BASEBALL DIAMOND LAYOUT DEVICE

• US 3,668,781 A
• Filed: 02/24/1970
• Issued: 06/13/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harold P. Teter
• Original Assignee: Harold P. Teter
• Inventors: Teter, Harold P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hull, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US05/013,533
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1LE,138,137,139
• US Class Current: 33/1.00H
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/08 Mechanical means for marking-out

Abstract

A device for laying out the base lines and the locations of the bases and pitcher'"'"''"'"'s mound of a baseball diamond. A flat fivesided plate overlies home plate and has a pair of rails which extend below the first plate and abut against the edges of the home plate on the base lines to the first and third bases. A pair of reels of non-elastic cord are mounted on the flat plate and the cords from these reels drawn along the right and left rails, respectively. The cords have marks to indicate where their ends are a distance of 90 feet from the point of the home plate. A second mark on each cord indicates a distance of 180 feet from the point of the home plate. A third reel is also provided and the cord from this reel extends along the bisector of the angle between the first two cords. A third rail is provided on the flat plate to indicate when the third cord is being drawn along the proper line. This cord has a mark indicating the distance from the home plate to second base and from hole plate to the pitcher'"'"''"'"'s mound.

Claims

1. A device for laying out a baseball diamond from home plate, comprising:

a base member shaped like home plate having a pair of adjacent first and third base line defining edges extending at right angles to one another and having projecting lower portions adapted to engage over the base line aligned edges of home plate to hold the base member in fixed relation to home plate;

first and second reels mounted on said base member and each having a length of non-elastic cord wound thereon, said first and second reels being fixed respectively along the first and second named edges of said base member with their reel axes orthogonal thereto, the cord from said first reel extending in vertical alignment with the first of said edges of said base member and the cord from the second of said reels extending in vertical alignment with the second of said edges of said base member;

first and second guide means mounted on said base member at a distance from said respective reels at least equal to the length of said edges of home plate and in the vertical plane through the respective edge of said base member, said guide means indicating, respectively, the correct alignment of said first and second cords with said first and second edges of said base member when said cords are extended and drawn taut;

a third reel mounted on said base member and having a length of non-elastic cord wound thereon, said third reel being fixed along the bisector of the angle between said first and second edges and with its reel axis orthogonal to said bisector, and the cord from said third reel extending in vertical alignment with said bisector; and

third guide means mounted on said base member at a distance from said third reel at least equal to the length of said edges of home plate and in the vertical plane through said bisector, said third guide means indicating the correct alignment of said third cord when it is extended and drawn taut.

2. A baseball diamond layout device according to claim 1 further including:

First marking means on said first and second cords, said means indicating the distance from first and third bases, respectively, to the point of intersection between said first and second sides of said base member;

second marking means on each of said first and second cords, said second marking means indicating the sum of the distances between second and first bases and between first base and the point of intersection of said edges of said base member and the sum of the distances from second base to third base and the distance from third base to said point of intersection, respectively;

first marking means on said third cord, said marking means indicating the distance between second base and said point of intersection; and

second marking means on said third cord, said second marking means indicating the distance from the pitcher'"'"''"'"'s mound to said point of intersection.

3. A baseball diamond layout device according to claim 1 further including:

removeable pins secured to and extending downwardly from said base member, said pins adapted to secure said base member to the desired location on the playing field.

4. A baseball diamond layout device according to claim 1 further characterized in that said first and second guiding means comprise arms mounted on said base member and extending, respectively, a considerable diStance along the first and second edges thereof.

5. A baseball diamond layout device according to claim 4 further characterized in that said arms are provided with upper portions projecting above said base member and providing a guiding edge in vertical cooperative alignment with said first and second edges of said base member, respectively.

6. A baseball diamond layout device according to claim 1 further including means for wiping said cords as said cords are rewound on their respective reels.