Tilt-System for our Basketball Pole
With 3 boys and their friends, having a basketball pole has been a great thing. Our Goalrilla has provided many hours and years of fun. The only problem is that the hoop and backboard get in the way of truck deliveries. For years I have guided trucks back to the large overhead door...ever watchful that they don't hit the basketball hoop....or worse, the glass backboard.
So the challenge was obvious: Design a basketball pole hinge so it could be tilted back far enough that the hoop and backboard would be out of the way of the trucks. Of course, it had to be simple to tilt, solid as a rock when upright, and able to withstand wind in all weather conditions when tilted back.
Several truckers have mentioned to me that they have the same problem with basketball poles at other deliveries, so I know we are not the only people with this challenge.
If you have a basketball pole that gets in the way of your vehicles, perhaps this tilting basketball pole solution will help you too.
Brainstorming designs: Although I have had the privilege of designing, patenting, and manufacturing a variety of unique mechanical devices during my life, I was eager to consult with my father-in-law for ideas. He has been an innovator for more years than I have been alive, and there isn't anything he can't build, repair, or fabricate.
I was not disappointed. As soon as I described what I wanted to accomplish, he had several immediate suggestions for how we could do it. We were off and running...
We brainstormed several different options including adding a plate and hinge on the bottom, using a tractor turnbuckle to tilt and stabilize the pole, and a variety of other hinging ideas. We wanted to make it as simple as possible, with a design that would let one person do it. That would not be easy with a 360 pound apparatus...especially since most of it is leveraged 6 feet in front of the pole.
We also wanted to be able to do the whole project with the pole in place so we wouldn't have to lay it down, or build a scaffolding or use a fork-lift or tractor bucket. So the logical question was, "How could we cut a 360 pound apparatus in half without suspending the upper section with some type of external system?"
I'll show you the final results next, then some pictures of how we designed it, cut the pole in half, made the pieces, and attached them to the pole.
Tilted back, the hoop is now completely out of the way of trucks.
Right: Don Thomas, my father-in-law, shared his expertise, wire-fed welder, and other tools for the project.
Step-by-step Process
Calculations and Angles: The first step was to calculate the necessary angle of tilt that would be required so the front of the rim would be even with the front of the pole when tilted back. Taking into consideration the 6 feet of overhang to the front of the rim, and the radius of the tilting angle, I calculated that it would need a 35.6 degree angle.
NAH! I didn't use any math. I just got a 2x4 to simulate the pole, and screwed a 1x2 to it that represented the amount of overhang to the front of the rim (left below). I angled it back until the front of the horizontal piece was even with the front of the pole and drew a line on the pole where the 2x4 crossed...perpendicular to the 2x4, at the height where I wanted to make the cut. You will see that diagonal line later in this sequence of pictures.
Next, I made a template out of card paper.
By the way, this procedure is similar to how I design my products. It starts with brainstorming, then pencil drawings, then cardboard shapes, then plastic or wood, then functional prototypes, then production molds.
The next step was to place marks on the pole where I wanted to make the cut. I wanted the cut as high as possible so that I would have room to drive my lawn mower under the pole when tilted back. But I also had to make sure the crank handle that controls the height of the rim would not be affected by the new angle.
The next step was to make a plastic template that would simulate the actual size and shape of the side plates and brackets. I bolted a large clear piece of plastic to a 90-degree plastic bracket and taped the bracket on the back of the pole. Using a clear piece of plastic made it easy to see through it and mark it with a Sharpie pen into the final desired shape shown further down.
To cut the proper curve on the front, I simply held a Sharpie against the plastic aligned with the front of the pole (above), and then rotated the plastic upward. As it rotated upward, the stationary pen marked a perfect curved line in relation to the pivot point. I did the same thing to make the curved slot (below). I stopped rotating the plastic when the top red line was parallel to the diagonal line. The curved shape of the back of the side plate (right side in these pictures) was drawn freehand.
The next picture shows the clear plastic side plate after being cut out along the red lines, with a 9/16" wide slot cut for the 1/2" all-thread bolt that would hold the pole when it was tilted in the back position.
When I had the clear side-plate template and the 90-degree bracket cut to the exact shape I wanted, my Dad torch-cut the steel pieces in his shop. The side plate and angle-iron pieces are 3/8" thick.
Cutting the Pole
We cut the pole with a commonly available metal-cutting disk and a small grinder. We cut the back and sides and let the pole rock forward a little. In order to cut the pole in half without using any scaffolding or lifting device, we would leave the front cut until after we had welded the bracket and side-plates on and inserted the all-thread rod as shown further down.
The next picture shows the back and sides completely cut. We propped a board under the overhanging structure to keep it from falling forward. To be on the safe side, we also tied a rope from the top of the pole back to a tree. In this picture, Dad is grinding the edges to clean them up.
We then tilted the pole back to a straight up position, and propped it tightly so there was no gap in the cut on the back of the pole. We then used the body grinder to remove the paint from the welding areas.
We then clamped the assembled left side plate and bracket in place and welded the bracket to the back of the lower pole section. The top of the bracket was 1/4" below the cut-line to give us a little "meat" for the weld.
With the bracket welded and the bolt snug, we aligned the plate. Since we had not yet cut the front of the pole in this picture, the pole is tilted backward slightly (the width of the cut), so we couldn't use a level to align the side plate. Rather, we used a large square (below) to make sure the top edge of the side plate was perpendicular to the top section of the pole. We then tightened the clamp.
The next step was to weld the side plate to the top section of the pole.
The same process was then repeated for the other side.
With both side plates welded in place, we cut the front of the pole. The board that was propping it up kept upward pressure on it so the pole did not pinch the cutting blade.
The next step was to drill the holes for the 1/2" all-thread bolt. As soon as the bolt was installed, the project was functional, and we let it tilt all the way back.
Though not necessary, we welded a piece of steel on the front to cover the gap when it was upright. You will notice in the "tilted back" picture that we needed to bend the front-top of the bottom section inward so the added piece would clear it as the pole was tilted forward. Again, this front cover is mostly cosmetic as there is plenty of beef and secure welding with the side plates.
As you can see, we cleaned up the welds and painted the new parts black to match the rest of the pole and to protect against rust.
We used 1/2 Grade 8 bolts with double nuts for the hinge brackets. These bolts and the all-thread rod in the front are snug so there is no "play" in the metal-to-metal slip-fits.
Pulling the pole back
This picture shows me pulling the pole back. Actually, this is a lot easier with two people since there is a lot of overhanging weight.
As soon as most of the weight is over the hinge, it is easy for one person to handle. Its weight holds it in the tilted-back position without needing to tighten the all-thread rod.
Pushing it forward
It is easier for one person to push it forward than to pull it back since there isn't as much overhanging leveraged weight when back. But it is still easier with two people. As it pivots past the hinge, because of the tightness of the all-thread rod creating friction against the side-plates, it is easy for one person to let it go to the straight up position gently.
Throughout the tilting process, most of the weight is above the hinge, so it is handling the majority of the 360 pounds.
If you are considering doing this with your basketball pole, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to look at some of my inventions in case you are interested for your own use, or for your company or organization.
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