Surface Marking System for Competitive Throwing and Training

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of applicant's co-pending application Ser. No. 13/585,845 filed Aug. 15, 2012, which claims priority to Provisional application Ser. No. 61/540,540 filed Sep. 29, 2011 the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to improvements in a system and method for determining the point of impact of an object.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

Track and field athletes participating in throwing events such as discus throw, hammer throw, javelin throw, and shot put compete by throwing objects as far as they can in a desired direction. In such a throwing event, particularly one with small variations between the performances of the competitors, there is a desire for maximal accuracy, precision, efficiency and accountability in methods of determining the point of impact of the thrown objects.

Currently, at many levels of competition, the distance travelled of a thrown object is measured between a reference thrower position and a spotter marked point. The spotter marked point being determined by visual spotting by a spotter of the impact of the thrown object with the ground and placement of a marker by the spotter at the spotted point of impact. The performance of this spot and mark measurement method is limited by the ability of the spotter to accurately, precisely, efficiently, and accountably mark the point of impact while maintaining the safety of the spotter.

Currently, when a throwing competitor wishes to train at its event(s), it is reliant upon a spotter to help it determine the length of its throws. Without the help of a spotter the thrower has great difficulty in efficiently evaluating the caliber of each of its throws.

Efficient and reliable determination of the point of impact can be made further difficult by other aspects of the throwing event. Many throwing events are held on modern synthetic playfields on which thrown objects may leave little physical marks on the playfield surface. The location of spotter marks may be perturbed by further throws into the same space. The spotters and throwers must also be careful to ensure that the safety of the spotter is maintained during the spotting process.

It will be appreciated that there is a need for improvement from the spot and mark method in throwing competitions inside and outside of the sport of track and field as well as in other systems in which a point of impact of one object with another is to be determined accurately, precisely, efficiently and accountably.

A number of patents and or publications have been made to address these issues. Exemplary examples of patents and or publication that try to address this /these problem(s) are identified and discussed below.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,604,556 issued Oct. 20, 1999 to John Douglas Witzigreuter discloses a Chalk Marking Projectile. This projectile only allows marking when the projectile makes contact with the front of the projectile. There is no marking system for the projectile when the projectile lands on the side or back of an object being thrown.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,616 issued Jan. 20, 1987 to Carolyn C. Whiting discloses a Marking Projectile. The marking projectile is a ball with an internal core and holes placed around the projectile. The holes allow transfer from the core through the holes to the outside of the ball. This patent does not disclose a marking system for an object that tends to fly in an oriented manner.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,654 issued on Jun. 22, 1965 discloses a Target Hit-Indicating Game. While this marking system operates with an oriented projectile, the projectile only marks when the front of the projectile makes contact with the target. There is no marking system for the projectile when the projectile lands on the side or back of an object being thrown.

What is needed is a marking system integrated into a thrown athletic article. The marking system disclosed in this document provides a solution that allows the thrown object to mark initial impact from multiple sides of the thrown object.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the surface marking system for competitive throwing and training to be capable of being thrown, launched, projected or otherwise caused to impact (hereinafter thrown) a second object, has one or more cavities for storing a marking agent and a marking agent within the one or more cavities. The cavities having an orifice through which the marking agent may pass and be deposited onto the second object upon impact of the first object with the second object.

It is another object of the surface marking system for competitive throwing and training to provide a system by the use of which the point of impact of a first object with a second object can be accurately, precisely, efficiently, durably, safely, and accountably marked on the second object by a marking agent born with the first object.

It is another object of the surface marking system for competitive throwing and training to provide a marking agent delivery mechanism which may be implemented with various impacting objects including but not limited to discus, shot puts, hammers and javelins.

It is another object of the surface marking system for competitive throwing and training to be capable of being implemented in multiple fashions with each impacting object, including but not limited to centrally, radially, and circumferentially.

In yet another object of the surface marking system for competitive throwing and training to permit the use of varying marking agents so as to permit specific choice of marking agent to suit the marking object, to suit the object to be marked, to indicate an aspect of the thrower, and/or for aesthetic or other purposes.

It is still another object of the surface marking system for competitive throwing and training to provide a means of accurately, precisely, efficiently, durably, safely and accountably marking the point of impact of the object.

Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a discus.

FIG. 2 is a partial section view of the discus of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the discus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a shot put.

FIG. 5 is perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a javelin.

FIG. 6 is perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a hammer.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pouch/bag which may contain the marking agent for easy insertion into the thrown object 10.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tool for removing the cap 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

REFERENCE NUMERALS

10 thrown object

12 discus

14 cap

16 screen

18 marking material cavity

20 shot put

22 filler plug

24 javelin

26 filler plug

28 marking material

30 marking material pouch top

32 marking material pouch body

34 twist cap removal tool teeth

36 twist cap removal tool handle

38 pouch

40 cap removal tool

42 cap removal tool insert holes

44 hammer

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout.

A first preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1-3 that shows a thrown object 10. This thrown object is a substantially lenticular disc or discus 12 comprising one or more cavities 18. The cavities 18 may alternatively be circumferential or central to the object 10. The internal cavity provides storage for marking material that can pass from the interior of the cavity to the outside of the cavity when the thrown object comes into contact with the ground. Because the first point of contact of the thrown object with the ground is the point measured by officials, the discus 12 can come into contact with either the top or bottom surface or an outer edge. Because the first point of contact can be the outer edge the reservoir further extends to the outer edge of the thrown object.

Another preferred embodiment of a thrown object 10 is shown in FIG. 4 as a substantially spherical 20 object that comprises one or more cavities 18. The cavities 18 may alternatively be radial or circumferential to the object in the shape of a band. The object 10 may alternatively comprise an attached rigid or flexible handle. Because this object can land on any side of the thrown object 10 the object has markings on opposing sides and as a band around the thrown object.

Still another preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 5 as thrown object 10 configured as an elongated shaft 24 having an end suitable for impacting a second object or the ground. The elongated shaft 24 may comprise one or more cavities 18 within the impact suitable end or along the extended length of the thrown object that allows for marking if the thrown object 10 lands flat on one side or on the tail end of the elongated shaft 24.

Still another preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 as thrown object 10 configured as a hammer 44 that comprises one or more cavities 18. The cavities 18 may alternatively be radial or circumferential to the object. The object is attached rigid or flexible handle. Because this object 10 can land on any side of the thrown object 10 the object has markings on opposing sides and as a band around the thrown object.

Each cavity 18 is capable of containing a marking agent 28 and is externally communicable with the periphery of the object through one or more orifices of the cavity 18. Alternatively, each cavity 18 may be capable of accepting one or more reservoirs capable of containing the marking agent 28. The one or more reservoirs are capable of being removably or irremovably affixed to the object 10. The one or more reservoirs are also externally communicable with the periphery the object 10 through the orifices of the one or more cavities 18 that they occupy.

Each orifice of each cavity 18 and each reservoir is capable of being removably and irremovably capped by permeable and impermeable caps 14, 22, and 26. The impermeable caps 22 and 26 are capable of preventing the marking agent 28 from leaving the cavities 18 or reservoirs through the orifices of the reservoirs or cavities 18 that they cap. The permeable caps 14 are also capable of preventing the marking agent 28 from leaving the reservoirs or cavities 18 that they cap. The permeable caps 14 are additionally capable of permitting the passing of the marking agent 28 through one or more of the reservoir and/or cavity 18 orifices, out of the object 10 and onto a second object onto which the thrown object 10 has impacted. Transmittal of the marking agent 28 through the permeable caps 14 may be by means of a screen 16. The one or more removable caps 14, 22, and 26 may have cap removal tool insert holes 42 with which the cap removal tool teeth 34 of cap removal tool 40 can engage to facilitate removal of the one or more caps by manipulation of the cap removal tool handle 36 with the tool shown in FIG. 8.

In another embodiment one or more caps 14 and or one or more screens 16 may be integral to the thrown object 10.

Each cavity 18 and reservoir is additionally capable of accepting a marking agent containing vessel, such as a pouch 38 shown in FIG. 7 having a pouch top 30 and a pouch body 32, by which marking agent may be introduced into the cavity 18 and/or reservoir. Marking agent may also be introduced into a cavity 18 or reservoir by means of a syringe.

In alternative embodiments the marking agent may comprise flour, chalk, paint, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, Epsom salts, sand, liquid marking agents and another composition of matter suitable for marking an object when it comes into contact with the object.

Although some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as a discus 12, a shot put 20, a javelin 24 and a hammer 44, it should be known by those skilled in the art that the inventive system may be implemented on many other thrown objects, competitively thrown or otherwise.

Thus, specific embodiments of a marking system for a thrown object have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.