US3368689A - Ball inflating bracket - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1968 B .R. PORTERFIELD BALL INELATING BRACKET Filed Nov. 12, 1965 United States Patent 3,368,689 BALL INFLATING BRACKET Burl Raymond Porterfield, Box 335, Tuba City, Ariz. 86045 Filed Nov. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 507,461 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-14) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ball inflating bracket comprising a first arm adapted to be fixed to a support, a socket formed on said first arm, said socket being adapted to receive a manual inflating pump, a second arm connected to and extending laterally from the socket, and a ball supporting cup on the second arm.

This invention relates to inflating devices, for such as the bladders of basketballs and the like, and more particularly to a bracket, adapted to be wall-mounted or otherwise stationarily supported, devised to simultaneously support a bladder containing ball and an inflating pump therefor, in operative relation to each other.

The task of inflating the bladders of balls, such as ibasketballs, is usually performed by positioning and holding the ball in place, on a surface, with one hand, while positioning and operating a manual hand pump, on a surface, with the other hand, with the pump connected to the bladder by means of a flexible tube. This performance is cumbersome, erratic, and onerous, and involves substantial expenditure of time and effort.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a bracket, adapted for rigid mounting on a wall, or other suitable support, which serves to adequately support a ball and the usual manual inflating pump, relative to each other, with the pumps hose connected to the bladder of the ball, in such a manner that the operators hands are freed to operate the pump, with a minimum effort, and at substantial savings in time.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of a device of the present invention, showing a ball and an inflating pump connected thereto, in phantom lines, supported on the device;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, taken through said device;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device, shows fixedly secured to the vertical surface of a wall W, comprises an arm having a pendant flat perpendicular lower portion 12 engaged with the wall surface, and secured in place, as by means of screws 14, extended through openings 16.

The lower arm portion 12 merges, at its upper end, into the lower end of an upwardly and outwardly angled upper arm portion 18, which, at its upper end, is suitably fixed, as indicated at 20, radially with respect to the peripheral edge 22 of a flat horizontal, preferably circular plate 24.

Suitably fixed upon the upper surface of the plate 24,

and concentrically spaced inwardly from its peripheral edge 22, is an upstanding circular wall 26. Suitably fixed, as indicated at 28, to the outer side of the wall 26, and encircling the same, at a location spaced downwardly from the upper. edge 30, of the wall 26, is an annular lateral flange 32. The flange 32 is spaced upwardly from the plate 24 at a distance greater than that between the upper edge 30, of the wall 26, and the flange 32.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the wall 26 is formed with a relatively wide vertical positioning slot 34, opening to its upper edge 30, the slot 34 being provided to receive a lateral lug 36, present on the lower part of the cylindrical housing 38, of a conventional manual ball inflating pump 40, with the lower end of this housing snugly engaged in the socket 42, defined by the wall 26 and the plate 24. This arrangement securely supports the pump 40, on the device, and prevents rotation thereof, in the socket 42, while the pumps handle 44 is being operated. The pump 40' has a hose 46 adapted to be connected to the bladder (not shown) of a ball, such as a basketball 48. The inner edge of the flange 32 exposed by the slot 34 is recessed and downwardly angulated, as indicated at 34, to facilitate entrance of the lug 36 of the pump 40.

The ball 48 is adapted to be supported in a flat circular cup 50, of the same radius of curvature as the ball, which is formed on the outer end portion of a horizontal arm 52. The arm 52 extends laterally outwardly from a ring 54 which is rotatably circumposed on the socket wall 26, and is loosely confined between the flange 32 and the part of the plate 24 which reaches outwardly beyond the wall 26, whereby the arm 52 is freely rotatable around the socket 42.

The arm 52 preferably comprises a flat, horizontally elongated horizontal portion 56, which has an inwardly and downwardly angled inner end 58, which extends below the flange 32 and engages the wall 26. The upper portion 56 is rigidified and braced, relative to the ring 54, by a centered, vertical longitudinal flange 60, fixed to the underside of the portion 56, which, at its inner end, is suitably fixed to the exterior of the ring 54; and, at its outer end, is conformed in shape to and is suitably fixed, as indicated at 62-, to the underside of the cup 50.

In operation, with the ball 48 engaged in the cup 50 and its bladder connected to the hose 46 of the pump 40, the latter being seated in the socket 42, operation of the handle 44 produces inflation of the bladder of the ball 48, without necessity for holding either the ball or the pump.

What is claimed is:

1. A ball inflating bracket comprising a first arm adapted to be fixed to a support, a socket formed on said first arm, said socket being adapted to receive a manual inflating pump, a second arm connected to and extending laterally from the socket, and a ball-supporting cup on the second arm socket comprising a plate fixed to said first arm, an upstanding circular wall fixed on said plate, said wall being spaced from the peripheral edge of the plate, a lateral annular flange fixed on said wall and spaced above said plate, said second arm having a ring circumposed on said wall and confined between the plate and the flange.

2. A ball inflating bracket comprising: a pair of rigidly connected arms, one of said arms extending vertically 4 for attachment to a wall, and the other extending out- References Cited Wardly from said wall, said outwardly extending arm UNITED STATES PATENTS having a pump-receiving cup at its free end defined by a 385 486 7/1888 Thurber 248 309X vertical cylindrical flange surrounding a bottom plate; a 1 098482 6/1914 Combes 248 282X member having at one end an open cylindrical flange 5 1 4 9/1963 Lahive 248 289X and at its opposite end a ball-receiving cup, said flange being sized so as rotatably to engage the flange of said ROY FRAZER P r 1mm y Exammer pump-receiving cup. J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

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