GB2154147A

GB2154147A - Tethered ball assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2154147A
Application number: GB08503546A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Trubshaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-14
Filing date: 1985-02-12
Publication date: 1985-09-04
Also published as: GB8503546D0; GB8403827D0

Abstract

A tethered ball assembly, more especially for a football, wherein the ball (26) is secured to a cord (28) which remote from the ball is secured to a ring (30) mounted on a peg (10) staked to the ground, the ring being retained by a sub-assembly mounted on the peg and comprising two interfitting cup members (16, 18) which are slotted so that, when interfitted, an aperture (24) is defined for passage of the cord. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tethered ball assembly Field of the invention This invention relates to a tethered ball assembly, more especially but not exclusively for a football, primarily intended to enable practice at kicking a ball, as in the game of soccer football.

Background to the invention Various tethered ball assemblies are known, especially for playing tennis type games using a ball which is secured to the end of a cord connected to a rotatable assembly at the top of a pole adapted to be inserted in the ground. In general, the type of pole mounted rotatable assembly used in these games is not suitable for use in tethering a football or the like at a lower level close to the ground.

The invention According to the invention, a tethered ball assembly comprises a peg for insertion into the ground, a sub-assembly of two interfitting members mounted on the peg for rotation thereon, and a ball having an attached cord which at a point remote from the ball is secured to the peg, the two interfitting members defining an aperture in t said sub-assembly for passage of the cord.

The interfitting members preferably comprise cup members which interfit mouth to mouth, each having in its generally cylindrical wall a longitudinal slot. These slots overlap, when the two cup members are interfitted, to define the aperture for passage of the cord.

The cup members preferably freely interfit to enable relative movement between them, up to the extent where the rim of the mouth of one such member engages the interior base of the other.

The cord aperture is then disposed in the centre of the length of the assembly.

The cord, for example a nylon cord, preferably attaches to the peg via a freely mounted ring retained on the peg by the rotatable assembly, the cup members having central apertures in their end walls for passage of the peg and said peg having a stop at or adjacent its upper end to prevent the rotatable assembly lifting off the peg.

The invention also extends to the combination of a peg, interfitting members for forming a rotatable sub-assembly, and a tethered ball, preferably a football to which the cord is attached by a fastening element held by load distribution means behind the skin of the ball, said combination being adapted to form the tethered ball assembly as hereinbefore defined.

Brief description of drawings In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of example: Figure 1 is a longitudinally exploded view of a tethered ball assembly; and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the assembly ready for use.

Description of embodiment The illustrated assembly comprises a pad 10, adapted for insertion into the ground by virtue of a pointed lower end, and having a fixed stop element 12 adjacent its upper end.

A rotatable sub-assembly 14 is adapted for rotation around the peg 10. This sub-assembly comprises an inner cup member 16 and an outer cup member 18, dimensioned to interfit freely up to the extent that the rim of the mouth of the inner, lower member engages the interior base of the outer, upper member.

The two members 16, 18 have respective longitudinal slots 20, 22 in their generally cylindrical walls. As can be seen from Figure 2, when the two members are fully interfitted, the closed ends of the longitudinal slots 20, 22 overlap to define an aperture, conveniently a circular aperture 24, generally at the centre of the length of the sub-assembly.

A soccer ball 26 is secured to a nylon cord 28 which at its other end is fastened to a ring 30 which is freely mounted on the peg 10 within the sub-assembly 14, said cord passing through the aperture 24. At the ball 26, the cord is secured by means of a fixing eye 32 (a ring, loop or the like may be used if preferred) which behind the skin of the ball is attached to a washer, webbing or other suitable means which acts to distribute applied force over a sufficient area of the skin to prevent tearing or splitting.

Holes 34 in the end walls of the cup members enable their assembly with the peg 10 for free rotation of the sub-assembly around said peg.

If desired, an apertured base plate (not shown) may be provided to seat on the ground and receive the peg through it, thereby to assist smooth rotation of the sub-assembly 14, but in practice it is usually found that the sub-assembly readily rotates, when the ball 26 is kicked, because it tends to be lifted clear of the ground by the rising flight of the ball. However, the stop 12 prevents the rotating sub-assembly from lifting off the peg. In turn, the sub-assembly itself restricts movement of the ring along the peg, partly due to restraint by passage of the cord 28 through the aperture 24.

Assembly is by insertion of the lower end of the peg through the outer clip member, the ring and the inner cup member in succession, the cup members then being relatively rotated to bring their longitudinal slots into alignment and said members then being interfitted with the cord extending through the defined aperture. The cup members freely interfit to enable limited relative movement to take place between said members during use.

After assembly, the lower end of the peg is driven into the ground, and the assembly is then ready for use. One player may kick the ball alternately in opposite senses for practice at kicking a soccer ball. Alternatively, two players may kick the ball to one another, one kicking in the opposite direction to the other. In this way, practice at stopping and trapping the ball is also available. The invention saves the necessity to retrieve the ball from long distances, as would be necessary with an untethered football. Moreover, the playing radius can be shortened, if desired, by fixing a shortened length of cord to the securing ring, the surplus cord being readily accommodated within the cup member sub-assembly.

Typically, the main peg, preferably of steel, may be of about 2.5 cm diameter and about 35 cm long.

The rotatable sub-assembly, comprising cup members which may be of moulded plastics material, may be about 10 cm long and 8 cm diameter, whilst the cord aperture defined by said members may be of about 1 cm diameter.

Various modifications of the above-described arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. For example, the cup members may interfit so as to be non-movable relative to one another after interfitting, as by means of a bayonet joint. Moreover, such cup members or equivalent members forming the sub-assembly may be clearly arranged to define the cord aperture in other ways.

Claims

1. A tethered ball assembly, more especially but not exclusively for a football, comprising a peg for insertion into the ground, a sub-assembly of two interfitting members mounted on the peg for rotation thereon, and a ball having an attached cord which at a point remote form the ball is secured to the peg, the two interfitting members defining an aperture in the said sub-assembly for passage of the cord.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the two interfitting members comprise cup members which interfit mouth into mouth.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein the generally cylindrical walls of the cup members have respective longitudinal slots which, when the two members are interfitted, overlap to define the said aperture.

4. An assembly according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the two cup members interfit up to the extent that the rim of the mouth of one member abuts the inside of the base of the other cup member.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 when appendant to claim 3, when the cup members are fully interfitted, the longitudinal slots overlap to form said aperture generally at the centre of the length of the sub-assembly.

6. An assembly according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the bases of the respective cup members are centrally apertured for mounting on the peg.

7. An assembly according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the two cup members freely interfit for relative movement therebetween.

8. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cord attaches to the peg via a ring freely mounted for rotation and axial movement on the peg and retained on the peg by the said subassembly.

9. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the peg is provided with a stop at or adjacent its upper end for preventing the said subassembly lifting off the peg.

10. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 9, including a nylon cord.

11. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cord attaches to the ball via a fixing element in the form of an eye, ring or loop which, on th interior of the skin of the ball, is attached to a washer, webbing or analogous means affording distribution of force applied to the skin via the fixing element.

12. An tethered ball assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A peg, interfitting members for forming a sub-assembly, and a cord attached to a ball, adapted to be assembled to form a tethered ball assembly in accordance with any of claims 1 to 12.