Ball safety netting systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A ball safety netting system comprising:
- a net comprising a plurality of openings;
a plurality of elongated poles having a lower end operably attachable to the ground in spaced-apart relationship, said plurality of poles comprising a length between about 12 feet to about 40 feet;
a plurality of pulleys and tethers operably attachable to upper portions of said plurality of poles;
a plurality of breakaway pins operably attachable to said plurality of tethers and operably attachable to spaced-apart upper portions of said net, each of said breakaway pins comprising a first end portion operably attachable to an end of said tether, a second end portion operably attachable to said net, and a shear pin operably connecting said first end portion to said second end portion, said first end portion comprising a generally hollow member having a passageway therethrough defining a longitudinal axis, said second end portion comprising an elongated member having an upper end portion having a hole therethrough, said upper end portion receivable in said passageway of said generally hollow member, and said shear pin receivable in said hole and disposed normal to said longitudinal axis with ends of said shear pin enclosed in said passageway and engaging a stop defined by said passageway in said generally hollow member;
wherein said plurality of poles and said plurality of breakaway pins are operably sized and configured for use in supporting said net in a generally fixed upright relationship relative to the ground, and when a force exerted by said net on said breakaway pin exceeds a breaking point of said breakaway pin, a portion of said net detaches from said tether to reduce the likelihood of pole failure; and
wherein said first end portion of said breakaway pin comprises sufficient weight to act as a counterweight to allow for lowering of said tether attached to said first end portion from said upper portion of said pole after failure of said breakaway pin wherein said breaking point comprises a force between about 125 pounds to about 175 pounds.
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Abstract
A ball safety netting system includes a net comprising a plurality of openings, a plurality of elongated poles having a lower end operably attachable to the ground in spaced-apart relationship, and a plurality of safety devices operably attachable to the plurality of poles and operably attachable to the net. The plurality of poles and the plurality of safety devices are operably sized and configured for use in supporting the net in a generally fixed upright relationship relative to the ground, and when a force exerted on the safety device exceeds a breaking point of the safety device, a portion of the net is detaches from the pole to reduce the likelihood of pole failure.
28 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A ball safety netting system comprising:
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a net comprising a plurality of openings; a plurality of elongated poles having a lower end operably attachable to the ground in spaced-apart relationship, said plurality of poles comprising a length between about 12 feet to about 40 feet; a plurality of pulleys and tethers operably attachable to upper portions of said plurality of poles; a plurality of breakaway pins operably attachable to said plurality of tethers and operably attachable to spaced-apart upper portions of said net, each of said breakaway pins comprising a first end portion operably attachable to an end of said tether, a second end portion operably attachable to said net, and a shear pin operably connecting said first end portion to said second end portion, said first end portion comprising a generally hollow member having a passageway therethrough defining a longitudinal axis, said second end portion comprising an elongated member having an upper end portion having a hole therethrough, said upper end portion receivable in said passageway of said generally hollow member, and said shear pin receivable in said hole and disposed normal to said longitudinal axis with ends of said shear pin enclosed in said passageway and engaging a stop defined by said passageway in said generally hollow member; wherein said plurality of poles and said plurality of breakaway pins are operably sized and configured for use in supporting said net in a generally fixed upright relationship relative to the ground, and when a force exerted by said net on said breakaway pin exceeds a breaking point of said breakaway pin, a portion of said net detaches from said tether to reduce the likelihood of pole failure; and wherein said first end portion of said breakaway pin comprises sufficient weight to act as a counterweight to allow for lowering of said tether attached to said first end portion from said upper portion of said pole after failure of said breakaway pin wherein said breaking point comprises a force between about 125 pounds to about 175 pounds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification