GB1592757A - Apparatus for use in playing and practising ball games - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR USE IN PLAYING AND PRACTISING BALL GAMES (71) We, POLYFREEM LIMITED, a British Company of Lansdowne House, Bournemouth, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to apparatus for use in playing and practicing ball games, for example tennis. As will be apparent from the following description of the invention the apparatus cannot be used in playing known games such as lawn tennis though it is useful in practising such games; nevertheless the apparatus may be used not only practising but actually in playing certain games, particularly new games, which incorporate the apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for use in playing and practising ball games, comprising a support, faced with a layer of resilient foam material, which in use can be disposed so that it extends in an upright or inclined position, a first part of the layer being such that when it is struck by a games ball it yields resiliently and then returns or assists in returning the ball, and a second part of the layer, which in use is disposed below the first part, being such that it returns or assists in returning the ball less forcefully than does the first part.

In use the apparatus may be disposed with the layer of foam vertical or it may be somewhat inclined so that the foam layer is inclined to the vertical and faces forwards and upwards.

The apparatus may be used, for example, by a player wishing to practice tennis strokes.

To this end the player stands in front of the apparatus and serves a ball at the first or upper part of the foam layer. The layer yields resiliently and in returning to or towards its uncompressed state causes the ball to return, or assists in causing the ball to return. The resilience of the ball itself may assist in the return of the ball, at least to a small extent. The nature of the layer is preferably such that the ball is returned at a speed largely independent of the speed of the ball striking the layer. With that arrangement the player can repeatedly play the ball so that it strikes the first part of the layer, and the ball is returned to him or her at substantially a uniform speed so that the player can readily strike the ball again.

The boundary between the first and second parts of the layer represents a limit below which the player should not strike the ball. If the player inadvertently causes the ball to strike the second part of the layer, if only partially, the ball is returned less forcefully with the result that the player may either be unable to strike the ball back again or be able only with difficulty to strike the ball.

The apparatus is preferably such that when it is in the normal position of use the boundary between the first and second parts of the layer is horizontal; preferably it is at the same level as would be the top of a tennis net, that is about three feet above the floor or ground.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a front quarter perspective view of apparatus embodying the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of apparatus embodying the present invention, suspended from a wall, and Figure 4 is a front view of apparatus embodying the present invention.

The apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is intended for use in practising lawn tennis and briefly comprises a relatively rigid support panel 10, faced with a layer of resilient foam material 11, and a stand 12. The stand 12 is constructed of steel and has legs 13 enabling it to be placed on a horizontal surface such as a floor or a lawn. The support panel 10 comprises a rectangular panel of weather-resistant hardboard. In a typical construction the board is a quarter of an inch thick, seven feet wide and four feet high. The support panel may be secured to the stand by means of rearwardly projecting bolts (not shown) which project through holes in the stand and are releasably secured by wing-nuts.The stand 12 is such that the support panel 10 can be disposed vertically or, by adjustment of the stand, can be inclined somewhat (as illustrated) so that it faces forwards and slightly upwards at any desired angle. The lower edge of the panel is about two feet eight inches above the ground.

The layer of resilient foam material 11 is of uniform thickness and is adhesively secured over the entire front surface of the support panel 10. In a typical construction the layer of foam 11 is three inches thick. Different parts of the foam layer, covering different areas of the panel, are of different kinds of foam. The upper part of the panel, that is the entire area above a horizontal line four inches from the lower edge of the panel, is covered with a sheet 14 of polyurethane foam of a first type (A), while the lower part of the panel, that is the entire area below that line is covered with a uniform sheet or strip 15 of polyurethane foam of a second type (B).The properties of these two types of foam is as follows: Type A Type B Density 38-42 Kgs/M3 14.5-16.5 Kgs/M3 Hardness 18-22 Kgs 12-16 Kgs Elongation; 250% 200% minimum Tensile Strength; 15 p.s.i. 12 p.s.i.

minimum Compression Set 5% 8% maximum The hardness is determined in accordance with the test described in BS 3667 Part 1; and the compression set is determined in accordance with the test described in BS 3379:1961 Appendix D.

It is found by experiment that when tennis balls are causes to strike the foam layers with similar trajectories and at the same velocity, foam of the second type (B) causes a ball to return less forcefully than foam of the first type (A).

It is intended that in use the player should practice causing the ball to rebound from the upper part of the foam layer. It will be appreciated from the dimensions given above that in the preferred construction the boundary between the upper and lower sheets of foam 14 and 15 is about three feet above the level of the surface on which the stand 12 is disposed.

This height is the same as that of the centre of a standard tennis net. If the player inadvertently causes the ball to strike the lower sheet 15 of the foam layer 11 the ball will rebound less forcefully and thus follow an unexpected path much in the same way that in lawn tennis a returning ball striking the top of the net as it passes over the net loses momentum and tends to fall below its expected trajectory.

In the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the upper sheet 14 of the foam layer 11 is of one colour, for example green, while the lower sheet 15 has an upper band of a contrasting colour, such as white, and a lower band of the same colour as the upper sheet 14. Thus the upper band resembles the white band at the top of a tennis net. In a modified arrangement the lower band of the lower sheet 15 is patterned like a tennis net. In a different modification the whole of the lower sheet 15 is of one colour, as shown in Figure 4.

In another construction which is similar in appearance to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 the lower part of the support panel 10 carries horizontal strips of two types of foam. The upper strip, which may be white and about one inch high, is made of foam of the second type (B) and acts much in the manner described above. The lower strip, which may be green, or green with a white net pattern, is about three inches high and may comprise foam of the first type (A). It is intended that the player should only rarely cause a ball to strike this trip, and it therefore does not matter much if the ball rebounds from the lower strip in a manner similar to that in which it rebounds from the upper part of the foam layer.To enable a more realistic effect to be achieved, however, the lower strip is preferably formed from a foam material such that a ball striking it rebounds even less forcefully than a ball striking the upper strip. A preferred form of foam for the lower strip is of the polyester kind and has a density of 22.5 to 24.5 Kgs/M3 and a pore count of 20 to 30. As the foam is not of a load-bearing nature (unlike the polyurethane foams of the kinds referred to above as types A and B) figures for hardness, elongation, tensile strength and compression set are normally irrelevant and are therefore not given.

If desired the stand 12 may be omitted and the foam-faced support panel 10 may be mounted at a suitable height on a vertical wall, as shown in Figure 3. In a preferred arrangement the support panel 10 is supported from its upper edge, while the lower edge is held a short way away from the wall, as by means of spacing blocks 16 fixed to the back of the panel, so that the foam layer faces forwards and slightly upwards. The types of foam materials employed and the disposition of the foam materials on the support panel may be the same as those described above. If the blocks 16 are removed the foam-faced support panel hangs vertically.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for use in playing and practising ball games, comprising a support, faced with a layer of resilient foam material, which in use can be disposed so that it extends in an upright or inclined position, a first part of the layer being such that when it is struck by a games ball it yields resiliently and then returns or assists in returning the ball, and a second part of the layer, which in use is disposed below the first part, being such that it returns or assists in returning the ball less forcefully than does the first part.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 including a stand which when disposed on a horizontal surface can hold the support so that the foam layer is inclined to the vertical and faces forwards and upwards.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2 in which the arrangement is such that when the stand is disposed on a horizontal surface the boundary between the upper and lower parts of the layer is horizontal and is at a height of about three feet.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which there is a third part of the layer, which in use is disposed below the second part, the third part being such that it returns or assists in returning the ball less forcefully than does the second part.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4 in which the second part of the layer comprises a narrow strip which extends horizontally in use.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which the foam layer comprises polyurethane foam, the first and second parts thereof having physical properties substantially as herein set forth as Type A and Type B respectively.

7. Apparatus for use in playing and practicing ball games substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. enable a more realistic effect to be achieved, however, the lower strip is preferably formed from a foam material such that a ball striking it rebounds even less forcefully than a ball striking the upper strip. A preferred form of foam for the lower strip is of the polyester kind and has a density of 22.5 to 24.5 Kgs/M3 and a pore count of 20 to 30. As the foam is not of a load-bearing nature (unlike the polyurethane foams of the kinds referred to above as types A and B) figures for hardness, elongation, tensile strength and compression set are normally irrelevant and are therefore not given. If desired the stand 12 may be omitted and the foam-faced support panel 10 may be mounted at a suitable height on a vertical wall, as shown in Figure 3. In a preferred arrangement the support panel 10 is supported from its upper edge, while the lower edge is held a short way away from the wall, as by means of spacing blocks 16 fixed to the back of the panel, so that the foam layer faces forwards and slightly upwards. The types of foam materials employed and the disposition of the foam materials on the support panel may be the same as those described above. If the blocks 16 are removed the foam-faced support panel hangs vertically. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for use in playing and practising ball games, comprising a support, faced with a layer of resilient foam material, which in use can be disposed so that it extends in an upright or inclined position, a first part of the layer being such that when it is struck by a games ball it yields resiliently and then returns or assists in returning the ball, and a second part of the layer, which in use is disposed below the first part, being such that it returns or assists in returning the ball less forcefully than does the first part.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 including a stand which when disposed on a horizontal surface can hold the support so that the foam layer is inclined to the vertical and faces forwards and upwards.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2 in which the arrangement is such that when the stand is disposed on a horizontal surface the boundary between the upper and lower parts of the layer is horizontal and is at a height of about three feet.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which there is a third part of the layer, which in use is disposed below the second part, the third part being such that it returns or assists in returning the ball less forcefully than does the second part.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4 in which the second part of the layer comprises a narrow strip which extends horizontally in use.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which the foam layer comprises polyurethane foam, the first and second parts thereof having physical properties substantially as herein set forth as Type A and Type B respectively.

7. Apparatus for use in playing and practicing ball games substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.