NZ203559A - Training equipment for rugby scrummage - Google Patents

Description

Priority Date(s): <5»3.V?.?R Complete Specification Filed: Jib .$.$3.. Class: &9./QQ. ...............igg6 Publication Date: . r P.O. Journal, No: jS»J o>\ % . U MAR 1983 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: Date*.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION SCRUMMAGE TRAINER We TIMOTHY DONALD FRANCIS and DEREK RANULPH DE GLANVILLE, both citizens of the United Kingdom, both of Collacott, Kings Nympton, Umberleigh, North Devon EX37 9TP, England, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us3 and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 203559 1 2 3 4 A 1 3 DEC 1985 \ /• v.- ./ Tnas invention rebates io train inn apparatus for preparing players for the game of Rugby football, referred to hereinafter as a trainer.

In the past the only apparatus in common use for scrummage training has been a framework mounted on skids 6 with fixed padding for the scrummage team to push againBt 7 and incorporating a platform for weights to be added, 8 usually in the form of people, as many as fifteen or bo at 9 a time. The scope of this apparatus is limited, it requires a large number of people to work it, and it tends 11 to damage the grass on which it is used. Moreover it can 12 only be used conveniently by players of more or lesB the 13 same size, not by adults ana children.

According to the present invenciu:!, a scrummaqe trainer comprises a ground-mobile frame having means to resist movement thereof over the ground; pad carrier means mounted on the frame to pivot relatively thereto about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of said movement; pads provided on said said carrier means for abutment by trainees, each having at least one shoulder engageable portion and a further portion for engagement by a trainee's head and neck; first spring means connected between the frame and said pad carrier means and arranged to resist pivotal movement of the said carrier means in one direction about said horizontal axi s; and, second spring means, independent of the first spring means, connected between the frame and said pad carrier means and arranged to resist pivitol movement of said pad carrier m e a n s in th"e opposite direction about said horizontal axis.

The above and other features of the invention will appear from the -,203559 /a- 1 following description taken in conjunction with the 2 accompanying drawing in which:- 3 Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form A of roller-mounted trainer in accordance with the invention, 6 Figure 2 iB a plan view of the same, 7 Figures 3 and 4 are corresponding views 8 on a larger scale with the pads omitted, 9 Figure 5 is an end elevation of the rear of the trainer and 11 Figure 6 is a side elevation of an 12 alternative skid-mounted version of the 13 trainer shown in Figure 1. 14 Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the trainer comprises a frame 1, which may be con- 16 structed of welded steel tube, has a pair of side 17 members 2 in which is located an axle 3 for two 18 independently journalled ground rollers 4 and 5. An 19 extension 6 of the frame 1 extends away from the opposite end of it and has a head tube 7 in which is journalled a 21 pivot pin 8 which carries a sub-frame 9 having an axle 10 22 for a further roller 11. 23 A pair of pushing pads 12 and 13 are arranged at one 24 end of the trainer and are carried by sub-frames 14 and 15 which are pivoted on fulcrum pinB 16 and 17 inserted 26 through uprights 18 attached to the frame 1, 27 The frame 1 is triangulated at its opposite end 6 V 28 and carries a number of bolster-like pads 19 for use in 27 JAN 1986 , 'N 2 03"54 i V* 1 practising rucking amd maul inc. These are preferably 2 arranged as shown in an echelon formation and for pro- 3 tection of the players additional padding (not shown) 4 is provided on the front and sideB of the triangulated portion of the frame and also on the front of the sub- 6 frame 9> 7 The pads 19 are constructed on laterally extending 8 bars 19a which are conveniently attached to the trainer 9 by pins 19b which are inserted through holes in the bars 19a and holes in cross members of the frame 1. 11 An optional dummy head 20 may be attached to one of 12 the frames 14 by a bracket 21 to simulate for example 13 the head of the left prop of the opposing side and this 14 may be extended sideways if desired to simulate his outside shoulder. 16 Other details of the construction are more clearly 17 seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5. 18 As will be seen the pad 12 on the right of the 19 trainer is in the shape of an inverted U, the two vertical limbs of which simulate the adjacent shoulders 21 of the left prop and the hooker of the ppposing side. 22 The pad 13 however is in the shape of an inverted L the 23 single vertical limb of which simulates the right 24 shoulder of the right prop of the opposing side.

The sub-frame 9 trails castor-wise behind the pivot 26 pin 8 which can be locked to the main frame 1 by a clamp 27 screw 28. If desired, an adjustable friction device or ; ■« 28 damper can be used to restrain the tendency of the sub- ■ I 203559 /* * ' " 1 frame 9 to rotate. 2 - In use, the trainer can be set up to match different 3 statures of player by adjustment of the vertical and hori- 4 zontal positions of the pads 12 and 13. The resistance to motion of the trainer can be varied by filling the rollers 6 4,5 and 11, which are hollow, to a chosen degree with a 7 heavy fluid such as water or sand. Additional resistance 8 may be provided, if required, by brake pads 29 and 29a 9 which act by means of screwjacks as shown on the two rollers 4 and 5, and by a brake pad 39 which acts in a 11 similar way on the roller 11. The jacks can be operated 12 independently, so that one or other roller may be locked 13 to cause wheeling to take place. The brake pads are 14 simple friction blocks carried by beams pivoted on the respective frames. The rollers may be plain, or if 16 additional grip on the ground is necessary they may be 17 ribbed or studded. 18 As will be seen from Figures 3i 4 and 5 the frames 19 14 and 15 each have a weldea-on tube 14a and 15a respectively and these form pivots on rods 14b and 15b 21 attached to the frame 1. The tubes 14a and 15a are 22 shorter than the distance between the frame members 23 and are held to one side by pins 14c and 15c through the 24 rods 14b and 15b. When it is desired to change the ^ 25 lateral spacing of the pads 12 and 13 the pins are 26 withdrawn, the tubes shifted outwards and the pins f9' replaced in further holes near the other end-of the rods f;\: • 1 "^nFr 935 ^8 14b and 15b. If more adjustment positions are required , ^ I J * *- 'r 2 03 ""- 5 9 1 the tube6 may be made shorter and extra pins and holes 2 used. 3 Spring biasing of the frames 14 and 15 is provided 4 by loops of shock cord 30 and 31 and these are each arranged to operate only in one direction by being 6 attached to a hook member 32 and 33 respectively. The 7 arrangement of these hook members is shown in the detail 8 of Figure 3, where one of them is shown in perspective. 9 Here it will be seen that each hook has a top shackle 34 by which it is attached to a chain 34a and that it hooks 11 over a rod 35 (or 36) which extends across the frame 14 12 (or 15) and carries at its lower end an anchor-shaped 13 bar 37, to which the loops of shock cord may be easily 14 attached. Thus the springing can be easily adjusted by adding or removing shock cords as required. Each 16 of the chains is, in use, held in a claw 38 (seen in 17 Figure 4 without the chains and hooks), so that this 18 takes the pull of the springs when the frames 14 and 19 15 are in the zero position. As soon as the frames are moved up or down however, the pre-tension of the 21 appropriate spring is immediately effective since the 22 appropriate rod 35 or 36 will engage the hook 32 or 33. 23 The frame 15 is similarly arranged. 24 The fact that each of the pads 12 and 13 has an upper horizontal portion enables the coach to include exercises 26 that will develop and strengthen the back and neck muscles 27 to the point where the risk of injury in these areas during 28 play is substantially reduced. Moreover, the resistance #» m 203559 1 to upward or downward movement can be controlled by adjust- 2 ment of the springs to suit the physique and state of 3 development reached by the individual player. 4 The use of a steerable roller 11 at the front of the trainer permits the device to be set, when the roller 11 6 is locked at a selected angle, to initiate a wheeling 7 action of the players being trained, or if it is not so 8 set but a predetermined resistance to turning is applied 9 to the pivot pin B, as by using a hydraulic damper, resistance to wheeling by an opposing team can be simulated 11 Alternatively the brakes on the rollers 4 and 5 can be 12 differentially applied to assist in training under such 13 conditions. The front roller pivot pin 8 can however be 14 left free so that resistance to wheeling is imposed merely by the natural resistance to turning of the front roller, 16 or if desired the front roller can be locked in a straight 17 ahead position so that wheeling is prevented altogether, 18 Generally speaking, in simulating actual scrummage 19 conditions, the left hand prop will attempt to keep up so that the hooker gets as clear a view 21 as possible of the ball as it comes in, while the 22 right hand prop will attempt to bear down, so that if 23 the ball is thrown in from that side the opposing hooker's 24 view will be impaired as far as possible. The dummy 24 head 20 assists the prop in bearing down when this if required. 26 If a less expensive form of trainer is required / 27 can be constructed in the form shown in Figure <4, which 28 showB a machine similar to that previously described, but 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 203559 7 instead of rollers it is mounted on eJcide 40 at the back and a castor action skid 41 at the front. The brakes of the previous construction will, of course, be omitted and it will be necessary to add weight for resistance purposes by having persons stand on the foot boards 42. The other features of the previously described construction are included in a simplified form. The rear pads are shown supported on beams 43 which in this case have two opposing sets of shock cord 45 and 46 at the front end. Vertical adjustment cf the pads is by changing the pivot pins to different holes in the frame and lateral adjustment may be achieved by shifting sideways a pair of vertically slotted frames 47 arranged at the back of the frame 1. These can be held in position by pins 47<t. A single, or a pair of pads 49 may be provided at the front of the trainer for practising rucking and mauling.

It will be seen that the invention provides a trainer of considerable versatility, capable of simulating actual playing conditions and in the case of the version mounted on rollers, one which will cause a minimum of damage to turf on which it iB used.

Claims (10)

203559 lO 15 20 25 <v 13 DEC 1985 jf •• . v-. O.^' »)iCS" H GIAIMgr

1- A scrummage trainer comprising:-a ground-mobile frame having means to resist movement thereof over the ground; pad carrier means mounted on the frame to pivot relatively thereto about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of said movement? pads provided on said carrier means, for abutment by trainees, each having at least one shoulder engageable portion and a further portion for engagement by a trainee's head and neck; first spring means connected between the frame and said pad carrier means and arranged to resist pivotal movement of said pad carrier means in one direction about said horizontal axis; and second spr_ng means, independent of the first spring means, connected between the frame and said pad carrier means and arranged to resist pivotal movement of said pad carrier means in the opposite direction about said horizontal axis.

2. A trainer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein, from an initial median position, the first spring means are operated by said pad carrier means when pivoted in said one direction and are not operated by said pad carrier means when pivoted in said opposite direction and the second spring means are operated by said pad carrier means when pivoted xn said <r! n. ' 203559 L2: opposite direction and not operated by said pad carrier means when pivoted in said one direction.

3. A trainer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the first spring means and the second spring means are each a 5 tension spring arranged to pull on a device that has freedom of movement in a first direction opposed by the spring but which is restrained from movement in the opposite direction and that is arranged to be operated by said pad carrier means when the latter is moved in said 10 first direction.

4. A trainer as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the shoulder engageable portion of a pad has, below it, a horizontally extending projection to mimic the head of a player in an opposing scrum. 15

5. A trainer as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein two pad carriers are provided, each having a pad, first spring means and second spring means being connected between the frame and each pad carrier, whereby each pad carrier can pivot separately from the other with 20 independent spring resistance means.

6. A trainer as claimed in Claim 5, wherein one of the two pad carriers is provided with a pad having an inverted U-shape for form two shoulder engageable portions and the head and neck engageable portion, thereby to mimic the 25 shoulders of the left-hand prop and the hooker of the ront row of an opposing scrum; and the other of the two ^ ^DEC 1985^^^ minxes the shoulder of the right-hand prop in said 203559 ir: P0 front row.

7. A trainer as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the ground-mobile frame is carried by a pair of ground- 05 engaging rollers located proximate the pad carrier and at least one other ground-engaging roller being pivotally mounted on the frame to have a castor action and located remote from the pad carrier; differential braking means being provided for the pair of rollers whereby a 10 wheeling action can be imposed on the trainer.

8. A trainer as claimed in Claim 7, wherein further, independent braking means are provided for the other roller.

9. A trainer as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, 15 wherein the ground-mobile frame is carried by a pair of ground-engaging skids located proximate the pad carrier and at least one other ground-engaging skid pivotally mounted on the frame to have a castor action and located remote from the pad carrier. 20

10. A scrummage trainer substantially as described with reference to or as shown by Figs. 1 to 5 or Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings. DATED .THIS DAY embe-/ fts A. J. PARK & SON PER 25 AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS /?-,V '• 'N * 13DECI9 85 :•!