Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Goal or target structure for projectile; element thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-09
2002-04-23
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Goal or target structure for projectile; element thereof
C384S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06375585
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to sports goals. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable goalpost assembly.
American football games include the opportunity at various times for a player to kick the football through a goalpost to receive points. The goalposts generally comprise a support post, a cross-bar, and a pair of spaced apart uprights. To receive the points, the kicked football must travel over the cross-bar and between the uprights. As such, it is important that the kicker be capable of kicking the football with accuracy between the uprights.
To develop consistent accuracy, kickers practice during non-game situations kicking the football through the uprights from various distances and at different angles relative to the position of the goalpost. To achieve greatest accuracy, the kickers attempt to focus on kicking the football through a small area in the center of the space between the uprights. The kickers must use their imagination to define such an area in their mind's eye.
Even if a kicker becomes consistent at kicking the football through the goalpost in a practice situation, there is generally greater pressure during an actual game. As a result of such pressure, it is often difficult for a kicker to maintain the same consistency and accuracy. Games are often lost by a kicker kicking the football just to the left or right of the respective goalpost upright.
It is an advantage for kickers to practice on a goalpost assembly wherein the uprights are positioned closer together than standard uprights. By practicing with such, the kickers can more easily visualize a central kicking area. Additionally, if a kicker becomes consistently accurate on narrower uprights during practice, kicking towards the wider, regulation uprights during a game situation may seem easier. This may help compensate for the added pressure of kicking in a game situation.
To provide kickers with such assistance, teams have had goalposts with narrower uprights custom built for practice purposes. However, different kickers may desire the narrowing of the uprights by differing amounts. Additionally, some programs may not be able to afford, or have the space for, separate game goalposts and practice goalposts. Furthermore, some facilities are used by both high school and college teams, which have different regulations for the space between the uprights, the high school uprights being space further apart than the college uprights. As such, a facility could be required to have up to four different goalpost configurations, i.e.—high school and college regulation width and high school and college narrower width.
Accordingly, there is a need for a goalpost assembly which allows the space between the uprights to be adjusted to any desired width.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a trolley assembly for adjusting the position of an upright along a cross-bar. The trolley assembly comprises a frame assembly adapted to overly the cross-bar, an upright support extending from the frame assembly, at least one roller assembly secured within the frame assembly and adapted to travel along the cross-bar, and a lock. The lock is moveable between an open position wherein the frame assembly is moveable relative to the cross-bar and a locked position wherein the frame assembly is fixed relative to the cross-bar.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 3516666 (1970-06-01), Trimble et al.
patent: 3856302 (1974-12-01), Karkoska
patent: 3908992 (1975-09-01), Cunningham et al.
patent: 3917263 (1975-11-01), Wiley
patent: 3981501 (1976-09-01), Gonzalez et al.
patent: 5348291 (1994-09-01), Scully
Rogers Athletic Company 1998 catalogFor the Perfection of Football Fundamentals™, p. 32.
Aluminum Athletic Equipment Co.
Chambers M.
Sewell Paul T.
Volpe & Koenig P.C.
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