Automatic batting tee apparatus
First Claim
1. An automatic batting tee apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a housing having a top opening;
(b) means for feeding balls one at a time to above said top opening of said housing;
(c) an elongated drive member mounted upright in said housing for rotation about a vertical axis aligned with said top opening of said housing;
(d) an elongated tube disposed upright in said housing surrounding said drive member and aligned with said top opening of said housing, said tube being drivingly engaged with said drive member and coupled to said housing so that in response to rotation of said drive member in one and the other of a pair of opposite rotational directions said tube will undergo upward and downward reciprocal movement along said vertical axis relative to said rotating drive member through a ball receiving and positioning cycle in which as said drive member rotates in said one rotational direction said tube is lowered to a ball receiving position for receiving and supporting a ball on said upper end of said tube and then as said drive member rotates in said other rotational direction said tube is raised to move said upper end of said tube supporting the ball through said top opening of said housing for positioning the ball in a ball hitting position spaced above said housing; and
(e) drive means for rotating said drive member in said one and other of said pair of rotational directions to cause reciprocal movement of said tube through said ball receiving and positioning cycle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic batting tee apparatus includes a housing having a top opening, a chute for feeding balls one at a time to above the top opening, a drive member mounted upright in the housing for rotation about a vertical axis aligned with the top opening, and a tube disposed upright in the housing surrounding the drive member and aligned with the top opening. The tube is drivingly engaged with the drive member and coupled to the housing so that in response to rotation of the drive member in one and the other of opposite rotational directions the tube will undergo upward and downward reciprocal movement along the vertical axis relative to the rotating drive member through a ball receiving and positioning cycle. The apparatus also includes drive means for rotating the drive member in the one and other rotational directions to cause reciprocal movement of the tube through the ball receiving and positioning cycle, and drive control means for actuating the drive means to cause rotation of the drive member and reciprocal movement of the tube through the ball receiving and positioning cycle.
41 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An automatic batting tee apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a housing having a top opening; (b) means for feeding balls one at a time to above said top opening of said housing; (c) an elongated drive member mounted upright in said housing for rotation about a vertical axis aligned with said top opening of said housing; (d) an elongated tube disposed upright in said housing surrounding said drive member and aligned with said top opening of said housing, said tube being drivingly engaged with said drive member and coupled to said housing so that in response to rotation of said drive member in one and the other of a pair of opposite rotational directions said tube will undergo upward and downward reciprocal movement along said vertical axis relative to said rotating drive member through a ball receiving and positioning cycle in which as said drive member rotates in said one rotational direction said tube is lowered to a ball receiving position for receiving and supporting a ball on said upper end of said tube and then as said drive member rotates in said other rotational direction said tube is raised to move said upper end of said tube supporting the ball through said top opening of said housing for positioning the ball in a ball hitting position spaced above said housing; and (e) drive means for rotating said drive member in said one and other of said pair of rotational directions to cause reciprocal movement of said tube through said ball receiving and positioning cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An automatic batting tee apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a housing having a top opening; (b) means for feeding balls one at a time to above said top opening of said housing; (c) an elongated drive screw member mounted upright in said housing for rotation in one and the other of a pair of opposite rotational directions about a vertical axis aligned with said top opening of said housing, said drive screw member having external screw threads; (d) an elongated tube disposed upright in said housing surrounding said drive screw member and aligned with said top opening of said housing, said tube having a lower end with internal screw threads threadably engaged with said external screw threads of said drive screw member; (e) guide means in said housing for engaging said tube so as to prevent rotation of said tube with rotation of said drive screw member and in response to rotation of said drive screw member in one and the other of a pair of opposite rotational directions guide upward and downward reciprocal movement of said tube along said vertical axis relative to said rotating drive screw member through a ball receiving and positioning cycle in which, as said drive screw member rotates in said one rotational direction, said tube is lowered to a ball receiving position for receiving and supporting a ball on said upper end of said tube and then, as said drive screw member rotates in said other rotational direction said tube is raised to move said upper end of said tube supporting the ball through said top opening of said housing for positioning the ball in a ball hitting position spaced above said housing; (f) drive means for rotating said drive screw member in said one and other of said pair of rotational directions to cause reciprocal movement of said tube through said ball receiving and positioning cycle; and (g) drive control means for actuating said drive means to cause rotation of said drive screw member and reciprocal movement of said tube through said ball receiving and positioning cycle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification