Patent Publication Number: US-6988965-B2

Title: Player shaped practice pad

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A variety of training accessories have been used to improve the skill of football players. Blocking sleds with padded dummies are commonly used to train down lineman in proper blocking technique. There is a need for a training device which more closely approximates actual playing conditions. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The football training device of this invention provides an S-shaped pad shaped like a football player in a striking position. At the snap of the ball the lineman accelerates out of this forward leaning, bent knee striking position. This is the position a football player takes to leverage the opposing player. A player using the training device of this invention learns how to crouch and strike an opponent who is in this typical blocking position. The time between when a player accelerates from his stance, but is not standing up, is the critical position and timing for successful blocking and tackling. The player shaped dummy helps teach a player to use his hands and shoulders to block upwardly on the opposing player&#39;s body thereby destroying the opposing players traction and balance. The player shaped practice equipment helps players to understand the need to strike their opponents on the rise, to engage their chests and lift them. It also helps to train defensive players in separation and pass drills, in “bull rushing”, “swimming” and “ripping the pads”. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a blocking sled with two player shaped dummies; 
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  with a coach&#39;s platform on the sled; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a sled having 3 dummies; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the sled shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the sled shown in  FIG. 1 , and 
       FIG. 6  is a section taken on line VI—VI in  FIG. 5 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A two dummy training sled  11  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a pair of dummy modules  12 ,  13  secured to the front ends of a ground engaging support in the form of a pair of parallel ground engaging runners  16 ,  17 , which curve upwardly from the ground  15  at their rear ends. The dummy modules  12 ,  13  include body shaped pads  18 ,  19  mounted on steel supports  21 ,  22  having S-shaped portions  23 ,  24  centrally embedded in the pads  18 ,  19 , respectively, and having bottom parts in form of rearwardly extending horizontal portions  26 ,  27 . The horizontal portions  26 ,  27  are releasably secured to the runners  16 ,  17  by threaded studs  28  on the runners  16 ,  17  and nuts  29 . The studs  28  extend upwardly through openings  30  in the portions  26 ,  27 , two of which openings  30  are shown in  FIG. 6 . The runners  16 ,  17  are rigidly secured to one another by transverse cross braces  31  having end brackets secured to the confronting lateral sides of the runners  16 ,  17  by releasable fasteners in the form of cap screws  32  in threaded engagement with threaded openings  36  in the sides of the runners  16 ,  17 . The dummy modules  12 ,  13  can be removed from the sled  11  for indoor storage by removing the cap screws  32 . 
     FIG. 2  shows the training sled of  FIG. 1  with a coach&#39;s platform  37  releasably attached thereto by releasable fasteners in the form of studs  28  and nuts  29 . 
     FIG. 3  shows an additional dummy module  41  secured to dummy module  12  by a pair of parallel transverse braces  31 . The modular design of the training device permits additional dummy modules to be added and permits dummy modules to be removed thus allowing the coaches to increase or decrease the number of players being trained while providing appropriate resistance to movement upon impact. 
     FIG. 4  shows the S configuration of the pad  18  and the S-shaped portion  23  of the steel support  21 . The support  21  is formed from a band of steel having a predetermined resilience. The pad  18  includes a head portion  42 , a shoulder and chest portion  43 , a waist portion  44 , an upper leg or thigh portion  46 , a knee portion  47  and a lower leg portion  48 . Thus the pad  18  resembles the lower legs, thighs and torso of an opposing player with feet on the ground and in a forwardly inclined position with knees bent. The part of the pad  18  above the waist portion  44  extends forwardly at the 45 degree angle to the supporting ground  15 , the thigh portion  46  slopes rearwardly to a 40 degree angle to the ground  15  and the lower leg portion  48  slopes forwardly to an angle of approximately 60 degrees to the ground  15 . As shown in  FIG. 5  the shoulder parts  49 ,  50  of the shoulder and chest portion  43  extend laterally outward from the remainder of the body shaped pad  18 . Thus, during practice blocking the training player is afforded a chest area and an arm pit contact area against which he can impose a hand and shoulder lifting thrust to destabilize his opponent. The front to rear thickness of the pad  18  is dimensioned to emulate the front to rear depth of a padded adult football player. By providing a dummy with the before mentioned proportions and with the S-shaped portion  23  of the steel support  21  centrally embedded in the pad  18 , a practicing football player is afforded a realistic padded dummy for frontal or side contact without direct, or near direct, contact with any metal support structure. The lower end of the S-shaped portion  23  of the steel support  21  extends from the lower end of the S-shaped core  51  and is secured to the sled  11  by the horizontal connection portion  26 . There are no other connections between the sled  11  and the pad  18  and there are no protrusions from the pad  18  or connecting apparatus that might give rise to an injury to a player. 
   The body shaped pad  18  of module  12 , shown in section in  FIG. 6 , includes an S-shaped inner core  51  of relatively stiff open cell synthetic foam surrounding and bonded to the S-shaped portion  23  of the steel support  21 . The open cell synthetic foam of the core  51  is preferably open cell polyurethane foam having a density of 1.8 pounds per cubic feet and a compression indention load deflection rating of 80. The pad  18  also includes an outer layer  52  on the front of the pad which is approximately 2 inches in thickness. The outer layer  52  is a soft synthetic foam shock absorbing material bonded to the front side of the inner core  51 . The soft synthetic material is preferably a polyurethane open cell foam having a density of 1.4 pounds per cubic foot and a compression indention load deflection rating of 40. Thus the S-shaped portion  23  of the steel support  21  and the relatively stiff resilient inner core  51  function in the manner of the bones and the bone position controlling muscles of a human body and the relatively soft outer layer  52  provides cushioning similar to the football pads and the fat tissue of a human body. The body shaped pad  18  is covered by a removable cover  56  made of a durable woven fabric. The cover  56  includes a bottom opening type zipper  57  on its rear side  58  permitting the pad to be enclosed in covers of different colors and decor and permitting replacement as needed. The zipper  57  extends from an opening  59  in the bottom of the cover  56  to a point  61  near the top of the cover  56 . 
   This invention provides a football lineman training device which has pads shaped like an opposing lineman in his initial set, striking position in which knees are bent and he is crouched in a forward leaning position. This pad is instrumental in teaching a lineman proper position and timing for effective blocking to destabilize the opposing defensive or offensive player to open up the opposing line for a running play, prevent access to the quarterback during a passing down or to penetrate the opposing line when on defense. This pad teaches a player how to apply upward thrust to an opposing player. The player in training must crouch low enough to apply an upward thrust to the S-shaped dummy pad which is shaped to emulate an opposing defensive or offensive lineman. The training device is reasonable in cost and is made in modular form so that identical components can be used to provide the desired number of pads. The individual dummy modules  12 ,  13 ,  41  can be removed for seasonal storage and the removable covers  56  can be replaced in the event they become worn or damaged.