Abstract:
An extender device and system for adjusting the height of a crossbar analogue in pole vault, high jump, horse jumping or other crossbar clearing activities. The system may include a plurality of pulley like devices that maintain a cord spaced about a practice structure. A crossbar analogue is coupled to the cord and the cord arranged so that the crossbar analogue may be readily moved upward or downward. An extender is disclosed that facilitates arrangement and movement of the cord and crossbar analogue in this manner.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/967,134, filed Aug. 31, 2007, entitled “Pole Vault Training Apparatus and Method” and having the same inventor as above. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to positioning a crossbar during training for pole vault, high jump or another crossbar clearing activity. More specifically, the present invention relates to the rapid and effective re-positioning of the height of a crossbar or crossbar analogue during training. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     During training for pole vaulting, several vaulters may use the same pole vault structure and pit equipment at the same time. The vaulters, however, are typically not vaulting at the same crossbar height. This requires a person to adjust the height of the standard for each vaulter, and then mount the crossbar on the height adjusted standard. 
     Adjusting the height of the standard is disadvantageously time consuming, reducing the number of training attempts a vaulter may have and the time interval between attempts. A smaller time interval between attempts may be very important in teaching/reinforcing proper technique and for providing sufficiently rapid feedback to efficiently and effectively develop pole vaulting skills. 
     This same challenge is faced in other activities that involve clearing a crossbar, such as high jump and equestrian fence jumping, etc. 
     A need exists for a mechanism and a training system that permits ready and rapid adjustment of the height of the crossbar or crossbar analogue so that among other benefits, the crossbar height may be quickly adjusted between attempts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism that affords the rapid adjustment of a crossbar or crossbar analogue in a pole vault, high jump or other crossbar supporting structure to enhance training. 
     The present invention includes both a system that achieves these objectives and an extender device that may be part of that system. The extender device as described in more detail below may mount to a support structure such as a standard and have on an interior side a mechanism for engaging a crossbar and on an exterior side a structure for passing a movable cord that supports a crossbar analogue. 
     These and related objects of the present invention are achieved by use of a crossbar positioning apparatus and method as described herein. 
     The attainment of the foregoing and related advantages and features of the invention should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art, after review of the following more detailed description of the invention taken together with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a crossbar positioning system for use in pole vault training in accordance with the present invention is shown. 
         FIGS. 2-3  are perspective views of the crossbar holding, cord passing device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4-5  are perspective views that illustrates the mounting of a crossbar analogue in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIGS. 6-7  are perspective views of a crossbar positioning system for use with high jump and equestrian jumping in accordance with the present invention, respectively. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a crossbar positioning system  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. System  10  may include a pair of crossbar holding, cord passing devices (hereinafter referred to as “extenders”)  20 , 30  that securely mount to conventional standards  12 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , each extender includes a vertical member  21 , 31  and a horizontal member  22 , 32 . The horizontal member may be pivotally connected to the vertical member to permit folding to achieve a compact shape for storage and transport. 
     The exterior end of each horizontal member may include a cord passing structure that preferably contains a pair of pulleys  26 , 36 . It can be seen in  FIG. 1  that these pulleys redirect cord  40  and may thus be regarded as cord redirecting structures. The interior end  24 , 34  of each horizontal member may include a protrusion  24 , 34  (obscured by crossbar  14 ) that fits into, under, or otherwise engages a crossbar  14  and a stopper  25 , 35  that extends in a dimension substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal member or engaging protrusion  24 , 34 . 
     A cord, of natural or synthetic material, is preferably provided with system  10  and runs continuously through two pulleys  46 , 47  located at base  16  of the standards and pulley pairs  26 , 36 . It can be seen from  FIG. 1  that pulleys  46 , 47  are unidirectional cord passing structures (redirecting a single cord) and pulleys  26 , 36  are bidirectional cord passing structures (redirecting two cords in different directions). Tie down straps  51  are preferably secured to pulleys  46 , 47  and a base of the standards  12 . The straps are cinched down to render cord  40  taut. Starting at the lower right hand side of  FIG. 1 , cord  40  is configured as a loop and runs continuously upward from pulley  46 , is re-directed through one of pulley pair  26 , runs along crossbar  14 , is re-directed downward through one of pulley pairs  36 , extends downward to pulley  47 , then upward through the other of pulley pair  36 , continues back along crossbar  14  to the other of pulley pair  26  and then downward toward pulley  46  where it rejoins the upward running segment, completing the loop. 
     A crossbar “analogue” or “substitute”  50  is preferably coupled to cord  40 . This may be a bungee cord or a length of surgical tubing or the like  51 , or something more rigid. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the crossbar analogue  50  may be coupled by a carabiner or other releasable fastening device  54  on one end and a carabiner or related device  56  on the other end. These elements are shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , respectively. The crossbar analogue itself may be formed of an elastic material on which cylindrical foam pads  57  or the like are attached to increase the visibility of the crossbar analogue and to reduce the possibility of entanglement by a vaulter or jumper in the crossbar analogue. 
     The crossbar analogue  50  is preferably coupled to the forward length of cord  40  towards the left hand standard and on the rearward length of cord  40  by the right hand standard, or vice versa. With this configuration, a coach, trainer or fellow athlete standing by one of the standards can pull cord  40  downward or upward which in turn causes the crossbar analogue to move upward or downward while remaining substantially level. In this manner, the practice crossbar height can be rapidly and readily adjusted between vaulters/jumpers. This is achieved because the pulley structure described herein causes the inside cord at one standard to move as much as the outside cord at the other standard (and vice versa). 
     The flexible nature of the crossbar analogue permits a user to vault without the necessity of remounting a crossbar. If an actual crossbar is desired, however, brackets for holding a crossbar on the cord itself may be mounted to the cord. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a top perspective sectional view and a side perspective sectional view of extender  20  in accordance with the present invention are respectively shown. Extender  30  is preferably made in a similar manner. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates horizontal member  22  connected through pivot  29  to the vertical member  21 . The horizontal member may include a housing  27  that forms a base for mounting pulley pair  26  and a shield  28  that serves to protect the pulley and cord from fouling and to keep the cord within the guides or pulleys  26 . A rod  29  preferably extends from housing  27  toward crossbar  14 . Protrusion  24 , provided at the interior end of rod  29 , is inserted into crossbar  14  in the embodiment of  FIG. 2  (and is thus shown in phantom lines). Crossbars are typically hollow. Stop  25  is provided adjacent protrusion  24  and prevents protrusion  24  from extending further into the crossbar. Note that protrusion  24  could be a platform on which the crossbar sits or be otherwise configured to engage/retain the crossbar. 
     The lower end of vertical member  21  preferably includes a releasable fastening mechanism  13  such as a C-bolt that may be welded to the base of vertical member  21  and fastened to standard  12 . C-bolts and the like are known in the art to achieve attachment positive retention. 
     Vertical member  21  preferably includes a housing  17  from which extends shaft  18 . The position of shaft  18  within housing  17  may be height adjusted, thereby adjusting the height of the horizontal member  22  relative to the standard. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a base of vertical member  21 , showing releasable fastening mechanism  13  affixed to housing  17  and fastened to standard  12 . Shaft  18  may have a plurality of holes that align with a guide hole  7  in housing  17 . A releasable pin  8  may be placed through hole  7  and a corresponding hole in shaft  18  to adjust the height of the shaft (and horizontal member  22 ). This permits height adjustment of the horizontal member, including setting the height at what is generally regarded as high school height or college height. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a carabiner  54  preferably joining two ends of cord  40 . The releasable nature permits the training system of the present invention to be readily set up and broken down as needed. The crossbar analogue  50  may also releasably couple through device  54 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates position adjustable loop ring  59  that may be slid onto cord  40  opposite carabiner  54  (of  FIG. 4 ) so that the crossbar analogue is positioned in a level position. Ring  59  forms a loop  58  in cord  40  onto which carabiner or clip  56  may be attached. The crossbar analogue is then attached to the clip. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a perspective view of a related system  110  for adjusting crossbar height in high jump training in accordance with the present invention is shown. System  110  has a pulley arrangement that is reversed from that of the pole vault system of  FIG. 1  in that system  110  has single pulleys  146 , 147  at the top and pulley pairs  126 , 136  at the bottom. Cord  140  is arranged continuously about these pulleys in a manner similar to that described above for system  10 . An elastic crossbar analogue  150  is preferably coupled in a level position to cord  140  (as crossbar analogue  50  was coupled in a level position to cord  40  of the system of  FIG. 1 ). 
     Note that while the pulleys are shown in a reverse arrangement in  FIG. 6 , extenders  20 , 30  of  FIG. 1  could be used here, with the pulleys arranged as in  FIG. 1 , particularly if desire to support the standards  112  in an upright position and to position the crossbar high enough above a jumper as to not interfere with a jump. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a system  210  that is similar to system  110  of  FIG. 6 , yet designed for equestrian jumping. System  210  includes pulleys  246 , 247 , pulley pairs  226 , 236 , cord  240 , crossbar analogue  250  and standards  212 . System  210  operates in a manner similar to system  110 . 
     While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.