Tennis ball target

• US 4,231,572 A
• Filed: 09/29/1978
• Issued: 11/04/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William S. Thornton
• Original Assignee: William S. Thornton
• Inventors: Thornton, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, T.
• Application Number:
  US05/947,074
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 273/29 A, 273/30, 273/102 R, 273/102 S, 273/102.1 R, 273/102.1 B, 273/102.1 C, 273/102.1 E, 273/127 R, 273/127 B, 273/127 D, 273/105 R , 273/105.1, 273/105.2, 273/105.3, 273/105.4, 273/105.5, 273/105.6, 273/85 R, 273/95 H, 273/392, 273/402, 46/155
• US Class Current: 473/462
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 61/006 Accessories for training purposes mounted on the net

Abstract

A target for practicing the game of tennis which includes a frame having an opening through which a tennis ball may be driven by a player, the frame being adapted to be detachably mounted in an upright operative position on an installed tennis net so as to extend upwardly from the upper edge of the net, the frame being attached to the upper ends of a pair of downwardly depending, laterally spaced posts which are arranged to be interwoven within the meshes of the net with a hook being also provided on the upper ends of the posts for overlying hooking engagement with the upper edge of the net together with a spring between the upper end of each post and the frame for yieldingly urging the frame into the upright position so that when struck by a tennis ball, the force of the ball is absorbed by pivotal movement of the frame against the urging force of the springs.

Claims

1. A tennis ball target for a tennis net arranged in an installed playing position comprising, in combination, a target frame having an opening defining a target area for the passage of a tennis ball driven by a tennis player, support means for detachably mounting said frame on the tennis net in an upright, operative position with said frame extending above the upper edge of said net substantially in coplanar relationship therewith to present said opening to a player, said support means comprises a pair of downwardly depending posts arranged in laterally, spaced-apart parallel relationship, means on the upper ends of said posts for engaging the upper edge of the tennis net, means on the upper ends of said posts for mounting said frame on said posts, said posts being adapted to be interwoven with the meshes of the net in vertically extending positions with said net engaging means in supporting engagement with the upper edge of the net to detachably support said frame in said operative position, said means for mounting said frame on said posts include a spring on each of said posts for yieldingly urging said frame into said operative position whereby said frame is adapted to move yieldingly from said operative position when struck by a driven tennis ball and, said means for engaging the upper edge of the tennis net include a hook portion on the upper end of each of said posts for hooking engagement with the net upper edge.

2. A tennis ball target in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support means is adapted to be slidably interwoven with the meshes of the tennis net.

3. A tennis ball target in accordance with claim 1 including a marker of a selected color extending along the marginal portions of said frame for visual identification of said frame opening by a player.

4. A tennis ball target in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for mounting said frame on said posts include an eye on the upper end of each of said posts, a pair of eyes on the lower edge of said frame arranged in laterally spaced relationship, bolt means on each of said posts for connecting the eye on each of said posts with one of said eyes on said frame and wherein said spring on each of said posts is operatively connected to said bolt means to yieldingly urge said frame into said operative position.

5. A tennis ball target in accordance with claim 4 wherein said frame comprises a rod member formed into a rectangular configuration to define said a central opening.

6. A tennis ball structure in accordance with claim 5 including a marking member of strip material having a selected color secured to said rod member, said marking member extending along the marginal portions of said frame for visual identification of said frame opening by a player.