US974613A - Hurdle. - Google Patents

Description

W.- S. *TOTHI'LL HUBDLB.-

`APPLIOATION FILED NOV.`23, 1908.

v Patented Nov.f1, 1910.

TH: Noms MT'SR: co.. mummlv, a c:y

WILLIAM S. TOTI-IILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HURDLE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application iled November 23, 1908. Serial No. 464,133.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. TorHrLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hurdles, 'of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to hurdles, and has for its object to provide a new and improved construction of hurdle which shall be readily and easily adjusted to any desired height and which shall reduce materially the danger incident to their use.

In order that a hurdle may be used with a moderate degree of safety, it should be arranged so that the cross bar may be easily displaced, and it is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide for this feature at the same time insuring the cross bar being held in position strongly enough that it shall not be displaced by a slight jar or by a gust of wind.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction in which the cross bar, if displaced by any means, shall automatically return to position.

One of the principal dangers in the use of hurdles has been due to the presence in the hurdle of two or more parallel cross hars a short distance apart, the runner being liable at the slightest slip to become entangled in the hurdle with consequent more or less serious injury.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an adjustable hurdle having only one cross bar, thus doing away with this danger.

Hurdles for adult athletes have been ordinarily arranged to be adjusted for use at either of two heights only, one or both of which heights have been too great to accommodate younger athletes.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a hurdle which may be adjusted to any appropriate height according to the strength and agility of the runner.

Another object is `to improve generally the construction of hurdles in various details hereinafter point-ed out. Y

I accomplish these objects by the means illust-rated in the drawings.

Y That which I believe to be new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a side view of my improved hurdle,

showing also in dotted lines the cross bar in one of its adjusted positions. Fig. 2 is an end view of my hurdle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, showing the means for locking the cross bar member in position at the top of the standards. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, showing the means for locking the cross bar member in one of its adjusted po* sitions.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings7 in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters, 10 indicates a base frame from which rise standards 11 and 12 which are firmly braced in any suitable manner.

13 indicates a cross bar, rigidly secured in any suitable manner between two arms 14 and 15, these three parts, in the construction shown, forming what is herein termed the cross bar member of the hurdle. This cross bar member is to be supported so as to swing easily as hereinafter described or in any other suitable manner, the end of each of the arms 14-15, in the construction shown, being provided with weights 16 suitably attached thereto for the purpose of holding the arms 14-15 normally upright with the cross bar 13 at their upper ends.

Rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the arms 14-15 in register with each other a short distance below the cross bar 13 are two pivot pins 17, one of which is adapted to be inserted in any one of the holes 18, 19 or 20 in one of the standards 11-12, such holes being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the other of which pivot pins is held in the one of the holes 21, 22 or 23 in the other of the standards 11-12 that is in register with the hole 18, 19 or 20 occupied by the opposite pivot pin. In order to enable this cross bar member to be adjusted from one to another of the pairsl of holes 18-21 19-22, and 20-23, I have made the holes 21, 22 and 23 in the form of notches, opening from the exterior of the standard, the notch 21 opening from the top and the other two notches opening from the side.

In the construction shown, the pivot pin 17 is held in its notch 21, 22 or 23 by means ofa locking strip 24. As shown in Figs.

V1 and 2, this strip is provided with longitudinal slots 25, which slots engage the pins 26 carried by the standard 11, the'strip being thus slidable up and down on such pins', upon the outer end of one or more of which is screw-threaded a thumb-nut 27 by means of which the strip 24 may be secured in any desired adjusted position. VThe strip 24 is notched opposite the notches 21-22-23 of the standard 11, so that when said strip 24 is in its raised position the notches in the strip correspond with the notches 21 2 2-23 in the standard, but when the strip 24 is slid down as described, the laterallyprojecting tongue 2S of the upper notch, and the downwardly projecting tongues 29 of the lower notches close the outer ends of such notches 21-*22-23, respectively.

4It will be readily understood from the foregoing that, with the device assembled as in Fig. 1, the thumb-nuts 27 may be loose'ned, the strip 24 raised, and the pivot pin, 17 that rests in the notch 21 lifted out of engagement therewith, the slight amount of play of the pivot pin 17 on the opposite end ofthe cross bar member in its bearing 18 permitting the cross bar member to be turned out of its proper alinement so as to be freed of the standard 11, when the cross bar member may be moved as a whole so as to free such pivot pin of the bearing 18. The pivot pin 17 on the arm 15 may be then inserted in any one of the holes 18-19-20, the other vpivot pin inserted in the corresponding notch 21-22-23, and the strip 24 pushed down and again locked in position by the tightening of the thumb-nuts.

In order to facilitate the manipulation of the strip 24, I have provided at its lower end a handle 30, which in the construction shown is inte ra'l with the strip.

It wi lthus be seen that I have provided a hurdle the cross bar of which may be` easily and quickly adjusted to any predetermined desired height, the number of adjustments being limited only by the number of bearings provided for the pivot pins.

While I 'have described the cross bar member as being held yieldingly in an upright position by 'means of appropriately weighting the ends of the arms 14-15, it will be understood Vthat I do not wish to be restrict ed 'to the exact construction shown in which separate weights are attached vto the arms and i-n which each arm is weighted, nor do I wish to restrict myself except las hereinafter claimed to the use of weights at all for accomplishing this purpose, as `any suitable 'yielding means maybe employed. Indeed, so far as I amaware, I am'the first in the art to prov-ide a hurdle having only a single cross bar above the base, that cross bar being adapted to swing when stru-ck, and 4the claims are to be construed accordingly. In

the drawing lI have shown thecross bar as constructed o'fa single piece of material, but 'it lis obvious that the cross bar may be made up of a plurality of strips placeda short distance apart andbe in effect a single cross bar. In the specication and claims therefore the term single cross bar applies to a cross bar whether constructed of one or more pieces of material which presents a practically continuous surface whereby a runner is not liable to catch his toe in any opening between the edges of the cross bar.

While I have described the pivot pins 17 as being secured to the arms 14-15 a short distance below the cross bar 13, it will be understood that this was done merely for convenience of description, and that, in case the cross bar lshould `be made wider than shown in order to prevent -a runners catching his toe under such cross bar, the position of the pivot .',lpins 17 would not on that account require change but might be secured to the arms even between the edges of the cross bar or even be secured to the cross bar itself,

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a hurdle, the combination with a standard, and a single cross bar connected therewith and adapted to swing relatively thereto, of means `adapted to hold said cross bar yieldingly in position and to return the same to position when displaced.

2.l In a hurdle, the combination of a i standard, and a single cross bar member pivotally mounted thereon and adapted to swing along an axis above the center' of gravity of said cross bar member.

3. In a hurdle, the combination with a standard, and a single cross bar connected therewith and adapted to swing rela-tively thereto, of a weight connected with said cross bar and adapted to Vhold it yieldingly in position.

4. In a hurdle, the combination of a pair of standards and a cross bar member comprising a single cross-bar pivotally mount ed between them on an axis intermediate `the top and `bottom of said cross bar member, the portion of said cross bar member on one side of .said axis being heavier than the portion on the other side whereby the cross bar is held yieldingly in position.

5. In a hurdle, the combination of la vpair of standards, a cross bar member,*com

Yprising `two arms and a single cross bar rigidly connected Vto each of said arms, vpivotally mounted between said standards on an axis intermediate the ends of said arms, and a Lweight on the free end of one of -said arms adapted to hold said cross bar member yieldingly lin position with the cross bar uppermost.

G. 'In a hurdle, the combination with a base, and a `pair of standards rising therefrom, of a cross bar member provided vwith '1 5 but one cross bar pivotally mountedon and ,7. In a hurdle, the combination of a 4pair of standards provided with a plurality of bearings arranged at different heights or levels thereon, a cross bar member provided with but one cross bar and having means to pivotally engage the several bearings of the standards and adapted to swing freely between said standards, and means adapted to hold said cross bar yieldingly in position.

8. In a hurdle, the combination with a cross bar member, comprising a single cross bar, and projecting pivot pins mounted on said cross bar member below the upper edge of the cross bar and on a line above the center of gravity of the cross bar member, of a pair of standards, one of said standards being provided with a plurality of holes for the reception of one of, said pivot pins, and the other of said standards being provided with correspondingly positioned notches to receive the other of said pivot pins, and means for holding said lastnamed pivot pins in either of said notches.

9. In a hurdle, the combination with a cross bar member, comprising a single cross bar, and projecting pivot pins mounted on said cross bar member below the upper edge of the cross bar and on a line above the center of gravity of the cross bar member, and a pair of standards, one of said standards being provided with a plurality of holes for the reception of one of said pivot pins, and the other of said standards being provided with correspondingly positioned notches to receive the other of said pivot pins, of a locking strip slidably mounted on said lastnamed standard, said locking strip being also provided with notches adapted to receive said last-named pivot pin when said locking strip is in its raised position, said notches being adapted to permit said locking strip to be slid downward while said pivot pin is in position in either one of said notches, tongues on said locking strip adapted to prevent the withdrawal of said pivot pin when said locking strip is in its lowered position, and means for clamping said locking strip in its adjusted positions.

l0. In a hurdle, the combination with a base and a pair of standards rising there from, of a pair of arms, a trunnion on each arm, a single cross-bar secured between said arms, bearings in said standards for said trunnions upon which the cross-bar is adapted to swing freely, and means adapted to hold said cross-bar yieldingly in position between said standards and to return said cross-bar to normal position whenever displaced.

ll. In a hurdle the combination with a standard, and a cross bar member connected therewith and adapted to swing relatively thereto, said cross bar member presenting a practically continuous surface from one edge to the other, of means tending to hold said cross bar member in position'.

l.. In a hurdle, the combination with a standard, and a cross bar member pivotally connected therewith and adapted to swing forward at its top when struck, said cross bar member being free of openings between its upper and lower edges in which a runner might catch his foot, and means tending to hold said cross'bar member in vertical position.

I/VILLIAM S. TOTHILL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT I-I. ADAMS, IV. H. DE BrisK.

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