Flying disc entrapment device

• US 6,494,455 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Disc Golf Association, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Disc Golf Association, Inc.
• Inventors: Headrick, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US09/953,520
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 273/398, 273/400, 273/401, 273/476, 273/479
• US Class Current: 273/400
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/76 with means enabling use in the dark, other than powered illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/06 Ring or disc tossing games , e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles

Abstract

A pole mounted basket and chain assembly for use with flying disc golf courses. A chain assembly is provided with a total of 24 chains located at spaced intervals around the pole, a first inner set of 12 and an outer set of 12. At the upper end each inner chain is attached to a support radially extending from the pole or post. At the lower end the inner chains are attached to a horizontal ring of links. A second outer set of chains attached to a second larger support mounted at the top of the pole extend vertically downward and are also attached to the horizontal ring at their lower ends. A basket is attached to the pole below the lower end of the chains with the pole passing through the center of the basket. Flying discs impacting the chains have their energy absorbed by the chains and the discs drop vertically into the basket.

Claims

1. A pole mounted chain and basket assembly for catching and holding flying discs comprising:

a vertically mounted elongated pole;

a first support extending radially outwardly a first distance from the pole adjacent the upper end of the pole;

a first plurality of vertically oriented inner chains, each of the chains being connected at spaced intervals at their upper end to the first support and at their lower ends being connected at spaced intervals to a horizontal ring of links extending between each vertical chain;

a second support extending radially outwardly from the pole a second distance greater than the first distance;

a second plurality of vertically oriented outer chains encircling the first plurality, each of the second plurality of chains being connected at spaced intervals at their upper ends to the second support and to the horizontal ring of links at their lower ends;

an upwardly opening basket of a predetermined size attached to the pole below the lower ends of the vertical chains; and

the horizontally oriented links;

the links of each of the sets of chains being of a predetermined size and shape such that the assembly when struck by a flying disc acts to capture the disc, absorbing disc kinetic energy and causing the disc to fall into the basket.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first support element comprises a plurality of radially extending inner support arms located at spaced intervals around the pole, each inner chain being attached to a different support arm at its upper end and to the horizontal ring at a point adjacent to the pole at its lower end.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of inner supports arms comprise seven (7) horizontally oriented rods disposed at equally spaced intervals around the pole with each vertically oriented chain being attached to a different rod at its upper end and to the horizontal ring at its lower end.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein each chain comprises a plurality of links of a predetermined size and shape.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein each link is an oblong closed loop chain link.

6. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the second support is a dome with a plurality of apertures located at spaced intervals around the periphery.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the outer plurality of chains comprise seven (7) vertically oriented chains, each of the chains being engaged with one of the spaced apertures of the dome at its upper end and to the horizontal ring at its lower end.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of outer chains hang approximately perpendicular from the dome and loop upwardly to the point of attachment on the horizontal ring.

9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the vertical links are oblong closed loop chain links.

10. An assembly according to claim 9 wherein the horizontal ring comprise oblong closed loop chain links.

11. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the horizontal ring comprises a plurality of S-hooks.

12. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the dome incorporates a solar panel.

13. An assembly according to claim 12 wherein a light is incorporated into the dome and electrically connected to the solar panel for illuminating the assembly.

15. An assembly according to claim 13 including a source of illumination detachably mounted on top of the pole.

17. An assembly according to claim 15 wherein the source of illumination is a solar lamp.

14. A pole mounted chain and basket assembly for catching and holding flying discs comprising:

a vertically mounted elongated pole;

a first set of at least seven (7) spaced apart support arms extending radially outwardly from the upper end of the pole a first predetermined distance;

a first set of at least seven (7) vertically hanging inner chains, each of the chains being connected at their upper end to one of the first support arms with the lower ends of each of the chains being engaged with a series of horizontally oriented chain links connecting the lower end of each vertical chain;

a second set of at least seven (7) spaced apart support arms extending radially outwardly from the pole a second distance greater than the first;

a second set of at least seven (7) vertically hanging outer chains encircling the first plurality, each of the second set of chains being connected at their upper ends to one of the second support arms and to the series of horizontally oriented links at their lower ends;

each of the outer chains being located intermediate of the sector defined by a pair of adjacent inner chains;

an upwardly opening basket attached to the pole below the lower ends of the vertical chains; and

the horizontal ring of links;

the relative placement of the inner and outer chains of each set of chains defining a plurality of disc catching pockets such that when the chains are struck by a flying disc the chains and pockets act to capture the disc, absorbing disc kinetic energy and causing the disc to fall into the basket.

16. A pole mounted chain and basket assembly for catching and holding flying discs comprising:

a vertically mounted elongated pole;

a first set of spaced apart support arms extending radially outwardly from the pole adjacent the upper end of the pole a first predetermined distance;

a first plurality of vertically oriented inner chains, each of the chains being connected at spaced intervals at their upper end to one of the support arms and the lower ends of each of the chains being connected to a horizontal ring of links;

a circular dome mounted on the pole having a radius greater than the length of the first support arms

a source of illumination incorporated into the dome;

a second plurality of vertically oriented outer;

chains;

encircling the first plurality, each of then chains being connected at spaced intervals at their upper ends to the rim of the circular dome and to the horizontal ring of links at their lower ends;

an upwardly opening basket attached to the pole below the lower ends of the vertical chains; and

the horizontally oriented links;

the second plurality of chains being of a predetermined length greater than the first plurality such that each chain in said second plurality extends below the plane defined by the horizontal links and loops upwardly to the point of attachment on the horizontal ring.