Practice sleeve and ball

• US 5,213,324 A
• Filed: 12/06/1991
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Glen H. Bowers
• Original Assignee: Glen H. Bowers
• Inventors: Bowers, Glen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Theatrice
• Application Number:
  US07/804,104
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 273/26 B, 273/58 A, 273/72 R, 273/323, 273/327, 273/324, 273/DIG. 30, 273/346, 273/412, 273/67 R
• US Class Current: 473/457
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/005 with adhesive type surfaces, e.g. hook-and-loop type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/30 Hooked pile fabric fastener

Abstract

A baseball practice device with a sleeve for a bat and a lightweight ball which can be caught on the sleeve. The sleeve has a catching surface covered with one component of a two-component hook and loop fastening system and the ball has an outer cover covered with the second component of the fastening system. The catching surface corresponds to a predetermined hitting zone so that when one swings a bat with the practice sleeve against a ball of the practice device, the ball will contact the catching surface and the accuracy of the swing will be immediately apparent.

Claims

1. A batting practice device comprising

a removable sleeve sized for securement on a bat, said sleeve comprising catch means on its outer surface, said catch means being disposed on the outer surface of said sleeve for alignment with a predetermined hitting zone of a bat on which said sleeve may be placed, said catch means comprising at least two projecting members and a first component of a two component hook and loop fastening system disposed on said projecting members;

and

a ball comprising a lightweight core and an outer cover having a surface substantially covered with a second component of the hook and loop fastening system, so that said ball may adhere to said projecting members on said sleeve.

2. The baseball practice device of claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises an elastic portion and said catch means further comprises a panel having a first component of said fastening systems and being attached to the exterior surface of the sleeve and shaped to form a target area corresponding to a predetermined hitting zone of a bat on which said sleeve may be placed.

3. The baseball practice device of claim 1 wherein said projecting members are flaps disposed in opposed relationship proximate the outer edges of said predetermined hitting zone.

4. A baseball practice device comprising

(a) a removable sleeve sized for securement on a bat proximate a preferred ball-contacting portion of a bat, said sleeve comprising

an elastic generally tubular portion and

catch means, said catch means comprising a catching surface integrally attached to the exterior surface of said sleeve, said catching surface comprising a panel shaped portion having a predetermined area and at least two flexible flaps projecting in opposed relation from the sleeve proximate said panel shaped portion, said at least two flaps being substantially covered with a first component of a two component hook and loop fastening system;

and

(b) a ball comprising a lightweight core of spongy material and an outer cover substantially covered with a second component of said hook and loop fastening system so that the ball may adhere to the catching surface.

5. The baseball practice device of claim 4 wherein said flaps are disposed generally along the perimeter of said panel parallel to the longitudinal axis of a bat when placed thereon.

6. The baseball practice device of claim 4 wherein the flaps are formed as loops having an exterior surface covered with the first component of the hook and loop fastening system.