GB2371756A

GB2371756A - Rugby tackle training apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2371756A
Application number: GB0102833A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Putnam
Original assignee: Putnam Health Ltd
Current assignee: Putnam Health Ltd
Priority date: 2001-02-05
Filing date: 2001-02-05
Publication date: 2002-08-07
Also published as: WO2002062430A1; GB0102833D0

Abstract

Training apparatus comprises an impact absorbing generally cylindrical body 11 which has a filamentary material 16 extending from the base 14 and is resiliently attached to ground engaging anchor means 19 which include means 20 to record the impact force exerted on the body. Preferably the body has a waisted 13 or hour-glass shape in which the narrowest part of the body is below the centre of gravity. Optionally the force recording means may comprise a tube member 20 with an upper face that has an elongate slot 24, a base 18, an elastic element 21 attached to a rod member 22 and a slidable saddle member 26 which is snapped over the tube and indicates the force measured against calibration marks 27. The body member may be formed from vinyl plastics sheet material around a foamed plastics core.

Description

Training Apparatus (II) This invention relates to apparatus for training purposes in contact sports and particularly provides apparatus for tackle training in the game of rugby football and other such games involving tackling with the object of stopping an opponent in possession of the ball by bringing him to the ground.

In this specification, any term denoting the male gender is to be taken as embracing the female.

In the game of rugby football, it is an acceptable and legitimate form of tackling an opponent in possession of the ball to grab him with the arms about the lower body or thighs and bring him to the ground so that he releases the ball.

It is an object of the present invention to provide training apparatus which can improve tackling skills within the above criteria.

In one aspect, the present invention provides training apparatus comprising an impact-absorbing generally cylindrical body member having a substantially flat base, an elongate filamentary material extending from the base and resiliently attached to a ground-engaging anchor means, the anchor means including means to record the impact force exerted on the body member in use.

Preferably, the body member has a waisted or hour-glass shape, the narrow or reduced-diameter part representing the intended or preferred height of attack by a person practising a rugby-type tackle. The narrowest part is preferably below the centre of gravity of the body member. However, the filamentary material may optionally be attached to the end of the body remote from the base, that is, the body member may be invertible in use.

The filamentary material is preferably attached to the central region of the base and comprises a rope, cord or the like, especially formed from polypropylene or other rot-resistant fibre. The ground-engaging anchor means may comprise a plate or other support device attached to which is one end of an elongate elastic element, the other end of which is attached to the filamentary material, the support device including means to anchor it to the ground. Such means may comprise, for example, a loop of flexible material to receive a ground-engaging peg or which can be wrapped around the base of a post, for example a rugby goal post. The elastic element and the filamentary material may be attached together via a rigid elongate connector which may be slidingly supported in a channel or conduit member, the impact force recording means comprising an indicator means for denoting against the channel or conduit member the position of maximum linear elastic deformation of the elastic element under an impact force. For this purpose, the indicator means may comprise a follower member slidingly carried on the channel or conduit member and urged there along by a projecting peg or spigot attached to the moving end of the elastic element or to the connector, the follower member being so urged in the extension direction but not in the retraction direction, whereby the follower member remains on the channel or conduit member at the position of maximum deformation, preferably in relation to a calibration scale carried by or on the channel or conduit member.

In use, the base of the body member will tend to remain upright and to move transationally following a tackle charge at the intended height and from the general direction of the ground anchor, tension being applied to the filamentary material via the elastic element and connection, if present. A tackle at the wrong height-that is, too high-will on the other hand merely result in the body member toppling over immediately.

The body member is preferably formed from a vinyl plastics sheet material stitched or otherwise secured about a resilient foamed plastics core.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing.

As shown in the drawing, the apparatus consists of a resilient impact-absorbing body member 11 which is of generally cylindrical shape and stands upright on the ground. The side wall of the body member tapers inwardly from the top 12 to a waist 13. The overall height is approximately one meter and the body member has a polyethylene foamed core encased in a moisture-resistant material, in this embodiment sheets formed from polyvinyl chloride. Attached to the base 14 of the body member via a"D"ring 15, with suitable reinforcement as necessary, is a polypropylene rope or cord 16 the distal end of which carries a ring 17.

An elastically-yieldable calibration device for attaching to the cord 16 is mounted on a base 18 to each side of which is secured a length of webbing material 19 (one side only is shown for clarity) equipped with touch-close fastener material for securing, in use, around for example the base of a rugby goal post. A tube member 20 is carried by the base 18; the tube houses and is secured at its remote end to an elastic element 21, which may be for example a length of resilient material or a mechanical spring, gas strut or the like, the free end of which is attached to a rod member 22 the near end of which carries a latching clip 23 for attachment to the ring 17. The upper-facing wall of the tube 20 has an elongate slot 24 formed therein through which protrudes a peg 25 attached to the remote end of the rod member 22. A slidable saddle is engaged by snap-action over the tube 20 and the base 18 is provided with calibration marks 27.

In use and with the base 18 anchored to the ground by means of the webbing straps 19 secured around a suitable ground-engaging post, and with the rope 16 laid out straight on the ground but not under any tension, the elastic material 21 is relaxed and the rod member 22 is fully retracted in the tube 20 as shown in the drawing, the peg 25 being at the remote end of the slot 24. The body member may then be tackled from the direction of the ground anchor, the intention being to engage the body member slightly higher than the waist 13 and for the attacker to wrap his arms around the waist, the tackle being carried out with sufficient force that tension is applied through the rope 16 and the rod member 22 to the elastic material 21, with the result that the rod member slides in the tube, the peg 25 correspondingly sliding in the slot 24 and urging the saddle member 26 to slide along the outside of the tube. On completion of the tackle, the elastic element together with the rod member will retract, leaving the saddle member 26 in its position on the tube, representing the force of the tackle which can then be recorded from the calibration scale. A succeeding tackle of greater impact force will cause greater movement of the rod member with consequential further movement of the saddle member along the tube, thereby providing an indication of the relative force of the tackles. Of course, the saddle member can be slid back to the start position in any time in readiness for the next tackle.

Use of the apparatus encourages the attacker to tackle low, since this would result in a higher likelihood of translational movement of the body member across the ground with a resulting recordal of a higher tackle force; a high tackle would result in less translational movement or, in the extreme, in the body member merely falling over and the attacker consequentially himself falling to the ground at running speed.

Claims

Claims 1. Training apparatus comprising an impact-absorbing generally cylindrical body member having a substantially flat base, an elongate filamentary material extending from the base and resiliently attached to a ground-engaging anchor means, the anchor means including means to record the impact force exerted on the body member in use.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the body member has a waisted or hour-glass shape.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the narrowest part of the body member is below the centre of gravity thereof.
4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the ground-engaging anchor means comprises a support element attached to which is one end of an elongate elastic element, the other end of which is attached to the filamentary material, the support device including means to anchor it to the ground.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the ground anchor means comprises a loop of flexible material to receive a ground-engaging peg or which can be wrapped around the base of a post.
6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the elastic element and the filamentary material are attached together via a rigid elongate connector.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the connector is slidingly supported in a channel or conduit member the position of maximum linear elastic deformation of the elastic element under an impact force.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the indicator means comprises a follower member slidingly carried on the channel or conduit member and urged therealong by a projecting peg or spigot attached to the moving end of the elastic element or to the connector.
9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the body member is formed from a vinyl plastics sheet material stitched or otherwise secured about a resilient foamed plastics core.
10. Apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.