Tennis ball retrieving system

• US 4,575,081 A
• Filed: 09/24/1984
• Issued: 03/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter A. Cavanagh
• Original Assignee: Peter A. Cavanagh
• Inventors: Cavanagh, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, THEATRICE
• Application Number:
  US06/653,195
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 273/29 A, 273/30, 273/26 R, 273/26 D, 273/176 E, 273/176 G, 273/176 H, 273/201, 273/49, 273/395, 273/396, 198/676, 124/45, 124/48, 124/51 R, 124/82
• US Class Current: 473/460
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2047/028 pneumatic ball transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/025 Installations continuously collecting balls from the playing areas, e.g. by gravity, with conveyor belts

Abstract

A tennis ball recovery system for use in a full court utilizes an inelastic flexible damping screen hooked onto the back fence of the tennis court, which intercepts the driven ball and drops it onto a resilient apron that extends away from a collection trough. Within the trough there is located a conveyor that will move the balls toward the center of the trough and substantially central of the trough a conduit is provided with positive pressure to move the ball into a conduit and into a receptacle.

Claims

1. A tennis ball recovery system for a tennis playing court having a back fence comprising:

a substantially inelastic flexible damping screen, said screen being mounted such that a portion thereof is in spaced relation to and substantially parallel to the back fence of a tennis court, a horizontal trough having its length substantially parallel with and positioned below the bottom edge of the damping screen;

said trough having an opening;

a ball receptacle;

a conduit at the opening directed away from the back fence to said receptacle;

positive pressure means arranged to direct air transversely across the trough and through said conduit to feed balls into the conduit;

an airplane cable having a cord wound helically thereabout forming a helical feed screw and means to rotate the cable whereby balls are moved toward the opening.

2. A tennis ball recovery system as in claim 1 wherein the damping screen hangs free at its lower edge and is chain link fencing material having square openings smaller than a tennis ball.

3. A tennis ball recovery system as in claim 1 wherein a resilient apron extends from the trough away from the damping screen, said apron being formed of polycarbonate of thickness on the order of 3.1 mm.