Systems and methods for securing bases, home plates, pitcher's rubbers, and double bases to synthetic turf

Abstract

An anchor includes a frame assembly and a removable cover plug. The frame assembly includes an access frame having a bottom and a wall defining an upper opening and a cavity therein, a first flexible seal extends above the upper opening of the wall, and at least one vertical member is in communication with the cavity of the access frame. The plug is operable for covering opening in the access frame. The plug includes a platform for supporting synthetic turf on the platform. When the plug is removed, at least one stanchion of a base, a home plate, a double base, or a pitcher's rubber is engageable with the vertical member.

1 . An anchor system attachable to a support structure for securing a base, a home plate, a double base, or a pitcher's rubber on synthetic turf for playing baseball and softball, said anchor system comprising:
 a frame assembly comprising:
 an access frame having a bottom and a peripheral wall defining an upper opening and a cavity therein; 
 a first flexible seal extending above said upper opening of said peripheral wall of said access frame; 
 at least one vertical member accessible via the cavity; 
   a removable cover plug for supporting synthetic turf; and   wherein said frame assembly being fixedly attachable to the support structure under the synthetic turf, and said cover plug operable for covering the cavity in the access frame; and   wherein when said cover plug is removed, the base, the home plate, the double base, or the pitcher's rubber is disposable over said upper opening of said access frame with at least one stanchion of the base, the home plate, the double base, or the pitcher's rubber engageable with said at least one vertical member.   
     
     
         2 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one vertical member comprise a vertical hollow sleeve that extends below said bottom of said frame assembly, and said at least one vertical hollow sleeve comprises a closed lower end disposable in the support structure. 
     
     
         3 . The anchor system of  claim 2  wherein said at least one vertical hollow sleeve comprises a cap extending across a passageways of said vertical hollow sleeve to form a closed lower end of said vertical hollow sleeve, and said cap extending laterally outward from said vertical hollow sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The anchor system of  claim 2  wherein said at least one vertical hollow sleeve comprises an upper portion disposed in said cavity of said frame assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The anchor system of  claim 2  further comprising at least one leveling stanchion support disposable in said passageway of said at least one vertical hollow sleeve for supporting the stanchion of the base, the home plate, the double base, or the pitcher's rubber. 
     
     
         6 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said frame assembly further comprises a horizontal plate secured to and disposed around said at least one vertical member to define a support for fixedly securing the anchor system in the support structure. 
     
     
         7 . The anchor system of  claim 6  further comprising a plurality of bolts extending through said horizontal plate, lower portions of said plurality of bolts being disposable below said horizontal plate and fixedly securable in the support structure, and upper portions of said plurality of bolts disposable above said horizontal plate and releasably attachable to said bottom of said frame assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said frame assembly comprises a pair of half sections formed from a planar member with folded sides to provide a pair of vertical peripheral walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, and a pair of horizontal walls to define said bottom of said frame assembly; 
 a plurality of half section seal supports formed from a planar member with folded sides to provide a pair of vertical peripheral walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, and a pair of offset vertical walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, said offset vertical walls attachable to inner surfaces of said peripheral wall; and 
 a plurality of half section turf ledges sections formed from a planar member with folded sides to provide a pair of vertical walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, a pair of upper horizontal ledges disposed at ninety degrees from each other, and a pair of lower horizontal portions disposed at ninety degrees from each other. 
 
     
     
         9 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said frame assembly comprises a drain attached to said peripheral wall. 
     
     
         10 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said first flexible seal comprises an upper portion and a downwardly-depending U-shaped portion. 
     
     
         11 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said cover plug comprises at least one stanchion engageable with the vertical member of the frame assembly; 
 a platform of said cover plug comprises a peripheral, downwardly-depending wall; and 
 said cover plug further comprising a plurality of L-shaped members having a horizontal leg attachable to said platform and a vertical leg for supporting a second flexible seal. 
 
     
     
         12 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one vertical member comprises a single hollow vertical member for use in engaging the at least one stanchion comprising a single stanchion of the base or a single stanchion of the home plate. 
     
     
         13 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one vertical member comprises a pair of spaced apart hollow vertical members for use in engaging the at least one stanchion comprising a pair of stanchions of the double base or a pair of stanchions of the pitcher's rubber. 
     
     
         14 . The anchor system of  claim 1  comprising:
 a plurality of anchor systems of  claim 1  for locating in the support structure relative to a location of a baseball diamond. 
 
     
     
         15 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein:
 an upper end of said peripheral wall defining an upper opening to said cavity of said frame assembly; and 
 said first flexible seal comprising a first flexible seal extending from and above said upper end portion of said peripheral wall allowing access to said upper opening of said frame assembly. 
 
     
     
         16 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one vertical member is aligned with a center of the peripheral wall. 
     
     
         17 . The anchor system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said frame assembly comprises an elongated frame assembly; and 
 said at least one vertical member comprises a pair of spaced apart vertical members; and 
 different ones of said pair of spaced apart vertical members is aligned adjacent to said peripheral wall at opposite ends of the frame assembly. 
 
     
     
         18 . An anchor system attachable to a support structure for securing a component or device from a synthetic turf field, said anchor system comprising:
 a frame assembly comprising:
 an access frame having a bottom and a peripheral wall defining an upper opening and a cavity therein; 
 a first flexible seal extending above said upper opening of said peripheral wall of said access frame; 
 at least one vertical member accessible via the cavity; 
   a removable cover plug for supporting synthetic turf; and   wherein said frame assembly being fixedly attachable to the support structure under the synthetic turf, and said cover plug operable for covering the cavity in the access frame; and   wherein when said cover plug is removed, an elongated member of the component or device is disposable over said upper opening of said access frame and engageable with said at least one vertical member for supporting the component or device from the synthetic turf field.   
     
     
         19 . The anchor system of  claim 18  wherein said at least one vertical member comprise a vertical hollow sleeve that extends below said bottom of said access frame, and said at least one vertical hollow sleeve comprises a closed lower end disposable in the support structure. 
     
     
         20 . The anchor system of  claim 18  wherein:
 said access frame comprises a pair of half sections formed from a planar member with folded sides to provide a pair of vertical walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, and a pair of horizontal walls to define said bottom of said access frame; 
 a plurality of half section seal supports formed from a planar member with folded sides to provide a pair of vertical walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, and a pair of offset vertical walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, said offset vertical walls attachable to inner surfaces of said wall; and 
 a plurality of half section turf ledges sections formed from a planar member with folded sides to provide a pair of vertical walls disposed at ninety degrees from each other, a pair of upper horizontal ledges disposed at ninety degrees from each other, and a pair of lower horizontal portions disposed at ninety degrees from each other.