Padded leather pitching target

• US 6,878,078 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Swanson
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Swanson
• Inventors: Swanson, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garbe, Stephen P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Legesse, Nini F.
• Application Number:
  US10/331,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 473/451, 473/454, 473/456, 473/462, 273/404, 273/407, 273/408, 273/410
• US Class Current: 473/454
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/005 Keeping track of the point of impact or entry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball

Abstract

A leather pitching target simulates the sound of a pitched ball hitting a catcher'"'"'s mitt and forms a visual indentation where the ball strikes the target. An air-filled layer of padding may be sandwiched between a leather target sheet and a durable backing material. A square or rectangular quilted pattern of stitching may bind the layers together. A differently colored block U-shaped pattern of squares forms the inside, outside, and bottom of the strike zone. Each time the ball hits the target, pressure from the impact levels out the previous impression and creates a new one where the new pitch hit the target.

Claims

1. A baseball pitching target for producing a sound of a baseball hitting a catcher'"'"'s mitt and for providing an instant feedback visual indication of where the ball impacts the target, the baseball pitching target comprising:

a target fabricated of resilient leather so that a pitched ball striking the target makes a sound of a ball striking a leather catcher'"'"'s mitt, the target having at least a portion of the target defining a baseball strike zone, the target indents to form a first visible indentation at a point of impact of a first pitched ball striking the target and the target being capable of having the first visible indentation being leveled out in response to a second pitched ball striking the target at a second point of impact forming a second visible indentation of the target; and

a means for maintaining the target in an upright positions;

a padded layer behind the target;

a backing layer attached to the target sandwiching the padding between the target and the backing layer, the target and the backing layer being interconnected around a matching perimeter to form an air space therebetween so that the second pitched ball striking the target causes air movement within the air space to contribute to the first visible indentation being leveled out.

2. The baseball pitching target of claim 1 wherein the padding comprises a resilient fiber interspersed with air spaces.

3. The baseball pitching target of claim 2 wherein the target hangs vertically and the stitching is every six inches in a horizontal direction and every six inches in a vertical direction to create a pattern of squares over the surface of the baseball pitching target so that one column of four squares forms the inside third of the strike zone, one column of four squares forms the outside third of the strike zone, and one row of three squares forms the bottom section of the strike zone.

4. The baseball pitching target of claim 3 wherein the visually contrasting portion of the target layer comprises a block U-shaped area defining the premium areas within the strike zone including an inside third of the strike zone, an outside third of the strike zone, and a bottom section of the strike zone.

5. The baseball pitching target of claim 1 wherein said at least a portion of the target defining a baseball strike zone comprises a visually contrasting portion of the target comprising a block U-shaped area defining the premium areas within the strike zone including an inside third of the strike zone, an outside third of the strike zone, and a bottom section of the strike zone, and wherein the target and backing layer are interconnected by stitching and the stitching forms a pattern which is comprised of rectangular shapes some of which form components of the strike zone and delineate smaller portions of the strike zone which can be used as specific targets within and around the strike zone.

6. The baseball pitching target of claim 1 wherein said at least a portion of the target defining a baseball strike zone comprises a visually contrasting portion of the target layer that defines premium areas within the strike zone.

7. A baseball pitching target for producing a sound of a baseball hitting a catcher'"'"'s mitt and for providing an instant feedback visual indication of where the ball impacts the target, the baseball pitching target comprising:

a backing layer of durable sheet material;

a target layer fabricated of resilient leather having at least a portion of the target

defining a baseball strike zone, the target layer and the backing layer being interconnected around a matching perimeter of the two layers to form an air space therebetween;

a padding layer sandwiched between the backing layer and the target layer in the air space therebetween, the padding layer formed of resilient padding material that compresses and expands after being compressed so that a first pitched ball striking the target layer makes a sound of a ball striking a leather padded catcher'"'"'s mitt, the first pitched ball causing a first indentation of the target layer and a first compression of the padding layer at the point of impact to form a first visible indentation in the target and a second pitched ball striking the target causing air movement within the air space to cause expansion of the padded layer at the point of impact of the first pitched ball causing a leveling out of the first indentation and at the same time causing a second indentation of the target layer and a second compression of the padding layer at the point of impact of the second pitched ball to form a second visible indentation;

a pattern of stitching between the three layers to hold the three layers together over the entire surface of the baseball pitching target, and

a means for maintaining the target in an upright position.

8. The baseball pitching target of claim 7 wherein the resilient padding material comprises a resilient fiber interspersed with air spaces.

9. The baseball pitching target of claim 7 wherein said at least a portion of the target defining a baseball strike zone comprises a visually contrasting portion of the target layer that defines premium areas within the strike zone.

10. The baseball pitching target of claim 9 wherein the visually contrasting portion of the target layer comprises a block U-shaped area defining the premium areas within the strike zone including an inside third of the strike zone, an outside third of the strike zone, and a bottom section of the strike zone.

11. The baseball pitching target of claim 10 wherein the target layer and backing layer are interconnected by stitching and the stitching forms a pattern which is comprised of rectangular shapes some of which form components of the strike zone and delineate smaller portions of the strike zone which can be used as specific targets within and around the strike zone.

12. The baseball pitching target of claim 11 wherein the target hangs vertically and the stitching is every six inches in a horizontal direction and every six inches in a vertical direction to create a pattern of squares over the surface of the baseball pitching target so that one column of four squares forms the inside third of the strike zone, one column of four squares forms the outside third of the strike zone, and one row of three squares forms the bottom section of the strike zone.