Pitching target with ball collector

• US 4,118,028 A
• Filed: 05/09/1977
• Issued: 10/03/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward P. Larkin
• Original Assignee: Edward P. Larkin
• Inventors: Larkin, Edward P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Lawrence E.
• Application Number:
  US05/794,747
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 273/26 A, 273/102.4, 273/105 R, 273/181 R, 273/181 A, 273/181 F
• US Class Current: 473/456
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0046 Mechanical means for locating the point of impact or entry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40

Abstract

A pitching target having strike and non-strike zones, including two superimposed lightweight and highly flexible sheets suspended from the top in face to face relation, with the front sheet having apertures in the strike zone and apertures below the non-strike zone for collecting pitched balls incident on the strike and non-strike zone. Balls pitched at the target, after collection via passage through the apertures in the front sheet, fall between the sheets to the bottom thereof where they are stored until manual removal via access slots provided in the front sheet above the region where the balls are stored. The target may be used to effectively catch tennis balls, golf balls and hockey pucks projected at high velocity.

Claims

1. A pitching target for collecting and storing pitched balls incident on strike and non-strike zones thereof, comprising:

a front sheet of lightweight highly flexible material adapted to substantially deform and deflect at localized areas of impact when incident with a pitched ball while suspended vertically from its upper edge whereby the forward motion of said incident ball is arrested and said ball falls downwardly under the force of gravity along a vertical path proximate said front sheet;

a rear sheet of lightweight highly flexible material adapted to substantially deform and deflect at localized areas of impact when incident with a pitched ball while suspended vertically from its upper edge whereby the forward motion of said incident ball is arrested and said ball falls downwardly under the force of gravity along a vertical path proximate said rear sheet;

suspension means for vertically suspending said front and rear sheets in superimposed face to face relationship, including a rigid elongated, horizontal support and a plurality of flexible elements interconnecting said support and said upper edges of said sheets at horizontally spaced points;

the length of said elements and horizontal spacing being sufficient to permit substantial deflection of said front and rear sheets in the region of impact with a pitched ball;

said front sheet having a generally rectangular strike zone and at least one unapertured non-strike zone disposed horizontally, laterally on each side of said strike zone in juxtaposition therewith, said strike zone having at least one strike aperture therein, a pitched ball corresponding to a strike passing through said strike aperture to impact and locally deflect and deform said rear sheet in the region behind said strike aperture to horizontally space said sheets proximate said strike aperture and fall vertically downward between said sheets following arrest of said ball'"'"'s forward motion by said rear sheet;

a ball collection aperture in said front sheet having vertically spaced upper and lower edges, said ball collection aperture being located below and in substantial vertical alignment with at least one of said non-strike zones, a pitched ball impacting anywhere within one of said non-strike zones of said front sheet above said ball collection aperture locally deflecting and deforming said front and rear sheets in the region of said impact to horizontally space said upper edge of said collection aperture rearwardly relative to said lower edge to open said collection aperture below said impact region such that the ball enters between the upper and lower edges of the collection aperture in order to collect said ball between said sheets as it falls downwardly after its forward motion has been arrested, by said front sheet; and

said front and rear sheets cooperating to define a ball storage zone underlying at least one of said strike and non-strike zones at a level below said ball collection aperture for storing balls collected by said strike and ball collection apertures which move downwardly between said sheets.

2. The pitching target of claim 1 further including at least one access opening in at least one of said sheets communicating with said ball storage zone to facilitate manual removal of balls stored therein.

3. The pitching target of claim 2 wherein there are two access openings located at points horizontally spaced apart, said target further including a captured ball deflector joining said front and rear sheets proximate said storage zone, said deflector located generally centrally of said access openings to deflect collected balls toward one or the other of said access openings for convenient removal therethrough.

4. The pitching target of claim 3 wherein said deflector includes a stitched seam joining said front and rear sheets.

5. The pitching target of claim 2 further including a captured ball deflector joining said front and rear sheets proximate said storage zone and located relative to said access opening to deflect collected balls toward said access for covenient removal therethrough.

6. The pitching target of claim 5 wherein said deflector includes a stitched seam joining said front and rear sheets.

7. The pitching target of claim 2 wherein said front and rear sheets are joined to each other at least along their opposite vertical side edges below said ball collection aperture to maintain between said sheets collected balls during their vertical descent in said storage zone, and wherein said front and rear sheets are joined along their lower margins to maintain between said sheets in said storage zone collected balls which have come to rest following termination of said vertical descent.

8. The pitching target of claim 1 wherein said front and rear sheets are joined to each other at least along their opposite vertical side edges below said ball collection aperture to maintain between said sheets collected balls during their vertical descent in said storage zone.

9. The pitching target of claim 1 wherein said rigid support includes an elongated rigid bar and at least two separate support elements respectively connecting spaced adjacent opposite ends of said bar to a stationary support to limit pivoting of said bar about a vertical axis and to maintain said bar generally horizontally disposed.

10. The pitching target of claim 1 wherein said front and rear sheets are contrasting in color to accentuate said strike zone.