US3765676A - Adjustable basketball goals - Google Patents

Abstract

A basketball goal is carried by upper and lower pairs of arms which are pivotally connected to a support to permit vertical adjustments. The adjustment is effected by means of a screw attached to the support and extending downwardly to a threaded tube which extends through a ring member carried by the lower arms and is mounted to tilt about a horizontal axis. The weight of the overhanding goal structure may be counterbalanced by torsion springs carried by lateral projections of a shaft forming part of the lower arm structure.

Description

United States Patent [191 Bearson et al.

1 ADJUSTABLE BASKETBALL GOALS [76] Inventors: Benhard M. Bearson; Orrin C.

Klungtvedt, both of Lanesboro, Minn. 55949 221 Filed: Jan. 15, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 106,644

[52] US. Cl 273/15 R, 248/281, 248/292, 248/421 [51] Int. Cl A631) 63/04 [58] Field of Search 273/15 R; 248/281, 248/421, 284, 292, 297, 280, 4

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,546 2/1920 Rhoads 248/292 X 1,686,341 10/1928 Nathanson 248/281 X 2,227,310 12/1940 Hoppes et al..... 248/281 X 2,546,361 3/1951 Floyd 248/421 X 2,652,880 9/1953 Gundersen.... 248/421 X 2,757,888 8/1956 Branstratoru. 248/4 2,784,764 3/1957 Rigby et al... 248/421 x 2,982,336 5/1961 Minici.... 248/421 3,245,641 4/1966 Hart 248/4 Oct. 16, 1973 3,489,174 1/1970 Cooley, Jr 248/292 X 3,586,324 6/1971 Bearson 248/284 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 485,547 8/1952 Canada 248/421 908,055 10/1962 Great Britain 273/15 R Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Shapiro Attorney-G. A. Ellestad [5 7] ABSTRACT A basketball goal is carried by upper and lower pairs of arms which are pivotally connected to a support to permit vertical adjustments. The adjustment is effected by means of a screw attached to the support and extending downwardly to a threaded tube which extends through a ring member carried by the lower arms and is mounted to tilt about a horizontal axis. The weight of the overhanding goal structure may be counterbalanced by torsion springs carried by lateral projections of a shaft forming part of the lower arm structure.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ll/ll Patented Oct. 16, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J/IQ 4 3T D 3 5E Y 3 V M E TA N 9 G R W w w M 2 W a w K A w w N O O O O Y O O O O 0 HI NR ER \UWTW BO 6 2Y I M M 2 B B m 7 4 I 6 8 8 3 4 3 l 2 N 2 N m 5 3 F a E o 0 o o o o o I 4 k H I 9n w 3 3 Patented Oct. 16, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5

I NV ENTORS BENHARD M. BEARSON ORRIN c. LUNGTVEDT BY flis ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE BASKETBALL GOALS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to basketball goals and more particularly it has reference to a basketball goal which may be vertically adjusted to selected heights so as to accommodate players of various ages. The height of a basketball goal on a regulation court is too high for children and hence they are unable to develop proper playing skills.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objects of the present invention are to provide a basketball goal which will be relatively simple in structure and capable of being vertically adjusted with a minimum of effort and securely held in adjusted position.

According to the invention, upper and lower parallel arm means are pivotally connected at their respective end portions to rear supporting means and front supporting means which carries a backboard and attached hoop. The goal may be vertically adjusted by means of a screw which is pivotally connected to the upper portion of the rear supporting means and extends downwardly for engagement with internally threaded means such as a nut carried at the end of a tube. A ring mem-' ber, which is carried by the lower arm means to tilt about a horizontal axis, has an opening through which the tube extends downwardly. Two annular bearing members surround the tube and are located, respectively, above and below the ring member and are limited in movement along the tube by collars fixed to the tube above and below the bearing members, respectively. Coiled torsion springs in operative engagement with the lower arm means act to counterbalance the weight of the backboard and normally urge the lower arm means upwardly. The lower end of the tube carries an eyelet which may be engaged by a crank or other de vice to rotate the tube and thereby move the backboard to a selected vertical position. The counterbalancing coil springs may be omitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a basketball goal embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in sections.

FIG. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the screw adjusting means with parts broken away and looking in the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the connection of the lower arm means to the rear supporting means taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view on a reduced scale showing the construction of the lower arm means.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings wherein indicates rear supporting means comprising a frame formed of the twovertical members 11 and 12 and the connectingcross members 13, 14 all of which may be made of angle iron, for example. Extending forwardly from the rear supporting means are the twoparallel arms 15 and 16 having their rear portions pivoted, respectively, tomembers 11 and 12 bypins 17 and forming the upper arm means. The front supporting means is formed by the twovertical members 18 which are secured to thebackboard 19 carrying thehoop 19. The front end portions of theupper arms 15 and 16 are pivotally connected to the front supporting means bypins 20. The lower arm means are formed by a frame, as shown in FIG. 5, comprising a horizontally extendingshaft member 21 mounted to turn inU-shaped bearings 22 welded to thevertical members 11 and 12. Extending forwardly from theshaft 21 and secured thereto are the twoside arms 23, 24 which are pivotally mounted to the front supporting means bypins 25. Ahorizontal member 26 connects the twoside arms 23, 24 and a pair of spacedmembers 27, 28 extend between theshaft 21 and themember 26 to complete the frame.

The weight of the overhanging structure which projects forwardly from the rear supporting means may be counterbalanced by biasing means, such as springs, which normally urge the lower arm means and connected structure upwardly. This may be accomplished by acoiled torsion spring 29 which encircles each of the twolateral extensions 30 ofshaft 21 with the inner end of each spring held under aclip 31 welded to each of the twovertical members 11 and 12. The outer end of each spring is positioned in an aperture formed in acollar 32 releaseably held at the end of eachshaft extension 30 by means of aset screw 33. With this construction, the tension of thesprings 29 will exert on the shaft 21 a force which will tend to turn the shaft in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 and thereby tend to raise the arm structures upwardly to counterbalance the weight of the backboard and other structure. Eachcollar 32 is provided withperipheral apertures 34 to receive a rod for turning the releaseably heldcollar 32 for adjusting the tension exerted by the spring.

Thebackboard 19 and the attachedhoop 19 may be adjusted vertically by means comprising anelongated screw 35 which extends downwardly from the upper part of the rear supporting means to which it is pivotally connected by apivot pin 36 to thecross member 13. Thescrew 35 is in operative engagement with internally threaded means such as thenut 37 which is fixed at the upper end of a downwardly extendingtube 38. Mounted between themembers 27 and 28 of the lower arm means is the apertured plate orring member 39 having the laterally projectingpivot pins 40 received in openings formed inmembers 27 and 28 to thereby permit thering member 39 to tilt about a substantially horizontal axis. Thetube 38 extends downwardly and freely through the opening in thering member 39 with an annular bearingmember 41 surrounding thetube 38 above thering member 39 and thebearing member 42 surrounding thetube 38 below the ring member. The upper bearingmember 41 is limited in its upward movement by theupper collar 43 which is fixed to thetube 38 by theset screw 44 and the lower bearing member is limited in its downward movement by a collar formed by thetube 45 which surrounds thetube 38 and is fixed thereto bypin 46. Aneyelet 47 is welded to the lower end oftube 38 and is adapted to receive a crank or rod for turningtube 38 and thereby move the arm structure to effect vertical adjustment of the backboard.

Thescrew 35 is preferably protected by a casing such as theplastic tube 48 which extends downwardly and over the upper portion oftube 38. The goal structure may be secured to a wall or suitable support by means of screws or bolts passing through openings formed in thevertical members 11 and 12.

in operation, a crank or rod may be engaged ineyelet 47 to rotate thetube 38 to thereby position and safely hold the backboard and attached hoop at a selected height. The force exerted by thetorsion springs 29 may be adjusted to a desired amount. With the parts related as shown in FIG. 3, the force exerted by the springs is sufficient to move thering member 39 upwardly against theannular bearing 41 which is held against theupper collar 43. As thetube 38 is rotated to raise the backboard, the bearingmember 42 will move up against the under side ofring member 39. In a simplitied structure, the torsion springs and associated parts may be eliminated along with the upper bearingmember 41 andcollar 43. In such case, the weight of the arm structure would be transmitted through thering member 39 to the lower bearingmember 42.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

We claim: 9

1. A basketball goal comprising rear supporting means, front supporting means, upper arm means and lower arm means extending between the front and rear supporting means, the end portions of the upper and lower arm means being pivotally connected to the respectively adjacent supporting means, a backboard and attached hoop carried by the front supporting means wherein the improvement comprises means for vertically adjusting the backboard and holding it in adjusted position comprising a threaded member extending downwardly from and pivotally connected to the upper portion of the rear supporting means, a tube having internal threaded parts in operative engagement with the threaded member, a ring member carried by the lower arm means to tilt about a horizontal axis, said tube extending freely and downwardly through the opening in the ring member, means carried by the tube for engagement with the under side of the ring member and means for rotating the tube whereby the backboard and attached hoop may be vertically adjusted and held in adjusted position.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 in which the ring member has oppositely extending pivot pins for tiltably mounting it on the lower arm means and an annular bearing member surrounds the tube below the ring member and above a collar fixed to the tube whereby the weight of the arm structure is transmitted through the ring member to the bearing member.

3. The structure recited in claim 1, further comprising spring means operatively connected to the lower arm means and normally urging the lower arm means upwardly, spaced collars secured, respectively, to the tube above and below the ring member, and a pair of annular bearing members surrounding the tube and located, respectively, between the ring member and the upper and lower collars whereby rotation of the tube will move the bearing members into engagement with the ring member to effect vertical adjustment of the backboard and attached hoop.

4. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 3 wherein the spring means comprises a coiled torsion spring carried on each lateral extension of a shaft positioned at the lower portion of the rear supporting means and forming a part of the lower arm means, the inner end of each spring being held by the rear supporting means and the outer end of each spring being held in a collar releaseably carried by the shaft and adapted to be turned to vary the tension of the spring.

Claims (4)

1. A basketball goal comprising rear supporting means, front supporting means, upper arm means and lower arm means extending between the front and rear supporting means, the end portions of the upper and lower arm means being pivotally connected to the respectively adjacent supporting means, a backboard and attached hoop carried by the front supporting means wherein the improvement comprises means for vertically adjusting the backboard and holding it in adjusted position comprising a threaded member extending downwardly from and pivotally connected to the upper portion of the rear supporting means, a tube having internal threaded parts in operative engagement with the threaded member, a ring member carried by the lower arm means to tilt about a horizontal axis, said tube extending freely and downwardly through the opening in the ring member, means carried by the tube for engagement with the under side of the ring member and means for rotating the tube whereby the backboard and attached hoop may be vertically adjusted and held in adjusted position.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 in which the ring member has oppositely extending pivot pins for tiltably mounting it on the lower arm means and an annular bearing member surrounds the tube below the ring member and above a collar fixed to the tube whereby the weight of the arm structure is transmitted through the ring member to the bearing member.

3. The structure recited in claim 1, further comprising spring means operatively connected to the lower arm means and normally urging the lower arm means upwardly, spaced collars secured, respectively, to the tube above and below the ring member, and a pair of annular bearing members surrounding the tube and located, respectively, between the ring member and the upper and lower collars whereby rotation of the tube will move the bearing members into engagement with the ring member to effect vertical adjustment of the backboard and attached hoop.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the spring means comprises a coiled torsion spring carried on each lateral extension of a shaft positioned at the lower portion of the rear supporting means and forming a part of the lower arm means, the inner end of each spring being held by the rear supporting means and the outer end of each spring being held in a collar releaseably carried by the shaft and adapted to be turned to vary the tension of the spring.

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