Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7775910 | Ball game kit A ball game kit is easily carried and readily assembled to facilitate play in recreational areas such as parks or beaches. The kit includes a container housing paddles, balls, and a unilateral court assembly appointed to be laid on a ground surface and secured there... | 08/17/2010 |
| 7608000 | System for playing a game A multiplayer game, having rules with aspects of the games of Four Square and Volleyball, is played with an apparatus that can optionally be respectively disassembled and set up. ... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7582029 | Method for playing a game of ball A ball game platform and a method to play a ball game on said platform are disclosed. The ball game platform comprising a rectangular surface divided into two sections with boundary lines and a middle line, and a duel pole set on one end of the middle line. The meth... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7544137 | Sports simulation system A sports simulation system includes a projectile tracking apparatus having a display surface on which a visually apparent three-dimensional sports scene is presented. The projectile tracking apparatus captures images of a projectile tracking region disposed in front... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7507169 | Method for creating coopertition One embodiment of the invention is a system and method for creating cooperation and gracious professionalism during a competition. According to one embodiment of the invention, a first participating player, team, or alliance is motivated to cooperate with a second p... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7462114 | Rebound system The present specification describes sporting equipment methods and apparatus that may be used for ball play, and may be particularly useful for ball rebounding. One aspect of the novel sporting equipment described herein relates to the adjustability of a rebounder. ... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7369038 | Automated detection system for sports fields and the like A computer monitoring system includes a processor and sensors electrically thereto that are positioned beneath the playing surface directly below a boundary line. The sensors are connected in series to the processor such that each sensor is independently activated a... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7361104 | Automated ball game training and playing system A ball game system for training and/or play comprising one or more playing areas suitably large to accommodate running and jumping players, each playing area including adjacent surface areas forming a court and having distinctly different properties, such as a first... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7357728 | Human free-fall slide A slide and process of using the slide for humans' amusement, recreation and entertainment. The slide is an inflatable apparatus comprising a slide device and an airbag device. The slide device is an inflatable bag having a slide segment. The airbag device has a bot... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7354351 | False surface for amusement ride special effect A pair of opposed inflatable bladders form a false floor, ceiling or wall having a seam through which an object support is propelled, deforming the inflatable bladders around the support, thereby giving the appearance that an object mounted on the support above the ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7338047 | Ball pitching game and method The present invention discloses a bowling/pitching game that can be played virtually anywhere a substantially flat surface can be found and is enjoyable for adults as well as children. The playing field includes a distance marker and a scoring goal comprised of an o... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7326132 | Lacrosse shooting range and supporting mechanisms A system and supporting mechanisms for practicing the art of shooting at a lacrosse goal maximizes the area to practice running and shooting movements, while minimizing the area required doing so, while best representing the field's dimensions. The invention compris... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7300354 | Inflatable slide or bouncer An inflatable structure includes a first inflatable section having an interior open to an airflow from a blower, and a second inflatable section attached to the first inflatable section and having an interior that is substantially closed from the airflow such that i... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7297076 | Method and apparatus for retractable enclosure A method for assembling a sports enclosure includes coupling a driving gear to an upper support structure, coupling a net having an upper edge and a lower edge to the upper support structure such that an enclosure is at least partially defined by the net, and coupli... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7281999 | Cater-cornered basketball backboard and hoop An indoor basketball backboard and hoop positioned in an unfolding mode in a cater-corner orientation to maximize play area and in proximity to a door to cause opening movement of the door to restore by folding the backboard and hoop into a flat storage condition on... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278935 | Sports goal The invention relates to sports goals for games such as football, rugby, hockey etc, where the goals are formed by uprights and crossbars. Because of security issues, there are many instances where goals must be removed for storage when not in use, but secured in pl... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7247105 | Convertible game apparatus A reconfigurable multi-sport, game apparatus is disclosed. The reconfigurable multi-sport, game apparatus includes multiple, separate target portions and a ball return portion. The multi-sport, game apparatus a basketball basket, a first target portion configured to... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7244200 | Lacrosse stick pocket creator A device for shaping the mesh of a lacrosse stick head includes a ball similar in size to a lacrosse ball and carried by an elongated handle. A positioning rod is detachably connected to the handle and adapted to extend transverse to the plane of the head and serve ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7241235 | Tamper resistant fastener for sports netting A vandal resistant sports goal net clip, or fastener, for attaching nets to the frames of sports goals. The fasteners are difficult to remove by hand and require the use of a separate tool to attach and remove the net from the frame. Sports goal assemblies and metho... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7223185 | Hide-behind bunker system and kit with impact dampening anchors A hide-behind bunker system and kit for enabling a user to take cover behind at least one stand-alone, impact dampening structure. The system comprises at least one inflatable hide-behind structure cooperatively associated with an impact dampening anchor system. The... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7223187 | Method of using a frameless portable suspension system A frameless portable suspension system includes a tensional two-dimensional material having a frameless perimeter, opposite upper corners, and a bottom secured to ground, the tensional two-dimensional material located in a vertical plane perpendicular to the ground;... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7219438 | System for operating one or more suspended laser projectors to project a temporary visible image onto a surface A temporary visible image, such as a first down reference line, corporate logo, or text is projected onto a target surface by an orientation-stabilized, fiber-fed laser projector. The projector may include at least one cylindrical lens or at least one pair of X-Y sc... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7192030 | Ballgame A game of throw and catch where the object is for one team to get another team to drop or not catch a ball a predetermined number of times. A playing field has a first scoring area and a second scoring area distal from the first scoring area and an out-of-bounds are... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7192359 | System, computer program product and method for recording and analyzing performance data A system, a computer program product and a method for registration and analysis of data from a practised stage, and for generation of action programs in dependence of said data. Preferably, the system and the method are adapted for the analysis of the player propert... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7182704 | Automated ball game training and playing system A ball game system for training and/or play comprising a one or more playing areas suitably large to accommodate running and jumping players, each playing area including adjacent surface areas forming a court and having distinctly different properties, such as a fir... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7160214 | Portable backstop game apparatus A game apparatus is disclosed including a barrier member, a net, and a frame. The barrier member has two opposed major surfaces and an aperture passing through the opposed major surfaces. The net is positioned adjacent one of the major surfaces of the barrier member... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7156762 | Method and apparatus for playing a combination football/basketball game A combined football/basketball game is provided. In the game, initially an offensive team attempts to score a touchdown against a defensive team pursuant to an American rules football style of game play. When the offensive team scores a touchdown, the mode of game p... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7154540 | System for enhancing video Pan, tilt and zoom sensors are coupled to a broadcast camera in order to determine the field of view of the broadcast camera and to make a rough estimate of a target's location in the broadcast camera's field of view. Pattern recognition techniques can be used to de... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7153136 | Free fall simulator A free fall simulator with a flight chamber, a fan system to generate airflow in the flight chamber, and a noise attenuation housing substantially enclosing the fan system. ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7150178 | Golf ball COR testing machine The present invention comprises an automated machine for testing the physical properties of spherical objects. Preferably, the apparatus comprises a firing mechanism that includes an inner and outer barrel. An object inside the firing mechanism is propelled towards ... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7150688 | Extendable retractable barrier A protective barrier for use on a baseball field that is actuated by motion sensors that are housed within a structured base. The protective barrier is actuated when a projectile such as a baseball travels through the sensors line of sight. The barrier serves to sen... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7131918 | Baseball game and playing field An improved baseball game reduces idle time between successive pitches by having two pitchers pitch sequential pitches to two batters. The pitchers are stationed at two spaced pitching mounds on one playing field and the batters are positioned in spaced batters boxe... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7108608 | Inflatable bouncer An inflatable bouncer includes an inflatable bottom section, an inflatable inner column coupled to a center of the bottom section, and a plurality of inflatable columns around a periphery of the bottom section. An uninflated roof extends between the inner column and... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7104902 | Throw and catch game and method of playing same A throwing and catching game makes use of a series of pylons known as poles that operate analogously to a hole in the game of golf. In the course of play, a player advances the ball, or other throwing object, by throwing the object or the ball in the air and catchin... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7093834 | Baseball-like game device and method of playing A baseball-like game device and a method of playing the device are disclosed. The device includes a bat; a cork having a truncated conical shape; a “single” marker strip; a “double” marker strip; a “triple” marker strip; and a “home run” marker strip... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7095312 | System and method for tracking identity movement and location of sports objects A method and apparatus for tracking location and flight path attributes of one or more sports objects, associating the sports objects with individual players, mapping each sports object location and a flight path to surrounding field of play, and allowing each playe... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7094164 | Trajectory detection and feedback system A trajectory detection and feedback system is described. The system is capable of detecting one or more moving objects in free flight, analyzing a trajectory of each object and providing immediate feedback information to a human that has launched tile object into fl... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7090595 | Dictionary dazzle This patent application describes equipment used to play a contact or semi-contact game that is played on a field. The object of the game's for athletics to battle against one another to gain access into the equipment that is a mound and the device atop the mound ca... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7090596 | Sport training and game device A device is disclosed which includes a base and a pair of substantially vertical members supported by the base. A horizontal member extends substantially horizontally between the vertical members. A first mechanism selectively adjusts the vertical position of the ho... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7074139 | Athletic throwing technique training apparatus and methods Methods and apparatus for training a trainee to achieve or maintain proper throwing technique by attaining proper form, position, and movement of the legs, hips, torso, and shoulders of the trainee and without the use of the throwing arm of the trainee. An apparatus... | 07/11/2006 |
