CA1252804A

CA1252804A - Scrummage trainer

Info

Publication number: CA1252804A
Application number: CA000475921A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Timothy D. Francis; Derek R. De Glanville
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: GLANVILLE DEREK R DE
Priority date: 1984-03-16
Filing date: 1985-03-07
Publication date: 1989-04-18
Also published as: FR2561112A3; GB2155793B; GB8406907D0; GB2155793A; FR2561112B3; JPH0458354B2; JPS60194971A

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

A scrummage trainer with a spring-loaded pad carrier (11) that has guide means (13,14,2,3) for linear movement transversely to a substantially horizontal axle (8) about which it can pivot, and spring-loading means (8,10,18,19) to resist the component of thrust applied by a user to a pad (12) on the carrier that is directed through the pivotal axis (X-X); in a preferred embodiment, the pad carrier is guided and supported by a support frame (1) that is mounted on the axle to pivot about the horizontal axis, spring-loading means (18,19) being provided between the carrier and the support frame and further spring means being provided between the support frame and the trainer so as to resist a thrust applied by a user to a pad (12) on the carrier, so that the result of the spring-loading is directly opposed to a user thrust applied in an arcuate range of directions.

Description

~S~

SCRUMMAGE TRAINE~
.

This invention relate~ to training app~atus ~or Rugby Footha~l and like games ~nd parti~ul~rly i~ a developm~nt of the sorummage trainer described in ~nited Kingdom Patent Spe~ification ~o. GB 211~43A.
On~ o the embodiments that is, in ef~e~, des~ri~ed in th~ aforesaid specification is a pad caxrier moun~ed on a vehiole to pivo~ a~out a substantiall~ ho~izontal axis, the pad ~arrier being spring-loaded to resist the upwards or downwards ~omponent of a thrust appl ied ~o ~ pad by ~ us~r.
This ~oxm of trainer necessarily incl~des a vehicle, a sled or with rollers, as provision has to be made for the vehicle to move back as a thrust is applied to the pad carrier~
~ is an object of the pres~nt invention to provide a s~rumm~ge trainer that not only enables a prop forwara to ~hrust against a pivotal pad ~arr~er with the upwards or downwards ~mponent o~ his thrus~ being resisted but to additionally resis~ively accommodate gener~lly hori~ontal thrusts~
Ac~ording to the pre~ent invention, a scrummage tr~iner in~ludes a pad carrier supported and ~uided b~
a support fr~me mounted on a substantially horizontal : .

~ ~ 5

- 2 axle ~or linea~ movemen~ tr~nsvers~ to~n~ pivo~a~
e~ a~out th~ hori.zont~ , spring-loaaing ~eans being pro~ided between the carri~r and the support fra~e and between ~he suppor~ fr~me anc1 ~h~
trainer to resis~ a thrust applied ~y a forward to ~ ad on the carrier the result of the spring-l02dings being directly opposed to ~orward applied ~hrus~ from an arcuate range ~ direc~ions.
Any of the sc~umma~e trainer~ descr~ed in the a~or~said specifica~ion ~an readily ~e ~onverted to accord with ~hP present invention and thus allow a prop ~orward to push agains~ an adjustable and measur~ble resistance ~hat would push the ~orward ~a~k if his ~rus~ is no~ mai~tained. This permi~s ~ ~rainer to b~ ~ed stati~ally by placing agains~ a w~ll or ~ tree, or having it ballasted so that it will not ~ove. The m~hine c~n a~so b~ used indoors or in a limited space.
The in~entio~ i5 also i~eal for developing the 'snap shove' and for assessin~ streng~h.
~he above ~nd other fe~tures of the presen~ invention are illu~trated in the Drawing wherein Figs. l and 2 a.re, respe~tively, a plan an~ a si~e elevation of p~rt of a s~rumm2g~ trainer in a~cordance with the invention.
As ~hown by ~he d.r~wings, a ladder-shaped support ~5 f~ame l has rectangular, h~llow, longitudinally extending side m~mbers ~ and 3 joined ~y cross brace ~, 5, 6 and 7. ~n axle a is also at~ached transversely tO

the ~ame at the midleng~h thereof and pivots about B
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a substantially horizontal a~is ~-X. The axle is journalled to the structure (not shown) of the trainer, (for example, the axle could replace the fulcrum pins 16 and 17 that are inserted through uprights 1~ of the 05 trainer shown by Fig. 1 of specification No. GB 2 11 843 A). Springs 9 and 10 are attached between the frames ends and the trainer and act to resist pivotal movement of the frame in the directions of arrows A and B respectively.
A pad carrier 11 has at one end a pad 12, for a prop forward to push against, and consists of a pair of rectangular side arms 13 and 14 that are a sliding fit within the frame side members 2 and 3 respectively.
The carrier 11 is also cross-braced at 15. The side arm ends 16 and 17 remote from the pad end of the carrier protrude from the frame side members 2 and 3 respectively and are each attached to one end of a spring 18 or 19, the other ends of which are anchored to a respective side member 2 or 3.
All the springs 9, 10, 18, 19 are linear tension springs, shock cord being a convenient material.
The action of the apparatus is as ollows:-a thrust on pad 12 will, depending on it's direction, force the carrier to move longitudinally (in the direction of arrow c) into the support frame against the loading of springs 18 and 19, and if the thrust i5 not horizon~al, the support frame will also pivot up or down against the loading of spring 10 or spring 9, by this means a thrust on pad 1~ from an arcuate range of directions will meet a , .

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spring loaded resistance against both the vertical and the horizontal components of the thrust~
Thus some of the requirements for scrummage 05 training can be meet by an essentially static piece of apparatus.
As, irrespective of the direction of thrust, the thrust directed through the pivotal axis X-X is solely resisted by springs 18 and 19, such thrust can be consistently measured by means of graduations marked on one of the side arms 13, 14.
On removal or diminution of the applied thrust, the support frame will return to it's horizontal rest position and the pad carrier to it's longitudlnally extended rest position.
Spring strength and user strength will, clearly9 affect the performance of the training apparatus. In an embodiment of the invention, damper means are connected between the pad carrier and the support frame to control relative movement therebetween. The damper primarily acts to slow the return of the pad carrier to it's extended rest position, th;s being to prevent the ~snap-back' effect of the shock cord springs from harmlng the front row of a training scrum, who could be squashed between the returning carrier and the rest of the scrum behind them. Preferably, the damper or dampers have different rates in either direction of action and are adjustable so that their overall rates can be varied.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A scrummage trainer including a pad carrier supported and guided by a support frame mounted on a substantially horizontal axle for linear movement transverse to and pivotal movement about the horizontal axle, spring-loading means being provided between the carrier and the support frame and between the support frame and the trainer to resist a thrust applied by a forward to a pad on the carrier; the result of the spring-loadings being directly opposed to forward applied thrust from an arcuate range of directions.

2. A trainer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the support frame has a pair of hollow, longitudinally extending side members and the pad carrier has a pair of side arms to slide within and be linearly guided by the side frames.

3. A trainer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein tension springs are connected with one end of each tension spring connected to a respective one of the support frame side members and the other end of each tension spring anchored to a respective one of the pad carrier side arms.

4. A trainer as claimed in any Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein tension springs are connected between the support frame and the trainer, on either side of the horizontal axle.

5. A trainer as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein damper means are connected between the pad carrier and the support frame to control relative movement therebetween.