Athletics hurdle

Abstract

An athletics hurdle includes an upper cross bar assembly and a lower cross bar assembly. A post assembly interconnects the upper and lower cross bar assemblies. The post assembly includes a lower arm assembly that is mounted on the lower cross bar, and an upper arm assembly mounted on an upper end of the upper arm assembly. Two legs extend from ends of the lower cross bar assembly so that the hurdle is supported on the legs. The post assembly is mounted on the lower cross bar to be pivotal between an operative position and an inoperative position. Pivotal displacement of the post assembly from the operative position to an intermediate position is against a bias of a biasing mechanism and pivotal displacement of the post assembly from the intermediate position to the inoperative position is with a bias of the biasing mechanism.

1 . An athletics hurdle which comprises:
 an upper cross bar assembly;   a lower cross bar assembly;   a post assembly that interconnects the upper and lower cross bar assemblies, the post assembly comprising a lower arm assembly that is mounted, at a lower end, on the lower cross bar, and an upper arm assembly, the upper cross bar assembly being mounted on an upper end of the upper arm assembly, the upper and lower arm assemblies being displaceable relative to each other to change a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies;   two legs that extend orthogonally from respective ends of the lower cross bar assembly so that the hurdle is supported on the legs, the post assembly being mounted on the lower cross bar to be pivotal between an operative position in which the post assembly is generally orthogonal to the legs, and an inoperative position in which the post assembly is generally aligned with the legs; and   a biasing mechanism interposed between the post assembly and the lower cross bar assembly, the biasing mechanism being configured so that pivotal displacement of the post assembly from the operative position to an intermediate position between the operative and inoperative positions is against a bias of the biasing mechanism and pivotal displacement of the post assembly from the intermediate position to the inoperative position is with a bias of the biasing mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in claim  2 , wherein the post assembly is pivotal with respect to the lower cross bar assembly and the biasing mechanism includes a compression spring assembly that is pivotally mounted on the lower cross bar assembly at an operatively lower end and is engaged with the lower arm assembly at an opposed upper end, an axis of rotation of the compression spring assembly being radially offset from an axis of rotation of the post assembly so that pivoting of the post assembly and the compression spring assembly towards the intermediate position compresses the spring assembly against a bias of the spring assembly, and pivoting of the post assembly and the spring assembly from the intermediate position to the inoperative position expands the spring assembly with a bias of the spring assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 2 , which includes an adjustment mechanism that is interposed between the biasing mechanism and the post assembly, the adjustment mechanism being configured so that relative displacement of the upper and lower arm assemblies to increase a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies compresses the spring assembly against the bias of the spring assembly to increase resistance of the post assembly to pivoting from the operative position to the intermediate position, and relative displacement of the upper and lower arm assemblies to reduce a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies results in expansion of the spring assembly with the bias of the biasing mechanism to reduce resistance of the post assembly to pivoting from the operative position to the intermediate position. 
     
     
         4 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the lower arm assembly includes a tubular lower arm, and the upper arm assembly includes an upper arm that is received in the lower arm, the upper and lower arms being telescopically adjustable relative to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a stop member that is fixed to the lower arm, and a slider that is slidable relative to the stop member, the stop member and the slider being configured so that the slider can slide reciprocally relative to the stop member on a path that is angled operatively rearwardly and upwardly with respect to the lower cross bar assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the stop member and the slider have complementary nesting formations that are shaped so that the relative displacement of the slider and the stop member is constrained to the path. 
     
     
         7 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the complementary nesting formations are in the form of a rail of the slider and a slot of the stop member, the rail being interlocked with the slot to inhibit disconnection from the stop member. 
     
     
         8 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the stop member includes a travel limit formation at an operatively upper end of the path to limit displacement of the slider. 
     
     
         9 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a compression spring is interposed between the slider and the travel limit formation to dampen displacement of the slider. 
     
     
         10 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the upper arm assembly includes a displacement mechanism that is operatively engaged with the slider to displace the slider relative to the stop member, the displacement mechanism being configured so that the slider slides with respect to the stop member towards the lower cross bar assembly as the upper arm assembly is displaced relative to the lower arm assembly to increase a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies, to compress the spring assembly against the bias, and away from the lower cross bar assembly as the upper arm assembly is displaced relative to the lower arm assembly to decrease a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies, to allow the spring assembly to expand with the bias. 
     
     
         11 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the displacement mechanism includes a guide formation, the slider being slidably arranged with respect to the guide formation, the guide formation being oriented so that the slider slides towards the lower cross bar assembly as the upper arm assembly is displaced relative to the lower arm assembly to increase a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies, and away from the lower cross bar assembly as the upper arm assembly is displaced relative to the lower arm assembly to decrease a distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies. 
     
     
         12 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the upper arm is hollow, and the displacement mechanism includes two opposed guide members that are arranged facing each other in the upper arm, the guide formation being in the form of opposed guide channels in respective guide members, the guide channels extending along a line that is angularly offset, in a direction of rotation of the post assembly, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the spring assembly, and the slider including two projections slidingly received in respective guide channels. 
     
     
         13 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the upper arm is tubular and has a rectangular or square cross section with two opposed side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall, and the guide members are in the form of generally flat members that are fastened to respective side walls of the upper arm with the stop member interposed between the guide members. 
     
     
         14 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the lower arm has a rectangular or square cross section with two opposed side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall, with the front and rear walls of the upper arm defining opposed elongate slots to accommodate front and rear sides of the stop member that is fastened to the front and rear walls of the lower arm, the slots being dimensioned to accommodate the stop member as the upper and lower arms are displaced relative to each other to adjust the distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies. 
     
     
         15 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the compression spring assembly includes a strut assembly having a top strut and a bottom strut, the struts being telescopically arranged relative to each other, and upper and lower spring seats mounted on the top and bottom struts, respectively, a coil spring being seated between the spring seats. 
     
     
         16 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the slider is pivotally mounted on an operatively upper end of the top strut. 
     
     
         17 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein an operatively lower end of the bottom strut is pivotally mounted on the lower cross bar assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the lower cross bar assembly includes a cylindrical cross bar and a collar assembly that is rotatably mounted on the cross bar, the lower end of the lower arm of the lower arm assembly being fixed to the collar assembly so that the axis of rotation of the post assembly is collinear with a central, longitudinal axis of the cross bar. 
     
     
         19 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the lower end of the bottom strut is pivotally mounted on the cross bar so that the axis of rotation of the bottom strut is offset from the axis of rotation of the post assembly on an arc between the operative and inoperative positions of the post assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The athletics hurdle as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the upper arm defines a series of openings extending along the length of the upper arm while the lower arm defines a single opening, the openings being dimensioned and positioned so that the upper arm can be displaced relative to the lower arm so that any one of the openings in the upper arm can be brought into register with the opening in the lower arm to allow the distance between the upper and lower cross bar assemblies to be adjusted by pinning the upper and lower arms together.