Improvements in connection with Striking or Punching Bags.
Year: 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Striking or Punching Bags.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
London, W.C. Consulting Engineer (a communication from The Moline Striking
Ball Company, a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the State
of Illinois, and having its principal office at Moline, Illinois, United States of
America), do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference letters indicate
like or corresponding parts,
Fig. 1 is a front view of my improvement in position.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, slightly modified.
Fig. 3 is a top plan of the same.
Fig. 4 is a partial horizontal section in line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the preferred tightening device, and
Fig. 6 is a horizontal section showing the same in position.
Striking bags are usually suspended from above and, as they are struck, bound
upward striking the ceiling or some surface above and rebound, when they are
again struck, etc. It is common to suspend the bag from the center of a horizontal
ring of wood or other material, and secure the ring to the wall at proper height. The
rope or cord to which the bag is attached is in length about the radius of the ring,
so that the bag strikes the ring and rebounds.
The ring has to be firmly fixed in position as the bag must strike it with
considerable force, in order to rebound with sufficient speed to serve the purposes
intended.
The difficulty met with is in the fact that the persons exercising in this manner
vary in height and consequently the bag should be adjusted in height to accom-
modate them. It is not practical to lengthen or shorten the supporting line, as in
such case it will not be a radius of the ring and the bag will not strike the ring and
be returned as described.
My invention is of this class of devices and has for its object the obviating of
the difficulty above mentioned.
To this end it consists broadly in a device of the kind described, which is
vertically adjusted for the purposes named.
It also consists in the peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts
herein described and particularly set forth in the claims.
In the drawings, A, A represent cleats of wood or other material which may be
firmly secured to the side wall of a room, B B are two vertical bars which may be
of gas pipe, which are firmly secured to the two cleats, A, A, in any preferred
way. C, C are two castings each adapted to encircle and be vertically movable
on the bars, B, B, and may be secured at an adjusted height in any preferred
manner. D, D are two supports secured to the castings, C, and extending hori-
zontally, preferably coming close together at d. A cross piece, E, connects the
two and marks the center of the ring, F, which is firmly secured to the supports, D, D.
The striking bag, G, is suspended from the center piece, E, by a cord, H, which is
substantially a radius of the ring, F.
It is obvious that the ring and its supports may be readily raised or lowered
upon the bars and fixed at any desired point, and that consequently the device

page_text: is adjustable without difficulty to a person of any height, and the satisfactory
results attained.
The preferred manner of securing the device to the bars, B, is as follows: The
castings, C, are provided with parts, cc, through which the bars, B, extend, and
between the two is a lug or boss, c¹, extending toward the bar, B. Loosely
pivoted upon the boss, cl, is a lever, K, which has a cam-shaped head, k. As the
end of the lever is raised, the casting, C, may loosely move on the bar, B, but
when the end of the lever is pressed downward the cam faces jam against the
casting, C, and the bar, B (see Fig. 6,) and tightly lock the two together.
The mode of operation is as follows: When it is desired to raise or lower the
device to adjust it, the operator grasps the ends of the levers, K, K, and raises
them. At the same time he raises or lowers the entire device to the desired point.
When the desired point is reached he lets the ends of the levers drop, and seizing
them, presses them down till the parts are firmly locked as described.
As an additional means for firmly supporting the ring, the modification shown
in dot lines in Figs. 2 and 3, may be used. In such case the casting, C, is
extended upward a sufficient distance to furnish a seat for the brace, M, which
extends therefrom to the ring, F, to a point outside the support, D, thus
additionally bracing the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A contact device for striking-bags, consisting of vertical bars adapted to be
secured to the wall, in combination with castings loosely moving upon said bars
and adapted to be adjustably secured thereto, supports extending horizontally
from said castings, a contact ring secured to the supports and means for suspending
the bag from the center of the ring, substantially as described.
2. In a device of the kind described, the contact ring and its supports, and the
vertical bars, in combination with the castings connecting the two and a lever
provided with a cam-head extending between the castings and the bars, whereby
the castings may be vertically adjusted upon the bars and locked in such posicion,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In a device of the kind described, the contact ring and its supports and the
vertical bars, in combination with the castings adjustably connecting the two,
and a brace extending from each side of the ring to the extended end of the castings,
substantially as described.
4. In a device of the kind described, the contact ring and its supports, and the
vertical bars, in combination with the castings connecting the two, a lever provided
with a cam-head extending between the castings and the bars whereby they may be
adjustably locked together, and a brace connecting from each side of the ring to
the extended castings, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1896.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.