Basketball return apparatus with track extender and deflector
OwnerJonathan G. Waresinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides for a foldable, portable, apparatus for use as an operant conditioning basketball shooting practice aid by retrieving and returning shots at the hoop. The apparatus is comprised of a dismountable trough assembly depending from crossbar slots of a support assembly frame. The trough assembly includes ball collection panels each mounted on separated ball runway tubes or rails with the legs of a track extender-deflector inserted into the tubes. The deflectors are adapted to be configured for quick interchangeability from one configuration to another to deliver the ball to various locations to center or side court.
Claims22
An apparatus for mounting onto a support for use in retrieving a basketball passing through or shot at a hoop, which apparatus comprises:
- (a) a trough assembly comprised of a pair of spaced apart rails defining a proximal end for mounting on a support means and a distal end for ball delivery to a user, wherein the trough assembly is mounted to be angled substantially downward from the proximal end to the distal end to allow the ball to roll down the rails;
- (b) an extender mounted at the distal end of the rails having a pair of legs defining a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- (c) a pair of deflector members, one mounted on each leg of the extender, wherein each deflector member is adapted to lie flat for direct ball delivery or rotate upward, at either the proximal end or distal end of the extender, to be positioned substantially perpendicular to the rails.
An apparatus for retrieving a basketball after it passes through or is shot at a hoop mounted on a backboard having a top side, an opposed bottom side, and vertical sides between the top side and the bottom side, which apparatus comprises:
- (a) a support assembly comprised of (i) a holding means for removably mounting on the top side of the backboard, (ii) a first horizontally oriented crossbar below the hoop, and (iii) a spaced apart second horizontally oriented crossbar vertically positioned between the first crossbar and the hoop;
- (b) a trough mounted on or against the first crossbar so as to be cantilevered from the first crossbar, the trough comprising spaced apart parallel rails each having opposed proximal and distal ends along an axis defined by the rails and connecting the rails together wherein the proximal end is adapted to be removably mounted on or against the first crossbar;
- (c) a pair of spaced apart panels having proximal and distal ends mounted on opposite rails so that a portion of the panels adjacent to each rail extends below the axis of the rails, wherein the basketball rides on the rails without riding on the portions of the panels adjacent to the rails so that the basketball is returned by the trough with a minimal rolling resistance to the ball;
- (d) mounting means on the proximal end of each panel for removably mounting the panels on the second crossbar to form a generally syncline, V-configuration, of the pair of panels with the rail;
- and
- (e) an extender mounted at the distal end of the rails having a pair of deflector members adapted to lie flat to allow for (i) direct ball delivery, or (ii) positioned substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rails for right side ball delivery, or for left side ball delivery.
An apparatus for retrieving a basketball after it passes through or is shot at a hoop mounted on a backboard having a top side, an opposed bottom side, and vertical sides between the top side and the bottom side, which apparatus comprises:
- (a) a support assembly comprised of a pair of spaced apart vertically oriented frame members on either side of the hoop which are positionable between the hoop and the vertical sides of the backboard and each having a pair of upper frame members and lower frame members, wherein each upper frame member comprises a holding means for removably mounting on the top side of the backboard, and wherein each lower frame member comprises a first horizontally oriented crossbar joining the lower frame members together below the hoop and a spaced apart second horizontally oriented crossbar vertically positioned between the first crossbar and the hoop, the second crossbar having spaced apart crossbar slots adjacent the lower frame members;
- (b) a trough mounted on or against the first crossbar so as to be cantilevered from the first crossbar with spaced apart parallel rails each having opposed proximal and distal ends along an axis defined by the rails and connecting the rails together wherein the proximal end is adapted to be removably mounted on or against the first crossbar;
- (c) a pair of spaced apart panels mounted on opposite rails so that a portion of the panels adjacent to each rail extends below the axis of the rails, wherein the basketball rides on the rails without riding on the portions of the panels adjacent to the rails so that the basketball is returned by the trough with a minimal rolling resistance to the ball;
- (d) a hook end defined at a top and proximal end of each panel, the hook end adapted to be removably mounted into each crossbar slot to form a generally syncline, V-configuration, of the pair of panels with the rails;
- and
- (e) an extender mounted at the distal end of the rails having a pair of deflector members each adapted to lie flat to allow for (i) direct ball delivery, or (ii) positioned substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rails for right side ball delivery or for left side ball delivery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.