Arrangement for mounting basketball goal support arms to a support pole
View Patent ↗Certain embodiments of the present disclosure describe an arrangement for mounting basketball goal support arms to a support pole. The arrangement includes an attachment assembly that has a bolt piece, spacers, and a locking portion. The bolt piece includes a medial portion and bolt ends. The medial portion may be permanently attached to the support pole of a basketball goal. The bolt ends may receive a spacer, a support arm, and a locking portion.
1. A basketball goal assembly, comprising:
a backboard assembly with a backboard;
a support pole having a width, a front side and a rear side and defining a vertical support axis parallel to said backboard;
an upper pair and a lower pair of support arms extending between said backboard assembly and said support pole, wherein said support arms pivotally attach said backboard assembly to said support pole;
an upper one-piece bolt, wherein said bolt has a medial rod portion and bolt ends extending from each side of said medial rod portion with said bolt ends axially aligned along a single axis and wherein said medial rod portion of said bolt is welded to said rear side of said support pole with said bolt ends protruding beyond the width of said support pole;
a lower one-piece bolt, and wherein said bolt has a medial rod portion and bolt ends extending from each side of said medial rod portion with said bolt ends axially aligned along a single axis and wherein said medial rod portion of said bolt is welded to said front side of said support pole with said bolt ends protruding beyond the width of said support pole;
wherein said upper pair of support arms is mounted on the respective bolt ends of said upper one-piece bolt with each bolt end extending through a respective support arm wherein the weight of said backboard assembly causes said upper pair of support arms to apply force to said upper one-piece bolt in a vector perpendicular to the vertical support axis; and,
wherein said lower pair of support arms is mounted on the respective bolt ends of said lower one-piece bolt with each bolt end extending through a respective support arm wherein the weight of said backboard assembly causes said lower pair of support arms to apply force to said lower one-piece bolt in a vector perpendicular to the vertical support axis.
2. The basketball goal assembly of claim 1 , wherein said support pole has a circular cross-section, and wherein said medial rod portion of said upper one-piece bolt is curved to match the curvature of said support pole and said medial rod portion of said lower one-piece bolt is curved to match the curvature of said support pole.
3. The basketball goal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer positioned around each of said bolt ends between each medial rod portion and a respective support arm.
4. The basketball goal assembly of claim 3 , wherein an inner surface of said spacer is shaped to match the shape of said support pole.
5. The basketball goal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a locking portion attached to each bolt end, wherein said locking portion is adapted to prevent said support arm from being removed from said bolt end.
6. The basketball goal assembly of claim 1 , wherein said upper pair of support arms is mounted on opposing sides of the width of said support pole wherein a midpoint of the force applied by said upper pair of arms to said upper one-piece bolt is aligned with the midpoint of the support pole.
7. The basketball goal assembly of claim 6 , wherein substantially the entire length of said medial portion of said upper one-piece bolt contacts the support pole.
8. The basketball goal assembly of claim 1 , wherein said support pole has a circular cross-section, wherein said medial rod portion of said upper one-piece bolt is curved to match the curvature of said support pole and wherein substantially the entire length of said medial portion of said upper one-piece bolt contacts said support pole.
9. A basketball goal assembly, comprising:
a backboard assembly with a backboard;
a support member having a width, a front side and a rear side and defining a vertical support axis parallel to said backboard;
a pair of upper support arms extending between said backboard assembly and said support member;
a pair of lower support arms extending between said backboard assembly and said support member;
an upper one-piece bolt, wherein said bolt has a medial rod portion and a bolt end extending from each side of said medial rod portion with said bolt ends axially aligned along a single axis;
a lower one-piece bolt, wherein said bolt has two bolt ends and a medial rod portion between said bolt ends with said bolt ends axially aligned along a single axis;
wherein each of said upper support arms is mounted on a respective bolt end of said upper bolt and wherein each of said lower support arms is mounted on a respective bolt end of said lower bolt wherein the weight of said backboard assembly causes said upper pair of support arms to apply force to said upper bolt in a vector perpendicular to the vertical support axis and wherein the weight of said backboard assembly causes said lower pair of support arms to apply force to said lower bolt in a vector perpendicular to the vertical support axis;
wherein said medial rod portion of said upper bolt is welded to the rear side of said support member with said bolt ends protruding beyond the width of said support pole; and,
wherein said medial rod portion of said lower bolt is welded to the front side of said support member with said bolt ends protruding beyond the width of said support pole.
10. The basketball goal assembly of claim 9 , wherein said medial rod portions are shaped to match the shape of said support member.
11. The basketball goal assembly of claim 9 , wherein said support member has a circular cross-section and said medial rod portions are curved to match the curvature of said support member.
12. The basketball goal assembly of claim 9 , wherein said support member is mounted to a portable base.
13. A basketball goal assembly, comprising:
a backboard assembly with a backboard;
a support pole having a width, a front side and a rear side and defining a vertical support axis parallel to said backboard;
a pair of upper support arms extending between said backboard assembly and said support pole, wherein said support arms attach said backboard assembly to said support pole;
a pair of lower support arms extending between said backboard assembly and said support pole, wherein said support arms attach said backboard assembly to said support pole;
an upper one-piece bolt, wherein said upper bolt has two bolt ends and a medial rod portion welded to a rear surface of said support pole, said medial rod portion being between said bolt ends with said bolt ends axially aligned along a single axis wherein the weight of said backboard assembly causes said upper pair of support arms to apply force to said upper one-piece bolt in a vector perpendicular to the vertical support axis;
a lower one-piece bolt, wherein said lower bolt has two bolt ends and a medial rod portion welded to a front surface of said support pole, said medial rod portion being between said bolt ends with said bolt ends axially aligned along a single axis wherein the weight of said backboard assembly causes said lower pair of support arms to apply force to said lower one-piece bolt in a vector perpendicular to the vertical support axis;
wherein each of said support arms is mounted on a respective bolt end; and,
wherein said support pole has a curved cross-section and said medial rod portions are curved to match the curvature of said support pole.
14. The basketball goal assembly of claim 13 , wherein said support arms are parallel.
15. The goal assembly of claim 13 , wherein the axis defined by said bolt ends of said upper bolt and wherein the axis defined by said bolt ends of said lower bolt are parallel and vertically aligned.
16. The goal assembly of claim 13 , wherein said support pole is mounted to a portable base.