GB2458277A

GB2458277A - A Sporting Net System

Info

Publication number: GB2458277A
Application number: GB0804465A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Stuart Mcginnity; Jason Stanley
Original assignee: CIRCLE NETTING SYSTEM Ltd
Current assignee: CIRCLE NETTING SYSTEM Ltd
Priority date: 2008-03-11
Filing date: 2008-03-11
Publication date: 2009-09-16
Also published as: GB0804465D0

Abstract

A sporting net system includes at least one net (3); at least one post (10) and a line (1) that, in use, is connected to a said post and supports at least part of the net above a ground surface and at least one tensioning line (124) that, provides tension to the net supported by the net-supporting line, and at least one low-friction arrangement (120) connected to the post that allows the at least one tensioning line to be adjusted. Preferably the low friction arrangement includes at least one pulley wheel.

Description

A Sporting Net System The present invention relates to a sporting net system.

GB-B-2 355 670 (the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference), granted in the name of one of the inventors of the present filing, discloses sporting net systems that are particularly suitable for cricketers. An example of this type of net support system is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and comprises an array of net support cables 1 connected across a play area between end posts 2. Temporary net runs 3 can then be strung from the cables 1 in the manner illustrated to create a number of practice wickets 4 separated by the freely hanging nets 3.

The nets can be connected to the cables I by hooks or rings which can be slid along the cables to desired positions. This means that the nets can be moved to a small extent sideways, from time to time, so as to equalise wear on the various adjacent practice wickets 4A equally over the whole area.

Furthermore, the nets can either be lifted or slid to one side when the grass is being cut, or other maintenance carried out. Freestanding intermediate support posts 5 can be used at strategic positions to support the cables 1 between the end posts 2. These intermediate posts can be simple in design, having an enlarged support foot and a passageway at the top into which the cable can be slidably located. The intermediate posts can then be moved to any desired position, relative to the positioning of the netting 3.

The bottom end of each post 2 is mounted into a socket member provided with extending reinforcing plates 7, which hold the socket member firmly in place when it is set into concrete in a hole in the ground. One of the reinforcing plates carries a mounting bar onto which is screwed the end of a threaded rod whose other end is fixed to a connecting flange positioned some way up the post 2. The rod 10 then acts as a stay against the pull exerted by the cable 1.

The cable 1 is connected between support flanges 12 at the top ends of each post. One of these has a pin or pulley around which the cable can pass so that it is led down to a braked winch arrangement 13, whereby the cable can be tensioned. The other end of the cable is connected to a pin between the flanges 12.

The array of nets 3 need to be held taut across the support cables 1.

This is achieved by means of an additional tensioning cable (not shown), which runs alongside the main support cable 1. One end of this tensioning cable will be connected to a loop of the netting 3. The free end of the tensioning cable can then run over the pin held by the flanges 12 at the top of a post 2 and then brought down to be wound on to a clip mounted on the side of the post 2. The cable 1 and the tensioning cable can then be securely held together by adjustable clamps. A similar tensioning cable will, of course, be mounted at either side of the array of netting 3. When the nets are moved to a new location the clamps are released and then the tensioning cables are retensioned as necessary in the new positions.

Using the additional tensioning cable to tension the net can require some effort and usually needs to be done by more than one person. Further, it has been found that the additional tensioning cables are prone to wear because they run over the flanges 12 at high tension.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a sporting net system including: at least one net; at least one post; a line that, in use, is connected to a said post and supports at least part of the net above a ground surface; at least one tensioning line that, in use, provides tension to the net supported by the net-supporting line, and at least one low-friction arrangement connected to the post that allows the at least one tensioning line to be adjusted.

The low-friction arrangement may include a pulley wheel.

In one embodiment there are two said low-friction arrangements, each said low-friction arrangement being located on either side of the net support line /post. The low-friction arrangement may be located lower down (and/or further behind a front end of the body) than where the net support line is connected to the post.

The net-supporting line and the at least one low friction arrangement may be part of a body that is connected, in use, to the post. The body may include a formation, e.g. a recess, for fitting onto a top of the post. The pulley wheels may share a common axle and the common axle may assist with fixing the body to the post. The body may include a pair of opposed, spaced-apart side walls and the low-friction arrangements may be located on an outer surface of one of the side walls. The body may include at least one cover member that covers at least a portion of the low-friction arrangement.

In some embodiments, the system includes at least one pair of opposed said posts, the net-supporting line, in use, extending between the pair of posts.

Each of the posts may be fitted with a said body.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device adapted to be connected to a post of a sporting net system, the device including a low-friction arrangement that, in use, is connected to the post, the arrangement allowing adjustment, in use, of a tensioning line that adjusts a tension of a net supported by a net-supporting line.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of configuring a sporting net system comprising at least one pair of opposed posts, the method including: providing a net-supporting cable between said posts; connecting a net to the cable; con necting at least one tensioning line to the net, and adjusting the tensioning line using a low-friction arrangement to adjust a tension of the net on the supporting cable.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination of features set out above or in the following description.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments. As such, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art.

Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature. Thus, the invention extends to such specific combinations not already described.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and, by way of example only, embodiments thereof will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a known net support system; Figure 2 is a side view of a pair of posts for the system of Figure 1; Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E are plan, bottom, rear end, front arid side views, respectively, of an example of the tensioning line-adjusting device; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the example device fitted on a post and receiving a pair of lines, and Figure 5 is a schematic side view of a pair of posts fitted with the device.

Referring to Figures 3A -3E and 4, an example of a device 100 intended to be fitted on top of a post of a sporting net system is shown. The device includes a main body 102 that comprises two opposed, spaced apart side walls 104A, 104B. The main body can be formed of any suitable material such as steel and can be painted any colour desired. It may be formed of a single piece of material, or may be formed of a plurality of components. The main body includes an upper/cover surface 106 that spans the two side walls. As can be seen best in the underside view of Figure 3B, the main body 102 further includes a square shaped recess 108 that is designed and dimensioned to accommodate the top of a post 110 (see Figure 4), which will typically be one of the end posts of the netting system, which may be similar to post 2 of Figures 1 and 2. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments the device 100 may be connected to the post in a way other than fitting on top of it, e.g. being bolted to a side surface. In the example, the main body has a length of around 30 -35 cm, a width of around 10 -15 cm and the sidewalls have a depth of around 15 cm at their deepest point and 10 cm at their shortest point. It will be understood that these dimensions are exemplary only and, in practice, the shape and dimensions of the device can be varied to suit a particular installation.

A horizontal cylindrical member 111 extends between the inner surfaces of the two side walls 104A, 104B and is intended to receive a net support cable (similar to cable 1 described above). Protruding from the left hand side wall 104A is an inverted L-shaped bracket member 114A, 116A, the upper surface 1 14A of which is located below the bottom of the cylindrical member 111. The bracket is located on a depending side wall portion of the main body 102 and is located towards a rear end of the main body. Apertures are provided in the bracket and side wall 104A in order to support an axle 118. A first pulley wheel 120A is mounted on the axle, between an inner surface of the bracket and an outer surface of the side wall. The axle extends through the body and through apertures in the post and the opposing side wall of the device. A nut 119 or the like can be used to secure the axle in place. A second bracket 112B that is a mirror image of the bracket 112A is fitted to the outside of the right hand side wall 104B. The second bracket houses a second pulley wheel 120B that is also mounted on the axle 118. In an alternative arrangement separate axles may be used for separate pulley wheels.

Referring to Figure 5, in use, one device 100 is mounted on the upper end of a first post 2 and another device 100 is mounted on top of an opposed post 2'. One end of a support cable 1 is connected by means of a D-shaped shackle or the like to the cylindrical rod 111 of the device 100. The tensioning lines and cables used in the system may be formed of a metal/plastic cable or rope-like material or, indeed, any other suitable line material and so the terms "cable" and "line" are not indicative of a particular material. The other end of the cable is connected to a winch device 13 located on the opposed post 2'. The winch effectively allows the height of the cable between the posts to be adjusted relative to the ground surface. In practice, there will be several opposed posts/devices pairs set up at regular spaced apart intervals (e.g. 3 -3.5 m) in a row. For brevity, the use of one device 100 will be described below, but it will be understood that the operation can be repeated for several devices.

At least one net 3 is initially laid out on the ground underneath the cable.

The cable is then lowered using the winch device 13 so that clips or clamps 125 can be used, at spaced-apart intervals, to connect the net 3 to the cable I (this stage is shown in Figure 5). The winch device may then be used again to adjust the level of the supporting cable and net relative to the ground surface so that the user can conveniently handle the clips/clamps.

A tensioning line 124 is threaded over one of the pulleys 120 of the device 100, with one end 124a of the tensioning line being left to hang next to the post, the other end 124b of the tensioning line being extended in generally the same direction as the cable 1. The tensioning line is then connected (e.g. at or near its free end) to one of the clips/clamps that already connects the net to the cable, e.g. using another clip/clamp. Normally, the net-cable clip/clamp nearest the post from which the tensioning line hangs will be selected. It will be appreciated that the tensioning line can be connected to more than one clip/clamp if needed.

At this point the winch device 13 can be used to raise the net until the cable 1 is substantially horizontal, or reaches the desired height. The free end 124a of the tensioning line can then be pulled, causing the net to be drawn along the horizontal cable, and towards the post, until it has sufficient tension/reaches the desired position. The end 124a of the tensioning line 124 can then be fixed, e.g. by tying to a formation 130 on the post.

The other pulley wheel on the device can be connected to, and used to adjust, the same or, more often, a different net.

It will be appreciated that in other embodiments the pulley wheels could be replaced by other types of low-friction devices over which the tensioning line can be threaded, e.g. a bearing. Further, a different number of lines/pulleys can be provided and these may be located on different parts of the main body 102.

In yet another embodiment the adjusting device/pulley wheel can be fitted directly on a post, or to another body that does not receive the main support cable.

The embodiments described above assist with adjusting the net of the system and can allow the adjustment to be performed by one user as this is easier to perform when the tensioning line passes over a low-friction arrangement. The arrangement also reduces wear of the tensioning line.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sporting net system including: at least one net (3); at least one post (10); a line (1) that, in use, is connected to a said post and supports at least part of the net above a groind surface; at least one tensioning line (124) that, in use, provides tension to the net supported by the net-supporting line, and at least one low-friction arrangement (120) connected to the post that allows the at least one tensioning line to be adjusted.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the low-friction arrangement includes a pulley wheel (120).
3. A system according to claim I or 2, including two said low-friction arrangements (120A, 12DB), each said low-friction arrangement being located on either side of the net support line (1)/post(2).
4. A-system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the net-supporting tine (1) and the at least one low friction arrangement (120) are part of a body (102) that is connected, in use, to the post (10).
5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the body (102) includes a formation, e.g. a recess, for fitting onto a top of the post (10).
6. A system according to claim 5, when dependent upon claim 3, wherein said low-friction arrangements (120A, 120B) share a common axle and the common axle assists with fixing the body (102) to the post (10).
7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the body (102) includes a pair of opposed, spaced-apart side walls (104) and the low-friction arrangements (120) are located on outer surfaces of the side walls.
8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the body (102) includes at least one cover member (106) that covers at least a portion of the low-friction arrangements.
9. A system according to any of claims 4 to 8, wherein the low-friction arrangement (120) is located lower down and/or further behind a front end of the body than where the net support line (1) is connected to the body (102).
10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, including at least one pair of opposed said posts (10, 10'), the net-supporting line (1), in use, extending between the pair of posts.
11. A system according to claim 11, when dependent on any of claims 4 to 8, wherein each of the posts (10, 10') is fitted with a said body (102).
12. A device adapted to be connected to a post (10) of a sporting net system, the device including a low-friction arrangement (120) that, in use, is connected to the post, the arrangement allowing adjustment, in use, of a tensioning line (124) that adjusts a tension of a net supported by a net-supporting line.
13. A method of configuring a sporting net system comprising at least one pair of opposed posts (10, 10'), the method including: providing a net-supporting cable (1) between said posts; connecting a net (3) to the net-supporting cable; connecting at least one tensioning line (124) to the net, and adjusting the tensioning line using a device according to claim 12.
14. A sporting net system substantially as described herein and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15. A device adapted to be connected to a post (10) of a sporting net system substantially as described herein and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A method of configuring a sporting net system substantially as described herein and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.