Baseball training system and method

• US 20050209027A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Inventors: Joseph, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,066,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/431
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/001 Targets or goals with ball-returning means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0097 Ball rebound walls with holes or in combination with nets A63B63/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/406 with rotating discs, wheels or pulleys gripping and propelling the balls or bodies by friction

Abstract

A baseball training system and method for training a player is shown. The baseball system and method includes a collector for collecting thrown balls and directing them to a throwback unit which has multiple adjusters for adjusting various characteristics of a ball being thrown back. The throwback unit can be adjusted to accommodate different ball sizes to change a trajectory of a ball being thrown back by the throwback unit.

Claims

1. A baseball training system comprising:

a target;

a collector for collecting balls thrown at the target by a thrower;

a throwback unit associated with said collector for receiving collected balls back to said thrower;

said throwback unit comprising;

a base;

a drive motor mounted on said base;

a wheel coupled to said drive motor; and

a guide, at least one of said wheel or said guide being adjustable to permit adjustment of a characteristic of said baseball training system.

2. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characteristic comprises a throwback trajectory of a ball thrown by the throwback unit.

3. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characteristic comprises a ball size for a ball to be thrown back by the throwback unit.

4. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said throwback unit comprises a ball size adjuster for adjusting a relative distance between said wheel and said guide to accommodate balls having different circumferences.

5. The throwback system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system further comprises:

a guide adjuster for adjusting a position of said guide relative to said wheel in order to change a trajectory of a ball thrown back to said player bay said throwback unit.

6. The throwback system as recited in claim 5 wherein said system comprises:

a motor mount on which said drive motor is mounted;

a ball size adjuster for adjusting a position of said wheel in response to a ball size.

7. The throwback system as recited in claim 1 wherein said ball size adjuster comprises:

a motor mount on which said drive motor is coupled;

a ball size adjuster for adjusting a position of said wheel in order to move said wheel towards and away from said guide.

8. The baseball training system as recited in claim 6 wherein said adjuster comprising a rotatable crank for raising and lowering said wheel to said guide.

9. The baseball training system as recited in claim 4 wherein said ball size adjuster comprises a preset gauge for receiving a ball to be thrown back, said preset gauge gauging a size of said ball so that when said adjuster is adjusted to a size of said ball, a distance between said guide and said wheel is set, said distance generally corresponding to said size.

10. The baseball training system as recited in claim 4 wherein said system comprises an indicator for indicating a distance between said wheel and said gauge, said distance generally corresponding to a size of the ball.

11. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said throwback unit comprises a track for guiding balls toward said wheel, said collector comprising a floor that is angled relative to the ground in order to direct balls toward said track of said throwback unit.

12. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said throwback unit is portable and detachable from said collector.

13. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said collector comprises a collapsible frame at least one wheel to enable the collector to be moved.

14. The baseball training system as recited in claim 12 wherein said throwback unit comprises a handle and at least one throwback wheel couple to said base to enable the throwback unit to be moved.

15. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said throwback unit comprises a handle and at least one throwback wheel couple to said base to enable the throwback unit to be moved.

16. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system comprises:

a speed measure for measuring a speed of a ball thrown at said target.

17. The baseball training system as recited in claim 1 wherein said speed measurer is mounted on said collector.

31. The throwback system as recited in claim 12 wherein said throwback unit comprises at least one throwback wheel and a handle to enable the throwback unit to be moved.

18. A throwback system comprising:

a base;

a drive motor mounted on said base;

a wheel coupled to and driven by said drive motor; and

a guide;

at least one of said wheel or said guide being adjustable to permit adjustment of a characteristic of said throwback system.

19. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said characteristic comprises a throwback trajectory of a ball thrown by the throwback unit.

20. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said characteristic comprises a ball size distance between said guide and said wheel to enable said unit to accommodate different sizes.

21. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said throwback unit comprises an adjuster for adjusting a relative distance between said wheel and said guide to accommodate balls having different circumferences.

22. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said system further comprises:

a guide adjuster for adjusting a position of said guide relative to said wheel in order to change a trajectory of a ball thrown back to said player.

23. The throwback system as recited in claim 22 wherein said adjuster comprises:

a motor mount on which said drive motor is coupled;

a wheel position adjuster for adjusting a position of said wheel in order to move said wheel towards and away from said guide.

24. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said adjuster comprises:

a motor mount on which said drive motor is coupled;

a wheel position adjuster for adjusting a position of said wheel in order to move said wheel towards and away from said guide.

25. The throwback system as recited in claim 23 wherein said arm is a rotatable crank that cooperates with a nut mounted on said base to raise or lower said wheel.

26. The throwback system as recited in claim 21 wherein said adjuster comprises a preset gauge for receiving a ball to be thrown back, said preset gauge receiving said ball so that when said adjuster is adjusted to a size of said ball using said gauge, a ball distance between said guide and said wheel becomes established in response thereto.

27. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said system comprises an indicator for indicating a distance between said wheel and said gauge, said distance generally corresponding to a size of the ball.

28. The throwback system as recited in claim 25 wherein said system comprises an indicator for indicating a distance between said wheel and said gauge, said distance generally corresponding to a size of the ball.

29. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said collector comprises a floor that is angled relative to the ground in order to direct balls to the throwback unit.

30. The throwback system as recited in claim 18 wherein said throwback system comprises at least one wheel mounted on said base for moving said throwback system.

32. A method for returning thrown balls to a player, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a throwback unit;

situating said throwback unit in operative relationship with a collector for collecting balls thrown at a target associated with the collector;

adjusting said throwback unit to accommodate a desired ball size; and

adjusting said throwback unit to return a ball along a predetermined ball return trajectory.

33. The method for returning thrown balls to a player as recited in claim 32 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

rotating a crank to change said predetermined ball return trajectory.

34. The method for returning thrown balls to a player as recited in claim 32 wherein said throwback unit comprises a drive motor for rotatably driving a wheel, said wheel cooperating with a guide to throw return a ball along said predetermined ball return trajectory, said method further comprises the step of:

rotating a crank to change a distance between said wheel and said guide in order when it is desired to change a size of a ball to be returned.