Hockey Screening Dummy
A hockey screening dummy (10) with a pair of rigid legs (20) curved to simulate a bent knee and inserted into hockey skates (22) with a slot (38) cut through the sole. A blade (24) is inserted through the skate slot (38) and bolted to the leg (20). A threaded rod (56) between the knees permits adjustment of the legs (20). The legs (20) are attached to a hip section (60) with a post (70) extending upwardly therefrom. The upper body (14) is a premade torso/head combination (72) with a vertical hole (74) that fits onto the post (70). A pipe (84) with a 45-degree plate (92) is bolted to each end of a rod (80) that extends through the torso (72) at the shoulders. An upper arm (100) is attached to the plate (92), a forearm (102) is attached to the upper arm (100), and a pipe (128) is attached to the end of the forearm (102) as a hand (126). The dummy (10) is outfitted with the appropriate hockey equipment.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hockey equipment, more particularly, to a dummy for practicing hockey.
2. The Prior Art
In hockey, the goaltender is very often screened by other players, both opposing players and those on his team. Currently, the only way to practice stopping shots while screened is to put live players in screening positions. This can be dangerous to the screening players if they are not aware of when a shot is made. Shooters have the same problem when looking for a sight line for a shot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe hockey screening dummy of the present invention is a life size hockey player for use in training by any level of hockey. The screening dummy has a lower body and an upper body. The lower body has a pair of legs composed of a rigid material such as wood or metal. Each leg is curved forwardly to simulate a bent knee.
The legs are inserted into modified hockey skates, wherein the blade and blade holder are removed and a slot is cut through the sole to the interior. A blade has a blade portion that contacts the ice and a tab portion that is inserted through the skate slot and into a slot in the leg. The length of the blade portion depends on the weight and lean of the dummy. Alternatively, the skate is custom formed for the present invention to include the skate blade. The skate/blade assembly is bolted to the leg at the ankle, heel, and toe. The ankle bolt allows for adjustment of the angle of the leg in the skate.
A long threaded rod extends through the legs at the knee. Nuts on both ends that straddle each leg permit adjustment of the distance between the legs.
The top end of each leg is attached to a hip section. The base of the hip section is a rigid plate that is approximately oval. A rigid block that is 6 to 10 inches in height is attached to the top of the plate. A post for attaching the upper body is mounted to the top of the block.
The upper body is a premade torso/head combination with a vertical hole in the bottom that fits onto the post. Gravity maintains the torso on the post.
A threaded rod extends through the torso at the shoulders. A short pipe is bolted to each end of the rod to form a movable shoulder. A plate with a hole drilled in it is attached to the pipe at an approximately 45 degree downward angle to form a joint for attaching the arm.
In one configuration, the upper arm and forearm of are each a long rigid sheet. In another configuration, the upper arm and forearm are each constructed of a rod with a plate attached to each end. The upper arm and forearm each has a hole in each end. The upper arm is bolted to the shoulder plate and the forearm is bolted to the upper arm.
The hand is short pipe with a hole in it for attaching to the end of the forearm. The finished arms have approximately the same movement and range as human arms giving the screening dummy a life like element.
The lower body is outfitted with shin pads, hockey socks, and hockey pants. The upper body is outfitted with hockey equipment, shoulder pads, elbow pads, helmet, gloves and a hockey jersey. The palms of the gloves and the top of a hockey stick are covered with hook and loop fasteners so that the position of the stick can be adjusted.
Objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following drawings and detailed description of the invention.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The hockey screening dummy 10 of the present invention is a life size hockey player for use by any level of hockey, from peewee to professional, for the purpose of training. One use is to screen a goaltender so that he/she can practice making stops while being screened. Another use is to provide the shooters with sight lines during shooting practice.
The screening dummy 10 has a lower body 12 and an upper body 14.
As shown in
The lower ends 30 of the legs 20 are inserted into modified hockey skates 22. Optionally, the lower ends 30 are shaped, as at 39, somewhat as a foot. The skate modification takes the form of removing the blade and, optionally, the blade holder and cutting a slot 26 through the bottom of the skate 22 into the skate interior, as in
Alternatively, the skate 22 is custom formed for the present invention to include the skate blade 24.
As shown in
A heel bolt 46 extends through the side of the skate 22, through a bore 47 in the leg 20, through a bore 48 in the blade tab 36, and through the other side of the skate 22, and is secured by a heel nut 48. A toe bolt 50 extends through the side of the skate 22, through a bore 51 in the blade tab 36, and through the other side of the skate 22, and is secured by a toe nut 52. These two nuts 48, 52 are tightened after the leg/skate angle is adjusted as desired using the adjusting nuts 45.
Optionally, screws are used to hold the skate to the leg at the lace holes 54.
Alternatively, the heel and toe through bolt/nut combinations are be replaced by lag bolts or other wood screws, where nuts are not needed.
A long threaded rod 56 extends through a bore 57 in the pair of legs 20 at approximately the knee location 28. Nuts 58 on both ends that straddle each leg 20 permit adjustment of the distance between the legs 20 and for stability. The rod 56 also provides a puck deflector for goaltender training.
The top end 32 of each leg 20 is attached to a hip section 60. In the present configuration, the base of the hip section 60 is a rigid plate 62 that is approximately ¼ inch thick. The rigid material can be metal, wood, or plastic. The plate 62 is approximately oval, such as an elongated hexagon or elongated octagon, as in
The hip section 60 has a rigid block 66 attached to the top of the plate 62. The rigid material can be metal, wood, or plastic. The block 66 is generally cylindrical with approximately oval cross-section, such as an elongated hexagon or elongated octagon. The block 66 will typically have the same cross-sectional shape as the plate 62. The block 66 is between approximately 6 and 10 inches in height. The block 66 is attached using any practical method. One method is to use screws 68 through the plate 62 and into the block 66, as in
The hip section 60 has a post 70 mounted to the top of the block 66 for attaching the upper body 14. In the present configuration, the post 70 has a mounting plate 71. The post/plate is attached to the block 66 by whatever means is practical including, for example, screws 76, as in
The plate 62, block 66, and/or post 70 can be a single unit if they are the same material.
The upper body 14 is a premade torso/head combination 72 which provides life-like features, proportion, and appearance. The lower body post 70 fits into a vertical hole 74 in the bottom of the torso 72. Gravity maintains the torso 72 on the post 70.
The shoulders 82 includes a threaded rod 80 extending through a bore 81 in the torso 72 at the shoulders, as in
As shown in
An approximately 2 inch×3½ inch× 1/4 inch rigid shoulder plate 92 with an approximately ⅜ inch hole 94 in it is attached to the shoulder pipe at an approximately 45 degree downward angle, as at 96, to form a joint for attaching the arm 98. The shoulder plate 92 will typically be metal, but any rigid material is contemplated. The form of the attachment depends on the materials. Metals can be welded and plastics can be attached with adhesives.
The arm 98 includes an upper arm 100 and a forearm 102. In one configuration, shown in
In another configuration, shown in
In another configuration, the upper arm 100 and forearm 102 are molded as three-dimensional components with approximate human features. The holes 112, 113, 114, 115 are in tabs that extend from either end of the upper arm 100 and forearm 102.
The upper end of the upper arm 100 is bolted to the shoulder plate 92 with a ⅜ inch bolt 118 and locking nut 120 using the appropriate holes 94, 112. Two wave washers 122 are placed between the shoulder plate 92 and upper arm 100 to facilitate motion and the ability to maintain the position it is put in. The upper end of the forearm 102 is bolted to the lower end of the upper arm 100 in the same manner via holes 113, 114.
The hand 126 is composed of a short (approximately 2½ inch) hand pipe 128 with a ⅜ inch hole 130 in it. The hand pipe 84 will typically be metal, but any rigid material is contemplated. The hand pipe 128 is attached to the forearm 102 in the same way that the upper arm 100 is attached to the shoulder 82, via holes 115, 130, to provide wrist motion and the ability to maintain the position it is put in. The finished arms have approximately the same motion as human arms, giving the screening dummy 10 a life like element.
The lower body 12 is outfitted with shin pads, hockey socks, and hockey pants. The upper body 14 is outfitted with hockey equipment, shoulder pads, elbow pads, helmet, gloves and a hockey jersey. The palms of the gloves and the top of a hockey stick are covered with hook and loop fasteners. This allows the screening dummy 10 to grip the stick at the top allowing the bottom hand to slide freely up and down the stick. This gives coaches and trainers various stick positions for different drills.
The lower body 12 weighs approximately 40 to 60 pounds and the upper body 14 weighs approximately 20 to 30 pounds. Additional weight can be added if necessary for the particular level of hockey in which it is being used.
The foregoing description is a custom-made screening dummy. The present invention contemplates that the various components can be modified in ways known in the art. For example, bolts can be different sizes, pipes can have different diameters, components can be molded with human features and/or with hockey equipment, etc. A mass produced screening dummy may be made of different materials, such as metal and foam molds and size, weight, and moving parts will be similar. The screening dummy is constructed of materials that are robust enough to withstand the constant punishment of thousands of hockey pucks hitting it.
Thus it has been shown and described a hockey screening dummy. Since certain changes may be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matter described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
1. A hockey screening dummy comprising:
- (a) a pair of legs each having a forward bend at the knee;
- (b) a skate blade with a tab that is inserted through a slot in a sole of a skate and into a slot a lower end of each leg, the skate and skate blade being secured to the leg;
- (c) a leg rod between the legs adapted to permit adjustment of the distance between the legs;
- (d) the legs attached to a hip section, the hip section having a post extending upwardly therefrom;
- (e) a torso/head combination having a vertical hole in the bottom that fits on the post;
- (f) a shoulder rod extending through the torso/head combination at the shoulders;
- (g) a pair of short shoulder pipes rotatably attached to each end of the shoulder rod;
- (h) a pair of elongated rigid upper arms pivotally attached by an upper end to each of the shoulder pipes;
- (i) a pair of elongated rigid forearms pivotally attached by an upper end to a lower end of each of the upper arms; and
- (j) a pair of short hand pipes rotatably attached to a lower end of each of the forearms.
2. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the dummy is outfitted in hockey equipment.
3. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the hip section includes a rigid plate and a block atop the plate.
4. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein that blade is composed of a ½ inch thick rigid material.
5. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the leg rod is adjustable by a nut on each side of each leg.
6. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the legs are molded to include hockey equipment.
7. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the upper arms and forearms are plates.
8. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the upper arms and forearms are molded.
9. The hockey screening dummy of claim 1 wherein the shoulder pipes include a shoulder plate extending at approximately a 45 degree angle, and wherein the upper arm is attached at the shoulder plate.
10. A hockey screening dummy comprising:
- (a) a pair of legs each having a forward bend at the knee;
- (b) a skate blade with a tab that is inserted through a slot in a sole of a skate and into a slot a lower end of each leg, the skate and skate blade being secured to the leg;
- (c) a leg rod between the legs with nuts on either side of each leg, the nuts permitting adjustment of the distance between the legs;
- (d) the legs attached to a rigid plate;
- (e) a block attached to the top of the rigid plate;
- (f) a post extending upwardly from the block;
- (g) a torso/head combination having a vertical hole in the bottom that fits on the post;
- (h) a shoulder rod extending through the torso/head combination at the shoulders;
- (i) a pair of short shoulder pipes rotatably attached to each end of the shoulder rod, a shoulder plate extending from the shoulder pipe at approximately a 45 degree angle;
- (j) a pair of elongated rigid upper arms pivotally attached by an upper end to each of the shoulder plates;
- (k) a pair of elongated rigid forearms pivotally attached by an upper end to a lower end of each of the upper arms; and
- (l) a pair of short hand pipes rotatably attached to a lower end of each of the forearms.
11. The hockey screening dummy of claim 10 wherein the dummy is outfitted in hockey equipment.
12. The hockey screening dummy of claim 10 wherein the legs are molded to include hockey equipment.
13. The hockey screening dummy of claim 10 wherein the upper arms and forearms are plates.
14. The hockey screening dummy of claim 10 wherein the upper arms and forearms are molded.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 28, 2014
Publication Date: Mar 17, 2016
Inventor: William E. FARRINGTON (Sandwich, MA)
Application Number: 14/786,613