Device for handling pole vault crossbars

Claim 1

A device adapted for handling and manipulating a pole vault crossbar into position on supporting pins at a selected elevation on spaced upright pole vault standards, and comprising: a head having a generally horizontal elongate cradling trough having rear and front sides and adapted to receive a crossbar cradled therein; said trough being defined by a base portion, upstanding rear flange means and unobstructed upstanding scooping and crossbar retaining front flange means; elongate handle means connected to said head and extending downwardly generally normal to said trough for manipulating the device, and with the forward perimeter area of the handle means near a plane along and projected down from said front flange; a supporting structure on said head extending rearwardly relative to said rear flange means of the trough; an elongate clamping member; means spaced from said rear flange means and mounting the clamping member movably on said supporting structure; said clamping member having a substantially straight clamping finger portion extending from said mounting means above said rear flange means into overlying clamping relation to the trough; means acting between said supporting structure and said clamping member for normally biasing said clamping member toward said trough to urge said clamping finger portion down into clamping retaining engagement relation with respect to a crossbar in the trough with sufficient clamping force to permit the crossbar to be handled by manipulation of the device from a generally ground level position into supported position on pins at a selected elevation on the standards; clamp retracting means connected to said clamping member and adapted for moving the clamping member in opposition to said biasing means to retract the clamping finger portion from said clamping relation as an initial maneuver to clear the trough for receiving the crossbar therein as by scooping the crossbar into the trough from a generally ground level surface by means of said front flange means; said clamp retracting means being releasable to release the clamping member for biased clamping retaining engagement of said clamping finger portion with the crossbar received in said trough; and said clamp retracting means being operable after the crossbar has been raised up to and placed on the selected supporting pins on the standards to retract said clamping member against the force of said biasing means and thereby release and clear said clamping finger portion from its biased clamping retaining engagement with the crossbar and into substantial clearance relation to said front flange means whereby to permit free removal of the device from the crossbar to leave the crossbar in position on the selected supporting pins on the standards; the device being adapted when not in use to be laid upon a floor or like surface with said front flange means and said handle means supporting the device substantially flat face down on such surface with said supporting structure and said clamping member then extending upwardly away from said surface.

Claim 2

A device adapted for handling and manipulating a pole vault crossbar into position on supporting pins at a selected elevation on spaced upright pole vault standards, and comprising: a head having a generally horizontal elongate cradling trough having rear and front sides and adapted to receive a crossbar cradled therein; said trough being defined by a base portion, upstanding rear flange means and unobstructed upstanding scooping and crossbar retaining front flange means; elongate handle means connected to said head and extending downwardly generally normal to said trough for manipulating the device, and with the forward perimeter area of the handle means near a plane along and projected down from said front flange; a supporting structure on said head extending rearwardly relative to said rear flange means of the trough; an elongate clamping member; means spaced from said rear flange means and mounting the clamping member movably on said supporting structure; said clamping member having a substantially straight clamping finger portion extending from said mounting means above said rear flange means into overlying clamping relation to the trough; means acting between said supporting structure and said clamping member for normally biasing said clamping member toward said trough to urge said clamping finger portion down into clamping retaining engagement relation with respect to a crossbar in the trough with sufficient clamping force to permit the crossbar to be handled by manipulation of the device from a generally ground level position into supported position on pins at a selected elevation on the standards; clamp retracting means connected to said clamping member and adapted for moving the clamping member in opposition to said biasing means to retract the clamping finger portion from said clamping relation as an initial maneuver to clear the trough for receiving the crossbar therein as by scooping the crossbar into the trough from a generally ground level surface by means of said front flange means; said clamp retracting means being releasable to release the clamping member for biased clamping retaining engagement of said clamping finger portion with the crossbar received in said trough; and said clamp retracting means being operable after the crossbar has been raised up to and placed on the selected supporting pins on the standards to retract said clamping member against the force of said biasing means and thereby release and clear said clamping finger portion from its biased clamping retaining engagement with the crossbar and into substantial clearance relation to said front flange means whereby to permit free removal of the device from the crossbar to leave the crossbar in position on the selected supporting pins on the standards; the device being adapted when not in use to be laid upon a floor or like surface with said front flange means and said handle means supporting the device substantially flat face down on such surface with said supporting structure and said clamping member then extending upwardly away from said surface.

Claim 9

A device adapted for handling and manipulating a pole vault crossbar into position on supporting pins at a selected elevation on spaced upright pole vault standards, and comprising: a horizontally elongate head formed as a one-piece structure and having a base, upstanding rear reinforcing flange means and unobstructed upstanding scooping and crossbar retaining front flange means, the base portion and said rear and front flange means substantially defining an upwardly opening crossbar cradling trough; elongate handle means connected to and projecting downwardly from substantially the longitudinal center of said base portion and with the forward perimeter area of the handle means near a plane along and projected down from said front flange; supporting structure extending rearwardly from the central part of said base portion; an elongate clamping member having a forwardly extending clamping finger and a rearwardly extending manipulating portion; depending rocker means intermediately on said clamping member between said clamping finger and said rearwardly extending portion; upwardly projecting means on said supporting structure spaced rearwardly relative to said rear flange means; means pivotally connecting said rocker means and said upwardly extending means whereby said finger portion is adapted to extend above said rear flange means into overlying relation to said base portion for clamping engagement with a crossbar received in said trough, and said rearwardly extending clamping member portion projecting rearwardly relative to said supporting structure; biasing spring means operating between said clamping member and said supporting structure and normally biasing said clamping member to urge said clamping finger downwardly into clamping retaining engagement with a crossbar in the trough with sufficient clamping force to permit the crossbar to be handled by manipulation of the device from a generally ground level position into supported on pins at a selected elevation on the standards; clamp retracting means connected to said rearwardly extending portion of the clamping member and adapted for rocking the clamping member in opposition to said biasing spring means to retract the clamping finger from said clamping relation as an initial maneuver to clear the trough for receiving the crossbar therein as by scooping the crossbar into the trough from a generally ground level surface by means of said front scooping flange means; said clamp retracting means being releasable to release the clamping member for biasing by said spring means to urge said clamping member finger into engagement with the crossbar received in said trough; and said clamp retracting means being operable after the crossbar has been raised up to and placed on the selected supporting pins on the standard to pull down on said rearwardly extending portion of the clamping member and rock the clamping member against the force of said biasing spring means and thereby release and clear said clamping finger from its biased clamping retaining engagement with the crossbar and into substantial clearance relation relative to said front flange means whereby to permit free removal of the device from the crossbar to leave the crossbar in position on the selected supporting pins on the standards; the device being adapted when not in use to be laid upon a floor or like surface with said front flange means and said handle means supporting the device substantially flat face down on such surface with said supporting structure and said clamping member then extending upwardly away from said surface.

Claim 10

A device adapted for handling and manipulating a pole vault crossbar into position on supporting pins at a selected elevation on spaced upright pole vault standards, and comprising: a horizontally elongate head formed as a one-piece structure and having a base, upstanding rear reinforcing flange means and unobstructed upstanding scooping and crossbar retaining front flange means, the base portion and said rear and front flange means substantially defining an upwardly opening crossbar cradling trough; elongate handle means connected to and projecting downwardly from substantially the longitudinal center of said base portion and with the forward perimeter area of the handle means near a plane along and projected down from said front flange; supporting structure extending rearwardly from the central part of said base portion; an elongate clamping member having a forwardly extending clamping finger and a rearwardly extending manipulating portion; depending rocker means intermediately on said clamping member between said clamping finger and said rearwardly extending portion; upwardly projecting means on said supporting structure spaced rearwardly relative to said rear flange means; means pivotally connecting said rocker means and said upwardly extending means whereby said finger portion is adapted to extend above said rear flange means into overlying relation to said base portion for clamping engagement with a crossbar received in said trough, and said rearwardly extending clamping member portion projecting rearwardly relative to said supporting structure; biasing spring means operating between said clamping member and said supporting structure and normally biasing said clamping member to urge said clamping finger downwardly into clamping retaining engagement with a crossbar in the trough with sufficient clamping force to permit the crossbar to be handled by manipulation of the device from a generally ground level position into supported on pins at a selected elevation on the standards; clamp retracting means connected to said rearwardly extending portion of the clamping member and adapted for rocking the clamping member in opposition to said biasing spring means to retract the clamping finger from said clamping relation as an initial maneuver to clear the trough for receiving the crossbar therein as by scooping the crossbar into the trough from a generally ground level surface by means of said front scooping flange means; said clamp retracting means being releasable to release the clamping member for biasing by said spring means to urge said clamping member finger into engagement with the crossbar received in said trough; and said clamp retracting means being operable after the crossbar has been raised up to and placed on the selected supporting pins on the standard to pull down on said rearwardly extending portion of the clamping member and rock the clamping member against the force of said biasing spring means and thereby release and clear said clamping finger from its biased clamping retaining engagement with the crossbar and into substantial clearance relation relative to said front flange means whereby to permit free removal of the device from the crossbar to leave the crossbar in position on the selected supporting pins on the standards; the device being adapted when not in use to be laid upon a floor or like surface with said front flange means and said handle means supporting the device substantially flat face down on such surface with said supporting structure and said clamping member then extending upwardly away from said surface.