Other

W Bruce Abbott

Karl C Davis

A portable basketball rim rebound testing device 10 is illustrated in two preferred embodiments for testing the rebound or energy absorption characteristics of a basketball rim 12 and its accompanying support to determine likely rebound or energy absorption charcteristics of the system. The apparatus 10 includes a depending frame 28 having a C-clamp 36 for releasably rigidly connecting the frame to the basketball rim 12. A glide weight 60 is mounted on a guide rod 52 permitting the weight 60 to be dropped against a calibrated spring 56 held on an abutment surface on the rod to generate for deflecting the basketball rim and then rebounding the weight upwardly. A photosensor 66 is mounted on the depending frame 28 to sense passage of reflective surfaces 75 on the weight to thereby obtain sufficient data to enable a processing means 26 to calculate the rebound velocity and relate it to an energy absorption percentage rate of the rim system 12. A readout is provided to display the energy absorption percentage.

Portable basketball rim testing device

A portable basketball rim rebound testing device 10 is illustrated as a preferred embodiment for testing the rebound characteristics of a basketball rim 12 and its accompanying support system to determine the rebound characteristics of the system. The apparatus 10 includes a depending frame 28 having a 'C' shaped hook 36 for releasably rigidly connecting the frame to the basketball rim 12. A free weight 60 is mounted on a guide rod 52 permitting the free weight to be dropped and impacting against face plate 56 and ceramic washer 58 to generate a sharp force impulse for deflecting the basketball rim downwardly and then permitting the rim to vibrate. A transducer 24 is mounted on the depending frame 28 to sense either the acceleration or the force being applied to the basketball rim 12 for a period of approximately 50 milliseconds to obtain sufficient information to calculate the rebound characteristics. In this embodiment, a signal processing means 26 to the transducer to process the electrical signal and to determine the magnitude of the force, the average force and to integrate the force over time to determine the impulse applied and absorbed by the basketball rim to determine the rebound characteristics of the basketball rim in a very accurate and consistent manner.

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Cheney, WA, United States of America

W Bruce Abbott