Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 212986~
METHOD AND TAPE CONSTRUCTION FOR LAYING OUT A
BASEBALL DIAMOND
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for layin~ out a
5 baseball diamond and to a reel of tape arranged for use in layin~ out a
baseball diamond.
The baseball diamond has, as you well know, three
bases, home plate and a pitcher's mound. The bases are spaced by a
pre-determined distance which can varV dependin~ upon the variety
1Q of the game being played. It is of course highly desirable that the
angles of the diamond be accurate so that the diamond is properly
"squaren ,
Many baseball diamonds are permanently laid out and
marked. In other situations, generally in recreational baseball, it is
15 necessary to mark out the diamond on a bare ground before the ~ame
is commenced. In the latter case particularly but also generally, it is
desirable that the locations for the bases relative to home plate be
positioned accurately and quickly.
It's one object of the present invention, therefore, to
20 provide an improved method for laying out the base markers for a
baseball diamond. -
It's the second object of this invention to provide an
improved tape reel which can be used in laying out a baseball
diamond.
.,', : .... . . . . .
~ 2 2i29~4
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordin3 ~o a first aspect of the invention there is
provided a method of laying out a baseball diamond comprising
providing a loop of tape, defining on the loop a base position for
5 locating at home base, defining on the tape a first marking indicative
of first base, a second markin~ indicative of second base and a third
marking indicative of third base, the first marking being located at a
distance x from the base position, the second marking being located
alon~ the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance 2x from
10 the base position, the third marking being located along the loop of
tape beyond the second position at a distance x + ~12x from the base
position, the length of the loop being equal to 2x + ~2x, where x is
equal to the required distance between bases, locatin~ the base
position at a home base marker at a point on the ground selected as
15 home base, pulling the loop in a direction toward an intended location
of first base, locating a first base marker on the ground at a position
measured by the tape indicated by said first marking, pulling the loop
around the first base marker until the loop is taut and forms a first
triangle with the apexes at the base position, at the first base marker
20 and at the second marking, placing a second base marker at the
second marking, pulling the loop around the first base marker until the
loop is taut and forms a second triangle with the apexes at the base
position, at the first base marker and the third marking, and placin~ a
third base marker at the third markin~.
- .
~ 3 2129~ ~
According to a second aspec~ of the invention there is
provided a reel of tape for laying out a baseball diamond comprising a
reel body, a reel rotatably mounted on the reel body, a tape wound
onto the reei so as to define an inner end attached to the reel and an
5 outer end separate from the reel, means on the outer end for
attachment of the outer end to the reel body, a first marking on the
tape indicative of first base, a second marking on the tape indicative
of second base, a third marking on the tape indicative of third base
and a pitcher's plate marking on the tape, the first marking being
10 located at a distance x from the outer end, the second marking being
located along the loop of tape beyond the first position at a distance
2x from the outer end, the third marking being located along the loop
of tape beyond the second marking at a distance x + ~12x from the
outer end and the pitcher's plate marking being located at a position
15 along the tape beyond the second markin~ and arranged at a distance
from the inner end equal to the required distance of the pitcher's plate
from home base the length of the tape from the inner end to the outer
end being equal to 2x + ~12x, where x is equal to the required
distance between bases and a slide member which is manually
20 graspable and slideable along the tape for pulling the tape into the
loop.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
4 212~
Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of a reel and tape
accordin~ to the present invention.
Figures 1 A, 1 B, 1 C and 1 D show the details of the
indicia on the tape of figure 1.
Figure 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F show a series of steps
for use of the tape of Figure 1 in the method of layin~q out a baseball
diamond .
In the drawin~s like characters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The tape and reel as shown in Figure 1 are basically
conventional in that the reel comprises a reel body 10 with a handle
11 by which the reel can be lifted and moved from place to place. At
the lower end of the reel body is provided a pointed lower member 12
which can be placed on the ~round at a required location. The reel
body carries a shaft 13 to which an inner end 14 of the tape 15 is
attached. An outer end 16 of the tape is attached back to the reel
body for example at the pointed member 12 to form a loop of the
tape of a predetermined length. The tape can thus be reeled onto the
body to be carried with the ree! or can be pulled out in a loop as
shown in Figure 1.
In addition to the conventional reel and tape there is
provided a slide member 17 with a manually ~raspable portion 18 and
a roller 19 which allows the slide member to slide along the tape to
212~
assist in pulling the loop from the reel and manually manipulatin~ the
loop without sliding the loop against the fin~ers of the user.
The tape is modified by the provision of four markin~s
includiny a first marking 20, a second markiny 21, a third markin~ 22
5 and a fourth markin~ 23. The first markin~ as shown in the drawin~
is indicative of first base and includes a specific location mark on the
tape to~ether with the words "FIRST BASEn~ The second markin~ 21
and the third markin~ 22 are similar to the first markings except that
they designate or indicate "SECOND BASE" and "THIRD BASEn
10 respectively. The fourth markin~ 23 is a~ain similar but includes the
words "PITCHER'S PLATE".
The markin~s are located on the tape such that the first
markin~ is spaced from the outer end of the tape by distance x, the
second base marking is spaced from the first base markin~ by a
15 distance x that is by a distance 2x from the outer end. The third base
markin~ is spaced from the inner end by a distance x. The full length
of the loop is equal to 2x + ~12x. Thus the distance between the
second base markin~ and the third base markin~ is equal to ~2x-x.
The pitcher's plate markin~q is spaced from the inner end by a
20 distance y. The distance x is equal to the required spacing between
the bases. The distance y is equal to the required distance of the
pitcher's mound from home plate. These distances are specified in
the particular variety of ~ame concerned and-these~distances vary
from 60 feet in some cases up to 90 feet in other cases.
212~
Turning now to Fi~ure 2, the steps of use of the tape
and reel of Figure 1 are shown schematically. In the first step a pe~
is placed in the yround at a selected location for home plate on an
unmarked fieid or a field in which the diamond is to be marked. The ;
5 point of the reel is located at the pe~ to start the layout. The reel is
held at this position permanently until the layout is complete. ;
In step 2 the pulley 17 is yrasped and four further pegs
are carried with the operator while the operator walks toward the
desired location of first base. As the tape is pulled out, the operator
10 watches for ~he first rnarking and on reaching the first marking grasps
the tape at the point, pulls the tape taut and strai~ht and locates the
peg at the required position. This position can be moved in an arc
around home plate until it is best located for the orientation of the
diamond on the field. The tape is then wrapped around the
15 upstandin~ pe~.
In step 3 the operator ~rasps a3ain the pulley 17 and
walks away from the peg pulling the tape around the pe~ while
walking in the general direction of second base. The operator
watches again for the second marking and on reaching the second
20 marking yrasps the tape at that point and then pulls the tape into a
taut triangle with the apexes of the triangle arranged at home plate,
at the peg at first base, and at the second markin~q. With the tape
taut and the trian~le having strai~ht sides, the position of second
base is thus located and the second pe~ is applied at this position.
~^ 7
The pe~ for second base is positioned inside the loop so as to hold
the tape taut in the first trian~le.
In step 4 the operator leaves the tape in the first trian~le
and walks along the tape toward home plate to locate the fourth
5 markin~. A peQ is then applied into the ~round at the fourth markin~
to identify the position of the pitcher's plate. The fourth marking is
located at the required spacing from home plate that is at the distance
y from the inner end of the tape.
In step 5, the tape loop is removed from the second pe~
10 and the operator walks in the ~eneral direction of third base while
pullin~ the tape loop by ~raspin~ the pulley 17. At the same time the
operator looks for the third markin~ and on reaching this marking
3rasps the tape at that point and pulls it so that it forms a second
trian~le with the apexes at home plate, at the peg at first base and at
15 the third markiny. The fourth peg is then applied to the ~round at the
third base markin~ with the triangle held taut.
The tape is then removed from the pegs and rewound
onto the reel. The pegs thus indicate the positions of the bases and
the pe~s can be removed and the necessary bases placed in position
20 at exactly the required location.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention
as herein above described, and many apparently widely different
emboàiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims
without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all
,''.; ~."~ ' .
8 2 1 2 ~ ~ ~ 4
matter contained in the accompanying specification sh~ll be .~ :~
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limitinQ sense.
