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US 6,685,581 B2Granted
Athlete training device
AssigneeRae Crowther Company
InventorsHarry W. Krause, Jeffrey Lowery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An athletic practice machine for training offensive and defensive players, such as football players and for training martial arts and kick boxing athletes. Each dummy of the training device may be latched in a spring loaded retracted position and the dummies may be individually released to spring to a forward leaning position simulating opponent movement. The dummy release may be accomplished by movement of a coach's staff. In training units having three laterally spaced dummies, the end dummies are positioned forward of the central dummy and face inwardly to form an arc. Movement of the helmet bearing staff forward releases the central dummy and lateral movement of the helmet bearing staff releases the dummy on the side toward which the staff is moved.
Claims30
An athlete training device, comprising:
- a ground engaging base having a front end and a rear end;
- an upright post rigidly mounted at its bottom end on said base near said front end of said base, said bottom end of said post being close to ground level,
- a hollow column part encompassing and telescopically fitted on said post, said column part having an upper end and a lower end and said column part being vertically adjustable relative to said post between a lowered position in which said lower end is near said bottom end of said post and the top end of said post extends a substantial distance above said column part and a raised position in which said lower end of said column part is a substantial distance above said bottom end of said post and aid post is in confronting relation to the full length of the interior surface of said column;
- a dummy support part having a lower end pivotally connected to said lower end of said column part on a horizontal axis transverse to the front to rear orientation of said ground engaging base, said horizontal axis being near ground level when said column part is in its lowered position;
- a dummy on said dummy support part;
- a motion limiting mechanism between said dummy support part and said column part limiting pivotal movement of said dummy support part about said horizontal axis to movement between a predetermined forwardly inclined position and a predetermined retracted position;
- a resilient member interposed between said column part and said dummy support part, said resilient member biasing said dummy support part toward said extended position and
- a releasable latch associated with said dummy support part and said column part operable to hold said dummy support part in said retracted position when said dummy support part is moved from said extended position to said retracted position and
- a manually operable latch disengaging mechanism operatively associated with said latch.
6 more elements
An athlete training device comprising:
- a sled having front and rear ends;
- a floor on said sled;
- a beam on said front end of said sled including a central part and a pair of end parts extending outward in laterally opposite directions, respectively, and forwardly of said central part,
- an upright post mounted on said central part of said beam;
- an upright post mounted on each of said end parts of said beam;
- a hollow column part telescopically mounted on each of said posts;
- a dummy support boom part having a lower end pivotally connected to the lower end of each of said column parts for vertical swinging movement between extended and retracted positions toward and away from, respectively, a center of an arc defined by the position of said posts
- a mechanism limiting swinging of each of said boom parts toward said center;
- a dummy mounted on each of said boom parts, said dummy facing toward said center and
- a resilient member between each of said boom parts and the associated column part biasing said boom part toward said center.
7 more elements
An athlete training device comprising:
- a sled having front and rear ends;
- a floor for supporting a coach,
- a beam on said front end of said sled including a central part and ends parts, said end parts extending in laterally opposite directions and forwardly from said central part;
- an upright post having a bottom end mounted on said central part of said beam;
- a pair of upright posts having bottom ends mounted, respectively, on said ends parts of said beam;
- a hollow column part telescopically mounted on each of said posts,
- a dummy support boom part having a lower end pivotally connected to each of said column parts on a horizontal axis for swinging movement between extended and retracted positions toward and away from, respectively, and axis of an arc defined by the position of said posts on said beam;
- a dummy secured to each of said boom parts, each of said dummies facing forward said axis,
- a latch between said boom and column parts operable to releasably maintain said boom part in said retracted position, said latch including a lever pivotally connected to one of said boom and column parts for pivotal movement between a latch position and a release position, and engageable abutment surfaces on said lever and the other of said boom and column parts, said lever pivoting to said latch position to place said abutment surface in engagement, thereby holding said boom part in said retracted position, when said boom part is pivoted to said retracted position;
- a manually operable release mechanism operable to release said lever from said latch position and
- a compression spring between said boom and column parts biasing said boom part toward said extended position.
8 more elements
An athlete training device comprising:
- a sled having
- front and rear ends,
- a beam rigidly secured to said front end of said sled including a central part and a pair of end parts extending laterally outward in opposite directions, respectively, from said central part and extending forwardly of said central part, and
- an upright dummy module support on each of said central and end parts of said beam,
- an upright dummy module having a lower end pivotally mounted on said dummy module support for swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a retracted position and a forwardly extended position, and
- resilient means between said dummy module support and said dummy module biasing said dummy module toward said extended position.
3 more elements
An athlete training device comprising:
- a sled having
- front and rear ends,
- a dummy support structure at said front end of said sled including a central part and a pair of end parts extending laterally outward in opposite directions, respectively, from said central part and extending forwardly of said central part, whereby the horizontal shape of said central and end parts is an arc,
- an upright dummy for each of said central and end parts, and
- a connection between each of said central and end parts and its associated dummy resiliently biasing said dummy toward a forwardly inclined position and permitting rearward swinging movement about said connection when said dummy is impacted in a rearward direction by an athlete.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.