Columbia Insurance Company

Biocore LLC

Shaw Industries Group, Inc.

Philipe Aldahir

Cab Bramlett

Jeff Crandall

Jim Burns

Edward Meade Spratley

Jared Yoder

Thomas Cisneros

Richard Kent

Jeff Lipari

Tom Odum

Derek S Bass

Jeremy Dutton

Trevor Sands

A mobile apparatus that is automated to measure controlled and applied forces and moments to sport surfaces allowing for performance and safety assessment of athletic apparel and athletic surfaces, such as natural or artificial turf. The apparatus is capable of using not only shear and compressive forces, but also rotational moments, and all prescribed forces and moments in combination at the same or different times. The apparatus and related system can link these forces and moments together and combine them to more closely mimic behaviors of a human foot during an athletic movement, thereby applying and measuring interactions between all forces and moments at the same or different times.

Automated turf testing apparatus and system for using same

Disclosed are artificial turfs having a nonwoven backing layer and a plurality of turf fibers extending through the nonwoven backing layer such that a face side portion of the turf fibers extends from the face side of the nonwoven backing layer and a back side portion of the turf fibers extends from the back side of the nonwoven backing layer, wherein at least a portion of the back side portion of turf fibers are bonded to themselves. Also disclosed herein are the methods of making the same.

Artificial turf and methods of making same

A playing surface assembly that defines at least a portion of a playing surface. The playing surface assembly has a backing, a plurality of reinforcement elements secured to and extending upwardly from the backing, and an infill material defining a top surface of the playing surface assembly. Each reinforcement element has a top end and a reveal distance corresponding to a vertical spacing between the top surface of the playing surface assembly and the top end of the reinforcement element. The reveal distance of each reinforcement element is less than 0.5 inches. In use, the reinforcement elements restrict lateral and vertical migration of the infill material, and the infill material is the primary source of performance characteristics of the playing surface assembly.

Playing surface assemblies and systems, and methods of making and using same

Systems and methods for determining a quantifiable playability of a sports surface are disclosed. Test data is included in a test data matrix. A centroid associated with the test data matrix is determined. Distances of data points to the test data matrix are determined. A playability score is calculated as a function of the determined distances.

Turf playability testing

A mobile apparatus that is automated to measure controlled and applied forces to sport surfaces allowing for safety assessment of athletic apparel and athletic surfaces, such as natural or artificial turf. The apparatus is capable of using not only horizontal and vertical forces, but also rotational moments, and all prescribed forces and moments in combination at the same or different times. The apparatus and related system can apply horizontal and vertical forces, and rotational moments, and link these forces and moments together and combine them to more closely mimic behavior of human foot during an athletic movement, thereby applying and measuring interactions between all forces and moments at the same or different times.

Disclosed are methods for making shock absorbing pads utilizing reclaimed artificial turf and reclaimed carpet materials. It is demonstrated that the artificial turf systems comprising inventive pads exhibit improved Head Impact Criteria (HIC) and cradle-to-cradle score.

Growing community of inventors

Chattanooga, TN, United States of America

Philipe Aldahir