US849941A

US849941A - Base-ball back-stop.

Info

Publication number: US849941A
Application number: US34878506A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wellington S Titus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-12-20
Filing date: 1906-12-20
Publication date: 1907-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 1924-04-09

Description

3 SHEET$SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR, 9. 1907.

. S. TITUS.

BASE BALL BAG-K STOP.

NORRIS PETERS co. WASHINGTON, n. c.

APPLIOA TION IILEDDEU. 20,1906.

v 7 s u .No.8 4 9,'94 1. v .PATENTED APR.9,'1907.

-W.S.TITUSY.

BASE BALL BACK STOP. APPLICATION FILED DEU.20,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 anuenl'oz 1m: "cams PETERS cu.v masnmaruu, o. c.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BASE-BALL BACK-STOP- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907,

Application filed December 20,1906. Serial No. 348,785.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WELLINGTON S. TITUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glenmoore, in the county of Mercer, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball Back- Stops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in base-ball baclcstops; and its object resides in the provision of a portable device of that nature which may be moved to any desired point in a base-ball field.

As is well known, it is customary during the fielding practice of theteam to utilize two batsmen, one of whom bats to the infield and the other to the outfield, and as the infield batsman usually stands in front of the stationary back-stop balls thrown or pitched to the outfield batsman, who is stationed some distance away from the infield batsman, pass him and are lost where the field is uninclosed.

It is the chief object of this invention, therefore, to provide a portable back-stop which may be moved with great readiness to any position on the field to suit a batsman, so that he may stand in position to bat with greater certainty to any particular fielder or portion of the field without the danger of any ball pitched or fielded to him passing him and becoming lost or being stolen by any onlookers.

i A further object of the invention consists in the provision of a portable back-stop which may be utilized in the practice of bunting to take the place of a catcher and which may be further utilized in connection with battery practice while the remaining members of a team are engaged in fielding or batting practice and during a game.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in a main vertical screensection and an upper screen-section inclined thereto, the main section further including a lower member forming a continuation thereof and normally connected thereto, so

, as to be raised out of contact with the ground during the movement of the device from one spot to another.

A further improvement consists in the for-' mation of the brace-rods of the upper screensection of two separate members whose ends are adapted to telescope, whereby said section may be adjusted to any desired angle with respect to the main section.

The invention further consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter fully'described, specifically claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by corresponding referencenumerals in the several views.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a fragmental view in front elevation, showing the lower section in its raised or inoperative position. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view in longitudinal section, showing the telescopic arrangement of the brace-rods of the upper section. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the guide-wheel and its attendant parts. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section through Fig. 6.

The back-stop, as shown in the drawings, comprises a main vertical frame-section 10, provided at its lower ends with ground-wheels 11, an upper section 12, pivoted to the top rail of the main section, and a lower section 13, pivoted to the main section adjacent the lower rail thereof. The top section is provided with a screen 14, secured thereto and including the diagonal supporting-threads 14, which latter prevent the screen or net from centrally sagging. The main section 10 is in like manner provided with a screen 15, which, however, stops short before reaching the lower rail of said section and is connected with the lower section 13, as shown in Fig. 2, said screen being therefore partly carried by both sections. toward its lower rail with a pair of rearwardlyextending conver ing brace-rods 16, secured to the opposite side rails, while the upper section is similarly provided with the brace-rods 17, the latter, however, consisting of two

separate members

18 and 18, which are adapted to telescope at their inner ends, the bore of the section 18 being sufficiently large to admit the end of the section 18. The two sections or members are held in adjusted position by means of a set-screw 19, which passes through an opening formed in the member 18 and impinges against the end of the member 18. Owing to this telescopic construction of the brace-rods of the upper The main section is provided 9 section 12, it is possible to adjust the latter to any desired angle with respect to the main sectionfiifgThe rear ends of the

several braces

16 and 17 are bolted or otherwise fastened upon the upper of a pair of blocks 20, connected by a bolt 21, the lower block carrying on its under face a pair of yokes 22, which latter bear against the free ends of a spring 23, looped intermediate its ends to form a bearing for the guiding-wheel 24, said half or member of said spring being coiled adjacent its free end to provide a yielding seat for the blocks 20, above referred to. The upper block is further provided with a rearwardlyextending arm 25, terminating in a handle portion. It will thus be apparent that the back-stop may be drawn to any point in the ball-field.

The lower section in its normal or operative position is downwardly inclined with respect to the main section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to stop any ground-balls which may ass the batsman. When, however, the

ack-stop is being drawn from one position to another on the ball-field, said lower section is swung upwardly out of contact with the ground and retained in such position by means of a chain 27, which is connected at one end with the front rail of said section and is provided at its opposite end with a hook 28 for engagement with the bent upper end of the member 18 of the uppes brace-rod or with the adjacent side rail of the main section, being held in such latter position by its partial engagement with the mesh of the screen carried thereby. The

screens

14 and 15 are preferably formed of heavy twine or other similar material, so as not to cut or otherwise injure a ball which has passed the batsman or when struck foul by him.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the back-stop may be bodily moved to any portion of a field with great readiness to enable a batsman to take any desired position to bat to certain players or to engage in batting practice, and particularly in bunting practice without interfering-with the other players, and it will be further apparent that owing to the adjustable connection between the main and upper sections of the back-stop the latter section may be disposed at any desired angle with respect to the former within certain limits, so as to preclude any possibility of aball which has assed the batsman from escaping and being ost. The provision of the lower section in like manner prevents any passed round-ball from becoming lost.

Further description of the device and its uses is thought unnecessary in view of the foregoing.

What is claimed is 1. A back-stop comprising a stationary main section, and an inclined upper section adjustably connected thereto.

2. A back-stop comprising a main vertical 'to the lower a single screen carried by both of said sections.

5. A back-stop comprising a main vertical frame-section, a section pivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section and downwardly inclined normally with respect thereto, and a single screen carried. by both of said sections.

6. A portable back-stop comprising a main wheeled frame-section, a section pivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section and downwardly-inclined with respect thereto in its operative position, a screen carried by said sections, and means for retaining said pivoted section in its raised or inoperative posit-ion with respect to said main section during bodily movement of the back-stop.

7. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, a screen carried thereby, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said main frame, and a movable guiding-wheel carried by said braces.

8. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, an upper section connected with said main frame, screens carried by said frame and upper section, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said upper section, and a movable guiding-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

9. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, an upper section connected with said main frame and angularly adjustable with respect thereto, screens carried by said frame and upper section, rearwardly extending braces connected to said upper section, and a movable guiding-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

10. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, an upper section connected with said main frame and angularly adjustable with respect thereto, a movable section connected to the lower portion of said main frame and forming a construction thereof, a screen carried by said upper section and a screen carried by said frame and movable section, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said upper section, and a movable guiding-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

11. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, a section pivotally connected ortion of said main frame and normally inc ined downwardly with respect thereto, a screen carried by said frame and pivoted section, a flexible element connected at one .end to said pivoted section, and a hook secured to the opposite end of said flexible element and adapted for engagement with said main frame to hold said pivoted section in raised position during bodily movement of the back-stop.

12. A portable back-stop including a main wheeled frame, a section pivotally connected to the lower portion of said main frame and normally inclined downwardly with respect thereto, a screen carried by said frame and pivoted section, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said main frame, a movable guiding-wheel secured to the rear end of said braces, a flexible element connected at one end to said pivoted section, and a hook secured to the opposite end of said flexible element and adapted for engagement with said main frame to hold said pivoted section in raised position during bodily movement of the back-stop.

13. A back-stop comprising a main sec tion, a section pivoted to the upper portion of said main section, and supporting means for said upper section including braces each comprising a pair of separate members adapted to telescope with each other, whereby the inclination of the upper section may be adjusted with respect to the main section.

14. A portable baclcstop comprising a main wheeled section, a section pivoted to the upper portion of said main section, rearwardly-extending braces connected to said sections, the upper-section braces each comprising a pair of separate members adapted to telescope with each other, whereby the inclination of the upper section may be adjusted with respect to the main section, and a movable steering-wheel connected with the rear ends of said braces.

15. A portable back-stop comprising a main wheeled section, a section pivotally connected to the upper portion of said main section, a section pivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section and normally downwardly inclined with respect thereto, a flexible elementgconnectediat one end to said lower section, a hookgsecuredgto the opposite end of said element for engagement with said main frame, to hold said lower section in raised position during bodily movement of said back-stop, rearwardly ex tending braces secured to said main section, separate braces secured to said upper section, and a movable uiding-wheel secured to the rear ends of said braces.

16. A portable baclcstop comprising a main wheeled section, a section pivotally connected to the upper portion of said main section, a section pivotally connected to the lower portion of said main section and normally downwardly inclined with respect thereto, a flexible element connected at one end to said lower section, a hook secured to the opposite end of said element for engagement with said main frame, to hold said lower section in raised position during bodily movement of said back-stop, rearwardly-extending braces secured to said main section, separate braces secured to said upper section, said last-mentioned braces each consisting of a pair of members adapted to telescope with each other, whereby the inclination of the up per member may beadjusted with res ect to the main section and a movable gui ingwheel secured to the rear ends of said braces. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WELLINGTON S. TITUS.

Witnesses:

W. E. PIGGOTT, J. W. DAVIS.