US 12,145,039 B2Granted

Football goalpost rotation apparatus and method

AssigneeABT, Inc.

InventorsChristopher Charles Cucchiara, Timothy Harold Wallace

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, apparatus, and method that allow a football goalpost to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the football goalpost has a gooseneck-type post adapted to fit within a sleeve in the ground. The sleeve generally has one or more positioning members positioned near an upper end of the sleeve. A rotation collar is movably coupled to the post and has one or more grooves for cooperating with the one or more positioning members of the sleeve. The rotation collar is configured to move between a secured position, where the at least one groove engages the at least one positioning member to prevent the post from rotating within the sleeve, and a rotating position, where the at least one groove is disengaged from the at least one positioning member to permit the post to rotate within the sleeve.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A goalpost rotation apparatus for permitting a football goalpost to be rotated relative to the ground, the goalpost rotation apparatus comprising:

a first collar connected to the goalpost, the first collar comprising a base portion and a collar portion wherein the base portion comprises a planar member and is positioned between the collar portion and the goalpost;
and
an anchoring mechanism fixedly anchored to the ground, the anchoring mechanism comprising a second collar and a base plate, wherein the second collar defines an outside perimeter, wherein the base plate is positioned between the ground and the second collar and wherein at least a portion of the first and second collars are overlapping concentrically, one inside the other, and wherein the base portion of the first collar extends beyond the outside perimeter of the second collar, and wherein the first and second collars are rotatably connected to thereby connect the goalpost to the anchoring mechanism so that the goalpost can rotate relative to the anchoring mechanism.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/465,831Filed 2 Sep 2021 · continuation
Priority: 17 Dec 2007
Published: US 2022/0096907 A131 Mar 2022
Granted: 19 Nov 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

A63B 63/008
Targets or goals for ball games: goals for rugby or American football
A63B
Apparatus for physical training, gymnastics, swimming, climbing, or fencing

Family

Application61/014,330Us provisional application · filed 17 Dec 2007
Application12/337,268Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Dec 2008
US 2022/0096907 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Mar 2022
US 11,110,332 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0156334 A1Published application
US 12,145,039 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.