Air actuated soft toss batting practice apparatus
First Claim
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1. A batting practice device for selectively recycling a lightweight ball comprising:
- a structural base assembly constructed and arranged to support a net assembly, said base assembly including an upper surface, a front, a back, a left and a right depending perimeter wall, wherein said upper surface slopes downward from said perimeter walls to a drain aperture, wherein said drain aperture communicates with a ball return assembly wherein said drain aperture includes two laterally extending pin grooves, wherein said pin grooves are constructed and arranged to cooperate with two laterally protruding pins secured to said ball return assembly for pivotally adjustable support thereof;
a net assembly constructed and arranged to catch a hit ball and direct said hit ball to said base assembly;
a ball return assembly constructed and arranged to receive said ball from said base assembly via gravity and thereafter soft-toss said ball to a batter for hitting practice, wherein said ball return assembly includes a generally round ball conduit, said ball conduit having a ball inlet, a ball outlet and an air inlet;
a source for producing a continuous stream of air in communication with said air inlet;
wherein said ball enters said ball inlet via gravity and said continuous stream of air increases the velocity of said ball traveling through said ball conduit and wherein said ball exits from said ball outlet toward a batter with both horizontal and vertical velocity in the form of a soft-toss, wherein a ball hit into said net assembly is recycled for batting practice.
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Abstract
The instant invention relates to a training device for batting practice. More specifically, the instant invention provides a catch net in combination with an air powered ball return assembly. The ball return assembly delivers a lightweight polymeric ball to a batter in the form of a soft-toss. A hit ball is caught by the net and recycled to the batter. The ball may be hit and recycled back to the batter for a player specified length of time.
64 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A batting practice device for selectively recycling a lightweight ball comprising:
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a structural base assembly constructed and arranged to support a net assembly, said base assembly including an upper surface, a front, a back, a left and a right depending perimeter wall, wherein said upper surface slopes downward from said perimeter walls to a drain aperture, wherein said drain aperture communicates with a ball return assembly wherein said drain aperture includes two laterally extending pin grooves, wherein said pin grooves are constructed and arranged to cooperate with two laterally protruding pins secured to said ball return assembly for pivotally adjustable support thereof; a net assembly constructed and arranged to catch a hit ball and direct said hit ball to said base assembly; a ball return assembly constructed and arranged to receive said ball from said base assembly via gravity and thereafter soft-toss said ball to a batter for hitting practice, wherein said ball return assembly includes a generally round ball conduit, said ball conduit having a ball inlet, a ball outlet and an air inlet; a source for producing a continuous stream of air in communication with said air inlet; wherein said ball enters said ball inlet via gravity and said continuous stream of air increases the velocity of said ball traveling through said ball conduit and wherein said ball exits from said ball outlet toward a batter with both horizontal and vertical velocity in the form of a soft-toss, wherein a ball hit into said net assembly is recycled for batting practice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A batting practice device for selectively recycling a ball comprising:
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a structural base assembly constructed and arranged to support a net assembly; a net assembly constructed and arranged to catch a hit ball and direct said hit ball to said base assembly; a ball return assembly constructed and arranged to receive said ball from said base assembly via gravity and thereafter soft-toss said ball to a batter for hitting practice, wherein said ball return assembly includes a generally round ball conduit, said ball conduit having a 3 inch sewer drain sanitary tee, wherein said tee includes a ball inlet portion, a connector portion and an air inlet portion, wherein said ball inlet portion includes two laterally protruding pins constructed and arranged to cooperate with at least two drain aperture pin grooves formed into said base assembly for pivotable connection therebetween, a ball outlet and an air inlet, wherein said ball conduit includes a center section secured between said ball inlet and said ball outlet; a source for producing a continuous stream of air in communication with said air inlet; wherein said ball enters said ball inlet via gravity and said continuous stream of air increases the velocity of said ball traveling through said ball conduit and wherein said ball exits from said ball outlet toward a batter with both horizontal and vertical velocity in the form of a soft-toss, wherein a ball hit into said net assembly is recycled for batting practice. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification