ALLSPORTS BACKSTOPS

BUTTE DE TIR POUR TOUT SPORT

English Abstract

Other tarping systems for garage doors require a complicated system of cords
and ties for
temporary attachment. My invention allows for a permanent (or removable)
retractable
system for creating a back stop for a variety of sports.
This system utilizes polypropylene netting,\tarping,vulcanized rubber\steel
pins, velcro
to create a tarping\ netting type apparatus allowing attachment to any
structure
containing a top beam and side posts (i.e. garage doors, soccer or football
posts.).
Velcro (or bungy type) attachment converts the tarp from a hockey play backer
with built
in goal, to a baseball\football (or like) accuracy pitching or throwing
backer. A netting
attachment would allow a quick and permanently attached netting conversion for
soccer
play or golf practice.

Claims

CLAIMS
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege
is
claimed are defined as follows:
1. a permanently installed retractable (either manually or mechanically)
tarping\netting
system for any structure containing a header and 2 sides meant for multi sport
applications
2. velcro sides (or bungy type) with smaller independent tarps converting
larger tarping
to multi sport applications
3. a permanent, retractable netting system for football\ soccer goals
4. a system as in claims 1 and 3 used for golf
5. a system as in claims 1, 3 and 4 in which tubular steel posts are used to
extend the
netting system outside the plane of the garage door.
6. a system as in claim 1 which uses steel hooks for removeability and
portability.
7. the names ALLSPORTS BACKSTOPS, ALSPORT BACKSTOP, ALLSPORT
BACKDROP, ALSPORT BACKDROP.

Description

CA 02296030 2000-O1-18
SPECIFICATIONS
This invention deals with securely attaching tarps or netting to garage doors
or
steel goal post through the use of steel screws and eyelets, or steel hooks. A
means of
manual retraction' and easy storage would provide a simple and e~cient
installation, for
the purpose of providing an area of play or practice for a variety of sports
through
various seasons. The retracted tarp would hang slightly below the top header
in a long
cigar shaped nylon wrap type housing.
Commonly tarps attached to the garage door header and casings, or nets
attached
to soccer/football posts have been temporary measures requiring cords, ties or
strapping.
The tarping~netting had to be stored in an area away from the playing area,
brought to the
play area and installed. This detachment causes unnecessary work and storage
along with
opportunities for lost or misplaced straps or cords, as much, or more time is
spent
removing the tarp~netting and returning it to storage than initial set up.
I have found that these disadvantages can be overcome by permanently attaching
the tarplnetting to the header casing of the door jamb soccer goal (if the
prefer ed method
of storing the tarp was to remove it from the header then steel hooks could be
used to
temporarily attach the cigar housing bag to the top header see illus. 1 a.).
The
polypropylene tarp( illus 1 fig 4) has a hard plastic backing sandwiched in
the top seam,
which is screwed to the top beam using a series of steel eyelets and attaching
screws(see
illus. # I fig 1)
This hard plastic reinforcement is approximately three feet shorter than the
overall length
of the structure (illus. # I ) and is covered by a velcro back strip. The
remaining one and
one half foot of tarp on either side of this reinforced area has an opposite
velcro so that it
can be folded for ease of retraction(illus # 1). The backside of these one and
one foot
strips would contain the original velcro back strips so that when retracted
the tarp~netting


CA 02296030 2000-O1-18
could be housed by wrapping a nylon cover attached to the header on the
backside of the
plastic reinforced area to these strips{see illus. # 1 fig 8}. For the
removable bag, hooks
would be attached to the top header by which the bag could be attach to allow
for the
same installation. This hooking system would allow for portability of the
system.
The tarp would be pinned at the top corners and side posts by a series of hard
vulcanized
rubber\steel pins { see illus 1 fig3 } which would be attached through their
pre drilled
centers into the wood or steel side posts. In this manner the tarp\netting
itself could be
used as a template to make the location of these pins easier. The pins would
insert
through reinforced holes in the side seems of the tarp The bottom of the tarp
would have
round steel adjustable post(illus 1 fig 7) which would slide through the
bottom seem.
When joined ,these posts would create a solid post around which the tarp can
be easily
rolled so that it can be retracted up to it's stored position{see illus. 4}
Depending on the
structure to which the tarp has been attached the bottom could be held in
several
manners. When the tarp is used for soccer \football post, plastic pegs are
used to hold
the tarplnet bottom to the ground. {see illus. # 1 and 2} When the tarp is
used in the
garage door application the bottom of the tarp is held by heavy pads that
would outline
the bottom ofthe tarp\netting{see illustration#1 and fig 6}..
The tarp it self would have goal areas seemed, and outlined in velcro so that
different
sport related activities is achieved through different velcro backed smaller
tarp additions
(i.e. velcro backed hockey posts, velcro back tarps with baseball\football
rugby targets or
openings .( See fig S a, b,.)
In addition to the tarp there could be a second netting mounted behind the
first which
when lowered from its' separate housing would create a practice back drop for
golf {see
illus. # 3 }The golf application is pinned in the same manner as the tarp
above but is
attached by straps to aluminum\steel poles mounted by brackets attached to the
side of
the door casing on the brick. These poles would extend several feet across the
header
When rotated outwards these poles would add depth to the netting perpendicular
to plane
ofthe door\goal area. {see illus. 3}.by extending extra net outwards and
above. The
bottom of the net is held in the same manner as the tarp except the net would
be held just
slightly inside the plane of the door.{ See illustration # 3 }
when the Allsports backstop tarp\netting is attached to goals in a public
setting the
system could be protected from vandalism through the addition of welded pegs(
illus 2 )
placed at the top of the header post. A tight wire mesh covering could circle
the post and
system secured to the pins. A rod could then be placed through drilled holes
in the
welded pegs, through which a lock could be placed for security.

Representative Drawing