Abstract:
An adjustable basketball goal system wherein a basketball goal is mounted to a moveable sleeve slidable a post. A ring is attached to the sleeve and connected to a cable. The cable runs through a pulley at the top of the post, then back through the ring and down to a winch. The winch functions to draw in cable thereby raising the sleeve and the attached goal, to release cable and thereby lower the goal, and to hold the cable in position and thereby fix the position of the goal.

Description:
This application is a DIVISIONAL application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/087,781, filed Mar. 5, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,773. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to sports equipment. In particular, this invention relates to a system for adjusting basketball goals. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Almost as soon as James Naismith invented basketball inventors have attempted to provide an affordable, easy to operate, easy to construct system which could adjust the height of a basketball goal. No device truly accomplished this goal until the present invention. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,142 to Friesen discloses an adjustable basketball goal with a lift cable and winch for raising and lowering a basketball goal. This device uses several parallel arms which pivot to adjust the height of the basketball goal. The &#39;142 patent differs from the present invention in that the present invention adjusts using a sleeve riding on a post rather than two parallel arms to adjust the height of the attached basketball goal. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,944 to Morgan discloses an automatically adjustable basketball goal having an actuator, sleeve pipe, and a mount pipe. This invention adjusts the height of the basketball goal by telescoping the sleeve pipe along the mount pipe using the actuator. The &#39;944 patent can be differentiated from the present invention in that the present invention uses a cable and pulley system to adjust the height of the basketball goal, and the actuator (winch) of the present invention is not mounted to an actuator pole as is the &#39;944 invention. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,128 to Geise discloses a portable basketball goal with a mast, support arm and frame assembly, all of which may be raised and lowered. The manner in which the support arm is raised along the mast can be differentiated from the present invention in that the lifting cable used in the &#39;128 invention is attached to the basketball goal support arm; the support arm is not attached to the mast in a sliding sleeve arrangement. Furthermore, the &#39;128 invention is not described as being capable of motorized operation. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,185 discloses an adjustable basketball pole and goal having a pole with a plurality of rails along which a collar is pulled by a crank, line and pulley system. The &#39;185 invention differs from the present invention in that the present invention does not require the use of rails to insure stable use and operation of the invention. 
   None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus an adjustable basketball goal system solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention has a post, sleeve, mounting assembly, pulley, winch, a ring and a cable. The post is mounted into the ground and the sleeve is disposed around the post. The mounting assembly and ring are attached to the sleeve, the winch is mounted to the post, and the cable runs from the winch, through the ring, through the pulley and then back to the ring where it is finally secured. 
   When in use the winch retracts or releases lengths of the cable, thereby moving the sleeve up and down the post. Moving the sleeve moves the mounting assembly and the attached basketball goal. 
   Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an adjustable basketball goal system. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an adjustable basketball goal system which is simple to construct. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide an adjustable basketball goal system which is easy to operate. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable basketball goal system which may be electrically operated. 
   It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
   These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a adjustable basketball goal system according to the present invention with the basket raised. 
       FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of a adjustable basketball goal system according to the present invention with the basket lowered. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a back view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of a third embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention is an adjustable basketball goal system. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the system has a hollow post  20  which is rectangular in cross section, with a top, bottom, front surface, and back surface. The post  20  is ordinarily affixed into the ground in a vertical orientation. A sleeve  22  having a front surface, a back surface, and a rectangular cross section is disposed around the post  20 . Welded to the front surface of the sleeve  22  is a mounting bracket  24 . The mounting bracket  24  connects the sleeve to a backboard  25  having a basket mounted thereon. The backboard  25  and basket are collectively referred to as a basketball goal in the present application. Basketball goals are well known in the art and the mounting bracket  24  is capable of attaching to any standard basketball goal. 
   A hand winch  26  is welded near the bottom of the back surface of the post  20  and has a handle, crank, spool and brake. The winch is of the type typically used in connection with boat trailers and is well known in the art. A pulley  28  is welded to the top of the back surface of the post. A ring  30  is welded to the back surface of the sleeve  22 . A cable  32  is spooled around the winch  26  and extends from the winch  26  towards the top of the post  20 , runs through the ring  30 , around the pulley  28  and then back to the ring  30  where it is secured. 
   When in operation the cable  32  may either be drawn into, released from or held by the winch  26 . When the cable  32  is drawn into the winch  26  the sleeve and the attached basketball goal are drawn towards the top of the post  20 .  FIG. 1  shows the basketball goal  25  raised into its highest position. When the cable  32  is released the reverse occurs and the basketball goal  25  is moved by gravity toward the bottom of the post  20 .  FIG. 2  shows the basketball goal  25  in its lowest position. The brake on the winch  26  may be used to prevent the winch  26  from releasing the cable  32  and will thereby fix the position of the basketball goal  25 . The basketball goal  25  may be fixed into any number of positions between the highest position as seen in FIG.  1  and the lowest position shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a side view of the basketball goal adjustment system with a mounting bracket  24  clearly visible. The width of the mounting bracket  24  may be varied depending on the distance desired between the basketball goal  25  and the post  20 . 
   In a second embodiment, as seen in  FIG. 4 , the hand winch  26  of the first embodiment is replaced with an electric winch  40 . An electric winch  40  of this type is well known in the art and consists generally of an electric motor, a spool, a housing, a control means and a brake. The electric winch  40  is connected to an external electric power supply through and electric cord  42 . The electric winch  40  also has a control means  41  which can be used to signal the electric winch to draw-in or release the cable  32 . The control means may also activate a brake which holds the spool in a fixed position and thereby prevents the release of cable  32 . 
   A third embodiment of the present invention  18   c , shown in  FIG. 5 , is designed for easy relocation and use without being secured into the ground. This embodiment has a hollow base member  50  with a flat bottom. The base member  50  may be filled with sand or other suitable material in order to provide ballast. A socket or receptacle  52  is defined in the base member  50 . The post  20  is positioned inside the receptacle  52  and may be secured therein with a number of bolts  54 . Two support arms or struts  56  extend between the base member  50  and the post  20  and function to further support the post  20 . Two wheels  58  are positioned on the sides of the container and function to allow the goal system  18   c  to be easily transported. 
     FIG. 6  shows a fourth embodiment  18   d  of the present invention, which is designed to be mounted on a trailer hitch. The post in this embodiment is made of two pieces, a hollow base member  60  which is rectangular in cross section, and a hollow pivot member  62  which is rectangular in cross section. The base  60  and pivot  62  members are connected to one another by a pivot brace  64 . The pivot brace  64  has a top and bottom and is rectangular in cross section. The bottom of the pivot brace  64  is preferably welded to the inside of the base member  60 . The pivot member  62  is secured to the pivot brace  64  with a pin  66  which extends through both sides of the pivot brace  64  and both sides of the pivot member  62 . Portions  72  and  74  of the front and rear surfaces of the pivot member  62  have been removed so that the pivot member  62  may rotate around the pin  66 , thereby moving between a vertical and an approximately horizontal position. 
   When the pivot member  62  is positioned vertically holes  70  defined through both sides of the pivot member  62  and holes  68  defined through both sides of the pivot brace  64  are in registry. A pin may be inserted through the holes  70 ,  68  to hold the pivot member  62  in a vertical position. Ring  84  may be added to this embodiment to secure the cable  32  when the pivot member  62  is positioned horizontally. 
   A receiver hitch  76  is attached to the bottom of the base member  60  and is reinforced with a gusset flange  78 . The receiver hitch is adapted to connect a trailer hitch  80  of the type commonly found on trucks and may be secured thereto with a pin  82 . 
   It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.