Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Means removably supporting projectile in position to be...
Patent
1996-09-27
1997-11-25
Grieb, William H.
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Means removably supporting projectile in position to be...
A63B 7100
Patent
active
056905645
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a support for a football for use during playing of the game or for display purposes. This invention also relates to apparatus for use in playing a game of football and to the game when played in combination with the apparatus.
In a game of football, particularly rugby football, where the ball is non-spherical and typically an ellipsoid, the ball does not lend itself to being balanced at a chosen angle or stood on or about an end for place kicking. In order to position a ball for place kicking, a player will either create a shallow recess in the playing field in order to receive an end of a ball, thereby to support the ball in a desired attitude until it is kicked or, alternatively and to the same end, a player may create a small mound of soil on which the ball can seated at a desired attitude in readiness for kicking.
More recently, rigid support devices made from a plastics material have been utilised. The former stated techniques of support are advantageous in that they allow a player to create the specific shape of support required in terms of desired height and ball attitude for the trajectory envisaged but are time consuming to create and inconsistent in the making due, for example, to soil characteristics or condition. The support devices do give the advantage of the provision of a consistent support device but are inflexible in the way in which the ball can be seated whereby adjustment of the attitude of the ball by the player is limited and possibly unstable.
In one aspect this invention provides a support for a football which is to be kicked from a stationary position on a playing surface, which support comprises a filler material contained within an outer skin and in combination forming a deformable, that is a malleable and/or pliable structure adapted to support said football at a desired and adjustable attitude above the playing surface.
According to a preferred feature of this invention said filler material may be a coherent single mass of a malleable substance, such as a clay-like material or viscous solid or liquid.
According to another preferred feature of this invention the said filler material may be particulate material such as a powder or a granular substance. Preferably the granular material used is sand.
According to a further preferred feature of this invention, the outer skin may comprise a bag preferably with a re-closable aperture. Preferably the outer skin is formed from a woven nylon material or other water and tear resistant material.
According to a still further feature of this invention, said support is generally -conical or ogival in form and having a planar base surface.
This invention thus provides, broadly, a pliable and/or malleable ball support which can be shaped so as to provide an adjustable support for use in place kicking a rugby football or the like.
Embodiments of this invention are described by way of examples only and with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows in perspective view one embodiment of the ball support,
FIG. 2 shows in perspective view the support of FIG. 1 on which a rugby football is seated in a typical attitude for place kicking,
FIG. 3 shows in perspective view a second embodiment,
FIG. 4 shows the embodiment of FIG. 3 from below,
FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 3 with a rugby football seated thereon, and
FIG. 6 shows in perspective view a third embodiment.
Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a ball support device 10 comprises a bag 12 which is generally, but not strictly, of ogival or frusto-conical form and which forms an outer skin 14 containing a deformable filler material M such as a granular material, preferably sand. The bag 12 may contain a variety of materials which need not necessarily be granular. For example, some form of malleable mass in the nature of clay, a viscous liquid or solid such as a silicone gel or even water will suffice provided it can at least temporarily hold the form of the bag 12 into which it is shaped so as to provide a relatively stable but nevertheless ad
REFERENCES:
patent: 3924856 (1975-12-01), Dekan et al.
patent: 4011611 (1977-03-01), Lederman
patent: 4655453 (1987-04-01), Spiegal et al.
Hassard Jamie Carmichael
Webb Lawrence Edward
Grieb William H.
James Gilbert (Rugby Footballs) Ltd.
Litman Richard C.
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