Patent Publication Number: US-9409072-B2

Title: Football sled with blocker pad range of motion

Description:
The present disclosure is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/971,160, filed Dec. 17, 2010 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/971,183, filed Dec. 17, 2010. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to sports equipment, and more particularly to a football sled with a range of motion to simulate a blocker. 
     Football has continued to evolve into a faster more lateral movement game as the athletes get bigger, stronger, and more importantly, faster. Various types of football training equipment is used to allow players to practice their techniques without facing off against another live player. 
     A common example of such equipment is a football training sled for teaching fundamental and functional techniques such as tackling and blocking. A typical football sled includes a horizontal base, including one or more sled-like runners and a padded vertical extension mounted at one end of the sled base. The padded portion of the sled may be sized and shaped to represent an opposing player. A lineman may practice blocking techniques by blocking against the padded portion of the sled, driving the sled straight backwards as he would an opposing player. 
     SUMMARY 
     To train and develop more complex schemes and coordinated blocking assignments in Zone Blocking we have developed a blocker sled that provides a safe simulation thereof. As zone blocking requirements have teammates handling double teams, releasing to take on the next dangerous defender, the blocker sled disclosed herein can simulate the weight, resistance and natural movement of a defender. 
     Also, as football offense is now more complex, the defense must train to physically play the offender, as well as break through the blocker to take the seam, hence putting the defender in a position to attack or disrupt the ball carrier. The blocker sled disclosed herein moves like a blocker to allow the defender to work on shocking the offensive player, creating leverage and violently separating or attacking the offender. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed non-limiting embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a football blocking sled; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a multiple of football blocking sleds linked together; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another non-limiting embodiment of an arm for a football blocking sled; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a damper assembly for the football blocking sled; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the range of motion of a blocker pad relative to an arm of the football blocking sled; 
         FIGS. 6A-6C  are views of the range of motion of an arm of the football blocking sled which supports the blocking pad; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of a range of motion assembly of the football blocking sled; 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of a cartridge system of the range of motion assembly of the football blocking sled, the cartridge system having a first cartridge plate which provides a full range of motion; 
         FIG. 8B  is a perspective view of a cartridge system in the  FIG. 8A  position with a lock plate installed; 
         FIG. 9A  is a perspective view of a cartridge system of the range of motion assembly of the football blocking sled, the cartridge system having a second cartridge plate positioned to provides a vertical range of motion of the arm relative to the sled frame; 
         FIG. 9B  is a perspective view of a cartridge system in the  FIG. 9A  position with a lock plate installed; 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of a cartridge system of the range of motion assembly of the football blocking sled, the cartridge system having a third cartridge plate positioned to lock the arm relative to the sled frame; and 
         FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of a cartridge system in the  FIG. 10A  position with a lock plate installed; 
         FIG. 11  a perspective view of another non-limiting embodiment of a football blocking sled. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a football blocking sled  10  referred herein as the Tek Sled. The sled  10  generally includes a sled frame  12 , an arm  14 , a blocking pad  16 , a damper arrangement  18  and a range of motion assembly  20 . Although two sleds  10  are typically arranged together such as in the disclosed, non limiting embodiment, it should be understood that any number of sleds  10  may be connected together through a respective cross bar  22  to essentially represent a line of football players. That is, any number of sled frames  12  may be interconnected through respective cross bars  22  ( FIG. 2 ) through bolting or other fastening arrangements. 
     In one non-limiting embodiment, the arm  14  is a single tubular component, however, the arm  14  may alternatively be of various forms such as a split tube design  14 ′ ( FIG. 3 ). Such arrangements may facilitate movement of a player in a desired direction after engagement with the blocking pad  16 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the blocking pad  16  is attached to the arm  14  through the damper arrangement  18  which permits force application to the blocking pad  16  to also be absorbed by the damper arrangement  18 . The blocking pad  16  is attached to the arm  14  at a pivot assembly  24  which defines an axis P between the arm  14  and a blocking pad socket  26  within the pivot assembly  24 . That is, the blocking pad socket  26  and the blocking pad  16  removably mounted thereto pivots relative to the arm  14  about pivot axis P. It should be understood that various blocking pads  16  such as a blocking pad with handholds H may be adapted for receipt into the socket  26 . For further understanding of other blocking pads, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 7,056,238, entitled Hand-Held Offensive Lineman Training Pad which is assigned to the assignee of the instant disclosure and which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     The damper arrangement  18  generally includes a mount  28 A on the arm  14  and a mount  28 B on the blocking pad socket  26 . The mounts  28 A,  28 B locate the damper arrangement  18  to define a resistance to a force applied to the blocking pad  16  as the blocking pad  16  pivots through an arc defined by pad axis P. The damper arrangement  18  generally includes a shock  30  such as a hydraulic or pneumatic shock and a spring  32  which may be protected within a housing  18 H ( FIG. 1 ). Mount  28 B may include a multiple of apertures  29  to calibrate an expected force, e.g., force applied by a high school player as compared to the force applied by a professional football player. 
     The arc of the blocking pad  16  in one disclosed non-limiting embodiment may be approximately 40 degrees ( FIG. 5 ) in line with the arm  14 . That is, the blocking pad  16  may pivot about the pad axis A between a forwardly canted position P 1  and a rearwardly canted position P 2 . The damper arrangement  18  returns the blocking pad  16  to the forwardly canted position P 1 . It should be understood that various ranges of motion may alternatively or additionally be provided. 
     In addition to the motion of the blocking pad  16 , the arm  14  supports the blocking pad  16  such that the entire arm  14  and blocking pad  16  may be moved through a range of motion relative to the sled frame  12  as controlled by the range of motion assembly  20 . In one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the range of motion assembly  20  provides a combination of lateral and vertical movement ( FIGS. 6A-6C ). 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , the range of motion assembly  20  generally includes a pivot assembly  34  and a cartridge system  36 . The pivot assembly  34  provides the lateral and vertical movement which may be selectively limited by the cartridge system  36  having a multiple of cartridge plates  38 A,  38 B and  38 C. In one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the cartridge plates  38 A are axially fixed plates which define the full range of lateral and vertical movement relative to the sled frame  12 ; cartridge plate  38 B permits, for example, only vertical movement relative to the sled frame  12 ; and cartridge plate  38 C, for example, locks the arm  14  in a fixed position relative to the sled frame  12 . 
     In one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the pivot assembly  34  generally includes an axle  40  which extends from the sled frame  12  to receive a pivot joint  42 . The pivot joint  42  includes a first cylinder  44  fixed to a second cylinder  46  in a transverse orientation. The first cylinder  44  defines a vertical axis X to permit lateral movement ( FIG. 6A ) of the arm  14  about axle  40  and the second cylinder  46  defines a horizontal axis X to permit vertical movement ( FIG. 6B ) of the arm  14 . The first cylinder  44  is received upon axle  40  and may be retained thereon by a fastener assembly  41 . 
     A pivot housing  48  attached to the end of the arm  14  receives the pivot joint  42  to support the arm  14  through a second axle  50 . The second axle  50  is received through opposed apertures  52  in the pivot housing  48  and the second cylinder  46  of the pivot joint  42 . The second axle  50  is retained therein by retaining rings  51 . 
     A cam  54  extends from the housing  48  generally along an axis L defined by the arm  14 . The cam  54  may be a cylindrical member which engages the cartridge system  36 . The multiple of cartridge plates  38 A,  38 B and  38 C operate as a cam surface to receive cam  54  and thereby constrain movement of the arm  14 . 
     The cartridge system  36  is mounted to the sled frame  12  adjacent to the pivot assembly  34  for interaction therewith. Mount plates  56  are fixed to the sled frame  12  through welding or the like to receive cartridge plate  38 A therebetween. That is, the mount plates  56  provide a fixed structure to support the cartridge system  36  directly adjacent the pivot assembly  34 . The mount plates  56  are generally annular triangular shaped members which provide a significant range of motion greater than any cartridge plate  38 A,  38 B,  38 C. 
     The cartridge plate  38 A is selectively mounted between the mount plates  56  to define the primary range of motion through an aperture  58 A. The aperture  58 A is generally triangular in shape in the disclosed non-limiting embodiment ( FIG. 8A ). The shape of the aperture  58 A guides the arm  14  so that upon release, for example, from a laterally displaced and lifted position, the arm  14  is guided back to a support  60  mounted to the sled frame  12  ( FIG. 1 ). That is, the generally triangular shape of the aperture  58 A defines the full range of lateral and vertical movement ( FIGS. 6A-6C ) relative to the sled frame  12  and inherently returns the arm  14  to rest position onto support  60 . Various other aperture shapes may alternatively be provided to define a desired range of motion for arm  14 . That is, the shape of the aperture  58 A controls the overall envelope of motion of arm  14  relative to sled frame  12 . As illustrated in one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the cartridge plate  38 A may be a multiple of identical plates between mount plates  56  to assure a robust cam surface for the cam  54 , however, a relatively thicker single cartridge plate may alternatively or additionally be provided. 
     The cartridge plates  38 B,  38 C are axially slidably mounted on standoffs  62  which extend from the mount plates  56  (also illustrated in  FIG. 8A ). The standoffs  62  may be arranged in a triangular pattern and include sleeves  64  supported upon bolts  66 . The cartridge plates  38 B,  38 C may include handles  68 B,  68 C to facilitate sliding movement thereof. 
     A removable lock  70  may be snapped onto the standoffs  62  between one of the mount plates  56  and the cartridge plate  38 B,  38 C to axially retain the cartridge plate  38 B,  38 C and assure that the generally triangular aperture  58 A is the only aperture engaged with the cam  54  ( FIG. 8B ) to permit the full range of motion. It should be understood that the pivot assembly  34  typically provides a greater range of motion restricted only by the cartridge plate  38 A. 
     The cartridge plate  38 B includes a generally rectilinear aperture  58 B. The shape of the aperture  58 B restricts movement of the arm  14  to permit, for example, only vertical movement relative to the sled frame  12 . That is, when the cartridge plate  38 B is slid along the standoffs  62  to be directly adjacent cartridge plate  38 A the generally rectilinear aperture  58 B is engaged with the cam  54  to supersede the constraint otherwise provided by aperture  58 A ( FIG. 9A ). The removable lock  70  may be snapped onto the standoffs  62  between the cartridge plate  38 B and cartridge plate  38 C to axially retain the cartridge plate  38 B and assure that generally rectilinear aperture  58 B is engaged with the cam  54  ( FIG. 9B ). 
     The cartridge plate  38 C includes an aperture  58 C which is sized to be generally equivalent to the shape of the cam  54 . The shape of the aperture  58 C thereby locks the arm  14  in a fixed position relative to the sled frame  12  when the cartridge plate  38 C is slid adjacent to the cartridge plate  38 B ( FIG. 10A ). That is, the more limited aperture  58 C engages the cam  54  and supersedes aperture  38 B. The removable lock  70  may then be snapped onto the standoffs  62  between the cartridge plate  38 C and flanged ends of the stand off  62  to axially retain the cartridge plate  38 C and assure that aperture  58 C is engaged with the cam  54  ( FIG. 10B ). 
     It should be understood that alternative or additional cartridge plates with various other aperture shapes may be provided to further define a desired range of motion for arm  14 . That is, the shape of the aperture  58  controls the envelope of motion of arm  14  relative to sled frame  12  to provide, for example movement to but one lateral side relative to the sled frame  12 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 11 , another football blocking sled  100  includes a sled frame  102 , an arm  104 , a blocking pad  106 , a damper arrangement  108  and a range of motion assembly  120 . The blocking pad  106  includes handholds H as discussed above. 
     The blocking pad  106  is attached to the arm  104  through the damper arrangement  108  which permits force application to the blocking pad  106  to be absorbed axially along the arm  104  along axis T prior to movement though the range of motion assembly  120  about axis P. That is, the football blocking sled  100  requires movement of the blocking pad  106  telescopically for a predetermined distance along arrow T such as five (5) inches to be absorbed telescopically along the arm  104  along axis T prior to rotation about axis P. The damper arrangement  108  may include a shock such as a hydraulic or pneumatic shock and a spring (not shown) within the arm  104 . The range of motion assembly  120  may include a cartridge system  36  as described above or other lock arrangement which interacts with the damper arrangement  108  to prevent rotation about axis P until the predetermined axial distance is first achieved. 
     A player must first overcome the resistance of the damper arrangement  108  prior to the blocking pad  106  being movable about the axis P to teaches the player to roll the hips and lift the blocking pad  106  to simulate finishing off the opponent. 
     Alternatively, the range of motion assembly  120  may be locked out such that the lifting action about axis P is prevented. This facilitates the practice of base and drive blocking. 
     The handholds H facilitate such training as the player may readily grab the blocking pad  106  in a manner typical of grabbing an opponent. 
     It should be understood that various other movable or fixed sled arrangements will benefit from the blocking pad  106  with handholds H as discussed above. 
     It should be understood that relative positional terms such as “forward,” “aft,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” and the like are with reference to the normal operational attitude of the vehicle and should not be considered otherwise limiting. 
     It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, other arrangements will benefit herefrom. 
     Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present disclosure. 
     The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within. Various non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described. For that reason the appended claims should be studied to determine true scope and content.