Ball base construction and anchor

• US 4,398,714 A
• Filed: 03/09/1981
• Issued: 08/16/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sefe-Base Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Safe-Base Incorporated
• Inventors: Fuller, Charles C., Hendrickson, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Application Number:
  US06/242,160
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 273/25
• US Class Current: 473/499
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/024 with screws or pins in the earth
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0013 Baseball bases
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/04 Mats or carpets for courts

Abstract

An improved base includes a base pad member having a flange plate attached to the bottom thereof for cooperation with a flat plate mounted on a post inserted in the ground. The base plate may thus slide onto the ground plate in order to retain the base in position. The base has a special oversized, generally rectangular construction so that a portion of the base projects beyond the first base foul line where it may be tagged by a runner. The remainder of the base is positioned inside the foul line in the normal base position for tagging by a fielder. The separate parts of the base are preferably denoted by distinctive color or design. This configuration promotes safety.

Claims

1. An improved ball base comprising, in combination:

a unitary base pad member having a rectangular shape and divided into two substantially square or rectangular subsections, the paid member further comprising a pad support and a pad cover, each of said subsections including visually distinctive and different coloring of the covering of each subsection, each subsection being monochromatic with one subsection being substantially white and the other being a distinctive, bright color; and

means for attaching the pad member to the ground to retain one subsection inside an imaginary line defined as the foul line and the other subsection simultaneously outside said line, whereby a runner may tag the outside subsection and a baseman can tag the inside subsection, said means for attaching comprising cooperative plates attached respectively to the bottom center of the base and to a rod member which projects into the ground, the plate attached to the base having side flanges and an end flange, with the side flanges formed into grooves matable with the second plate to slidably receive the second plate, the end flange comprising a stop flange perpendicular to the side flanges, the plates being mounted to slide transverse to the direction of an incoming base runner whereby a thrust from a base runner will not produce movement of the second plate in the grooves and thrust produced by a first baseman'"'"'s foot will be resisted by the stop flange.

2. An improved ball base comprising, in combination:

a unitary rectangular base pad member divided into two sharply defined, equally sized square subsections, each subsection being the size of a regulation base with each subsection having visually distinct monochromatic color and a sharp, straightline boundary therebetween, one section being designated for the fielder and the other section being designated for the runner;

a rod member for securing the base to the ground with the foul line coincident with the boundary, the rod member comprising an elongated bar impact-drivable into the ground; and

a connection system for securing the rod member to the base paid member, and thereby for securing the boundary coincident with a foul line with the fielder'"'"'s section in the field of play and the runner'"'"'s section outside the field of play, the connection system comprising a lower plate affixed to the rod member, and a cooperative upper plate affixed to the approximate center of the base pad member'"'"'s lower surface, the upper plate having side flanges paralleling the base pad member'"'"'s longer sides and forming opposed grooves for tongue and groove insertion of the lower plate into the grooves parallel to the upper plate, the upper plate also having a stop flange depending from the upper plate transverse to the side flanges and positioned at an upper plate edge to limit sliding of the lower plate in the upper plate side flange grooves, whereby the rod member and lower plate may be driven into the ground and the base member may be removably attached to the ground by sliding the lower plate as a tongue into the grooves of the upper plate side flanges until the lower plate rests against the stop flange aligning the base with the first base foul line so that the sharp transition between each subsection'"'"'s colors corresponds with the foul line and a base runner may run to a base subsection different from the subsection contacted by a baseman.