Timed place kicking practice device and method

• US 6,375,584 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stan Lee Shapiro
• Original Assignee: Stan Lee Shapiro
• Inventors: Shapiro, Stan Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US09/649,439
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 473/144, 473/147, 473/197, 473/415, 473/419-423, 473/220-222, 473/432, 473/43.E, 473/442, 473/477, 273/375, 273/392, 273/400, 273/407, 273/446, 273/454, 273/455, 434/247, 434/251
• US Class Current: 473/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34

Abstract

An apparatus for enhancing in simulated real-time environment, the skills of a football place kicker, center and holder, particularly the speed, distance, direction and angle of the kicks, by simulating charging lineman and providing simultaneous and integrally connected, resettable, visually displayed split-time and total elapsed timing feedback comprising uprights, a cross bar supporting a net, actuator switches for cross bar, timing means, and time display and reset means on the time display.

Claims

1. A football place kick practice device comprising:

a horizontal base member overlying the surface of a practice field;

upright means fixed to said base member and supporting a barrier member for vertical movement towards and away from said base member and to a predetermined vertically raised position;

means for moving said barrier member vertically to said predetermined raised position after a predetermined time lapse;

means for initially positioning a football at rest in front of said base member and generally centered relative to said barrier member;

means for positioning a football in the final at rest position at a location remote to and directly behind said base member;

means for measuring the time elapsed from removal of a football from the initial at rest position until placement of a football in the final at rest position, and continuing until removal of a football from the final at rest position;

means responsive to removal of a football from said initial at rest position for actuating said barrier member moving means and actuating said timing means;

means for supplying power to said device;

means for visually displaying the time elapsed from removal of a football from the initial at rest position until placement of a football in the final at rest position and from time of placement of a football in the initial at rest position until removal of a football from the final at rest position; and

means responsive to removal of a football from the final at rest position for stopping said timing means and visual display means;

whereby, as the result of kicking a football by said place kicker, (a football) is permitted during return movement towards said device to clear said barrier member depending upon the timing, distance, elevation, and angle of the place kick, and the elapsed times for set-up and kick are measured and visually displayed.

2. The device as in claim 1, further comprising means for controlling the speed of movement of said barrier member as it rises from fully depressed to fully raised position.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein said visual time display means comprises a means for generating a reset signal to reset said visual display means.

4. The place kick device as in claim 2, wherein said moving means comprises means normally acting on said barrier member to raise said barrier member from a depressed position overlying said barrier member to a raised position above the same, latching means normally latching said barrier member in vertically depressed position, and sensing means for sensing the presence of a football in said initial at rest position for controlling said latching means and resetting said timing means and a time display.

5. The place kick device as in claim 1, further comprising a pair of carriages detachably affixed to the outer ends of said base member, said carriages having wheels attached thereto to facilitate transport of the device.

6. The place kick device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means for initially positioning a football at rest in front of said base member comprises a horizontal, rearward extension of said base member, said sensing means comprises a normally closed switch carried by said extension, said latching means comprises a solenoid operated latch, and means electrically connecting said solenoid to said switch means such that removal of (a football) from said initial at rest position closes said switch, energizing said solenoid, releasing said latching means and energizing said timing means.

7. The place kick practice device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for moving said barrier member comprises a weight operatively connected to said barrier member and movable to a raised position when said barrier member is moved to a vertically depressed position, whereby, upon release of said latching means, said weight moves downwardly as a result of gravity and raises said barrier member.

8. The place kick practice device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said upright means comprises a pair of vertical uprights fixed to the respective ends of said base member, said base member comprises a horizontal board fixed to the surface of a field, said uprights include pulleys at their upper and lower ends respectively, and said means for supporting said barrier member comprises an endless cable reeved on said pulley means for each vertical upright, a weight is fixed to each endless cable at one position thereon and said barrier member comprises a cross bar fixed at respective ends to said endless cable such that when said cross bar is at its lowermost position, and weight is at its fully raised position, and wherein a screen is fixed at one edge of said cross bar and extends across the space defined by said uprights when said cross bar is moved to its fully upright raised position.

9. The place kick practice device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising friction brakes operatively associated with at least one of said pulleys for each upright to control the velocity of said cross bar and said net as they move relative to said upright.

10. The place kick practice device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means for moving said barrier member comprises a weight operatively connected to said barrier member and movable to a raised position when said barrier member is moved to said vertically depressed position whereby, upon release of said latching means, said weight moves downwardly as a result of gravity and raises said barrier member.

11. The place kick practice device in claim 1, further comprising mounting pins removably attachable at the four corners of the device, having a means for adjusting the height of said pins, to enhance stability of the base member to the ground.

12. The place kick device as in claim 4, wherein said means for positioning a football in the final at rest position in a location remote to and at least a few feet directly behind said base member comprises a platform having a sensing means and means electrically connecting said sensing means to said switch means such that placement of (a football) in the final at rest position triggers the timing means to measure and display the then elapsed time from snap to set-up of a football and removal of (a football) from said final at rest position deenergizes the timing means and the visual time display means so as to measure and display total time elapsed from snap top kick.

13. The place kick device as in claim 4, wherein said means for positioning a football in the final at rest position in a location remote to and at least a few feet directly behind said base member comprises a platform having a sensing means and means electrically connecting said sensing means to a switch means such that placement of (a football) in the final at rest position triggers the timing means to measure and display the then elapsed time from snap to set-up of a football and removal of (a football) from said final at rest position de-energizes the timing means and the visual time display means so as to measure and display total time elapsed from snap top kick.

14. A football place kick practice device comprising:

a horizontal base member overlying the surface of a practice field having mounting pins attached thereto at the underside corners of the respective ends of said base member;

upright means fixed to said base member and supporting a barrier member for vertical movement towards and away from said base member and to a predetermined vertically raised position;

means for fixating said means for vertical movement to said base member;

means for moving said barrier member vertically to said predetermined raised position after a predetermined time lapse;

means for controlling the speed of movement of said barrier member as it rises from fully depressed to fully raised position;

means for initially positioning a football at rest in front of said base member and generally centered relative to said barrier member wherein said moving means comprises means normally acting on said barrier member to raise said barrier member from a depressed position overlying said barrier member to a raised position above the same;

latching means for latching said barrier member in vertically depressed position comprising a solenoid operated latch;

sensing means for sensing the presence of a football in said initial at rest position for controlling said latching means and comprising a switch means;

means electrically connecting said sensing means to said switch means such that removal of (a football) from said initial at rest position closes said switch means energizing said solenoid and said timing means and releasing said latching means;

means for positioning a football in the final at rest position at a location at least several feet directly behind said base member;

means for measuring elapsed time;

means responsive for removal for a football from said initial at rest position for actuating said barrier member moving means and said timing means;

means for supplying power to said device;

means responsive for removal of a football from said final at rest position for stopping said timing means and visual display means;

the means for visually displaying the time elapsed wherein said display means comprises a means for generating a reset signal to reset said visual display means; and

means attached to said base member for facilitating transport of said device on, off and around a practice field, whereby, as a result of hiking by the center, setup by the holder and kicking the football by the place kicker, a football is permitted during return movement towards said device to clear said barrier member depending upon the timing, distance, elevation, and angle of the place kick, and the elapsed times from snap to set-up and snap to kick are measured and visually displayed.