Portable apparatus for practicing batting

• US 6,168,540 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joe Mckenna
• Original Assignee: Joe Mckenna
• Inventors: McKenna, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jeanette
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US09/340,469
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 473/421-430, 473/197, 473/491-495, 473/102, 473/103, 473/104, 473/116, 473/117-119, 273/410
• US Class Current: 473/426
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0084 the line or cord being fixed to at least two points
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls

Abstract

A portable apparatus for practicing batting that includes a frame, a net, and a ball. Each lower terminal end of the frame has a ball-engaging eye bolt. A pair of net-engaging uprights of the frame have a pair of tubes that are formed as one-piece therewith for ease of manufacture by eliminating a need for welding. Button fasteners replaceably maintain the members of the frame together for ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts. A second upper member of the frame has a plurality of ball-engaging blind bores. A lowermost terminal edge of the net drapes so as to prevent any balls from rolling thereunder while providing a dampening effect for the ball when hit thereagainst and is free as a result of the frame being void of a lower cross member for eliminating rebound of a ball that hits low on the net. The ball includes a swivel pulley and a pair of ball-engaging cords, each of which extends from an associated ball-engaging eye bolt to slightly below the ball where they are knotted and then extend together upwardly through a throughbore in the ball, with a snug friction fit, where one ball-engaging cord is then knotted to another ball-engaging cord slightly above the ball and then the another ball-engaging cord extends along the swivel pulley and terminates in a ball-engaging hook that selectively engages one ball-engaging blind bore for adjusting height of the ball from the ground.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus for practicing batting, comprising:

a) a frame for resting on the ground;

said frame being tubular and comprising a pair of net-engaging uprights being straight, parallel, space apart, and lying in a first plane;

said pair of net engaging uprights of said frame having;

I) lowermost ground-engaging terminal ends bending slightly forwardly and inwardly to form right angle shaped bottom corners;

ii) uppermost terminal ends bending slightly forwardly and inwardly to form right angle shaped top corners and which are parallel to said lowermost ground-engaging terminal ends of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame, respectively;

said frame being void of a lower cross member that would have connected said lowermost ground-engaging terminal ends of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame to each other;

b) a net extending across said frame;

the lowermost terminal end of the net draping into a second plane of said frame, wherein the draping of the net provides a dampening effect for a ball when hit thereagainst;

c) a ball operatively connected to said frame by connecting means, said connecting means comprising;

a pair of ball-engaging cords extending forwardly, inwardly and upwardly from an associated ball-engaging eye bolt attached to the lower most ground-engaging terminal end of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame, so as to avoid being hit by a swinging bat and meet together slightly below the ball where they are knotted in a lower knot and then extend together upwardly through a through-bore in the ball, with a snug friction fit, where one ball-engaging cord is then knotted in an upper knot to another ball-engaging cord slightly above the ball extending upwardly to said frame;

wherein said lower knot and said upper knot define a length therebetween through which the ball moves for fine adjustment of the ball position.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each lowermost ground-engaging terminal end of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame has a ball-engaging eye bolt that extends inwardly therefrom towards the other lowermost ground-engaging terminal end of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame further have a pair of tubes that are formed as one-piece with and extend slightly inwardly therefrom, respectively, so as to afford ease of manufacture by eliminating a need for welding and to afford ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said pair of tubes of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame extend in said first plane and are disposed slightly below said uppermost terminal ends of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame, respectively.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said frame further comprises an upper net-engaging cross member that is horizontally-oriented and extends telescopically, slidingly, and replaceably out from one tube of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame and telescopically, slidingly, and replaceably into another tube of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said upper net-engaging cross member of said frame is replaceably maintained in said one tube of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame by a first button fastener and is replaceably maintained in said another tube of said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame by a second button fastener so as to afford ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said frame further comprises a first lower ground-engaging member that is horizontally-oriented for resting on the ground, J-shaped, and extends from a proximal end thereof replaceably, straight, telescopically, slidingly, forwardly, and inwardly from out of said lowermost ground-engaging terminal end of one net-engaging upright of said frame to a distal end that hooks rearwardly and inwardly to form a substantially V-shaped bottom front end.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said first lower ground-engaging member of said frame is replaceably maintained in said lowermost ground-engaging terminal end of said one net-engaging upright of said frame by a third button fastener so as to afford ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said frame further comprises a second lower ground-engaging member that is horizontally-oriented for resting on the ground, straight, and extends replaceably, telescopically, and slidingly from a proximal end thereof rearwardly outwardly from out of said distal end of said first lower ground-engaging member of said frame to a distal end that is replaceably, telescopically, and slidingly received by said lowermost ground-engaging terminal end of another net-engaging upright of said frame.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said second lower ground-engaging member of said frame is replaceably maintained in said distal end of said first lower ground-engaging member of said frame by a fourth button fastener and is replaceably maintained in said lowermost ground-engaging terminal end of said another net-engaging upright of said frame by a fifth button fastener so as to afford ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said first lower ground-engaging member of said frame and said second lower ground-engaging member of said frame lie in a second plane that is generally perpendicular to said first plane.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said frame further comprises a first upper member that is horizontally-oriented, J-shaped, and extends from a proximal end thereof replaceably, telescopically, slidingly, straight, forwardly, and inwardly out of said uppermost terminal end of said one net-engaging upright of said frame to a distal end that hooks rearwardly and inwardly to form a substantially V-shaped top front end.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said first upper member of said frame is parallel to and spaced vertically above said first lower ground-engaging member of said frame, a predetermined height.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said first upper member of said frame is replaceably maintained in said uppermost terminal end of said one net-engaging upright of said frame by a sixth button fastener so as to afford ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said frame further comprises a second upper member that is horizontally-oriented, straight, and extends replaceably, telescopically, and slidingly from a proximal end thereof rearwardly outwardly out of said distal end of said first upper member of said frame to a distal end that is replaceably, telescopically, and slidingly received by said uppermost terminal end of said another net-engaging upright of said frame.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said second upper member of said frame is parallel to and spaced vertically above said second lower ground-engaging member of said frame, a predetermined height.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said second upper member of said frame is replaceably maintained in said distal end of said first upper member of said frame by a seventh button fastener and is replaceably maintained in said uppermost terminal end of said another net-engaging upright of said frame by an eighth button fastener so as to afford ease of fabrication and collapsing by eliminating a need for nuts and bolts.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said second upper member of said frame has a plurality of ball-engaging blind bores that are spaced longitudinally therealong and which face said first upper member of said frame.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said first upper member of said frame and said second upper member of said frame lie in a third plane that is generally perpendicular to said first plane and generally parallel to said second plane.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said net has:

a) an uppermost terminal edge;

b) a lowermost terminal edge; and

c) a pair of sidewardmost terminal edges.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said uppermost terminal edge of said net is formed into an upper cross member-engaging sleeve which slidingly and snugly receives said upper cross member of said frame.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said pair of sidewardmost terminal edges of said net are formed into upright-engaging sleeves which slidingly and snugly receive said pair of net-engaging uprights of said frame, respectively.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said lowermost terminal edge of said net drapes into said second plane of said frame so as to prevent any balls from rolling thereunder while providing a dampening effect for said ball when hit thereagainst and is free as a result of said frame being void of a lower cross member so as to eliminate rebound of a ball that hits low on said net.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said ball is spherically-shaped for hitting by a bat against said net and has a throughbore that extends vertically therethrough, along a diameter thereof.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein said ball further comprises a pulley-engaging eye bolt that depends from said distal end of said first upper member of said frame.

26. The apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein said ball further comprises a pulley-engaging quick disconnect link clip that depends from said pulley-engaging eye bolt of said ball.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said ball further comprises a swivel pulley that depends from said pulley-engaging quick disconnect link clip of said ball.

28. The apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said ball further comprises a p air of ball-engaging cords;

each ball-engaging cord extends forwardly, inwardly, and upwardly from an associated ball-engaging eye bolt of said frame so as to avoid being hit by a swinging bat and meet together slightly below said ball where they are knotted in a lower knot and then extend together upwardly through said throughbore in said ball, with a snug friction fit, where one ball-engaging cord is then knotted in an upper knot to another ball-engaging cord slightly above said ball and then said another ball-engaging cord extends along said swivel pulley and terminates in a ball-engaging hook that selectively engages one ball-engaging blind bore in said second member of said frame for adjusting height of said ball from the ground.

29. The apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein said lower knot and said upper knot define a length therebetween through which said ball moves for fine adjustment of said ball position, with said snug friction fit holding said ball in said adjusted position.