US1066773A - Signal-base for base-ball fields. - Google Patents

Description

S. H. lWILLS. SB POR BASE BAL IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII OV.19.1912. 1,066,773. Patented July 8,1913.

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STEPHEN H. WILLS, 0F LE GRAND, CALIFORNIA.

SIGNAL-BASE FOR BASE-BALL FIELDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latcntcdJ uly 8, 1913.

f Application ledllovemberllm. Y'Seriali N 02,732,280.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I,"S'rnrHnNHJWILLS, a citizen of the United States, -residing at Le Grand,in the county of Merced, State of California, vhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Bases .for Base-l3all Fields; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon,

l which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in a baseball playing apparatus and particularly to a base which will be so constructed as to give an alarm or signal 4when a runner reaches and touches the base, thus avoidingr the continual dispute which non7 commonly takes place between the runner and the umpire and other members of the team as to whether or not the runner reached the base before the baseman caught the ball, etc. My improved base is designed to give an audible signal or visible sign every time the runner touches the base and this alarm or signal may be of any desired type and may be located on the field in order that the players and spectators as well, may be apprised that the base has been reached by the runner. l

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings similar characters of ret'- erence indicate corresponding parts the several views. v

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken out, showing the complete base. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on a line X-*X of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral l designates the ground space and in constructing my improved base l provide a plate 2 set in flush with the ground and mounted on this I provide a top plate 3. A

artof such top plate 3, namely 4, is formed independently and is hinged to the plate 8 as at 5 and is held normally slightly upward onlits edgeaway from the plate 2 by means of a plurality-of suitable springs (3.

0n the-edge ot the member 2 is a contact Yplate 7 and on the raised edge of the member 4 is a corresponding lcontactqplatc 8 adapted to engage the plate 7 when the plate 4 is moved on its hinge toward the plate Q, A wire 9 connects the plate 7 Vwith a sourciof electrical energy 10 and thence with a bell or other signal or indicator ll and a Wire 12 `then connects the member ll with the plate 8.

In practice when a runner reaches the base he strikes the plate 4l which moves it downward causing the plates 8 and 7 to contact with each other completing a circuit. through the member 8, member 7, wire 9, source of electrical energy 10, member 1l and wire 12, this sounding an alarm or giving an indication that the runner hasreached the base.

The relative sizes of the plates 3 and t are such as to permit the baseman plenty of room to move around on the base plate 3 without interferincr with the plate fl.

The base is suita 1y upholstered by means ofany suitable upholstering material 13 disposed over the members 3 and l My improved base may be used t'or any of the bases in the field, but may be found especially adaptable for first base over which most of the disputes arise.

As before mentioned any suitable bell 'indicator or alarm may be used as it'ound dcsirable and the same may b positioned at such points as may be most i dvantageous.

The members 7 and 8 are suitably -insulated from the members 2 and 4 respectively by means of suit-able insulation material 7 and S respectively.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit. of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a base plate and a top plate, a hinged. member on Said top plate, an indi- Cat-ing-YmeanS, and means operatively e0n' nected with said hinged member to operate' said indicating means 'When said hinged member is moved, as described. t

2. A. device of the character described comprising a plate, another plate mounted on said first named plate, a hinged member on said second named plate, means normally holding the end of said hinged member spaced from said iirst named plate, an indicating means, a source `of electrical energy connected with said indicating means and said first named plate, a Wire connected between said indicating means and said hinged member, and .means ,for contacting said hinged member Withsaid first named platev to close the circuit between .said finit-named `platev andsaid source of electrical energy,

In testimony whereof IaiiiX my vsignaturel in presence of two Witnesses. A

A e .STEPHEN H. WILLS. Witnesses:

PERCY AS. WEBSTER, JOSHUA B. WEBSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

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