Rotating wheel return mechanism

• US 20060148596A1
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grand Slam Sports, LLC
• Original Assignee: Grand Slam Sports, LLC
• Inventors: Kitson, James A., Allor, Frederick M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,137,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/431
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/025 Installations continuously collecting balls from the playing areas, e.g. by gravity, with conveyor belts
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls

Abstract

A practice machine for receiving a thrown ball and returning it to a user is generally provided with a backstop for stopping the thrown ball, a pan disposed below the backstop for collecting the ball, a ball return adjacent the backstop for expelling the ball, and a trough disposed between the pan and the ball return for feeding the ball from the pan to the ball return. The ball return can adjust between ball sizes and vary the trajectory of expelled balls. Moreover, the ball return can be equipped with safety features including a proximity sensor, audible alerts, speed adjustment and tamper resistant controls. Further, the ball return can alternate between a MANUAL mode and an AUTOMATIC mode. The backstop of the practice machine can be collapsible to permit convenient storage and ease of transportation.

Claims

1. A practice machine for receiving a thrown ball and returning it to a user, the machine comprising:

a backstop for stopping the ball thrown by the user;

a pan disposed beneath the backstop for collecting the ball after it strikes the backstop;

a ball return adjacent the backstop for returning the ball to the user, the ball return comprising;

i) a rotatable wheel affixed to a spindle rotatably driven by a motor;

ii) a ball diameter adjustment mechanism for expelling balls of differing diameter; and

iii) a trajectory adjustment mechanism for varying the trajectory of the expelled ball regardless of the ball'"'"'s diameter;

a housing defining an inner chamber generally enclosing the ball return; and

a trough disposed between the pan and the ball return for feeding the ball from the pan to the ball return.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the trajectory adjustment mechanism comprises:

an angle bracket disposed below the wheel and affixed to a base of the ball return, the angle bracket having a pair of spaced-apart guide plates fixedly connected by at least one support brace therebetween, each guide plate including an arcuate slot; and

a generally U-shaped launch plate disposed between the guide plates of the angle bracket and slidably attached thereto via at least one pair of sliding members in sliding communication with the arcuate slots, the launch plate having a ball engaging surface including a substantially constant pitch point;

wherein the launch plate is translatable between the guide plates of the angle bracket along a semi-circumferential path defined by the arcuate slots such that the ball engaging surface is capable of moving from a substantially horizontal incline to a substantially vertical incline.

3. The machine of claim 2, wherein the ball diameter adjustment mechanism comprises a slide base slidably affixed to an inner support wall and movable between at least two positions, the motor being fixedly attached to the slide base such that sliding adjustment of the slide base causes the rotatable wheel to lift and lower to at least two fixed distances relative to the launch plate.

4. A ball return for expelling a ball to a user, the ball return comprising:

a housing defining an inner chamber generally enclosing the ball return;

a rotatable wheel affixed to a spindle and rotatably driven by a motor; and

a trajectory adjustment mechanism for varying the trajectory of the expelled ball, the trajectory adjustment mechanism comprising;

i) an angle bracket disposed below the wheel and affixed to a base of the ball return, the angle bracket having a pair of spaced-apart guide plates fixedly connected by at least one support brace therebetween, each guide plate including an arcuate slot; and

ii) a generally U-shaped launch plate disposed between the guide plates of the angle bracket and slidably attached thereto by at least one pair of sliding members in sliding communication with the arcuate slots, the launch plate having a ball engaging surface including a substantially constant pitch point;

wherein the launch plate is translatable between the guide plates of the angle bracket along a semi-circumferential path defined by the arcuate slots such that the ball engaging surface is capable of moving from a substantially horizontal incline to a substantially vertical incline.

5. The ball return of claim 4, wherein the trajectory adjustment mechanism further comprises:

at least one link rod having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end nearest the launch plate and fixedly attached thereto;

at least one pivot arm that pivots about a pivot axis having a first end and a second end, the first end fixedly attached to the distal end of the link rod; and

a lead screw having a threaded end internal to the housing and a crank end external to the housing, the lead screw being affixed to the housing by a lock collar secured internal to the housing and a hand crank mounted external to the housing, the second end of the pivot arm being threadably attached to the threaded end of the lead screw;

wherein turning the crank rotates the lead screw in place causing the second end of the pivot arm to slide along the threaded end of the lead screw such that the pivot arm pivots causing the first end and the link rod to move foreward and aftward, thereby varying the position of the launch plate along the arcuate slots of the angle bracket.

6. The ball return of claim 4, wherein the launch plate is electrically driven along the semi-circumferential path by a trajectory control motor and a trajectory control switch.

7. The ball return of claim 4 further comprising a speed control device for adjusting the speed with which the ball is expelled from the machine, and a speed control override in communication with the speed control device for limiting the maximum speed at which the ball is expelled from the machine.

8. The ball return of claim 7, wherein the speed control override is tamper resistant.

9. The ball return of claim 4, wherein the housing includes an ingress for receiving the ball and an egress for expelling the ball, the housing further including an access panel for providing access to the inner chamber, the access panel having a tamper resistant latch preventing unwanted access to the inner chamber.

10. A practice machine for receiving a thrown ball and returning it to a user, the machine comprising:

a backstop for stopping the ball thrown by the user;

a pan disposed beneath the backstop for collecting the ball after it strikes the backstop;

a ball return adjacent the backstop for returning the ball to the user;

a trough disposed between the pan and the ball return for feeding the ball from the pan to the ball return; and

an electro-mechanical stop affixed to the trough for obstructing the ball'"'"'s path to the ball return upon receipt of an activation signal.

11. The machine of claim 10 further comprising a proximity sensor affixed to the machine and electrically coupled to the stop, the proximity sensor capable of detecting motion within a danger zone and subsequently sending the activation signal activating the stop to prevent the ball from entering the ball return.

12. The machine of claim 11 further comprising a danger zone control for adjusting the danger zone.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein the danger zone control is tamper resistant.

14. The machine of claim 10 further comprising a ball detection device for detecting the presence of the ball, the ball detection device being disposed in a terminal end of the trough adjacent the ball return, the detection device in communication with a loudspeaker affixed to the machine for transmitting an audible alert signal as the ball passes by the detection device just prior to entering the ball return.

15. The machine of claim 10 further comprising a mode switch electrically coupled to the stop to toggle the machine between an AUTO mode and a MANUAL mode, wherein the stop is activated by the activation signal to obstruct the ball from entering the ball return when the mode switch places the machine in MANUAL mode, the stop being deactivated to release the ball to the ball return upon receipt of a deactivation signal triggered by a user accessible trigger switch, and the stop is generally deactivated to allow the ball to proceed unobstructed to the ball return when the mode switch places the machine in AUTO mode.

16. The machine of claim 15 wherein the trigger switch is mounted to a remote for sending the deactivation signal to the stop when the machine is in MANUAL mode.

17. The machine of claim 16, wherein the remote is wireless.

18. The machine of claim 15 further comprising a proximity sensor affixed to the machine and electrically coupled to the stop, the proximity sensor capable of detecting motion within a danger zone and activating the stop to prevent the ball from entering the ball return regardless of whether the machine is in the AUTO mode or MANUAL mode.

19. The machine of claim 10 further comprising a speed control device for adjusting the speed with which the ball is expelled from the machine, and a speed control override in communication with the speed control device for limiting the maximum speed at which the ball is expelled from the machine.

20. The machine of claim 19, wherein the speed control override is tamper resistant.

21. The machine of claim 10, wherein the housing includes an ingress for receiving the ball and an egress for expelling the ball, the housing further including an access panel for providing access to the inner chamber, the access panel having a tamper resistant latch preventing unwanted access to the inner chamber.

22. A backstop for receiving a ball thrown by a user, the backstop comprising:

a frame having a plurality of collapsible upright support posts, each upright support post having a plurality of telescoping tubular members, each telescoping tubular member capable of extending substantially end-to-end in an elongated configuration and collapsing one inside the next in a collapsed configuration; and

a netting arrangement secured to the frame providing a target for receiving the thrown ball, the netting formed from flexible material capable of collapsing with the frame;

wherein the backstop is collapsible from a fully expanded target configuration when the plurality of telescoping tubular members are in the elongated configuration to a compact transportable configuration when the plurality of telescoping tubular members are in the collapsed configuration.

23. The machine of claim 22, wherein each telescoping tubular member includes at least one aperture in a first end and at least one detent in a second end for securing each telescoping tubular member in the elongated configuration.