Patent ID: 9717973
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: A63B

Claim:
1. A method of using an apparatus for stopping an errantly shot basketball, comprising: attaching an upper edge of a flexible wall of a net material to a top end region of a post of a basketball goal, the flexible wall comprising left and right wall portions, said wall portions defining left and right wall upper perimeter portions; pivotally connecting a rigid left base arm to a bottom end region of the post, the left base arm having a length secured along a bottom edge of the left wall portion; pivotally connecting a rigid right base arm to the bottom end region of the post, the right base arm having a length secured along a bottom edge of the right wall portion; attaching a left intermediate arm to the left wall portion and a right intermediate arm to the right wall portion, wherein the left and right intermediate arms have base ends positioned at or near the bottom end region of the post and outer ends positioned at or near a periphery of the respective wall portion, and wherein the left and right intermediate arms extend diagonally and push the respective left and right wall upper perimeter portions radially away from the bottom end region of the post when the flexible wall is in a spread open configuration; spreading the left and right wall portions of the flexible wall laterally away from the post to the spread open configuration to form a wall to stop an errantly shot basketball by pivoting the left and right base arms from a vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration wherein said left wall upper perimeter portion extends in an outward and downward direction away from the top end region of the post, and said right wall upper perimeter portion extends in an outward and downward direction away from the top end region of the post; gathering the entirety of the flexible wall near the post by pivoting the left and right base arms from the horizontal configuration to the vertical configuration; and, storing the flexible wall and the left and right base arms in a gathered position adjacent the post; wherein said left wall upper perimeter portion extends from the top end region of the post to the outer end of the left intermediate arm, and the right wall upper perimeter portion extends from the top end region of the post to the outer end of the right intermediate arm; and, wherein gathering the entirety of the flexible wall includes pivoting the left and right intermediate arms to a vertical configuration.