Frame for measuring pitcher's circle

• US 7,887,443 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Earl M. Bryant
• Original Assignee: Earl M. Bryant
• Inventors: Bryant, Earl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour; Mitra
• Application Number:
  US11/085,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 473/490, 473/497, 473/499, 473/500, 473/451, 473/468, 33755-759, 337/00, 335/74, 33/1.G, 33/270.1, 33/270.2
• US Class Current: 473/497
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/08 Mechanical means for marking-out

Abstract

A frame for measuring a pitcher'"'"'s circle includes a housing for engagement with a pitcher'"'"'s plate, a measuring line and a guide rod. The measuring line is swivel connected to a centering member on the housing, with its free end connected to the guide rod. The measuring line has a predetermined length such that the tip of the guide rod represents the radial distance of the pitcher'"'"'s circle when the measuring line is fully extended from the centering member. The pitcher'"'"'s circle is marked out by simply walking the guide rod about the pitcher'"'"'s plate. A leveling member is provided on the guide rod to ensure that the guide rod is kept at 90° vertical to prevent measuring inaccuracies.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring a circular line representing a pitcher'"'"'s circle around a pitcher'"'"'s plate for softball, said apparatus comprising:

a) a frame member,

b) a centering axis member,

c) a flexible measuring line having a fixed, predetermined length, and

d) a guide rod,

said frame member having a dimension approximating a standard dimension of said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said frame member being adapted to be fit over and engage said pitcher'"'"'s plate in a fixed relationship, said frame member forming downwardly depending flange edges adapted to engage outer side edges of said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said centering axis member being disposed in a center of said frame member, said measuring line being connected to said centering axis member, said guide rod being connected to a distal end of said measuring line such that said guide rod represents a radius distance point of said pitcher'"'"'s circle from said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said guide rod being adapted to be moved in an arc defined by said radial distance about said centering axis member in a horizontal plane about said pitcher'"'"'s plate over an area representing said pitcher'"'"'s circle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said measuring line is adapted to rotate about its connection with said centering axis member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said guide rod is adapted to make a mark in a surface over said area representing said pitcher'"'"'s circle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said guide rod further comprises a leveling member, said leveling member adapted to enable a user to maintain said guide rod at a 90°

angle with respect to a surface over which it is moved.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said leveling member comprises a laterally extending arm member, said arm member being disposed at a 90°

angle with respect to said guide rod, said arm member being adapted to engage said surface along its length whereby said guide rod is maintained in a vertical orientation 90°

with respect to said arm member.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said guide rod forms said arm member at a lower end thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which a tip end of said guide rod extends below said arm member, said tip end adapted to penetrate into a soft surface to the extent of said arm member to create a mark.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said measuring line connects to said guide rod at said arm member.

9. An apparatus for measuring a circular line representing a pitcher'"'"'s circle around a pitcher'"'"'s plate for softball, said apparatus comprising:

a) a frame member,

b) a centering axis member,

c) a flexible measuring line having a fixed, predetermined length, and

d) a guide rod,

said frame member being adapted to be fixed in position over said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said centering axis member being disposed on said frame member such that said centering axis member aligns over a center point of said pitcher'"'"'s plate when said frame member is placed in position over said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said measuring line being connected to said centering axis member, said guide rod being connected to a distal end of said measuring line such that said guide rod represents a radius distance point of said pitcher'"'"'s circle from said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said guide rod being adapted to be moved in an arc defined by said radial distance about said centering axis member in a horizontal plane about said pitcher'"'"'s plate over an area representing said pitcher'"'"'s circle;

said guide rod further comprises a leveling member, said leveling member adapted to enable a user to maintain said guide rod at a 90°

angle with respect to a surface over which it is moved;

said leveling member comprises a laterally extending arm member, said arm member being disposed at a 90°

angle with respect to said guide rod, said arm member being adapted to engage said surface along its length whereby said guide rod is maintained in a vertical orientation 90°

with respect to said arm member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said guide rod forms said arm member at a lower end thereof, said measuring line connecting to said guide rod at said arm member.

11. An apparatus for measuring a circular line representing a pitcher'"'"'s circle around a pitcher'"'"'s plate for softball, said apparatus comprising:

a) a frame member,

b) a centering axis member,

c) a flexible measuring line having a fixed, predetermined length, and

d) a guide rod,

said frame member being adapted to be fixed in position over said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said centering axis member being disposed on said frame member such that said centering axis member aligns over a center point of said pitcher'"'"'s plate when said frame member is placed in position over said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said measuring line being connected to said centering axis member, said guide rod being connected to a distal end of said measuring line such that said guide rod represents a radius distance point of said pitcher'"'"'s circle from said pitcher'"'"'s plate, said guide rod being adapted to be moved in an arc defined by said radial distance about said centering axis member in a horizontal plane about said pitcher'"'"'s plate over an area representing said pitcher'"'"'s circle, said guide rod further comprising a leveling member, said leveling member adapted to enable a user to maintain said guide rod at a 90°

angle with respect to a surface over which it is moved;

said measuring line is adapted to rotate about its connection with said centering axis member;

said leveling member comprises a laterally extending arm member, said arm member being disposed at a 90°

angle with respect to said guide rod, said arm member being adapted to engage said surface along its length whereby said guide rod is maintained in a vertical orientation 90°

with respect to said arm member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said guide rod forms said arm member at a lower end thereof, said measuring line connecting to said guide rod at said arm member.