US2992002A

US2992002A - Recreational rebound net

Info

Publication number: US2992002A
Application number: US699828A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Hiram Bingham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-11-29
Filing date: 1957-11-29
Publication date: 1961-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1978-07-11

Description

July 1l 1961 H. BINGHAM, JR

RECREATIoNAL REBOUND NET Filed Nov. 29, 1957 Unted States Patent lIn my Us. 'ra-rem Number 2,823,034 @autres Recrea tion Enclosure there is described a novel recreationenclosure which will permit one or more persons `vto 'engage 'in various lsports or physical A4a ':tivitie's and especially sports, games, or 'other-physical activities involvingV the use of a ballor the like. Morev particularly that invention relates'to a novel recreation enclosure constructed oni the sides and top of wire or wire-like material, saide'nclosure beingsupportedupon a snbstantiallyfat base or floor, and there being included within said enclosure a resilient means for absorbing, slowing down, darnpening vdeti'ecting, bouncing, or otherwise acting against the force 'of the ball which is used by the player or players within the enclosure.

I have devised a new 'recreatiorral Yrebound net which I 'believe has certain advantages under certain circumstances as compared with said resilient deecti-ng means. The novel recreationalrebound net of the present invention is preferably used by placing it in a caged recreation ienclosmeof the type described in my aforesaid patent `and is preferably disposed and suspended in such '1a-'caged enclosure in substantially the same fv'vay that the resilient deflecting means of rrriy aforesaid `t'afttent can be suspended within such a caged enclosure. The novel recreational "rebolindnetof the present 'invention alsofibe used "separate and apart from a caged enclosure.

It is therefore an object of this inventronto provide a novel and useful recreational rebound net which can be used which will enable one to engage in games and physical activities within a limited area.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel and useful recreational rebound net which will permit participants in a sport to exert the same strenuous physical effort that they would exert were there no space limitations.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel and useful recreational rebound net which will enable a person to engage in a sport involving the use of a resilient ball without the necessity of having any other person present.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a combined enclosure and recreational rebound net which will enable a person or persons to strike a ball within the enclosure and to thereafter be assured that the ball, after being deflected off of the recreation-al rebound net, will return to the approximate area of the player.

Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will appear from the description of one species or embodiment hereinafter described land shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is fragmentary side view of a recreational enclosure showing a side view of the recreational rebound net of this invention suspended within the recreational enclosure. This view also shows a fragmentary view of a man so as to provide some idea of relative size.

FIGURE 2 is a full end View of the recreational rebound net of this invention (as Viewed from the right end of FIGURE 1) shown disposed in an upright vertical position adjacent to one end of a cage-type recreation enclosure, the end of the cage-type enclosure having an end section defined by

posts

51, 52 and 53, door section 54, lower side board 55, wire backing 60 covering the back end, wire backing 70 on the sides and top and clamping means 80 to fasten the wire backing 60 and 70 to the

posts

51, 52 and 53 and other supporting structure.

Referring now to FIGURE 2., it can be seen that the may be fastened to the adjacent "edges ofthe netti 'edges the ynettingo'r bythe use of fastening or br ICC recreational rebound 'net of this invention a four-sided frame havingupper and lower'ig-id fra'rne

members

20 and 22, respectively fand side'f 'nie members 2'4 and Z6. As is shown the 'fraineinernbe'rs'alr'e connected at their ends 'to form a vrigid frame structure. The frame members may consist of `any suitable" co struction rnaterial such asrnetallic piping, wooden bars and the length of Ieach frame willprrrnarily depend upon the size of thecaged enclosure' 'in Whichtlie recreational rebound net 'is to be used, 'although it has lbeen found preferable to have -the length o'f "the farre members range between 6 and 1,2 feet.

Each 0f the

frame members

20, 272, 24 and 26'S nected to the `'substa'n'tially parallel'and -interiorly dis' transverse members 30, 32, v34, and 36 resp"ectijirelyV gbyfa plurality of springs S. Transverse members 30, '32, "34 and 36 are not directly fastened to eachother andmay consist of Wooden or metallic bars, pipes or 'rods (1although aluminum is preferred because of "its llightness and strength). The transverse members rn'ayb'e'fas ned to the adjacent edges of the netting 'material 100 'in any desired manner. For example, the transverse terial by merely passing Phe transf4 the last row of holes in the nettingg i the transverse members Vthrough rings attached along the ket means, or by Vtying the transverse vvren'bers to -the Val'tlja.- cent Yedges ofthe netting.Y

The springs S between thefranre members arid th' verse members may be of any desired' si'z andi A sired'number, The strength, and design ofthefs'prings S ina'y be radilylteed 'to slit'v'ar'yi'rg of "use. 'Ilhe springs are preferably as short as possible so as to minimize the possibility of a ball passing therethrough, although longer springs can be used. Springs are preferably attached to all four sides, but -it is possible to use springs only on two or three sides if desired.

The netting material 100 preferably rnade of nylon or cotton, although other equivalent materials may be used. The tension of the netting material can lbe varied by changing the size of the netting or by changing the pulling strength of the springs S, or by fastening the longitudinal members closer to or further from the center of the netting.

The frame structure defined by

frame members

20, 22, 24 and 26 is preferably suspended from above by two or more chains 40. The lower ends of suspension chains 40 are preferably Iattached to the upper corners of the frame structure (e.g. at opposite ends of frame member 20) and the upper ends of suspension chains 40 are either attached to a point adjacent the top of the caged enclosure in which the rebound net is to be used or to the upper sides or back of such a caged enclosure or to iany equally high point of attachment. 'Iihe recreational rebound net may be disposed in a perfectly vertical position but in most instances it is more desirable to dispose the rebound net at an angle ranging from l to 4() degrees away from the vertical. Chains, ropes or springs may be employed to either maintain the rebound net ina vertical position or to incline it away from the vertical to the desired degree; such chains, ropes or springs having one end fastened to a frame member (e.g. sides or bottom) and the other end fastened to the back, bottom, sides or top of the cagetype recreation enclosure. The angle may easily be changed for various games and activities. Suitable springs, swinging brackets, ropes, etc., could replace chains 40. Detailed drawings have not been presented showing the numerous possible ways which one might employ for disposing the recreational rebound net within a caged enclosure since with this disclosure before anyone skilled in the art could easily devise many suitable arthe exercise of invention.

The recreational rebound net of this invention has a number of advantages over the resilient deecting means described and shown in my aforesaid patent. The recreational rebound net of this invention can rst of all be carried into 4and removed from lany enclosure in a quick and convenient manner, thus avoiding the problem of det-aehing the netting from numerous fastening points, rolling, unrolling, etc. Also the swinging of the entire frame deadens the force of any ball hit against a frame member, which ball might otherwise rebound in a dangerous manner. Since the rebound net can be easily moved from place to place it can be used or stored in nearly any recreation room or garage. The present invention eliminates the need for Weight or the fastening of the net to the oor. Since the entire frame structure can be swung back and forth, it is easy to recover a ball which goes behind or under it.

In conclusion, it should then be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limitthe patent granted herein otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended The

transverse members

30, 32, 34, and .36 may be loosely fastened or tied together at the ends preferably in such a Way that they can be easily separated. To tighten or loosen Ilthe netting (100) one or more of the bars are removed from one row of squares of the netting and moved into 'a row of squares closer or further from the

frame members

20, 22, 24 and 26. The tension on the netting will lthen be increased or decreased when the springs are replaced.

I claim:

In the combination of a recreational enclosure com- 4 prising at least four sides and a top portion consisting at least partly of wire mesh, -a substantially ilat floor portion said enclosure, and a resilient means disposed across a substantial portion of said enclosure adjacent tov one end thereof, the improvement which comprises a novel type'of recreational rebound net as said resilient means, said recreational rebound net comprising,

(a) an `outer substantially rigid rectangular four-sided frame;`

(b) the four sides of said frame being connected by a plurality of springs to four interiorly disposed rigid elongated members; v

(c) said four interiorly disposed rigid elongated members-,being separated from one another;

(d) :each of said four separate rigid elongated members ,beinggirmly attached to a substantial portion of one side of a four-sided expanse of netting material, and

(e) each of said four separate rigid elongated members being disposed in substantially parallel relationship with respect to one side lof the four-sided frame to which it is connected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 16, 1955