AU664065B2

AU664065B2 - Portable net support assembly

Info

Publication number: AU664065B2
Application number: AU32851/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jeffrey Harris Seymour
Original assignee: HANDLEY HOLDINGS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: HANDLEY HOLDINGS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1992-02-04
Filing date: 1993-02-04
Publication date: 1995-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-28
Also published as: AU3285193A

Description

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1 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRAI Patents Act 1990 '646 Name of Applicant Actual Inventor Address for Service HANDLEY HOLDINGS PTY LTD (ACN 064 330 730) JEFFREY HARRIS SEYMOUR GRANT ADAMS COMPANY Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Floor Santos House 215 Adelaide Street BRISBANE QUEENSLAND 4000

AUSTRALIA

PORTABLE NET SUPPORT ASSEMBLY 00 Invention Title Details of Associated Provisional Applications Numbers :PL0702 i s The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

I pp. 1' c' e o sb o o 0 60 0 .1 0 Ii THIS INVENTION relates to a portable net support assembly. The assembly may be used to support the nets used in tennis or modified tennis (eg.

"Funcourt" (trade mark) tennis); badminton; modified volley ball and one-end practice netball.

The assembly may also be used to support sporting screens, eg. for cricket practice wickets, golf driving nets or soccei goal posts; safety screens, eg.

welding screens; or portable shade structures, eg.

gazebos.

Parent Australian Patent specification AU-B- 33754/89 (616007) Seymour) discloses a portable net assembly which has many advantages over previous net assemblies disclosed, inter alia, in AU-40845/78 (529169) Jacobs).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable net support assembly where the forces within the assembly and the net are balanced.

It is a preferred object to provide such an assembly where a central foot means, which also acts as a fulcrum, has the live loads or forces in the assembly and net directed to it.

It is a further preferred object to provide an assembly where the legs are outwardly inclined statically but are deflected to the vertical under the tension of the net.

It is a still further preferred object that extension pieces may be provided, or mounted, on the legs to enable nets to be supported at a range of 30 heights for different sports.

It is a still further preferred object to provide an assembly where screens or nets can be suspended from cables or the like interconnecting the upper ends of the legs.

Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description.

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II I~_OI 3 In one embodiment the present invention resides in a portable net support assembly including: a pair of side net posts, each provided with feet, each post having a leg and a horizontal member adjacent a lower end of the leg, the leg and horizontal member being interconnected by an inclined brace or strut; a beam, optionally comprising a plurality of interconnectable members to produce a linear compression/flexural member, spaced above the surface to interconnect the horizontal members of the net posts; and a foot means on the beam, substantially centrally of the net posts, engageable with the court surface; wherein the improvement resides in that the legs are outwardly inclined (under no load), and when a net is supported by the et posts and tensioned to its predetermined height, th legs of the net posts are 20 deflected inwardly to substantially vertical and the live loads or forces in the legs are transmitted to the foot means via the braces or struts and the beam.

In a second embodimeBnt, the present invention resides a portable screen support assembly including: a pair of side posts, each provided with a foot, each post having a leg and a horizontal member adjacent a lower end of the leg, the leg and horizontal member being interconnected by an inclined brace or strut;

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i 1 i i i 1M i I a beam, optionally comprising a plurality of interconnectable members to produce a linear compression/flexural member, spaced above the court surface to interconnect the horizontal member of the posts; and a foot means on the beam, substantially centrally of the posts, engageable with the support '1 pp.

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4 surface; wherein the improvement resides in that the legs are outwardly inclined (under no load), ard when a cable, rope, chord or the like, is supported by the posts and tensioned to its predetermined height, the legs of the posts ire deflected inwardly to substantially vertical and the live loads or forces in the legs are transmitted to the foot means via the braces or struts and the beams.

Preferably, when the support assembly and the net (or cable) are tensioned, the live load on the foot means is approximately twice the weight of the support assembly, the live load on the legs being substantially zero.

Preferably the support assembly and the net (or cable) become a stressed "structural" truss or frame.

Preferably the feet extend transversely to the 2 net (or cable) and are detachable from the lower ends of the (net) posts. The feet may be tubular to enable them to be filled with ballast and are preferably provided 0$ with rubber caps to prevent marking the (court) surface.

i, The legs may be outwardly inclined at an angle of eg. more preferably 3-6 most preferably 4".

Preferably, when the legs are underload, the inward movement of the legs is effected by deflection of the beam.

a Preferably the beam includes two or more 9 tubular spacer sections provided with respective I* 30 male/female connections.

Preferably the foot means is provided integrally on one of the spacer sections, to support the beam (under no load) lying parallel to the (court) surface.

One or more extensions may be provided on, or mounted on, the legs to enable the net to be set at a J K 4'

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4a range of heights and may be telescopically slidable in or on the legs.

Hook means may be provided on the legs and extensions to enable the net or cable to be mounted on 4 4 9 ir t3 Ir.

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1 the support assembly and the top rope or cord of the nets, or the cable, preferably includes tension means.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a number of preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG 1 is a perspective view showing the support assembly and net configurations for a number of different sports; FIG 2 is a side view of the components of the support assembly; FIG 3 is a sectional plan view of a releasable latch for the extensions; FIG 4 is a front view of a support assembly and net for a modified tennis game; FIGS 4A to 4C show details of FIG 4 in enlarged detail; and FIG 5 shows a screen system in accordance with the invention.

Referring to FIGS 1 to 3, each net post assembly 10,11 has a tubular leg 12 provided with a substantially horizontal arm 13 and oblique brace or shirt 14. Each leg 12 is outwardly inclined at an angle of eg. 40 from the vertical.

Each net post assembly 10,11 has a detachable transverse foot 15 of hollow base section closed by rubber end caps 18 and a -eg 17 frictionally engageable on the leg 12 of the respective net post. Referring to FIG 3, the peg 17 has a pin 18, mounted on a spring 19, releasably engageable in a hole 20 in the leg 12.

The horizontal means 13 are connected by a beam 21 comprising four tubular spacer sections 22-25 interconnected by fitted sleeve male/female connections to ensure structural continuity. A foot means 26 is provided on the spacer section 23 and supports the beams 21 (under no load) parallel to the court surface. A i i r i i: 1

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i 6 loop 27 is provided on the spacer section 23 to receive the net centre strap 28.

For modified, (eg. "Frlncourt" (trade mark) tennis) the net 30 has its tensioned top cord 31 attached to hooks 32 on the legs 12, and its bottom cord 33 attached to hooks 34.

The height of the net 30, at its centre, is set by tie centre strap 28, which seeks to apply an upward force on the beam 21 and foot means 26. The tension in the top cord 31 of the net causes the legs 12 to be deflected to the vertical and the loads are transmitted through the struts 14 and beam 21 to the foot means 26. The resultant structure takes on the nature of a prestressed structural truss or frame. If the weight of the support assembly and net is eg. 12.5 Kg, it is found that when the net is correctly tensioned, the effective weight of the posts is substantially zero and the live downward load through the foot means is substantially increased eg. to more than the dead load of the whole assembly. The foot means 26 is effectively "clamped" to the court surface and will resist deflection and movement from its location. If the legs are moved laterally, they will move back to the initial position. Similarly, deflection from the vertical will be opposed.

The beam is of sufficient rigidity under compression but it is able to transfer the forces from the legs to the foot means and it is observed that the beam will be deflected downwardly between the legs and the foot means.

For tennis, badminton and modified volley ball, the net 30 must be supported at the heights indicated at 30A, 30B, 30C respectively. Extension pieces 40,41 are telescopically received in the legs 12 of the posts 10,11 and the height is selectable by spring latches 42, of the type shown in Fig 3, iii r i ~D a~~ia r i~ i in ipp. i 7 engageable with locating holes 43, 44, 45 in the legs 12. The extensions have hooks 46 to which the tensioned top cord 31 of the net is attached. For tennis, the bottom cord 33 is attached to hook 34 on the legs but for volley ball and badminton, the bottom cord 33 is attached to hooks 47 on the legs.

Again, when the net 30 is correctly tensioned, the forces within the support assembly are balanced as hereinbefore described.

The extensions 40,41 may be telescopically slidably about the legs 12 of the net posts 10,11, with vertical rests to provide clearance for the hooks on the legs. Alternatively, the extensions may be slidably journalled in sleeves forced to one side of the legs 12.

Structurally the assembly forms a statically stable unit with all forces resolved within the net/legs/beam system. The necessary tensions to maintain the net in place are provided by the forces needed to deflect the legs into the vertical position onto the beam due to the pre-set length of the net cables.

These forces on the legs/extensions cause a bending moment and shear in the legs which are reacted by the Beam as a corresponding bending moment and axial force.

Symmetr. of the system results in equal forces and moments at each end of the beam.

An essential component to vertical stability of the beam is correctly proportioned dead weight of the 30 foot/leg/extension units at each end. This dead weight is related to the net length and height above the court surface, and the tension in the net top cord.

Lateral stability of the beam is provided by friction between the foot means and the court surface, this friction being again related to the net length, height and tension.

Fr: F" 8 General stability of the whole assembly in space is provided by interaction of the court surface and the horizontal bars of the feet and the total weight of all elements.

For indoor activities it is preferred that a soft rubber fitment preferably (suction fitting) be fitted on the underside of the ends of the feet and base of the foot means.

The system can be disassembled in the reverse order to that described above, and packed in a convenient sized bundle or container for storage or transport.

General advantages of the present invention include: when fully assembled, including the net, the whole system can be picked up as a unit, the tensioned net locking the system together; portability; lightness durability; easily dismountable; compact to store and transport; can be used indoors or outdoors for a number of sports; only one net is required for all sports; and a shot cord can be provided in the spacer sections 22-25 to lock the beam together for simplicity of identification and assembly.

Referring now to FIGS 4 to 4C, the net post assemblies 110, 111 are substantially as hereinbefore described and are connected by the beam 121 which has a foot (not shown). The net 130 has a cable 131 with eyes 151, 152 at each end. A cable spring 153 is attached at one end to the eye 151 and at the other end to a metal clip 154 on post 110 to tension the cable 131. (A F: L_ m i, 1( 1 plastic clip 155 or post 111 anchors the other end of the cable 131.

At each end of the net 130, a safety tie 156 is connected to the adjacent cable eye 151, 152 and an elastic tie 157 is connected to the adjacent post 110, 111 by a plastic clip 158.

At the base of the net 130, an elastic tie 3.59 is connected to the adjacent post 110, 111 by a plastic clip 160, while a second elastic tie 161 is attached to the base of the post by a plastic clip 162.

The operation of this support assembly and net is as hereinbefore described.

Referring now to FIG 5, a tensioned cable 231 may interconnect the post assemblies 210, 211 (connected 15 by beam 221) and a screen or net 230 suspended therefrom.

By the provision of a second horizontal means 213 and oblique brace or strut 214, each post assembly can be connected at right angles to a second post assembly 210A by a beam 221 and tensioned cable 231 to enable an U- or square/rectangular structure to be formed. With four posts in a U-shaped structure and with two side nets and a rear net, the system can be used, eg. for a portable cricket practice net. If the upper extensions of the post assemblies are inwardly curved (and provided with a crop net), then the system can be used for a golf driving range or soccer goals.

In industry, welding screens or the like can be suspended from the cables 231 to separate work areas into separate cubicles.

Again, the potential applications ar eonly limited by the user's imagination.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

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Claims

2. A portable screen support assembly including: a pair of side posts, each provided with a 25 foot, each post having a leg and a horizontal member adjacent a lower end of the leg, the leg and horizontal member being interconnected by an inclined brace or strut; a beam, optionally comprising a plurality of interconnectable members to produce a linear compression/flexural member, spaced above the court surface to interconnect the horizontal member of the posts; and a foot means on the beam, substantially centrally of the posts, engageable with the support surface; ~I II- i I 1' 7 I h I fI L. ^ii 6 0 0 0 0 00 5 o I I o o a t 4 11 wherein the improvement resides in that the legs are outwardly inclined (under no load) and when a cable, rope, chord or the like, is supported by the posts and tensioned to its predetermined height, the legs of the posts are deflected inwardly to substantially vertical and the live loads or forces in the legs are transmitted to the foot means via the braces or struts and the beams.
3. A support assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 ,,herein: the support assembly and the net (or cable) are tensioned, the live load on the foot means is approximately twice the weight of the support assembly, the live load on the legs being substantially zero.
4. A support assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein: the support assembly and the net (or cable) become a stressed "structural" truss or frame. A support assembly according to any one of 20 Claims 1 to 4 wherein: the feet extend transversely to the net (or cable) and are detachable from the lower ends of the posts, the feet optionally being tubular to enable them to be filled with ballast, and are optionally provided 25 with rubber caps to prevent marking the surface.
6. A support assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein: the legs are outwardly inclined at in angle of, eg. more preferably most preferably 4°, 30 when the legs are underload, the inward movement of the legs is effected by deflection of the beam.
7. A support assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein: the beam includes two or more tubular spacer sections provided with respective male/female connections. C -'C -I 12 2. A support assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein: the foot means is provided integrally on one of the spacer sections, to support the beam (under no load) parallel to the surface.
9. A support assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein: one or more extensions are provided on, or mounted on, the legs to enable the net (or cable) to be set at a range of heights and are telescopically slidable in or on the legs. A support assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein: hook means are provided on the legs and extensions to enable the net (or cable) to be mounted on the support assembly and the top rope or cord of the net, or the cable, includes tension means.
11. A support assembly according to Claim 2 wherein: a screen or net is suspended from the cable.
12. A support assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 wherein: the or each post is connected to two similar posts by respective beams and nets or cables to form a support system which is substantially L or U-shaped, or square or rectangular, in plan.
13. A support assembly as claimed in Claim 9 wherein: the extension(s) have at least one inwardly inclined portion at or adjacent their upper end. .4; 0I **4 DATED this nineteenth day of July 1995. HANDLEY HOLDINGS PTY LTD, By its Patent Attorneys, GRANT ADAMS COMPANY. A4( ~i r I 13 ABSTRACT A net support assembly has support post assemblies (10, 11) interconnected by a beam (21) and a tensioned top cord (31) in net The legs (13) of the post assemblies (10, 11) are outwardly inclined under no load but under tension, moved toward the vertical and the load is applied via the oblique struts (14) to ch2 base (21) so that the foot (26) applies a downwardly directed force on the surface. The post assemblies (10, 11), beam (21) and net (30) form a stress structural member. A tensioned cable (231) can interconnect the post assemblies (210, 211) and screens or nets (230) can be suspended therefrom. i *i '^i~i L i I