GB2031737A - Effort measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for measuring an applied effort and is used to practise scrummaging for the game of Rugby football. The apparatus comprises a frame (1), to which scrummaging aids will be attached, which is able to move along rails (8) of a fixed track (2) by means of wheels (4), a piston and cylinder unit (3) to resist the effort applied to the frame (1) and a pressure gauge to display the pressure in the unit (3). Associated with the pressure gauge is a pump and bleed-off valve to enable the pressure in the unit (3) to be modified. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to effort measuring apparatus This invention is concerned with apparatus for measuring an applied effort, such as that produced by a number of players combined to form a scrum in the game of Rugby football.

For training purposes it has been usual for a basically static device to be provided against which the players forming a scrum may push.

Usually this incorporates shoulder pads and these pads are often sprung loaded so that an initial pushing effort will compress the springs. However such apparatus is limited in use and provides no real means of determining the degree of effort being applied by the players.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for measuring such an applied effort which will therefore enhance training and coaching procedures.

Accordingly this invention provides apparatus for measuring an applied effort, comprising a frame to which the effort will be applied and mounted for movement along a fixed track, an hydraulic or pneumatic piston and cylinder unit having one part interconnected with the frame and the other part interconnected with the fixed track, and a pressure gauge for indicating the pressure applied to said unit.

With such an apparatus, as the members of a scrum, for instance, push against the frame the effort applied will be measured directly by the pressure gauge and it is therefore possible for a coach to experiment with the make-up and pushing actions of a scrum and thus improve the scrummaging abilities of the players.

In the preferred embodiment a pump and a bleed-off valve are provided to enable the pressure in said unit to be varied. Thus the coach can reward a determined effort by a scrum by bleeding-off gradually so that the scrum moves forward. Alternatively the effect of a superior scrum can be simulated by operating the pump to cause the players forming the scrum to be pushed backwards. Thus the pressure gauge, pump and bleed-off valve ideally form parts of a control unit. A further preferred addition to the apparatus comprises a pressure accumulator for storing the pressure created by applying effort to the unit, such as by a number of persons forming a scrum, thus providing a suitable reverse thrust.If there is a non-retun valved inlet to the accumulator and a by-pass valve for connecting the accumulator to the unit as required, when the by-pass valve is opened the pressure stored in the accumulator will operate on the piston and cylinder unit to simulate the effect of a "snap-shove" against the scrum. This is enhanced if the accumulator communicates with said pump and bleed off valve so that the pressure in the accumulator can be increased before release. Such an arrangement increases the ability of the apparatus to be used as a training device.

It is preferred that the unit should be directly interconnected between the frame and the fixed track so as to be placed under compression when effort is applied to the frame, although it would be possible to provide the interconnection via a rope and sheave arrangement. It is also greatly preferred that the interconnections of the unit with the fixed track and the frame allow for a limited degree of twisting of the frame relative to the track during movement of the frame along the track.

The frame may be mounted on fixed tracks by skids or preferably by wheels or rollers mounted in guide channels forming part of the fixed track.

Particularly where the apparatus is to be used for scrummaging practice it is desirable for the frame to carry shoulder pads for receipt of the shoulders of the front row of a scrum and ideally these shoulder pads are spring biased away from the frame. If the shoulder pads are carried by a support which is mounted by a central vertical pivot to the frame, then a wheeling activity may be practised. For this purpose it is of advantage to provide one or more further hydraulic or pneumatic piston and cylinder units interposed between the frame and the support for resisting movement of the support about the pivot.

If each said further unit is connected to a pressure gauge and a pump and bleed-off valve enabling the pressure in said further unit to be varied, then the degree of wheeling can be controlled by the coach. In the preferred arrangement there are two said further units positioned one to either side of the pivot.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the main operational parts of a scrummaging machine of this invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine frame and piston and cylinder unit; Figure 3is a section on line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1; Figure 4 illustrates a control unit for controlling the piston and cylinder units present in the scrummaging machine; and Figures 5 and 6 are respectively plan and side views of a wheeling arrangement of the scrummaging machine.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings basically comprises a frame 1 to which scrummaging aids will be attached (such as those shown in Figs. 5 and 6), mounted on a track member 2 and a piston and cylinder unit 3 disposed between the two.

The frame 1 carries wheels 4 secureed through longitudinal members 5 of the frame by means of a pin 6 passing through metal plates 7 surrounding the bottom edge of the member 5. These wheels are received within grooved rails 8 of the track. The cylinder 9 of the unit 3 is connected by a pivot pin 10 to a mounting arrangement 11 secured to uprights 50 of the frame 1 and the cylinder is also held by a strap 12 attached to the undersurface of one of the cross member 13 of the frame 1. Angled struts 14 provide stiffening for the frame. The free end of the piston 15 is attached to a mounting 16 at the end of the track member 2. The piston is attached to a special connector device 17 which has a curved head 18 from which leads a nose portion 19 which receives a locking pin 20.

The curved head 18 is a loose-fit within a similarly shaped sleeve 21 so that a small amount of pivotal movement of the end of the piston 15 is possible to take up twisting stresses which may be applied to the unit 3 in use. As can be seen from Figs. 2 and 3 the track member 2 incorporates mounting feet 22 which will be fixed to a solid floor together with tie struts 23. Gussets 24 provide strengthening for the rails 8. Brackets 25 are also provided which project upwardly of the rails 8 and provide mounting points for a frame which may be used to attach the apparatus to a wall. This frame will lie flush with the rear wall 26 of the track member 2 so that it may be attached to the wall by fixing screws and angled struts will lead down to the rearward brackets 25. When the apparatus is fully assembled pins will be dropped through holes 27 to prevent the wheels 4 from leaving the rails 8.The apparatus may however readily be disassembled by removing the pins from the holes 27 and releasing the unit 3 by withdrawing the pins 10 and 20.

When the frame is pushed along the fixed track the hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 3 will tend to resist this movement and the degree of effort applied can be indicated by a pressure gauge 40 (Fig. 4) of a control unit carried by a support frame 36. The pressure gauge is connected to the piston and cylinder unit by an hydraulic hose 41. The control unit also incorporates a bleed-off control valve 39 and a manual pump 37 provided with a pump handle 38. (If desired a motorised pump could be employed). By means of the valve 39 and pump 37 it is possible to modify the degree of effort needed to push the frame along the fixed track so that various experiments can be carried out to determine the pushing ability of a scrum.

Furthermore, the hydraulic hose 41 is connected to the pressure gauge 40 via a by-pass valve 61. Upstream of the valve 61 is a connection to a hydraulic accumulator 62 via a non-return valve 63. The accumulator 62 is also connected to the pressure gauge 40 by a connection 64. With the valve 61 in the open condition the pressure built up in the accumulator 62 will act directly back against the piston and cylinder unit via the connection 64 so that if the effort is not sustained by the scrum, it will automatically be pushed backwards. With the valve 61 in the closed position the pressure built up in the accumula tor 62 will be retained by the non-return valve 63.Once the maximum effort of the scrum has been attained the pressure in the accumulator 62 can be increased by operating the pump 37 by means of the handle 38 so that subsequent opening of the valve 61 will have the effect of simulating a "snap-shove" against the scrum through the connection 64.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate how additional scrummaging effects may be achieved. A series of the vertical supports 50 of the movable frame are linked by cross-plates 55 which provide a mounting 56 for a pair of angled arms 57 about a pivot pin 60. These angled arms 57 are secured to a structure 58 which carries spring loaded shoulder pads 59. Also attached to the upright supports 50 by bolts 34 are brackets 33 carrying mounting pins 35 which receive the ends of pistons of an hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 29. Further mounting plates 30 are secured to the structure 58 by mounting rods 31 and the cylinders of the units 29 are rotatably mounted on the rods 31, these rods being secured by split pins 32. If a wheeling action of a scrum is applied to the structure 58 via the pads 59 the two units 29 will tend to resist this wheeling motion and thus simulate normal playing conditions. If the two units 29 are connected to control units of the form illustrated in Fig. 4 the resisting effect to wheeling may be modified by operation of the bleed-off valve 39 and the pump 37. By this means the players can also be trained in wheeling ability.

The track on which the frame moves when pushed by a scrum may itself be mounted on a turntable which will be fixed into the ground. The turntable can then be arranged to be locked in each of say four 90 positions so that training may be carried out on a fresh patch of ground when one particular patch becomes too worn for adequate use.

Claims (19)

1. Apparatus for measuring an applied effort, comprising a frame to which the effort will be applied and mounted for movement along a fixed track, an hydrualic or pneumatic piston and cylinder unit having one part interconnected with the frame and the other part interconnected with the fixed track, and a pressure gauge for indicating the pressure applied to said unit.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wheri in a pump and a bleed off valve are provided to enable the pressure in said unit to be varied.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressure gauge, pump and bleed off valve form part of a control unit.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, including a pressure accumulator for storing the pressure created by applying effort to the unit.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a non-return valved inlet to the accumulator and a by-pass valve for connecting the accumulator to the unit as required.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 as dependant on claim 2, wherein the accumulator communicates with said pump and bleed off valve.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said unit is directly interconnected between the frame and the fixed track so as to be placed under compression when effort is applied to the frame.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said unit is interconnected with the fixed track via a rope and sheave arrangement.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the interconnections of said unit with the fixed track and the frame allow for a limited degree of twisting of the frame relative to the track during movement of the frame along the track.

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the frame runs on the fixed track via wheels.

11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the frame is mounted on the fixed track by skids.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the frame carries shoulder pads for receipt of the shoulders of the front row of a scrum.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the shoulder pads are spring biased away from the frame.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the shoulder pads are carried by a support which is mounted by a central vertical pivot to the frame.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein one or more further hydraulic or pneumatic piston and cylinder units are interposed between the frame and the support for resisting movement of the support about the pivot.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each said further unit is connected to a pressure gauge and a pump and bleed off valve enabling the pressure in said further unit to be varied.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein there are two said further units positioned one to either side of the pivot.

18. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the fixed track is mounted on a turntable which can be locked in desired rotary positions.

19. Apparatus for measuring an applied effort substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.