US2517463A - Basketball backboard goal support - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1950 J. B. COBB BASKETBALL BACKBOARD GOAL SUPPORT 7 Filed May 16, 1947 JNVENTOR. J. B. COBB ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES harem orricr.

EESKETBA LDBAGKBQARD GOAL SUPPORT ohan. Cobb, Washington, no.

Application May 18, 1947, Serial l l'o. 748,401

. 1 This invention relates to games or amusement devices and more particularly to a basketball goal and the manner of its installation.

The value of certain games has long been recognized for the development, and maintenance of sound minds in sound bodies, including the improvement of muscular coordination or skill and the affording of wholesome pleasure.

One of the games that has become widely known and approved for its health and recreational value is the game of basketball, which includes a goal in the form of a circular hoop with a net beneath the sanieto form receptacle or basket and with a backboard or backstop behind such basket against which a ball can be bounced or projected in an effort to cause the ball to pass downwardly into the basket.

Basketball goals and backboards have not been easily available due in a large measure to the fact that they have involved an outlay beyond the resources available to a small child or the disposition of the childs parents, as well as on account of the difiiculties of installation and the like.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a basketball backboard and goal of the simplest and most inexpensive construction which can be readily installed by application of the same to a door, transom, or other closure and removed with equal facility in order to afford children and adults the opportunity to engage in the healthful recreational pastime of basketball in the home.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective illustrating one embodiment of the present invention and its application to a door of conventional construction;

Fig. 2, a rear perspective of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a rear elevation of a modified form of the invention applied to a door; and

Fig. d, a vertical section through the end portion of the structure of Fig. 2 with a modified adjustment of parts.

With continued reference to the drawing, the preferred form of the invention comprises a backboard H3 which may be of smaller size than the conventional basketball backboard. The backboard may be of any desired material, but for lightness and durability it is preferably of laminated plywood or similar construction.

Against the backboard is mounted a basket- I3 Claims. (01. ate-4.5)

ball goal in the form of a. hoop Iii. having a; squared portion l2 held in a square socket of a clamp l3 by means of a fasteningelement Hi. The clamp 1:3 is of spring metal and is. of a, size: slightly greater than the squared portion 12' of the hoop so that'bynloosening the fastening element M the hoop II can be disposed in operative position as shown in Fig. flrgat right angles to the backboard or it can be disposed in folded or collapsed position parallel to the backboard, as shown in dot anddash lines in Fig. 4, as. when the device is not in use and it is desired testers the same. i 1

In order to install and. supportthe backboard, amounting strip 15. of fabric, such as: canvas or the like, may be employed. The mounting strip I5 is preferably substantially triangular in shape or may be said to taper from bottom to top. Its marginal edges are folded over to provide a bottom hem It at thewide end and with side hems l1 extending to the narrow end, where the strip is folded back upon itself and provided with stitching l8 joining the folded back end to the body of the mounting strip. For reinforcement between such extremity and the folded over portion a braid i9 is stitched across the folded over extremity, thus leaving a loop 29 for the reception of an attaching cord H.

The attaching member I5 is fastened to the backboard along its bottom hem it by means of fastening elements of any desired character, as for example screws 22 which extend through washers 23. The attaching member is intended to be used with the intermediate portion extending over the upper edge of a door or other closure 24 with the attaching cord 2| fastened to the doorknob 25.

In order to properly support the backboard, adjustable supports 26 may be interposed between the rear side of the backboard and the door. These supports preferably are of yieldable material, such as rubber or the like, and of hollow or cup-shaped configuration similar to those which are used on the lower ends of crutches for providing resilience thereto. The supports 26 have metal ferrules 2'l preferably internally threaded for engagement with the externally threaded shank of a screw 28. Thus by adjustment of the support elements 26 proper angular adjustment of the backboard may be obtained to insure that the hoop II is approximately horizontal even if the door is out of plumb or has a non-planar surface as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 4.

Instead of the mounting member [5 and associated parts, the backboard It) may be mounted by means of one or more brackets 29 secured to the door by fastening elements 30 and which brackets have right angular extremities or hooks 31 which engage the side of the upper edge of the dOOr 24 remote from the backboard. Also, if desired, resilient adjustable supporting elements 32 similar to the supporting elements 26 may be attached to the backboard in the same manner as supporting elements 26.

It will be readily understood that with the construction of either of the embodiments of the present invention a basketball backboard and goal may be provided at. relatively small cost with minimum of materials and such backboard and goal can be readily installed for almost instantaneous use, affording healthful recreational and entertainment value, and the device can be easily removed and stored when not in use.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A quickly installable basketball backboard comprising a support for a goal, means for mounting said support comprising a relatively thin flexiblesheet adapted to fit over the top of a door, said sheet having one end attached to the rear of said support, flexible means secured to the other end of the sheet for fastening to the knob 4 v of the door upon which the support is mounted, and adjustable means for varying the position of the support relative to said door.

2. A quickly installable basketball backboard comprising a support for a goal, means for mounting said support comprising a relatively thin flexible sheet adapted to fit over the top of a door, said sheet having one end attached to the rear of said support and having flexible means secured to its other end for fastening to the knob of the door upon which the support is mounted.

3. A quickly installable basketball backboard comprising a support for a goal, means for mounting said support comprising a relatively thin sheet adapted to fit over the top of a door, said sheet having one end attached to the rear of said support and having means secured to its other end for fastening to the knob of the door upon which the support is mounted.

JOHN B, COBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 601,577 Manning Mar. 29, 1898 1,157,333 Snell Oct. 19, 1915 1,886,112 Laurde Nov. 1, 1932 2,049,593 Schabinger Aug. 4, 1936 2,230,813 Pressman Feb. 4, 1941 2,267,222 Sandeberg Dec. 23, 1941 2,313,188 Woodburn Mar. 9, 1943

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