Evasive action tackling practice apparatus

Claim 2

An evasive action tackling practice apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontalLy extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical pivot axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; trolley drive means comprising first selectively operable power operated means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; track drive means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said traveling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said track control means comprising second selectively operable power operated means, means operatively connecting said power operated means to at least one side of said movable track section at a position spaced from the pivot axis to form a lever arrangement for pivoting said track section about the axis to move said dummy in directions laterally of its movement along said track; and manually operated control means controlling the operation of said first and second power operated means, whereby an operator may selectively propel said dummy along said track and simultaneously selectively pivot said track to impart an evasive action to said dummy.

Claim 3

An evasive action tackling dummy apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by: said track having a straight fixed section supported at one end and having said movable section support at an other end thereof for pivoting movement transversely of said fixed section.

Claim 4

An evasive action tackling dummy apparatus as defined in claim 2 and further characterized by: said cantilever means including upright support members having one end portion of said fixed track section supported thereon; and a motor drive housing between said upright support members forming an enclosure for said drive means.

Claim 5

An evasive action tackling apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by: said track having a planar, horizontally extending rail portion formed thereon; said trolley means having a pair of wheels journalled thereon for rollably engaging an upper surface of said horizontally extending rail portions; said trolley means having at least one other wheel journaled thereon and engaging a lower surface of said rail portion for restraining vertical movement of said trolley relative to said rail portions.

Claim 6

An evasive tackling apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by: said trolley means including means forming a body portion; wheel means journaled on said trolley body and engaging said track section; means suspending said dummy from said trolley and including support members depending from said trolley body and connected thereto for pivoting movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said track sections, biasing means forwardly urging said pivoted support members into a normal vertically extending position; releasable latch means on said pivoted support members for engaging portions of said dummy to vertically support the same, and latch releasing means for releasing said latch means upon rearward pivoting movement of said support members a predetermined distance against said biasing means.

Claim 7

An evasive tackling apparatus as defined in claim 5 and further characterized by: said means suspending said dummy including means resiliently supporting said dummy in directions laterally of said track sections.

Claim 8

An evasive tackling apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions, a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally along and having suspension means suspending said dummy therefrom; drive Means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; and track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said travelling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said trolley means including means forming a body portion; wheel means journaled on said trolley body and engaging said track section; means suspending said dummy from said trolley and including support members depending from said trolley body and connected thereto for pivoting movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said track sections, biasing means forwardly urging said pivoted support members into a normally vertically extending position; releasable latch means of said pivoted members for engaging portions of said dummy to vertically support the same, and said support members including a pair of spaced apart parallel heavy leaf springs, each having an upper end portion pivotally connected to said trolley body; said dummy having an upwardly opening socket formed therein for fittingly receiving lower end portions of said leaf spring for laterally supporting said dummy; said latch means including a latch member pivoted between said spring members and having a forwardly projecting latch dog for engaging a downwardly projecting latch surface in said socket to vertically support said dummy.

Claim 9

An evasive tackling apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions, a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally along and having suspension means suspending said dummy therefrom; drive Means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; and track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said travelling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said trolley means including means forming a body portion; wheel means journaled on said trolley body and engaging said track section; means suspending said dummy from said trolley and including support members depending from said trolley body and connected thereto for pivoting movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said track sections, biasing means forwardly urging said pivoted support members into a normally vertically extending position; releasable latch means of said pivoted members for engaging portions of said dummy to vertically support the same, and said support members including a pair of spaced apart parallel heavy leaf springs, each having an upper end portion pivotally connected to said trolley body; said dummy having an upwardly opening socket formed therein for fittingly receiving lower end portions of said leaf spring for laterally supporting said dummy; said latch means including a latch member pivoted between said spring members and having a forwardly projecting latch dog for engaging a downwardly projecting latch surface in said socket to vertically support said dummy.

Claim 10

An evasive tackling apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further characterized by: said latch releasing means including a rod having one end portion pivotally supported on said trolley body for pivoting movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said track sections, a trunnion pivoted between said spaced spring members and having an aperture extending transversely therethrough for slidably receiving the other end portion of said rod, said latch member having an upwardly extending projection disposed adjacent said trunnion for engagement by the other end portion of said rod; said biasing means including a compression spring surrounding said rod and having opposite end portions operatively engaging said trolley body and said support members, for forwardly urging the latter into the normal, substantially vertical position, whereby rearward pivoting movement of said springs against said biasing spring by a tackler hitting said dummy engages said latch projection against the other end portion of said rod for pivoting said latch member to an unlatched position, thereby to release said dummy.

Claim 11

An evasive tackling apparatus as defined in claim 8 and further characterized by means for increasing or decreasing the tension of said biasing spring.

Claim 12

An evasive tackling apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; drive means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track, said trolley drive means including a continuous cable trained around a closed path having a run extending longitudinally of said track sections, clamp means attaching said cable to said trolley means for movement with said cable along said track sections, a drive sprocket drivingly engaging said cable, a prime mover, a line shaft rotated by said prime mover, clutch means frictionally coupling said drive sprocket to said rotating line shaft for pulling said cable along said track sections to propel said trolley; and track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said traveling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto.

Claim 13

An evasive tackling apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; drive means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track, said trolley drive means including a continuous cable trained around a closed path having a run extending longitudinally of said track sections, clamp means attaching said cable to said trolley means for movement with said cable along said track sections, a drive sprocket drivingly engaging said cable, a prime mover, a line shaft rotated by said prime mover, clutch means frictionally coupling said drive sprocket to said rotating line shaft for pulling said cable along said track sections to propel said trolley; and track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said traveling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto.

Claim 14

An evasive action tackling apparatus as defined in claim 10 and further chaRacterized by: said clutch means including means for rotating said drive sprocket in reverse directions for selectively propelling said trolley forwardly toward said pivoted track section and rearwardly toward a starting position away from said pivoted track section.

Claim 15

An evasive action tackling apparatus as defined in claim 10 and further characterized by said clutch means including a rotatably mounted shaft extending transversely at right angles to said rotating line shaft, said drive sprocket mounted on said shaft for corotation therewith, a flexible disc mounted at an end portion of said sprocket shaft for corotation therewith and disposed adjacent said line shaft, a pair of axially spaced rolls on said line shaft and disposed adjacent diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of said flexible disc, and means for selectively urging said disc into frictional driving engagement with alternative ones of said rolls for frictionally coupling said drive sprocket shaft to said line shaft for rotating said drive sprocket in a selected direction for advancing or retracting said trolley along said track section.

Claim 16

An evasive action tackling apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; drive means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said traveling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said track control means including a pair of control rods respectively attached to laterally opposite sides of said pivoted track section in manners to form second class levers for selectively pivoting said pivoted section in opposite directions in response to rearwardly directed movement of a selected one of said pair of control rods, and means for rearwardly moving a selected one of said control rods.

Claim 17

An evasive action tackling apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; drive means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said traveling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said track control means including a pair of control rods respectively attached to laterally opposite sides of said pivoted track section in manners to form second class levers for selectively pivoting said pivoted section in opposite directions in response to rearwardly directed movement of a selected one of said pair of control rods, and means for rearwardly moving a selected one of said control rods.

Claim 18

An evasive action tackling apparatus as defined in claim 13 and further characterized by: said means for moving said control rods including a pair of bell cranks pivotally supported at opposite sides of said fixed track section and each having a generally vertically extending arm portion and a generally horizontally extending arm portion, a rearward most end of each said control rod respectively connected to said vertically extending end portions of opposite ones of said bell cranks, a pair of cables each having one end respectively connected to opposite ones of said generally horizontally extending arm portions, a rotatably mounted shaft disposed beneath said fixed track section, a pair of axially spaced sprockets mounted on said shaft for corotation therewith, the other end portion of each said cable wrapped around and dead-ended on opposite ones of said sprockets so that rotation of said shaft in reverse directions pulls opposite ones of said pair of cables to pivot opposite ones of said bell crank in directions to rearwardly move the associated one of said control rods for pivoting said pivoted track section.

Claim 19

An evasive action tackling apparatus as defined in claim 14 and further characterized by: drive means for said rod moving means including a line shaft extending at right angles to said sprocket shaft and disposed adjacent an end thereof, means including a prime mover for rotating said line shaft, a flexible disc mounted at an end of said sprocket shaft and disposed adjacent said line shaft, a pair of axially spaced rolls on said line shaft and disposed adjacent diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of said flexible disc, means for selEctively urging opposite peripheral edge portions of said flexible disc into frictional driving engagement with alternative ones of said rolls for frictionally coupling said sprocket shaft to said line shaft to pivot said pivoted track section in a selected direction.

Claim 20

In a tackling practice apparatus having a horizontally extending track, means for suspending a tackling dummy from said track for movement therealong, and drive means selectively propelling said dummy along said track the improvement comprising: said horizontally extending track having a pivoted track section mounted for pivoting movement about a vertically extending pivot axis; and track drive means for selectively pivoting said pivoted track section to control lateral movement of a dummy suspended from, and selectively movable along, said track, said track drive means comprising selectively operable power operated means, means operatively connecting said power operated means to at least one side of said movable track section at a position spaced from the pivot axis to form a lever arrangement for pivoting said track section about the axis to move said dummy in directions laterally of its movement along said track; and manually operated control means controlling the operation of said power operated means, whereby an operator may selectively propel said dummy along said track and simultaneously selectively pivot said track to impart an evasive action to said dummy.

Claim 21

In a tackling practice apparatus having a horizontally extending track, means for suspending a tackling dummy from said track for movement therealong, and drive means selectively propelling said dummy along said track the improvement comprising: said horizontally extending track having a pivoted track section mounted for pivoting movement about a vertically extending pivot axis; and track drive means for selectively pivoting said pivoted track section to control lateral movement of a dummy suspended from, and selectively movable along, said track, said track drive means comprising selectively operable power operated means, means operatively connecting said power operated means to at least one side of said movable track section at a position spaced from the pivot axis to form a lever arrangement for pivoting said track section about the axis to move said dummy in directions laterally of its movement along said track; and manually operated control means controlling the operation of said power operated means, whereby an operator may selectively propel said dummy along said track and simultaneously selectively pivot said track to impart an evasive action to said dummy.

Claim 22

An evasive action tackling practice apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; drive means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; and track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said travelling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said track having a straight fixed section supported at one end and having said movable section support at an other end thereof for pivoting movement transversely of sad fixed section, said cantilever means including upright support members having one end portion of said fixed track section supported thereon; and a motor drive housing between said upright support members forming an enclosure for said drive means, said trolley means having wheels journaled thereon; said fixed and said pivoted track sections having coplanar, horizontally disposed rail portions along which said trolley wheels travel, adjoining end portions of said fixed and said pivoted track sections having complemental arcuately shaped ends formed substantially coaxially of the vertically extending pivoting axis for providing a continuous rail irrespective of the angular position of said pivoted section relative to said fixed section.

Claim 23

An evasive action tackling practice apparatus comprising: cantilever means forming a substantially horizontally extending track spaced above the ground, said track having a movable section supported for pivoting movement about a vertical axis in selected directions; a tackling dummy; trolley means supported on said track for linear movement longitudinally therealong and having suspension means for suspending said dummy therefrom; drive means for selectively propelling said trolley means and said dummy along said track; and track control means for selectively pivoting said movable track section to control movement of said travelling dummy and impart an evasive action thereto, said track having a straight fixed section supported at one end and having said movable section support at an other end thereof for pivoting movement transversely of sad fixed section, said cantilever means including upright support members having one end portion of said fixed track section supported thereon; and a motor drive housing between said upright support members forming an enclosure for said drive means, said trolley means having wheels journaled thereon; said fixed and said pivoted track sections having coplanar, horizontally disposed rail portions along which said trolley wheels travel, adjoining end portions of said fixed and said pivoted track sections having complemental arcuately shaped ends formed substantially coaxially of the vertically extending pivoting axis for providing a continuous rail irrespective of the angular position of said pivoted section relative to said fixed section.