Device for projecting tennis balls

• US 6,085,735 A
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John H. Cheek Jr
• Original Assignee: John H. Cheek Jr
• Inventors: Cheek, John H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US09/175,044
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 124/56, 124/70, 124/71, 124/73, 124/77
• US Class Current: 124/77
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2047/004 having means preventing bridge formation during dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/402 giving spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/409 with pneumatic ball- or body-propelling means
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/57 Electronic or electric systems for feeding or loading F41B11/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/62 with pressure supplied by a gas cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/68 the gas being pre-compressed before firing F41B11/62 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/71 Electric or electronic control systems, e.g. for safety purposes

Abstract

A computerized device for propelling tennis balls by pneumatic pressure. The device contains a support pad to protect the tennis court. There is a by-pass valve which, when open, allows the blower for the pneumatic system to blow continuously, thereby avoiding carbon deposits. There is a pressure tank for the build-up of pressure for the pneumatic system when the by-pass valve is closed. Course and fine pressure valves are used to control the pressure in the pressure tank within narrow limits. A hopper contains pushers which prohibit balls accumulating in areas of little motion. A carousel advances only when a ball can drop freely into the ball outlet tube. A cover over the feeder point prevents balls in the hopper from interfering with the ball in the feeder point. The ball is held in an injection area until forced through a flap door into the pressure tank and a guide channel. The injection area contains a solenoid-controlled sweep arm which controls a injector which forces the ball through the flap door. The ball is held in the barrel by impeders until a solenoid releases the impeders through a sliding sleeve. Thus, timing of the release can be controlled by computers within narrow limits. A computer-controlled spin plate can impart spin and curve properties to the ball. Computerized lateral and vertical aiming mechanisms result in concise placement of the ball. The device is suitable for training, testing and recreational purposes and is capable of simulating an actual tennis game.

Claims

1. A device for projecting tennis balls comprising:

i) a carriage;

ii) a microprocessor;

iii) a computer-controlled pneumatic system comprising a blower, a by-pass valve, a pressure tank, and a series of course and fine air pressure valves for establishing air pressure within the pressure tank within narrow limits;

iv) a computer-controlled ball feeding system;

v) a barrel; and

vi) a computer-controlled aiming mechanism comprising lateral and vertical aiming mechanisms.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the carriage has a bottom and a support pad attached to the bottom of the carriage.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the carriage has front and rear wheels and wherein the front wheels are adjustable so as to allow the carriage to roll or be supported by the support pad.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the ball feeding mechanism includes a hopper for containing tennis balls, which hopper contains solenoid-activated pushers to agitate the balls.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the ball feeding mechanism includes a hopper for containing tennis balls, which hopper contains a carousel having plurality of capturing sockets for the tennis balls, and which carousel contains a ball feeder point which contains a cover.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the carousel advances only when a ball vacancy exists in a ball outlet tube which is directly under the ball feeder point.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the ball outlet tube contains a ball sensing switch arm which controls the opening and closing of an electrical circuit such that when the ball in the feeder point drops, the switch arm is released, the circuit is closed and the carousel is advanced to feed another ball into the ball outlet tube, opening the circuit, and when the circuit is opened the carousel stops, preventing further ball feeding.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a ball injection area connects the ball feeding system and the pneumatic system.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the ball injection area contains a computer-controlled solenoid which controls a rotary sweep arm which controls the forcing of the ball through a flap door into a guide channel within the pressure tank.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the rotary sweep arm is connected to an injector which forces the ball through a flap door, an upper surface of the injector being attached to a blocking plate which intervenes between the ball in the injection area and a following ball while the ball in the injection area is being forced through the flap door and which moves back to allow the following ball to enter the injection area in front of the injector once the ball in the injection area has passed into the pressure tank.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the barrel contains a computer-controlled solenoid which controls a plurality of impeders spaced equally around the barrel such that compressed air behind a tennis ball will force the tennis ball against the impeders until they are released and, following release, propel the ball out of the barrel.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the barrel has an open distal end and a computer-controlled solenoid which controls a spin plate mounted at the distal end of the barrel for imparting spin to a tennis ball leaving the barrel.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the computer-controlled aiming mechanism comprises two support plates pivotally holding a barrel between them so that the barrel may be rotated in a vertical direction, the support plates being connected to a rotatable base so that the barrel may be rotated in a lateral direction.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a computer-controlled lateral drive motor turns the rotatable base by means of a belt and pulley.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the barrel is connected to a vertical position adjuster which is positioned by a computer-controlled vertical drive motor by means of a belt and pulley and locked in place by a spring-loaded pin-lock.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the rotatable base rests upon a support plate having a front and a rear end, the rear end being hingedly connected to the bottom of the carriage and the front end is fitted with an adjustment bolt to allow for raising and lowering the angle of inclination of the support plate.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the carriage has a bottom and computer-controlled aiming mechanisms comprising a support and pivot post attached to the carriage bottom, a lateral drive motor which controls the lateral movement of the barrel through lateral drive linkages, an elevational drive motor which controls the vertical movement of the barrel through vertical drive linkages, and a vertical position locking plate connected to the barrel and locked in place by means of a spring-loaded pin-lock.

18. A system for projecting tennis balls comprising the device of claim 1 in combination with a device for projecting tennis balls, which device comprises a microprocessor, a ball feeding means, a ball projection means, and a ball aiming means, which device is supported by a raised platform.

19. A device for projecting tennis balls comprising:

i) a carriage containing a hopper for the tennis balls;

ii) a microprocessor;

iii) a computer-controlled pneumatic system comprising means to obtain specific pressure;

iv) a computer-controlled ball feeding system which delivers balls from the hopper to the pneumatic system;

v) a barrel through which the tennis balls are projected, which barrel comprises;

A) a proximal end,

B) a distal end,

C) a plurality of impeders spaced around the barrel, which impeders are capable of pivotally entering the barrel to prevent distal motion of a ball and are capable of pivotally exiting the barrel to allow distal motion of a ball,

D) a computer-controlled solenoid which controls the distal and proximal motion of a sliding sleeve containing rollers such that when the sliding sleeve moves distally the impeders are released and are forced out of the barrel allowing distal projection of the ball, and when the sliding sleeve moves proximally the impeders are again locked in place in the barrel preventing distal motion of a ball;

vi) a computer-controlled aiming mechanism comprising lateral and vertical aiming mechanisms.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the impeders contain rounded, notched edges and axles which are attached to the barrel and contain springs which return the impeders to the locking position in the barrel, the computer-controlled solenoid located on the barrel is attached through linking means to the first end of a yoke, and controls the distal and proximal movement of the first end of the yoke, the yoke being pivotally attached to the barrel, a second end of the yoke is attached to a spring which tends to force the second end of the yoke proximally along the barrel, the second end of the yoke also being pivotally attached to a proximal end of a release rod, the release rod being attached to a sliding locking sleeve containing rollers such that when the impeders are in place in the barrel impeding the progress of a ball, the proximal movement of the first end of the yoke by action of the computer-controlled solenoid forces the second end of the yoke distally, forcing the release rod distally, forcing the sliding sleeve distally, moving the rollers out of the notches in the impeders, and allowing the impeders to rotate out of the barrel, thus releasing the tennis ball.

21. A system for projecting tennis balls comprising the device of claim 19 in combination with a device for projecting tennis balls, which device comprises a microprocessor, a ball feeding means, a ball projection means, and a ball aiming means, which device is supported by a raised platform.