Ground mounted appliance with leg joint

• US 5,542,679 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frank J. Caso
• Original Assignee: Frank J. Caso
• Inventors: Caso, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/474,676
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 273/26 E, 273/1.5 RA, 273/29 A, 273/29 B, 273/29 BA, 273/29 BB, 273/55 R, 273/55 D, 273/336, 273/348, 273/413, 40/598, 40/601, 40/624, 108/2, 108/4, 108/150
• US Class Current: 473/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/357 for golf cups or holes, e.g. flags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/40 Golf cups or holes
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 61/00 Tennis nets or accessories for tennis or like games , e.g. volley-ball devices for holding or carrying balls A63B47/00; for table tennis A63B67/04
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/083 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0079 Balls tethered to a line or cord A63B43/007 takes precedence; other games using tethered balls A63B67/10; games using a bat or racket with a ball tethered thereto A63B67/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/028 Floor sockets for removable poles

Abstract

A leg for an outdoors appliance, such as a batting aid having a tethered ball, a basketball hoop assembly, a tennis net, or a table. The leg has upper and lower sections connected by a coil spring. A sleeve driven into the ground receives the leg to a sufficient depth of penetration that the spring is also received within the sleeve. The appliance is thus rigidly supported in the sleeve. The leg, or legs in the case of appliances requiring more than one leg, is manually withdrawn from the sleeve to expose the spring. The spring provides a flexible joint, and the appliance can be inclined toward the ground when the spring has been moved out of the sleeve. This enables service to the item atop the leg or legs. Illustratively, should the tether of the batting aid become wound around the horizontal post to which it is attached, it is easily reached when the appliance is manually inclined. The appliance is readily removed from the sleeve for seasonal storage, and is readily reerected. The sleeve has a cap for safety and to prevent clogging when not in use. The cap may be formed to have a shallow recess, so that the sleeve serves as a golf hole.

Claims

1. An outdoors appliance having:

a leg including an upper section, a lower section, and a flexible joint located between and joining said upper section and said lower section of said leg; and

a sleeve for being driven into the ground and partially laterally surrounding said upper section of said leg, and fully laterally surrounding said joint and said lower section of said leg when said leg is inserted into said sleeve, wherein

when said leg is fully inserted into said sleeve said leg is substantially rigid and when said leg is partially lifted from said sleeve so as to expose said flexible joint portion, said leg is resiliently bendable.

2. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a stop for maintaining said joint out of the sleeve, comprising means defining a hole in said leg, and a pin tethered to said leg and insertable into said hole, said pin interfering with downward motion of said leg into said sleeve.

3. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, said joint comprising a coil spring fixed at one end to said upper section of said leg, and at the other end of said lower section of said leg.

4. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a cap cooperating with and sealing said sleeve.

5. The outdoors appliance according to claim 4, said cap including means defining an upwardly open concave recess therein, whereby a golf ball is received and accessibly stored in said recess.

6. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second leg including an upper section, a lower section, and a flexible joint located between and joining said upper section and said lower section;

a horizontal post supported at the top of and spanning said leg and said second leg; and

a tether attached to said horizontal post at one end, and fastened to a ball at the other end, whereby said ball is tethered to said horizontal post, and is suspended therefrom, for batting practice.

7. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second leg including an upper section, a lower section, and a flexible joint located between and joining said upper section and said lower section; and

a net attached to and spanning said leg and said second leg.

8. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a basketball hoop and backboard assembly attached atop said leg.

9. The outdoors appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a member having a planar upper surface attached atop said leg.

10. An outdoors appliance having:

a leg including an upper section, a lower section, a flexible joint located between and joining said upper section and said lower section of said leg, and a flexible cover covering said flexible joint;

a sleeve for being driven into the ground and partially laterally surrounding said upper section of said leg, and fully laterally surrounding said joint, said cover, and said lower section of said leg when said leg is inserted into said sleeve, wherein

when said leg is fully inserted into said sleeve said leg is substantially rigid and when said leg is partially lifted from said sleeve so as to expose said flexible joint portion, said leg is resiliently bendable.