Recreational rebound net

July 11, 1961 h. bingham, jr 2,992,002

RECREATIONAL REBOUND NET

Filed Nov. 29, 1957

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FIG 2 Hiram Bingham, Jr.

2,992,002

Patented July 11, 1961

United States Patent Office

2,992,002

RECRE ATION AL REBOUND NET Hiram Bingham, Jr., Salem via Colchester, Conn.

Filed Nov. 29,1957, Ser. No. 699,828 1 Claim. (Cl. 273—95)

In my U.S. Patent Number 2,823,034 entitled “Recreation Enclosure” there is described a novel recreation enclosure which will permit one or more persons to engage in various sports or physical activities and especially sports, games, or other physical activities involving the use of a ball or the like. More particularly that invention relates to a novel recreation enclosure constructed on the sides and top of wire or wire-like material, said enclosure being supported upon a substantially flat base or floor, and there being included within said enclosure a resilient means for absorbing, slowing down, dampening, deflecting, bouncing, or otherwise acting against the force of the ball which is used by the player or players within the enclosure.

I have devised a hew recreational rebound net which I believe has certain advantages under certain circumstances as compared with said resilient deflecting means. The novel recreational rebound net of the present invention is preferably used by placing it in a caged recreation enclosure of the type described in my aforesaid patent and is preferably disposed and suspended in such a caged enclosure in substantially the same way that the resilient deflecting means Of my aforesaid patent can be suspended within such a caged enclosure. The novel recreational rebound net of the present invention might also be used separate and apart from a caged enclosure.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel and useful recreational rebound net which can be used which will enable one to- engage in games and physical activities within a limited area.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel and useful recreational rebound net which will permit participants in a sport to exert the same strenuous physical effort that they would exert were there no space limitations.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel and useful recreational rebound net which will enable a person to engage in a sport involving the use of a resilient ball without the necessity of having any other person present.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a combined enclosure and recreational rebound net which will enable a person or persons to strike a ball within the enclosure and to thereafter be assured that the ball, after being deflected off of the recreational rebound net, will return to the approximate area of the player.

Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will appear from the description of one species or embodiment hereinafter described and shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is fragmentary side view of a recreational enclosure showing a side view of the recreational rebound net of this invention suspended within the recreational enclosure. Tins view also shows a fragmentary view of a man so as to provide some idea of relative size.

FIGURE 2 is a full end view of the recreational rebound net of this invention (as viewed from the right end of FIGURE 1) shown -disposed in an upright vertical position adjacent to one end of a cage-type recreation enclosure, the end of the cage-type enclosure having an end section defined by posts 51, 52 and 53, floor section 54, lower side board portion 55, wire backing 60 covering the back end, wire backing 70 on the sides and top and clamping means 80 to fasten the wire backing 60 and 70 to the posts 51, 52 and 53 and other supporting structure.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it can be seen that the recreational rebound het of this invention comprises a four-sided frame having upper and lower rigid frame members 20 and 22, respectively, and rigid side frame members 24 and 26. As is shown the frame members are 5 connected at their ends to form a rigid frame structure.

The frame members may consist of any suitable construction material such as metallic piping, wooden poles or bars and the length of each frame member will primarily depend upon the size of the caged enclpsure'in which the 10 recreational rebound het is to be used, although it has been found preferable to have the length of the frame members range between 6 arid 12 feet.

Each of the frame members 20, 22, 24 and 26 is connected to the substantially parallel and interiorly disposed 15 transverse members 30, 32, 34, and 36 respectively by a plurality of springs S. Transverse merfibere 30, 32, '34 and 36 are not directly fastened to each other and may consist of wooden or metallic bars, pipes or rods (although aluminum is preferred because of its lightness 20 and strength). The transverse members may be fastened to the adjacent edges of the netting material 100 in any desired manner. For example, the transverse members may be fastened to the adjacent edges of the netting material 100 by merely passing the transverse, members 25 through the last row of holes in the netting,, or by passing the transverse members through rings attached along the edges of the netting, or by the use of fastening or bracket means, or by tying the transverse members to the adjacent edges of the netting.

The springs S between the frame members and the transverse members may be of any desired size and in any desired number, The strength, and design of, the springs S may be readily altered to suit varying conditions di use. The springs are preferably as short as possible so as to 35 minimize the possibility of a ball passing therethrough, although longer springs can be used. Springs are preferably attached to all four sides, but it is possible to use springs only on two or three sides if desired.

The netting material 100 is preferably made of nylon or 40 cotton, although other equivalent materials may be used. The tension of -the netting material can be varied by changing the size of the netting or by changing the pulling strength of the springs S, or by fastening the longitudinal members closer to or further from the center of the 45 netting.

The frame structure defined by frame members 20, 22, 24 and 26 is preferably suspended from above by two or more chains 40. The lower ends of suspension chains 40 are preferably attached to the upper corners of the 50 frame structure (e.g. at opposite ends of frame member 20) and the upper ends of suspension chains 40 are either attached to a point adjacent the top of the caged enclosure in which the rebound net is to be used or to the upper sides or back of such a caged enclosure or to any equally 55 high point of attachment. The recreational rebound net may be disposed in a perfectly vertical position but in most instances it is more desirable to dispose the rebound net at an angle ranging from 1 to 40 degrees away from the vertical. Chains, ropes or springs may be employed 60 to either maintain the rebound net in a vertical position or to incline it away from the vertical to the desired degree; such chains, ropes or springs having one end fastened to a frame member (e.g. sides or bottom) and the other end fastened to the back, bottom, sides or top of the cage65 type recreation enclosure. The angle may easily be changed for various games and activities. Suitable springs, swinging brackets, ropes, etc., could replace chains 40. Detailed drawings have not been presented showing the numerous possible ways which one might employ for 70 disposing the recreational rebound net within a caged enclosure since with this disclosure before him anyone skilled in the art could easily devise many suitable ar3,992,002 rangements in addition to those indicated above without the exercise of invention.

The recreational rebound net of this invention has a number of advantages over the resilient deflecting means described and shown in my aforesaid patent. The recreational rebound net of this invention can first of all be carried into and removed from any enclosure in a quick and convenient manner, thus avoiding the problem of detaching the netting from numerous fastening points, rolling, unrolling, etc. Also the swinging of the entire frame deadens the force of any ball hit against a frame member, which ball might otherwise rebound in a dangerous manner. Since the rebound net can be easily moved from place to place it can be used or stored in nearly any recreation room or garage. The present invention eliminates the need for weight or the fastening of the net to the floor. Since the entire frame structure can be swung back and forth, it is easy to· recover a ball which goes behind or under it.

In conclusion, it should then be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted herein otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

The transverse members 30, 32, 34, and 36 may be loosely fastened or tied together at the ends preferably in such a way that they can be easily separated. To tighten or loosen the netting (100) one or more of the bars are removed from one row of squares of the netting and moved into a row of squares closer or further from the frame members 20, 22, 24 and 26. The tension on the netting will then be increased or decreased when the springs are replaced.