Continuous ball feed and stroke practice device

• US 9,555,307 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Norman Drake Lewis, Waldon Lewis
• Original Assignee: Norman Drake Lewis, Waldon Lewis
• Inventors: Lewis, Norman Drake, Lewis, Waldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US14/850,487
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 473/431, 473/436, 473/475, 473/422, 473/451, 473/462, 473454-456, 473/438, 124/78, 124/81, 124/6, 124/56, 124/71, 124/53.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/401 substantially vertically, e.g. for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/10 Positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/62 Inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/002 Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/02 for picking-up or collecting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 65/12 Ball-throwing apparatus with or without catchers hand-held throwing or catching aids A63B59/20; Mechanical projectors, e.g. using spring force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/06 Ring or disc tossing games , e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0075 : Means for releasably holding a ball in position prior to kicking, striking or the like golf tees A63B57/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 : for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/406 : with rotating discs, wheels or pulleys gripping and propelling the balls or bodies by friction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/409 : with pneumatic ball- or body-propelling means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

A ground based launching assembly for feeding balls vertically upwards to a user. The user may takes strokes at fed balls, thereby delivering the balls towards a catching assembly. The catching assembly receives the balls and gently returns the ball back to the launching assembly. Disposed between the catching assembly and the launching assembly is a return ramp and a ball sequencer. These require no more than ten feet in length. Such a device may be readily used in a single car garage or other small room.

Claims

1. A vertical ball serving and return apparatus, comprising:

a ball launching assembly which provides predetermined, vertical force at a regular time interval to a ball;

a sequencing mechanism positioned adjacent to said ball launching assembly for feeding balls, one at a time, to the ball launching assembly, wherein the sequencing mechanism includes;

a feed hopper configured to receive said balls and including an aperture at the base of the feed hopper, the aperture sized for the passage of one of said balls at a time;

a sliding collection plate disposed below the feed hopper and configured to move laterally across a shelf and collect a single ball from the feed hopper when moving laterally across the shelf and deposit the single ball at an opposing end of the shelf; and

a feed path disposed at the opposing end of the shelf from the feed hopper and sized for the passage of one of said balls and configured to direct the single ball to the ball launching assembly;

a catching assembly, configured to collect said balls having a substantially horizontal flight arc and the catching assembly positioned remote from the ball launching assembly; and

a return ramp disposed between the catching assembly and the sequencing mechanism and configured to receive said balls collected by the catching assembly and deliver said balls to the sequencing mechanism.

2. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ball launching assembly is configured to launch any of:

tennis balls;

baseballs; and

softballs.

3. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the ball launching assembly further comprising:

a pneumatic hammer configured to strike vertically and impart vertical force to the balls.

4. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the ball launching assembly further comprising:

a motorized hammer configured to strike vertically and impart vertical force to the balls.

5. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the ball launching assembly further comprising:

one or more gas jets configured to expel high pressure gas in a substantially vertical direction and impart vertical force to the ball.

6. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the ball launching assembly further comprising:

an adjustment mechanism for increasing or decreasing the vertical force provided to the ball, thereby adjusting an apex height the ball reaches after launched.

7. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the catching assembly further comprising:

a backstop having a substantially hyperbolic paraboloid shape.

8. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the catching assembly further comprising:

an inflatable backstop; and

an air pump coupled with at least the inflatable backstop and configured to inflate the inflatable backstop.

9. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 8, the return ramp further comprising:

an inflatable ramp coupled to the air pump and configured to share enclosed air held by the inflatable backstop.

10. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the catching assembly further comprising:

a contact sensitive backstop configured to display an image, the contact sensitive backstop configured to detect both location and velocity of impacts of said balls against the backstop.

11. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, the ball launching apparatus further comprising:

a noisemaker configured to emit a delivery noise a predetermined period of time before providing the predetermined, vertical force to the ball.

12. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 8, wherein the inflatable backstop is comprised of any of:

polyvinyl;

urethane;

vinyl;

nylon;

hypalon;

or nitrylon.

13. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, wherein the catching assembly and the return ramp are configured for assembly and disassembly without tools.

14. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a storage compartment configured to store the catching assembly and return ramp when disassembled.

15. The vertical ball serving and return apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for use in a rectangular area, the rectangular area having a major length dimension of no greater than ten feet.