US3024022A - Hurdle - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1962 R. D. GOYETTE HURDLE Filed June 8, 1959 lill! lili!! uit!!! l ill.

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3,024,022 HURDLE Robert D. Goyette, Spencer, Iowa, assignor to Stadium Products Company, Incorporated, Spencer, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,910 1 Claim. (Cl. 272-59) This invention relates to an improved collapsible hurdle construction for use on a running track. The hurdle of the invention is characterized by simplicity of structure, light weight and ruggedness. It is adapted to fold up into a compact package occupying minimum space. The construction of the invention also insures resistance to collapse of the upright member of the hurdle due to forces that might be imposed on the cross bar in use.

In a preferred form the hurdle of the invention consists of a pair of U-shaped tubular members which are pivotally connected with their bases adjacent one another. The normally upright U-shaped member carrying the cross bar has its legs aligned with those of the normally horizontal ground-engaging U-shaped member. The legs of the latter are weighted to provide tipping resistance. The novelty lies in the manner in which these U-shaped members are pivotally connected. Heretofore although hurdles have been made utilizing two U-shaped members of this type the means for connecting them has been rather complicated and the hurdle was subject to collapse in use. In the present invention a rigid arm is pivotally connected at either end to the opposed legs of the cooperating U-shaped members. A pair of lugs, secured to the base of the ground-engaging member lock the base of the upright member thereto so that the hurdle is rigid in erected position but may easily be collapsed by lifting the upright member from the embrace of the lugs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective View of a hurdle constructed in accordance with the invention in erected position;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the hurdle shown in FIG- URE l, the hurdle having been collapsed for storage;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the hurdle of FIGURE 1, the cross bar being shown in broken lines in elevated position;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the hurdle shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a side View illustrating how the hurdle collapses, the partially collapsed upright being shown in breken lines; and

FIGURE 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3 showing means for locking the cross bar at diterent heights.

Referring now to the drawing it will be noted that the upright member 10 and the normally horizontallydisposed member 12 are U-shaped tubes rotatably secured together by means of rigid arms or links 22. The bases of the U-shaped members 10 and 12 normally abut as shown in FIGURE l when the hurdle is in erected position. The rigid arms 22 are pivotally secured to the opposed legs of the upright and horizontal members by means of rivets, bolts or pins 24. The length of the arms 22 is not critical but the pivot points should be spaced a suicient distance from the bases to provide good rigidity when the hurdle is erected. In order to lock the base 10a of the upright member 10 to the base 12a of the horizontal member 12 I have provided a pair of lugs 30. These lugs are generally L-shaped and may be welded or otherwise secured to the base 12a in atent the plane of the U-shaped member 12. The end of the lug extends upwardly normal to the plane of the U-shaped member 12 and provides, with base 12a, a cradle to receive the base 10a of member 10, as best shown in FIG- URE 5. The number of lugs is not critical. One or more may be used. v

It will be noted that when the base 10a is disposed within the embrace of the lugs 30 the upright member is locked against movement in any direction except upwardly. After the hurdle has been erected and is in use, no upward force is imposed upon the cross bar and, consequently, the erected structure is very rigid.

When it is desired to collapse the hurdle one merely steps on the legs of the member 12, lifts up on the cross bar 20 to remove the base 10a from between the lugs and the base 12a. Since both U-shaped members comprising the hurdle are the same width, the legs thereof are aligned and lie directly over one another when the hurdle is collapsed as best shown in FIG-URE 2. The pivotal connections 24 permit the U-shaped members to lie immediately adjacent each other and, consequently, the :hurdle occupies very little space and is easy to store.

The ends of the horizontal or ground-engaging member 12 are provided with weights 14 which are sufficiently heavy to keep the upright member erect except when the cross bar is kicked by a hurdler in which case the hurdle tilts forward against the counteracting force of the weights 14. It will be noted that even under such circumstances the right angle relationship of the two U-shaped members does not change since only a lifting force will permit the upright to collapse against the horizontal ground-engaging member.

The cross bar 20 extends between tubular or rod-like extension members 1S, which telescope within the upright tubular legs of the U-shaped member 10. In order to set the cross bar at varying heights I have provided a ball and socket means to provide frictional engagement between the inner tube 18 and the outer tube 10. This is best shown in FIGURE 6. A collar 21 embraces the tube 10 which has an opening therethrough to house the ball bearing 23. `Cooperating with the ball bearing 23 are a series of spaced openings 25 through the rod 18. As the rod 18 is moved within the tube 10 the ball bearing 23 slides into one of the openings 25, depending upon the height at which the cross bar is to be set. The collar 21 is resilient and the ball 23 is attached to its inner surface permanently permitting the inner rod 18 to be moved from one position to another. A second collar 16 is secured to the rod 18 by welding or otherwise and serves as a stop to prevent the cross bar from moving downwardly beyond a certain predetermined point. The construction shown in FIGURE 6 is applicable to both legs of the upright member.

Preferably the U-shaped members 10 and 12 are made from aluminum tubing so that they are very light in weight. It will be appreciated that the hurdle is easy to erect, it being necessary only to lift the upright into a posiuon approximately with respect to the groundengaging U-shaped member 12. The base 10a is then lifted upwardly above the lugs 30 and then pushed down into the cradle provided by the lugs between the base 12a and the upright portion of the lug 30. The rigid arm members 22 are effective to prevent collapse of the hurdle when the base 10a of member 10 is locked in this position.

Although a preferred form of my invention has been described and illustrated in the drawings, it will be appreciated that the invention is capable of being modified in certain detailed respects without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, my intention to include within the scope of the appended claim those modifications which might properly be embraced by the language ofthe claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A collapsible hurdle comprising a first, normally-'upright U-shaped tubular member and a second, normally ground-engaging U-shaped tubular member disposed base to base with legs aligned, a pair of rigid arm means pivotally secured at either end thereof to the opposed legs of each member to permit collapsing the hurdle with one member overlying the other, a cross bar extending between the legs of said rst member, a pair of L-shaped lugs secured to the base of said second member in the plane thereof, the lugs having upwardly turned ends normal to said plane and positioned to receive the base of said rst member to lock said bases together in such manner that said' bases are separable only by lifting the base of said rst member upwardly out of the plane of said second member beyond said ends of said lugs.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,613y Tothill Nov. 1, 1910 1,100,072 Hammond June 16, 1914 2,805,062 Holmes Sept. 13, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 501,768 Germany July 5, 1930

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