US20070021271A1 - Portable runners starting block - Google Patents
Portable runners starting block Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070021271A1 US20070021271A1 US11/189,406 US18940605A US2007021271A1 US 20070021271 A1 US20070021271 A1 US 20070021271A1 US 18940605 A US18940605 A US 18940605A US 2007021271 A1 US2007021271 A1 US 2007021271A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- foot
- block
- blocks
- tie bar
- starting block
- 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
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63K—RACING; RIDING SPORTS; EQUIPMENT OR ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
- A63K3/00—Equipment or accessories for racing or riding sports
- A63K3/02—Starting-appliances
- A63K3/023—Starting-blocks
Definitions
- This invention relates to equipment used by runners to get a good start in a sprint race.
- Initially starting blocks were developed for dirt tracks with large spikes driven into the dirt to keep them from slipping.
- Starting blocks generally evolved into assemblies with a central rail and a moveable block attached to each side as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,615 by G. L. Moore.
- synthetic track surfaces With the advent of synthetic track surfaces starting blocks generally used shorter spikes to avoid damaging the track surface and often provided tilt angle adjustments for each foot block as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,803 by Newton, Jr.
- portable starting blocks small enough and light enough to be conveniently carried in a runners equipment bag have been developed for synthetic track surfaces. These are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,319 by Young and U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,029 by Richards.
- the earlier blocks with the central rail have the disadvantage of being heavy and too large to fit into a runner's equipment bag. They also generally allow some flat surfaces to rest on the track which contributes to slippage during the start of a race.
- the more recent portable blocks have the disadvantage of being difficult to position on the track because they are two completely separate foot blocks and have to be positioned separately. Powerful sprinters often displace the back foot block when starting. Since it is not attached to the front foot block in any way, it has to be repositioned after each such start. This is a significant disadvantage when doing repeat training starts or warmup starts for a race.
- This invention provides a truly portable starting block with a central tie bar that makes it easy to position the assembly on the track.
- the tie bar also prevents the displacement of the back foot block so that it is never necessary to reposition it after a start.
- the only part of the entire assembly to touch the track are the spikes which are placed directly under and behind the sprinter's feet. This arrangement insures the securest possible anchorage to the track and eliminates slippage problems.
- the longitudinal separation of the foot blocks is accomplished by choosing from a series of holes in the tie bar when connecting the foot blocks to the tie bar.
- the tilt angle of the each foot plate is adjustable by selecting from a series on notches in the brace arm that secures the angle between the front and back plates of each foot block.
- Each foot block is easily removed from the tie bar and folded flat so that the three pieces can be stored in a small bag and easily carried in a runner's equipment bag.
- FIG. 1 Side view of entire starting block assembly.
- FIG. 2 Top view of entire starting block assembly.
- FIG. 4 Side view of folded back foot block.
- FIG. 5 Side view of tie bar.
- FIG. 6 End view of tie bar.
- FIG. 7 View of back plate (Typical) showing opening and dowel pin.
- FIG. 1 shows the profile of the assembled block in a starting configuration.
- This view shows the brace arms 6 which select and secure the tilt angle of the front plates 1 & 12 .
- the brace arms are hinged at a dowel pin 7 attached to the front plates 1 & 12 of each foot block and slide through an opening 5 in the back plates 3 & 13 (See FIG. 3 ).
- the front and back plates are hinged at the top by a hollow pin 4 allowing for angle adjustments and folding flat. Any of the several notches 8 provided in the bottom edge of the brace arm 6 can be dropped over a dowel pin 9 imbedded in each back plate 3 & 13 . Each notch selects a different tilt angle for the foot plate and secures that angle for powerful starts.
- the spikes 11 are the only part of the assembly that touches the track surface.
- the front foot block and the back foot block are essentially the same, except for the round rods 10 & 14 used to connect the foot blocks to the tie bar 15 .
- FIGS. 3, 4 & 5 show the three parts of the assembly in a compact configuration.
- the brace arms 6 are rotated down, and each foot block is folded flat ( FIGS. 3 & 4 ).
- the two flat foot blocks along with the tie bar ( FIG. 5 ) are shown ready for storage.
Abstract
A lightweight runners starting block assembly with adjustable positions for the foot blocks and adjustable angles for the foot plates is disclosed. The position of the foot blocks can be adjusted by selecting from a series of holes in the central tie bar. The tilt angles of the foot plates can be adjusted by selecting from one of several notches in the brace arms. The foot blocks can be easily removed from the central tie bar and folded flat so that the three parts can be stored in a small bag for convenient portability.
Description
- Not applicable
- Not applicable
- Not applicable
- This invention relates to equipment used by runners to get a good start in a sprint race. Initially starting blocks were developed for dirt tracks with large spikes driven into the dirt to keep them from slipping. Starting blocks generally evolved into assemblies with a central rail and a moveable block attached to each side as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,615 by G. L. Moore. With the advent of synthetic track surfaces starting blocks generally used shorter spikes to avoid damaging the track surface and often provided tilt angle adjustments for each foot block as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,803 by Newton, Jr. More recently, portable starting blocks small enough and light enough to be conveniently carried in a runners equipment bag have been developed for synthetic track surfaces. These are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,319 by Young and U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,029 by Richards.
-
3,494,615 February, 1970 G. L. Moore 4,089,519 May, 1978 Newton, Jr. 482/19 4,561,650 December, 1985 Newton, Jr. 482/19 4,611,803 September, 1986 Newton, Jr. 482/19 4,754,965 July, 1988 Moye 482/19 5,342,259 August, 1994 Crichton 482/19 6,238,319 May, 2001 Young 482/19 6,342,029 January, 2002 Richards 482/19 - The earlier blocks with the central rail have the disadvantage of being heavy and too large to fit into a runner's equipment bag. They also generally allow some flat surfaces to rest on the track which contributes to slippage during the start of a race. The more recent portable blocks have the disadvantage of being difficult to position on the track because they are two completely separate foot blocks and have to be positioned separately. Powerful sprinters often displace the back foot block when starting. Since it is not attached to the front foot block in any way, it has to be repositioned after each such start. This is a significant disadvantage when doing repeat training starts or warmup starts for a race.
- This invention provides a truly portable starting block with a central tie bar that makes it easy to position the assembly on the track. The tie bar also prevents the displacement of the back foot block so that it is never necessary to reposition it after a start. The only part of the entire assembly to touch the track are the spikes which are placed directly under and behind the sprinter's feet. This arrangement insures the securest possible anchorage to the track and eliminates slippage problems.
- The longitudinal separation of the foot blocks is accomplished by choosing from a series of holes in the tie bar when connecting the foot blocks to the tie bar. The tilt angle of the each foot plate is adjustable by selecting from a series on notches in the brace arm that secures the angle between the front and back plates of each foot block.
- Each foot block is easily removed from the tie bar and folded flat so that the three pieces can be stored in a small bag and easily carried in a runner's equipment bag.
-
FIG. 1 . Side view of entire starting block assembly. -
FIG. 2 . Top view of entire starting block assembly. -
FIG. 3 . Side view of folded front foot block. -
FIG. 4 . Side view of folded back foot block. -
FIG. 5 . Side view of tie bar. -
FIG. 6 . End view of tie bar. -
FIG. 7 . View of back plate (Typical) showing opening and dowel pin. -
FIG. 1 shows the profile of the assembled block in a starting configuration. This view shows thebrace arms 6 which select and secure the tilt angle of thefront plates 1 & 12. The brace arms are hinged at adowel pin 7 attached to thefront plates 1 & 12 of each foot block and slide through anopening 5 in theback plates 3 & 13 (SeeFIG. 3 ). The front and back plates are hinged at the top by ahollow pin 4 allowing for angle adjustments and folding flat. Any of theseveral notches 8 provided in the bottom edge of thebrace arm 6 can be dropped over adowel pin 9 imbedded in eachback plate 3 & 13. Each notch selects a different tilt angle for the foot plate and secures that angle for powerful starts. Thespikes 11 are the only part of the assembly that touches the track surface. The front foot block and the back foot block are essentially the same, except for theround rods 10 & 14 used to connect the foot blocks to thetie bar 15. -
FIG. 2 is a top view of the assembled block in a starting configuration. The front foot block has around rod 10 attached to itsback plate 3 near the base. The back foot block has around rod 14 attached to itsfront plate 12 near the base. These bars protrude on both sides of the foot blocks and can be inserted in any of a series ofholes 18 in thetie bar 15 from either side so as to allow the sprinter to have either foot in the forward position. Theround bars 10 & 14 are secured in thetie bar 15 by a tightening screw andknob 16 that is threaded through a tighteningbar 17. Arubber pad 2 is glued to the front surface of thecurved front plates 1 & 12 to provide a secure footing for the sprinter. -
FIGS. 3, 4 & 5 show the three parts of the assembly in a compact configuration. Thebrace arms 6 are rotated down, and each foot block is folded flat (FIGS. 3 & 4 ). The two flat foot blocks along with the tie bar (FIG. 5 ) are shown ready for storage.
Claims (4)
1. A lightweight portable runner's starting block assembly consisting of three parts; a front foot block, a back foot block and a central tie bar.
2. A starting block assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said central tie bar does not touch the track surface and holds the two foot blocks in the desired relative position to each other. The desired front to back separation of the two foot blocks is selected by choosing from a number of holes in the tie bar in which to engage the front block and the back block. The foot blocks can be inserted into the tie bar from either side so the sprinter can have either foot forward. The engagement of the foot blocks is secured by a tightening screw and a tightening bar.
3. A starting block assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said foot blocks are hinged at the top and secured in position by a notched brace arm. The tilt angle of the front plate of each foot block can be adjusted by selecting from one of several notches in the brace arm.
4. A starting block assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the entire assembly can be easily separated into its three parts. The two foot blocks can be folded flat so that the three parts can be easily placed in a small bag for convenient storage and portability.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/189,406 US20070021271A1 (en) | 2005-07-25 | 2005-07-25 | Portable runners starting block |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/189,406 US20070021271A1 (en) | 2005-07-25 | 2005-07-25 | Portable runners starting block |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20070021271A1 true US20070021271A1 (en) | 2007-01-25 |
Family
ID=37679804
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/189,406 Abandoned US20070021271A1 (en) | 2005-07-25 | 2005-07-25 | Portable runners starting block |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20070021271A1 (en) |
Cited By (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20170063133A1 (en) * | 2015-09-01 | 2017-03-02 | Dell Products, Lp | Cart for Wirelessly Recharging Mobile Computing Devices |
US9859728B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-01-02 | Dell Products, Lp | System for securing a wireless power pad |
US9876382B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-01-23 | Dell Products, Lp | Peak power caching in a wireless power system |
US9887555B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-02-06 | Dell Products, Lp | Articulating receiver for wireless power delivery system |
US9905359B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-02-27 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power antenna winding including heat pipe and method therefor |
US9912187B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-03-06 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power transmission antenna with thermally conductive magnetic shield and method therefor |
US9954387B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-04-24 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless charging pad with interdependent temperature control and method therefor |
US9954388B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-04-24 | Dell Products, Lp | Cover system for wireless power pad |
US9973027B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-05-15 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power charging device with rear side magneto isolation marking |
US10148115B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-12-04 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless charging pad with natural draft cooling and method therefor |
US10361590B2 (en) | 2017-03-13 | 2019-07-23 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power system with device specific power configuration and method therefor |
US10476307B2 (en) | 2017-03-13 | 2019-11-12 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power system with foreign object detection and method therefor |
US10523037B2 (en) | 2017-03-13 | 2019-12-31 | Dell Products, Lp | Thermal management at a wireless power system |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3724843A (en) * | 1970-01-28 | 1973-04-03 | Junghans Gmbh Geb | Starting control device for running events |
US3746335A (en) * | 1970-01-29 | 1973-07-17 | Junghans Gmbh Geb | Track mounted rail and adjustable starting block therefor |
US6342029B1 (en) * | 1998-02-23 | 2002-01-29 | Lawrence W. Richards | Runners starting block |
-
2005
- 2005-07-25 US US11/189,406 patent/US20070021271A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3724843A (en) * | 1970-01-28 | 1973-04-03 | Junghans Gmbh Geb | Starting control device for running events |
US3746335A (en) * | 1970-01-29 | 1973-07-17 | Junghans Gmbh Geb | Track mounted rail and adjustable starting block therefor |
US6342029B1 (en) * | 1998-02-23 | 2002-01-29 | Lawrence W. Richards | Runners starting block |
Cited By (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9954387B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-04-24 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless charging pad with interdependent temperature control and method therefor |
US9973027B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-05-15 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power charging device with rear side magneto isolation marking |
US9876382B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-01-23 | Dell Products, Lp | Peak power caching in a wireless power system |
US9887555B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-02-06 | Dell Products, Lp | Articulating receiver for wireless power delivery system |
US9905359B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-02-27 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power antenna winding including heat pipe and method therefor |
US9912187B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-03-06 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power transmission antenna with thermally conductive magnetic shield and method therefor |
US9859728B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-01-02 | Dell Products, Lp | System for securing a wireless power pad |
US9954388B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-04-24 | Dell Products, Lp | Cover system for wireless power pad |
US20170063133A1 (en) * | 2015-09-01 | 2017-03-02 | Dell Products, Lp | Cart for Wirelessly Recharging Mobile Computing Devices |
US10110042B2 (en) * | 2015-09-01 | 2018-10-23 | Dell Products, Lp | Cart for wirelessly recharging mobile computing devices |
US10148115B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2018-12-04 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless charging pad with natural draft cooling and method therefor |
US10658862B2 (en) | 2015-09-01 | 2020-05-19 | Dell Products, L.P. | Peak power caching in a wireless power system |
US10476307B2 (en) | 2017-03-13 | 2019-11-12 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power system with foreign object detection and method therefor |
US10523037B2 (en) | 2017-03-13 | 2019-12-31 | Dell Products, Lp | Thermal management at a wireless power system |
US10361590B2 (en) | 2017-03-13 | 2019-07-23 | Dell Products, Lp | Wireless power system with device specific power configuration and method therefor |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |