Practice backstop for ball playing sports

• US 5,088,740 A
• Filed: 05/24/1990
• Issued: 02/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Green Zone USA, Inc., Young W. Yoon
• Original Assignee: Sportstuff Incorporated
• Inventors: Peterson, Leroy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/527,817
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 273/410, 273/407, 273/26 A, 273/29 A, 273/181 R, 273/181 A, 273/181 F, 273/4111, 135/104
• US Class Current: 273/410
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls

Abstract

A practice backstop for ball playing sports has a support frame including a pair of crossed arcuate poles covered by a three sided enclosure, open at the front. A flexible target sheet is supported within the enclosure so as to be struck by and absorb the impact of balls directed at the backstop 10. The enclosure may additionally include a floor surface and a series of fasteners may be provided for supporting the target sheet at various front to back spaced apart positions within the enclosure.

Claims

1. A practice backstop for ball playing sports, comprising,

a support frame including a pair of crossed arcuate poles, each pole having opposite front and rear ends adapted for support on a support surface,

a three sided enclosure open at the front and including a rear wall and right and left side walls, said enclosure being supported on said frame and substantially filling the space between said poles on three sides of said frame, and

a flexible target sheet,

means for supporting said target sheet in upright forwardly facing relation within said enclosure,

said target sheet spanning a substantial portion of the interior of said enclosure thereby to be struck by and absorb the impact of balls directed into said enclosure.

2. The practice backstop of claim 1 wherein the walls of said enclosure are formed substantially of a fabric mesh material.

3. The practice backstop of claim 2 wherein said flexible target sheet is formed substantially of a fabric material adapted to be imprinted with various target indicia thereon.

4. The practice backstop of claim 3 wherein said means for supporting said target sheet comprises a plurality co-acting releasable fastener means on said target sheet and enclosure.

5. The practice backstop of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting said target sheet includes means for selectively positioning said target sheet at any selected one of a plurality of front to back spaced apart positions within said enclosure.

6. The practice backstop of claim 1 wherein said enclosure further comprises a flexible floor connected to and extended between said rear wall and right and left sidewalls.

7. The practice backstop of claim 1 wherein the rear wall and right and left sidewalls of said enclosure have bottom edges adapted for ground engagement and further comprising securement means for stationarily securing said bottom edges in ground engagement.

8. The practice backstop of claim 7 wherein said securement means comprises a plurality of stake loops secured to each wall adjacent the bottom edge thereof in spaced apart relation there along.

9. The practice backstop of claim 7 wherein said securement means comprises a plurality of flexible bags adapted to be filled with any available material and for placement in operative relation to said bottom edges for anchoring said bottom edges relative to the ground.