US2795853A

US2795853A - Football yard marker

Info

Publication number: US2795853A
Application number: US458376A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr John K Benfield; Ray A Earnhardt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-09-27
Filing date: 1954-09-27
Publication date: 1957-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1974-06-18

Description

June. 18, 1957 J. K. BENFIELD, JR.. ETAL FOOTBALL YARD MARKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ,[ieZZ,JT: RJY-Ea'r'nha T'JZ Filed Sept. 27, 1954 ATTORNEYS June 18, 1957 J. K. BENFIELD, JR. EIAL 2,795,853

FOOTBALL YARD MARKER Filed Sept. 27, 1954 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RZZZ' 71/4 d Z1 ATTORNEY5 United States Pfltfif k 2,795,853 FOOTBALL YARD MARKER John K. Benfield, Jr., York, and Ray A. Earnhardt,

Roebuck, S. C.

Application September 27, 1954, Serial No. 458,376

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-46) This invention relates to a marker for use in playing football.

An object of this invention is to provide a marker for use in indicating the progress of the offensive team during the course of the game, so that the spectators can follow the game more closely. However, the" primary purpose of this invention is to provide a means for accurately controlling the placement of the ball and accurately measuring first downs, penalties and the various factors where accurate notations by the ofiicials are required.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail longitudinally of the field and at one side thereof on which a movable marker engages, with the marker having changeable data for indicating the yards-to-go for the particular series of downs, and also including a sighting element whereby the marker may be positioned exactly in line with the leading end of the fotball.

A further object of this invention is to provide a football marker which is relatively simple in construction and at least partly automatic in operation 'so that the data displayed by the device will be accurate.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in the ararngement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a football-yard marker constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 6-6'of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a hollow base of substantially inverted V-shape which has fixed thereto a tubular column 11. The column 11 is provided with opposed handles 11. The base 10 has rotatably disposed in the two divergent arms 12 thereof a pair of grooved wheels 13 which are adapted to ride on a horizontal guide rail 14. The guide rail 14 is disposed slightly above the normal ground surface 15 and has fixed to the lower side thereof at spaced intervals a plurality of base plates 16 which are fixed by anchor bolts 17 to embedded concrete blocks 18.

The base plates 16 may be levelled by inserting shims 19 between the plates 16 and the upper sides of the blocks 18. The tubular column 11 has mounted on the upper end thereof a substantially rectangular housing 20 which 2,795,853 Patented June 18, 1957 is formed in the opposite side walls 21 thereof with window openings 22. A flexible indicia-carrying web 23 is mounted on upper and

lower rollers

24 and 25 disposed in the housing 20, and the web 23 has indicia 26 disposed on the opposite faces thereof for exposure through the window openings 22. The

rollers

24 and 25 are rotated to wind or unwind the web 23 by means of a chain 27. The chain 27 is trained about a sprocket 28 fixed relative to the upper roller 24, and chain 28 also engages a roller sprocket 29 fixed relative to the lower roller 25. I

As shown in Figure 5, the sprockets 28 and 29 are for resetting purposes detachably coupled to the

rollers

24 and 25 by means of complementary tooth clutch members 30 normally biased to engaged position by springs 30'. The chain 27 extends downwardly into the column 11 as shown in Figure 3 and engages about a driving sprocket 31 fixed on a crank shaft 32 having a handle 32 exteriorly of column 11. The indicia 26 is adapted to indicate the yards-to-go for the offensive team.

A counter 33 is fixed to the column 11 betwen the upper and lower ends thereof and is operated by movement of the device along the rail 14 by means of a vertically disposed shaft 34 which is connected with a sprocket 35 through a pair of

bevelled gears

36 and 37. The sprocket 35 is operated by means of a chain 38 which is trained about a lower sprocket 39 fixed relative to one of the grooved wheels 13.

The column 11 is adapted to be supported in substantially upright or vertical position by means of a collapsible leg or brace 40 which is secured between a pair of ears 41 carried by the column 11. The leg 40 includes an upper short leg member 42 pivoted as at 43 to the lower long leg 44. When the leg or brace 40 is collapsed, the leg member42 is swung upwardly against the column 11.

The counter 33 is adapted to indicate the correct yardage which is to be made by the offensive team, and the yard indication carried by the counter 33 is duplicated by the larger indicator formed by the web 23 and the indicia 26. The counter 33 is of the reset type having a resetting member 46 whereby the indications of the counter 33 may be reset to zero or any other desired numeral.

The downs of the play are indicated by means of a plurality of manually adjustable down-indicating rollers 47 which are carried by the housing 20. These downindicating rollers 47 are vertically disposed and are positioned between the walls 21 which are formed with window openings 48. Each roller 47 is provided with pairs of differentiating colors or stripes 49 and 50 which are adapted to be exposed through the window openings 48. The lower ends of the rollers 47 have a toothed wheel 51 secured thereto which is engaged by a manually operable roller-adjusting wheel 52.

As an example, the stripes 49 and 50 may be colored black and white respectively or any other color which differentiates from the color of the housing 20. When one down has been completed, the first or outer roller 47 is turned so as to expose the differentiating color; and as the downs proceed, the succeeding rollers 47 are also turned.

The structure hereinbefore described has a pair of hooks 53 secured to the opposite ends of the base 10 with which a flexible yard-marking line 54 is adapted to be connected. The line 54 is a ten-yard line, and the outer end of the line 54 has a U-shaped member 55 secured thereto which includes afiag 56 secured to a spring or flexible stalf 57. The staff 57 is secured to the horizontal portion of the anchoring member 55. As shown in Figure 2, the vertical ground-piercing points 58 of the anchoring member 55 have plates 59 secured thereto :soasto limit the projection of the legs 58 into theground.

The position of the marker hereinbefore described is spotted by means of a spotting powder which is released from a deliverytube 60. Tube 60 extends downwardly from the base 10 and from a powder receptacle 61 disposed in the upper portion of base 10. The receptacle 61 includes a cover plate 62 disposed on the outer upper portion ofthe base 10.

Delivery valve 63 is disposed at the upper end'of the tube 60 within the receptacle 61, and the valve 63 is secured to the lower end of a valve-operating rod 64 which extends vertically and upwardly in the center of column 11. The upper end of the rod 64 has secured thereto a valve-operating lever or trigger 65 which is spring pressed so as to maintain the valve 63 in normal closed position.

In the use and operation of this device, the guide rail 14 is mounted in a channel laterally of one side line of the playing field. When the football is placed on the ground at the end of a play, the ball is spotted by means of a spotter or sighting member 66 which is mounted on a horizontal shaft 67 extending through the column 11. The exact position of the ball is determined by means of a pair of crossed wires 68 disposed in the tubular spotting member 66. When the correct position of the ball has been determined, the flexible line 54 is extended outwardly to its full length which is ten yards from the marking tube 60, and the anchoring member 55 is then pressed downwardly into the ground with the flag 56 held by the flexible or spring staff 57.

In the event the play progresses forwardly, the structure hereinbefore described is moved progressively forwardly after first spotting the initial ball position by discharging powder through the pipe 60.

If the offensive team should lose ground so that more than ten yards must be made in the series of downs, the yard-marking line 54 is uncoupled from the adjacent hook 53 and the structure embodying the base 10 and the column 11 is then moved backward until the device is in direct line with the forward or leading end of the ball which is spotted through the sighting member 66.

As the device is moved forward or backward on the rail or guide 14, the counter 33 will indicate the correct yards to be gained and the operator of the device will then turn the crank shaft 32 so that the yards indicated by the counter 33 will be duplicated by the 'indicia 26.

What is claimed is:

1. A football marker comprising a horizontal rail disposed lengthwise of the playing area, a hollow base member, -a pair "of grooved wheels carried by said "base member and engaging over said rail, a hollow column rising from said base, a changeable exhibitor carried by the upper end of said column, said exhibitor comprising upper and lower horizontal rollers, a flexible indiciabearing web wound about said rollers, an operator for said rollers disposed in said column, a flexible connection between said operator and said .rollers, a plurality of down-indicating rollers disposed in vertical side-by-side relation, anZl'a separate adjusting means for each of said down-indicating rollers, and a ball-sighting member carried by said column.

2. A football marker comprising a horizontal rail disposed lengthwise of the "playing area, a hollow base member, grooved wheels carried by said base member engaging said rail, a tubular column carried by said base member, a rectangular housing at the upper end of said column, said housing having opposed vertical sides formed with a plurality of window openings, a vertical indicia-bearing web exposed through a pair of said openings, a plurality of vertical down-indicating rollers rotat ably carried by'said housing and exposed thorugh the remaining ones of said openings, upper and lower winding rollers for said web, a roller operator carried by said column, a flexible connection between said operator and said rollers, a linear indicator carried by said column, and an operative connection between said linear indicator and one of said wheels.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,024 Richard Mar. 24, 1896 572,262 Kennel Dec. 1, 1896 1,687,276 Winkler Oct. 9, 1928 1,689,865 Davis et al. Oct. 30, 1928 1,717,805 More June 18, 1929 1,769,011 Bickford July 1, 1930 2,108,251 Clark Feb. 15, 1938 2,139,300 Cassell et a1. Dec. 6, 1938 2,186,676 Hull et al. Jan. 9, 1940 2,190,779 'Fogle Feb. 20, 1940 2,285,723 Kerrigan June 9, 1942 2,349,452 Musolino May 23, 1944 2,520,031 Darr Aug. 22, 1950 2,539,560 Wilson Jan. 30, 1951 2,660,822 Hargus Dec. 1, 1953