US3231993A - Football trophy - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 1, 1966 a. A. LEVY 3,231,993

FOOTBALL .TROPHY Filed March 13, 1964 GEO/'9 A- INVENTOK United States. Patent 3,231,993 FOOTBALL TROPHY George A. Levy, 3132 Waverly Park, Tampa, Fla. Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,654 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-68) The present invention relates, broadly classified to an ornamental portable trophy, more particularly, to an authentic oblate-ellipsoidal football the surface of which is autographed,and an attractive stand which is functionally designed and structurally adapted to effectually present and display the football.

As will be evident after havingconsidered the general statement concerning the subject matter involved, the football is genuine, inflated and only different from other conventional footballs in that the signatures and other written indicia appearing thereon is original. It follows therefore that the present invention is regarded. as an advance in the art in that the football is cradled and accordingly retentively held in an attractive manner in a well designedand balanced stand.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the stand comprises a horizontal panel constituting a base and having flat or planar top and bottom surfaces. The panel is preferably, but not necessarily, rectangular in plan and is provided at its respective transverse ends with a pair of secondary or auxiliary panels. These panels are duplicates of each other and have opposed inwardly disposed surfaces the upper central portions of which are provided with recesses. These recesses provide appropriate pockets. The pockets are preferably circular and of a depth and dimension for retentive reception of the cooperating tapering-ends of the associated football.

In keeping with the principles of the invention the suspending uprights of the football are such in construction that they clampingly grip and hold the ball but never theless permit a viewer or observer to grip and turn the ball by hand in order to inspect all of the signatures and written comments, if any, which were inscribed on the footbal by players or persons of renown.

More explicitly the auxiliary panels or uprights resemble spaced-apart parallel book ends. However and by preference these uprights have lower edge portions seated firmly atop the transverse ends of the base and detachably bolted in place thereon.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent residein the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a trophy (football and stand) constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view on a smaller scale and with one end portion appearing in section;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the vertical section line 33 of FIGURE 1 with the football omitted; and

FIGURE 4 is a view fragmentary in type which is presented in section and elevation and is taken approximately on the plane of the section line 4--4 of FIGURE 2.

With reference now to the illustrative, but not restrictive figures of the drawing it will be seen that the trophy considered as an entity comprises a football 6 and a supporting, cradling and displaying stand 8 therefor.

The football, in accordance with the inventive concept will be a genuine or authentic inflated football and of standard construction and size. Ordinarily and before the football is clampingly cradled and suspended in the stand its surface or cover is covered, as it were, with auto- 3,231,993 Patented Feb. 1, 1966' graphs and comments, if desired, of players and persons of importance and representing an event of significance to the trophy owner. It may well be mentioned here that the overal inventive concept takes into account currently popular autographing practices. However, the incentive which gave rise to the instant effort had to do with recognition of outstanding sports events and, for example, those which are nationally significant bowl games and events in that category of importance. Accordingly, the football is outstanding in that it displays autographs of members of the respective teams participating in an eventful game.

The stand comprises three principal component parts, namely, a horizontal portable base 10 and left and right rigidly attached uprights 12 and 14, respectively. More specifically the base comprises a rectangular panel, preferably a solid nicely finished walnut panel having flat or planar top and bottom surfaces 16 and 18 (FIG. 3), having a forward longitudinal marginal side 20 and suitably chamfered or otherwise prepared surfaces 22. Each upright comprises a walnut or an equivalent panel and these panels are alike in construction and are proportional with the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the base as illustrated in FIG. 3. The bottom marginal edge 24 of each panel is planar and fits firmly atop the surface 16 of the main base panel. More specifically each auxiliary panel (12 or 14 as the case may be) is disposed so that it extends transversely across the surface 16 and in order that the projecting headed end of a stud or pin 26 can be fitted and retained in a vertical socket 23 (FIG. 4) provided therefor. A larger stud is also provided and has a tapering screw-threaded end portion 30 screwed into the bottom portion of the panel, the lower screw-threaded end 32 projecting below the panel bottom 24 and passing through a bore 34 which is provided therefor and into a counterbore 36 which serves to accommodate an assembling washer and nut 38. Thus these two cooperating members or studs function to locate the auxiliary panel and to secure it firmly atop the cooperating end portion of the main base panel 10. The central interior side or surface 40 of each panel is provided with a circular or an equivalent recess 42 which constitutes a pocket for reception and retention of the tapering end portion of the football 6 in the manner shown. It will be obvious that the several panels 10, 12 and 14 are precision made and assembled so that when the football 6 is located between the surfaces 40 and the football is fully inflated the end portions, being seated in the pockets 42, serves to cradle the football betwen the uprights in a well balanced manner as is evident from FIGURE 1.

With reference again to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the uprights 12 and 14 resemble a pair of book ends wherein the latter are fixedly joined to cooperating transverse end portions of a proportionally made base. It is also a matter of moment to point out that the football 6 is clamped with requisite nicety between the pocketed portions 42 of the end uprights 12 and 14, this in a manner to insure adequate support for the football but at the same time to permit one to catch hold of the ball and to turn it about its lengthwise axis in a manner to examine all signatures or other written indicia appearing thereon.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, an inflated authentic oblate-ellipsoidal football constituting a trophy, and a holding and displaying stand for said football, said stand embodying a base, said base comprising a fiat-bottomed portable horizontally elongated panel and a pair of uprights comprising auxiliary panels mounted on the respective transverse end portions of the top side of said base panel and rising vertically therefrom in. spaced apart parallel relationship, said auxiliary panels having opposed planarinwardly facing surfaces having opposed aligned recesses defining seating pockets, said ball having significant axially aligned end portions retentively seated in their respective pockets, whereby said football is clampingly cradled and suspended between said upright panels in a plane above the top side of said base panel.

2. In combination, an inflated regulation oblate-ellipsoidal authentically autographed football constituting and providing a trophy, and a holding and displaying stand for said football comprising a horizontally elongated base panel having fiat top and bottom surfaces, 2. pair of complemental uprights each comprising a panel auxiliary to the base panel and having a flat bottom seated firmly and extending transversely across a transverse end portion of the top of said first-named panel, means separably but securely fastening the auxiliary panels to the base panel, said auxiliary panels having opposed spaced parallel planar surfaces disposed inwardly and facing each other and each inwardly facing surface having its upper median por tion provided with a generally circular ball-end seating pocket, said ball having axially aligned end portions and said end portions being retentively but removably seated in .their respective pockets whereby to cradle the ball comprises bolt and nut means, the bolt being carried by the auxiliary panel having a screw-threaded nut-equipped end cooperable with bores provided therefor in an aligned portion of said base panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,512,314 10/1924 Rutter 211-14 1,514,529 11/1924 Johnston 211-14 X 1,608,361 11/ 1926 Boettcher 273-55 1,744,647 1/ 1930 Lamar -68 1,951,894 3/1934 Ziebarth 211-14 2,410,328 10/1946 Agamite 242-55.2 2,517,809 8/ 1950 Tarzian 242- .2 2,551,354 5/1951 Wasilevich 248- X 2,828,563 4/1958 Guess 40-68 2,962,156 11/1960 Adams 211-164 3,087,726 4/1963 Pogue 273-55 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

ROBERT P. SEITTER, WILLIAM GRIEB,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION, AN INFLATED AUTHENTIC OBLATE-ELLIPSOIDAL FOOTBALL CONSTITUTING A TROPHY, AND A HOLDING AND DISPLAYING STAND FOR SAID FOOTBALL, SAID STAND EMBODYING A BASE, SAID BASE COMPRISING A FLAT-BOTTOMED PORTABLE HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED PANEL AND A PAIR OF UPRIGHTS COMPRISING AUXILIARY PANELS MOUNTED ON THE RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE END PORTIONS OF THE TOP SIDE OF SAID BASE PANEL AND RISING VERTICALLY THEREFROM IN SPACED APART PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, SAID AUXILIARY PANELS HAVING OPPOSED PLANAR INWARDLY FACING SURFACES HAVING OPPOSED ALIGNED RECESSES DEFINING SEATING POCKETS, SAID BALL HAVING SIGNIFICANT AXIALLY ALIGNED END PORTIONS RETENTIVELY SEATED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE POCKETS, WHEREBY SAID FOOTBALL IS CLAMPINGLY CRADLED AND SUSPENDED BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT PANELS IN A PLANE ABOVE THE TOP SIDE OF SAID BASE PANEL.

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