Spring type ball pitching device

• US 4,033,318 A
• Filed: 11/07/1975
• Issued: 07/05/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: O'Grady, Thomas Raymond
• Original Assignee: O'Grady, Thomas Raymond
• Inventors: O'Grady, Thomas Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Browne, William R.
• Application Number:
  US05/629,692
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 124/7, 124/8, 124/6, 124/4, 124/41 R, 124/36, 124/40, 124/81
• US Class Current: 124/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/408 with rotating propelling arm
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 3/04 Centrifugal sling apparatus

Abstract

A portable ground supported cage has a spring actuated bat rotatable to pitch a ball received in a cup at the small diameter end of the bat. The springs actuating the bat rotate the bat in a vertical plane to pitch the ball at the speed and trajectory required for batting practice. The bat is cocked and then held in a cocked position by a release handle which rotates between locking and unlocking position relative to the bat to permit its release and consequent pitching of the ball. The rotation of the bat is limited by the restricting of the spring after the bat has moved beyond a perpendicular position relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

Claims

1. A ball-pitching device comprising a rigid box-type frame, an axle serving as a fulcrum transversely mounted in said frame, a bat-shaped throwing arm having the larger diameter end mounted on said axle and comprising a relatively short driving section and a relatively larger driven section comprised of the smaller diameter bat section and including a ball-holding device at the remote end of such driven section, extendable coil spring driving means disposed on each side of said throwing arm and fastened between a portion of said rigid box-type frame and the driving end of said bat to effect forcible rotation of said throwing arm about its fulcrum in a ball-throwing direction, said throwing arm being rotatable about its fulcrum by said spring driving means in a ball-throwing direction and the relationship between said spring-driving means and said throwing arm being such that throwing arm rotation is limited in its rotational movement only by the re-stretching of said coil spring driving means after the throwing arm has moved beyond a perpendicular position relatively to the longitudinal axis of the machine to obviate a positive stop for said throwing arm, said spring driving means being stretched to the maximum extent when said throwing arm is disposed horizontally with the ball received in said holding device, and locking means for holding said throwing arm in its horizontal firing position against the resistance of said stretched springs, said locking means being movable to a position releasing said throwing arm.

2. The ball-pitching device, in accordance with claim 1, including a transverse pin held by said frame wherein said throwing arm consists of a baseball bat and said coil spring driving means are constituted by heavy duty coil springs, each having an operative connection with said bat and said transverse pin and disposed one on each side of said bat, said locking means being constituted by a detent secured to said bat and a release lever effecting disengagement between said detent and said locking means and biased to a normal locking position.

3. The ball-pitching device, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said frame consists of a series of members braced together to provide a rigid box-like construction and disassembleable for shipping.

4. The ball-pitching device, in accordance with claim 1, in which said locking means includes a release handle constructed as an inverted "U", pivot means for mounting said release handle on said frame at the lower end of said release handle and a roller and detent movable arcuately as said release handle is brought into locking position and movable arcuately out of engagement with the smaller diameter end of said bat-shaped throwing arm by pulling on said release handle to provide forcible rotation of said throwing arm by said coil spring driving means, and thereby delivering the ball from the bat-shaped throwing arm at the direction, angle and speed selected for batting practice.

5. The device, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said bat-shaped throwing arm includes a carrier having a cup and means for adjusting the angular position of the cup relatively to said carrier.

6. The ball-pitching device, in accordance with claim 5, including grommet means within the cup for contacting and imparting a spin to the ball at the time of delivery.

7. The device, in accordance with claim 6, including means for selectively positioning said grommet means to determine the spin imparted to the ball at the time of delivery.

8. The ball-pitching device, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said detent is carried by said bat-shaped throwing arm and includes a camming section, a locking rod having a hinge and a portion engaged by said camming section to effect biasing thereof, spring means urging said portion into locking engagement with said detent and additional locking means for preventing accidental dislodgement of said locking means.

9. The device, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said bat-shaped throwing arm includes a spring means and carrier having a cup, and said spring means being adapted to impart a compound snapping action to said carrier and cup.

10. The ball-pitching device, in accordance with claim 1, including ground staking means for retaining the frame in continual ground engagement between and during pitches.