Ball return and target device

• US 4,743,020 A
• Filed: 07/24/1986
• Issued: 05/10/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Julius Meurer
• Original Assignee: Julius Meurer
• Inventors: Meurer, Julius
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, T.
• Application Number:
  US06/889,820
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 273/30, 273/29 A, 273/26 A, 273/181 A, 273/407, 273/398, 273/410, 273/181 S, 273/181 K, 273/182 R, 273/317, 273/333, 273/348, 273/386, 273/389, 273/402, 273/39 5
• US Class Current: 473/434
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0097 Ball rebound walls with holes or in combination with nets A63B63/00

Abstract

A ball-game device comprising a baffle wall arranged on a transportable stand is characterized by the fact that the baffle wall has a front surface designed in the shape of a spherical indentation, and there is provided a frame. The frame surrounds the baffle wall and is supported on the stand. The baffle wall is, in turn, supported on the frame by means of at least one flexible fastening element.

Claims

1. A ball-game device, comprising:

a stand;

a frame supported on said stand; and

a baffle wall made of non-yielding material for reflecting a ball surrounded by said frame and supported thereon by at least one flexible fastening element, said baffle wall having a concave front surface in the form of a spherical indentation, said fastening element permitting yielding of said baffle wall with respect to said frame upon impact by said ball and then returning said baffle to its resting position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fastening elements are provided along said frame in an evenly spaced-apart manner, by means of which elements said baffle wall is suspended in said frame.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said fastening elements are elastically resilient.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said fastening elements are in the form of rubber strips.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the radius of the curvature of said spherical indentation amounts to about 6 to 8 meters, and that the diameter of the circular outer edge of said spherical indentation comes to about 2 meters.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the radius of the curvature of said spherical indentation amounts to about 7 meters.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said baffle wall is made of glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin.

8. The device of claim 1, additionally including means for adjusting the inclination of said baffle wall relative to the vertical.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said stand is a tripod having three legs approximately forming a tetrahedron, the first two legs of which are connected with each other by said frame, and the third leg of which defines at least in part said means for adjusting and is variable lengthwise relative to the adjustment of the inclination of said baffle wall.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said tripod legs have top ends and wherein said tripod has a joint which connects said legs of said tripod with each other at their top ends.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said baffle wall includes a centrally-located ball opening.