Patent Publication Number: US-7909712-B2

Title: Method of laying out a baseball diamond

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method for laying out a baseball diamond and, more particularly, to a method that provides a second base having an integrated reel with a tape measure. Further, the present method provides a method for first placing home plate relative to the second base and then alternately rotating the second base to then properly position first and third bases. 
     Youth baseball and softball leagues often do not have enough diamonds on which all of the teams in the league can practice simultaneously. The use of other available spaces is often undesirable in that the space is not properly laid out with authentic dimensions to provide a meaningful baseball or softball practice. Laying out the available space to correctly emulate a permanent diamond takes a lengthy amount of time and, even then, may not be accurate. In addition, the process of laying out a temporary ball diamond may need to be performed repeatedly each time a new space is chosen for practice. 
     Various devices and methods have been proposed for quickly and conveniently laying out a temporary baseball or softball diamond. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, these devices and methods have not provided a method and device integrating a reel and tape into a second base such that the base may be used first to position home plate and then appropriately rotated to accurately position first and third bases. In addition, integrating the necessary components into home plate is undesirable in that the plate may extend above a ground surface or must be partially buried each time a new temporary field is set up. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method for laying out a baseball field that overcomes the limitations of the prior devices and proposals. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method of laying out a baseball diamond according to the present invention includes providing a home plate, first base, pitching rubber, and third base. A second base is provided that includes a measuring tape coupled to a reel and including a mechanism for locking selective amounts of the measuring tape extended from the reel. The method includes withdrawing from the reel a desired amount of tape corresponding to a desired distance between second and home bases. A first stake is placed in a home plate hole and the tape is hooked thereto. A second stake is inserted into a second base hole and the tape is extended between the bases. The pitching rubber is placed at a position indicated along the tape. An amount of tape is withdrawn into the second base, leaving extending an amount of tape corresponding with a desired distance between the second base and the first base. The second base is then rotated about the second stake and the first base is placed at a distance indicated by corner base indicia on the measuring tape. Then the second base is rotated about the second stake and the third base is placed at a distance indicated by the corner base indicia. Finally, the hook element is separated from the first stake and allowed to reenter the reel. 
     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a method for laying out a baseball diamond for temporary use. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a method, as aforesaid, that integrates a measuring tape into a second base member. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a method, as aforesaid, that enables a user to identify the location of home plate, first base, and third base relative to second base by rotating second base appropriately and extending an integrated measuring tape from a reel situated in the second base. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method, as aforesaid, that enables a user to quickly lay out ball diamonds of selected dimensions. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a method, as aforesaid, that provides for proper placement of a pitching rubber at the same time home plate is being placed relative to second base. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide a method, as aforesaid, that is easy to use by a consumer. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a second base according of a method of laying out a baseball diamond according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view from another angle of the second base as in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3   a  is a fragmentary view of the second base as in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3   b  is an isolated view on an enlarged scale of a portion of  FIG. 3   a;    
         FIG. 4  is another isolated view on an enlarged scale as in  FIG. 3   b;    
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second base having another configuration; 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary view of a home plate being placed according to the method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a fragmentary view of a measuring tape according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a fragmentary plan view illustrating placement of a home plate and pitching rubber in relation to the second base according to the method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the plan view illustrated in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a fragmentary plan view illustrating placement of a first base according to the method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the plan view illustrated in  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a completely laid out baseball diamond. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Methods of laying out a baseball diamond will now be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 12  of the accompanying drawings. As shown in  FIG. 12 , a first base  110 , a second base  120 , a third base  130 , a home plate  140 , and a pitching rubber  150  are provided. The first base  110 , third base  130 , and pitching rubber  150  may, for example, be of traditional configuration and construction. It should be understood that “baseball” is used herein to refer to baseball, softball, and/or teeball, including various levels of play (e.g., professional, collegiate, youth, etc.). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the home plate  140  has a configuration of an irregular pentagon with a front end  142   a  and a rear point  142   b . The home plate  140  has a hole  144  adjacent the rear point  142   b  and another hole  146 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the second base  120  has a generally square top  121 , four sides  122 , and an interior area  123  between the top  121  and the sides  122 . A center hole  124  extends from the top  121  through the interior area  123 . The second base  120  has a reel  125  ( FIG. 3   a ) in the interior area  123  and a measuring tape  126  coupled to the reel  125 . One of the sides  122  has an opening  122   a  to pass the measuring tape  126  through. The measuring tape  126  has a distal end  126   a  with a hook element  127 , such as the loop shown in  FIG. 3   b , and the measuring tape  126  may be constructed of any appropriate material, such as fabric, cloth, flexible metal, etc. 
     Means may be included for selectively locking amounts of the measuring tape  126  that have passed through the second base side opening  122   a . The locking means may be a clamping device  128  (a device that clamps the measuring tape  126 ), as shown in  FIGS. 3   b  and  4 , a device that interacts with the reel  125 , or another appropriate lock. Means may also be included for causing the reel  125  to turn and amounts of the measuring tape  126  to pass through the second base side opening  122   a  into the interior area  123 . In some embodiments, the reel turning means is a spring in communication with the reel  125 . Other appropriate reel turning means, for example, include a hand crank and an electric motor. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a first amount of the measuring tape  126  that corresponds to a desired distance between the home plate  140  and the second base  120  is withdrawn from the second base  120  (i.e., from the interior area  123  through the second base opening  122   a ). Various distances may be marked on the measuring tape  126  to correspond to different sizes of baseball diamonds, as shown in  FIG. 7  by markings  129   a ,  129   b ,  129   c , and the user may select the desired distance. The locking means may be used to temporarily restrain the first amount of measuring tape  126  from reentering the interior area  123 , which may be particularly useful if the reel turning means are automated (e.g., spring operated, etc.). 
     A first stake  161  is placed through the home plate hole  144 , and the hook element  127  is coupled to the first stake  161  ( FIGS. 6 ,  8 , and  9 ). Similarly, a second stake  162  is placed through the second base hole  124  ( FIG. 2 ). The user then forces either the first stake  161  or the second stake  162  into a ground surface, outstretches the first amount of measuring tape  126 , and forces the other stake  161 ,  162  into the ground surface such that the outstretched first amount of measuring tape  126  extends between the home plate  140  and the second base  120 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the pitching rubber  150  is placed at a distance indicated by the measuring tape  126  while the outstretched first amount of measuring tape  126  extends between the home plate  140  and the second base  120 , and a third stake  163  may be placed through the home plate hole  146  and forced into the ground surface after the first stake  161  is situated. 
     After the home plate  140  and the second base  120  are positioned as set forth above, more of the measuring tape  126  is withdrawn from the second base  120  (i.e., from the interior area  123  through the second base opening  122   a ) so that a second amount of the measuring tape  126  is outside the interior area  123 . The locking means may be used to temporarily restrain the second amount of measuring tape  126  from reentering the interior area  123 . As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the second amount of measuring tape  126  corresponds to the sum of a desired distance between the home plate  140  and the first base  110  and a desired distance between the first base  110  and the second base  120 . As set forth above, the measuring tape may have markings for various distances to correspond to different sizes of baseball diamonds; the markings used (e.g., for a small diamond, a large diamond, etc.) should be consistent throughout the process. 
     The second base  120  is rotated about the stake  162  (compare  FIG. 8  to  FIG. 10 , for example), and, as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the first base  110  is placed at a distance indicated by corner base indicia on the measuring tape  126  while the second amount of measuring tape  126  is outside the interior area  123 , the measuring tape  126  is outstretched between the hook element  127  coupled to the first stake  161  and the corner base indicia, and the measuring tape  126  is outstretched between the corner base indicia and the second base  120 . The corner base indicia, like the other measuring tape markings discussed above, may be selected by the user (e.g., from small diamond indicia, large diamond indicia, etc.) and should be selected to be consistent with the other measurements used. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the first base  110  has four corners  112  and four sides  114 , and the first base  110  may be placed such that a respective corner  112  is at the corner base indicia on the measuring tape  126  and the measuring tape  126  extends along two respective sides  114 . 
     Placement of the third base  130  is very similar to placement of the first base  110 , and may be done before or after the first base  110  is placed. The second base  120  is rotated about the stake  162 , and the third base  130  is placed at a distance indicated by the corner base indicia on the measuring tape  126  while the second amount of measuring tape  126  is outside the interior area  123 , the measuring tape  126  is outstretched between the hook element  127  coupled to the first stake  161  and the corner base indicia, and the measuring tape  126  is outstretched between the corner base indicia and the second base  120 . The corner base indicia used to place the third base  130  is the same corner base indicia used to place the first base  110 . Similar to the first base  110 , the third base  130  has four corners and four sides, and the third base  130  may be placed such that a respective corner is at the corner base indicia on the measuring tape  126  and the measuring tape  126  extends along two respective sides. 
     After the first, second, and third bases  110 ,  120 ,  130 , the home plate  140 , and the pitching mound  150  are placed, the hook element  127  is separated from the first stake  161  and the first stake  161  may be forced further into the ground surface. And the second stake  162  may be removed from the second base hole  124 . The reel turning means is used to turn the reel  125  and retract the measuring tape  126  through the second base side opening  122   a  and into the interior area  123 . If the locking means was used ( FIG. 3   b ), its release may be required ( FIG. 4 ) before the measuring tape  126  may be retracted. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.