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US 4,394,013 AGranted
Apparatus for basketball
AssigneeRandall Industries, Inc.
InventorsJames E. Larsen, Charles E. Rogers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus to accept, hold and release a basketball in game playing situations requiring a "jump ball". The primary components of the apparatus are: a suspension frame; a telescoping elevator unit carried beneath the frame; a basketball accepting, holding and releasing mechanism carried coaxially within the elevator unit; a hoist mechanism for the elevator unit; and, an electrical system for actuating ball release and the hoist mechanism and for signalling the operative condition of the apparatus.
Claims4
Apparatus for use above a playing court for the game of basketball, comprising:
- a suspension frame adapted to be secured to a ceiling or structural support above the court;
- a telescoping elevator unit suspended beneath said frame and having a plurality of coaxially interfitting segments including an outer segment and an inner segment, said outer segment having an upper end adapted to be secured to said frame;
- a basketball mechanism carried coaxially of said elevator unit inner segment and having arcuately moving paddles to accept and hold a basketball, said paddles being interconnected by a motion linkage to a linkage actuator for selective movement to drop a held basketball toward the playing court;
- a hoist mechanism mounted on said frame and having a cable trained down and through said elevator unit, the free end of said cable being connected to said basketball mechanism;
- and, an electrical system to selectively energize said hoist mechanism to raise or lower said elevator unit by movement of said basketball mechanism, and to selectively energize said linkage actuator of said basketball mechanism.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.