2014-12-19 2015-04-15 重庆大江渝强塑料制品有限公司 Hole drilling device for wood plate

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