US 4,993,719 AGranted

Portable self-contained volleyball net

OwnerTirso R. Hernandezinventor

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Abstract

A portable volleyball net assembly is constructed of tough, high strength plastic and includes two cylindrical housings within each of which is stored one-half of the net and a telescoping supporting post assembly. The net is attached to a rotatable tube within the housing from which it may be extended through a longitudinal housing slot and around which it may be rerolled by manually turning an end cap attached to the tube on the outside of the housing. The telescoping post assembly preferably includes two tubular sections adapted to be withdrawn from the rotatable net-supporting tube and locked into their extended positions to fix the height of the net. The overlapping ends of two of the tubular sections includes axially positionable locking slots to establish varying net heights. The lowermost tubular telescoping post member has an anchoring spike rotatably attached to it which may be screwed into the ground to anchor the post without rotation of the rest of the assembly. When the post assemblies and net are retracted into the housings for storage, the two housings may be joined at the abutment of the net deployment slots and secured together with a hinged plastic harness having a handle to facilitate transport. A supplemental guy line assembly is also provided.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A portable net and net support apparatus for volleyball and the like comprising:

a pair of hollow tubular housings;
a multi-section telescoping post assembly disposed in a stored position within each tubular housing and extensible from the stored position through an open end of the housing to a deployed position;
said post assembly including an upper post section journaled for rotation and secured against relative axial movement within said housing on a common longitudinal axis;
an intermediate post section disposed within and extensible from said upper section on said common axis;
a lower post section disposed within and extensible from said intermediate section on said common axis;
locking means on the adjoining ends of each of the post sections in the deployed position for releasably securing the post assembly against relative movement along said common axis;
a longitudinal slot in said tubular housing, said slot extending substantially the full length thereof and disposed parallel to said common axis;
a net attached at one end to and at least partially rolled around the outer surface of said upper post section in each tubular housing in a net storing position;
said net extending through the slot in each of said housings such that said net is unrolled from said upper post section and fed through said slots as said housings are moved relatively away from one another to a net deploying position;
net rolling means attached to said upper post section on the opposite end and externally of said housing for manually rolling the net from said net deploying position to said net storing position;
a threaded anchor spike journaled for rotation on said common axis in and extending axially from the free end of said lower post section;
and,
means for rotating said anchor spike relative said housing and post assembly.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.