Baseball striking practice device

• US 6,514,161 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Implus Footcare LLC (Denergy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pro Performance Sports LLC (Denergy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Minniear, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US09/639,393
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 473/139-142, 473/419-431, 473/575, 473/FOR.103, 473/FOR.109, 473/FOR.160, 473/FOR.213, 473/FOR.214, 473/422-429, 482/120-124
• US Class Current: 473/428
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0079 Balls tethered to a line or cord A63B43/007 takes precedence; other games using tethered balls A63B67/10; games using a bat or racket with a ball tethered thereto A63B67/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0084 the line or cord being fixed to at least two points
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0091 Balls fixed to a movable, tiltable or flexible arm

Abstract

A ball hitting practice device featuring a practice ball slidably locateable upon a tether. The tether is attached to a support structure thereby placing the practice ball in a target position to be hit by a user. The support structure may be any versatile pole or pole like structure upon which fasteners at the ends of the tether will attach. The best mode features cuffs mounted at both ends of the tether which open and reengage to provide an easy encircling mount to the support structure for the tether. The ball is slidably mounted to the tether and is positioned in a target position for striking by a user by a ball positioner also located on the tether in a fixed position that is either adjustable or permanent. Once struck during use, the practice ball and attached tether wraps around a vertical support structure or pole and may be aided in the return to the target position by forming the tether from elastic material which will naturally bias the ball to unwind from the support structure for a subsequent strikes.

Claims

1. A ball hitting practice device, for use in combination with an upright member comprising

a ball, said ball slidably mounted upon a tether said tether having an attachment end and having a distal end;

said attachment end having a first tether end and a second tether end;

means of attachment of said first tether end to a first position on said upright member;

means of attachment of said second tether end to a second position on said upright member;

a ball positioner mounted upon said tether proximate to said distal end of said tether;

said ball positioner providing a stop for said slidably mounted ball upon said tether, thereby determining a target position for said ball; and

whereby said practice ball in said target position when struck by a user will slide on said tether and wrap around said between said first position and said second position, and thereafter return to said target position.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

said ball positioner mounted upon said tether using a means for releasable engagement with said tether thereby rendering said ball positioner releasably mountable to said tether at an infinite number of positions between said attachment end and said distal end; and

said ball positioner thereby determining an infinite number of positions for said target position for said ball.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 further comprising;

said means of attachment of said first tether end to a first position on said upright member is a first cuff connecting said first tether end to said first position upon said upright member;

said means of attachment of said second tether end to a second position on said upright member is a second cuff attaching said second tether end to said second position upon said upright member, said second position being lower than said first position.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said first cuff and said second cuff are each formed of an elongated piece of fabric with two ends, each of said two ends being cooperatively engageable with the other using a hook and loop fabric, whereby said two ends may be removably attached to each other to form cuff to encircle the exterior surface of said upright member.

5. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said first cuff and said second cuff are each formed of an elongated piece of fabric with two ends, each of said two ends being cooperatively engageable with the other using cooperatively engageable snap fasteners mounted upon said two ends, where by said two ends may be removably attached to each other to form a cuff to encircle the exterior surface of said upright member.

6. The device as defined in claim 1 further comprising,

said tether being comprised of elastic material and forming an elongated biasing means, said elongated biasing means providing a bias to aid the return of said practice ball to said target position once struck by the user.

7. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said upright member comprises a vertical pole attached at one end to a mount said mount positionable on said mounting surface.

8. The device as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising a horizontal mounting pole attached to said vertical pole at the opposite end of said vertical pole from said mount.

9. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for releasable engagement with said tether comprises:

said ball positioner comprised of elastic material; and

an aperture formed in said ball positioners said aperture being of a diameter whereby said elastic material compresses said aperture upon said tether.

10. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for releasable engagement with said tether comprises:

said ball positioner being a material swag;

a first passageway and a second passageway formed in said material swag;

said tether threadable through said first passageway and exiting at an exit aperture in said first passageway;

said tether threadable through said second passageway through an entry aperture adjacent to said exit aperture;

said material swag frictionally engaging said tether within said first and second passageways;

a loop formed between said exit aperture and said entry aperture, said ball slidably locateable in said loop; and

whereby the size and the position of said loop in said tether may be determined by sliding said tether to varying positions in one or both of said first and second passageways, said varying positions thereafter maintained by said material swag frictionally engaging said tether.

11. A ball hitting practice device, for use in combination with an upright member comprising:

a ball, said ball slidably engaged with a tether, said tether having an attachment end and having a distal end;

said attachment end having a first tether end and a second tether end;

means of attachment of said first tether end to a first position on said upright member;

means of attachment of said second tether end to a second position on said upright member;

said ball slidably positionable to a target position on said tether;

means to maintain said ball in said target position on said tether; and

whereby said practice ball in said target position when struck by a user will wrap around said upright member between said first position and said second position, and thereafter unwind and return to said target position.