Portable ball practice target

• US 5,516,115 A
• Filed: 12/23/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timothy J. Mclain
• Original Assignee: Timothy J. Mclain
• Inventors: McLain, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US08/362,957
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 273/26 A, 273/29 A, 273/29 B, 273/181 F, 273/317, 273/398-402, 273/410, 273/411, 273/127 R, 273/127 B
• US Class Current: 473/417
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40

Abstract

A portable practice target, for propelled balls, includes a light-weight plastic tubing and fittings framework that supports a front and a rear panel in an essentially vertical position. Three edges of the panels are attached together so that the panels fit over the vertical support like a sock or pillow case. The front panel can have a central pocket and the rear panel can have a central opening so that when the panels are positioned over the vertical support, the front panel pocket can be threaded through the rear panel opening. Adjustable strips can be used as a target area and means for adjusting the size of the pocket opening. The framework vertical support can be held in place by angled or adjustable couplings that permit the angle between the horizontal plane and the panels to be adjusted. The panels can be made resilient and elastic to rebound any ball that does not enter the pocket.

Claims

1. A portable ball practice target including:

a framework having a base support and an essentially vertical support extending above said base support;

a target front panel and a target back panel attached along three sides with one side unattached;

said target front panel and said target back panels fitting over said framework vertical support like a sock or pillowcase.

2. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said target front panel has a centrally located pocket and said target rear panel has a centrally located opening;

said target front panel pocket is threaded through said target rear panel opening.

3. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said target front panel and said target rear panel are in the form of open mesh netting.

4. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said framework includes pipes and fittings of a light-weight hollow plastic material with select sections of said framework press fit together.

5. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 4 wherein:

said framework base support includes a material within said framework base support to increase stability of said practice target during use.

6. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 3 wherein:

said target front panel is a resilient material that repels and returns balls that strike it.

7. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said essentially vertical support extending above said base support includes vertical supports and a transverse upper horizontal support with said vertical supports and said transverse upper horizontal support having angular couplings inbetween to position said transverse upper horizontal support in front of said vertical supports.

8. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 2 wherein:

said front panel is provided with adjustable horizontal and vertical strips that form an adjustable target area and adjust the size of said pocket opening.

9. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said target framework base support and said essentially vertical support are attached together by angular fittings to position said essentially vertical support at an angle with said target framework base and a horizontal supporting surface.

10. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said target base support has a front transverse support;

a ball support fitting is provided near the center of said front transverse support;

said ball support fitting joins said front transverse support to a ball support means positioned in front of said ball practice target.

11. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 10 wherein:

said ball supporting means includes a vertical pipe and a resilient tube telescopically fit together to support a ball at a user selected height.

12. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 1 wherein:

said framework essentially vertical support is attached to said framework base support with adjustable couplings;

said adjustable couplings permitting said framework essentially vertical support to be pivoted with respect to said framework base and a horizontal supporting surface.

13. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 12 wherein:

said adjustable coupling includes relatively rotatable disc-like extensions clamped together to fix the target essentially vertical framework in a selected angular orientation with respect to said framework base and said horizontal supporting surface.

14. A portable ball practice target including:

a target framework having a base support and an essentially vertical support extending above said base support;

a target front panel and a target rear panel supported by said framework essentially vertical support;

said target front panel having a centrally located pocket and said target rear panel having a centrally located opening;

said target front panel pocket being threaded through said target rear panel opening.

15. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 14 wherein:

said framework essentially vertical support is attached to said framework base support with adjustable couplings;

said adjustable couplings permitting said framework essentially vertical support to be pivoted with respect to said framework base and a horizontal supporting surface.

16. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 15 wherein:

said adjustable couplings include relatively rotatable disc-like extensions clamped together to fix said target essentially vertical support framework in a selected angular orientation with respect to framework base and said horizontal supporting surface.

17. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 14 wherein:

said target front panel pocket has a select depth;

said target framework base support extends back of said target vertical support a distance equal to or greater than said target front panel pocket net depth to form a visible safety zone.

18. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 14 wherein:

said front panel is provided with adjustable horizontal and vertical strips that form an adjustable target area and adjust the size of said pocket opening.

19. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 14 wherein:

said target front panel and said target rear panel are secured together along three edges with a fourth edge not secured;

said target framework is formed in sections with the intersections of the target framework being structured so as to be joined together and removed by pressing and pulling;

said target front and said target rear panel are assembled and disassembled over said target framework essentially vertical support like a pillowcase is assembled over a pillow.

20. A portable ball practice target as described in claim 14 wherein:

said target framework base support and said essentially vertical support are attached together by angular fittings to position said essentially vertical support at an angle with said target framework base and a horizontal supporting surface.