Abstract: A sports practice net assembly for stopping the flight of a projectile such as a golf ball, comprises a pair of side frame members with a central frame member disposed between them. The side frame members are preferably formed as closed loops. The central frame member has a pair of legs that extend across portions of the side frame members so that the lower ends of the legs and the lowermost portions of the side frame members support the sports practice net assembly on a generally horizontal surface. The first and second frame members are preferably are symmetrically arranged such that they are connected together at a rear portion of the sports practice net assembly and spaced apart at a front portion of the sports practice net assembly with an acute angle between their planes. The central frame member has first and second legs and an upper portion arranged to extend above the uppermost edges of the side frame members.

Abstract: The ball throwing machine of this invention includes a vertical base plate mounting a wheel support plate for pivotal movement about a pivot axis which defines an arcuate slot in the base plate through which a clamp bolt extends from the wheel support plate. The wheel support plate mounts top and bottom pneumatic tired wheels for rotation to grip a ball between them and project it forward. An electrical control circuit affords adjustment of wheel rotational speed by a single rotary switch and also allows selection of a variety of types of pitches by a single rotary switch. The electrical circuit also provides for the setting of a differential rotational speed between the top and bottom wheels, for optimum quality of pitching control, and also provides for limiting the minimum and maximum wheel rotating speeds to achieve realistic pitching speed range.

Abstract: A ball throwing machine which includes a tripod leg support is provided with the rearwardly positioned leg formed as a pair of telescopic sections. Rack and pinion components are mounted one on each leg section and the pinion is operated by a crank to effect lengthening or shortening the telescopic sections, to effect an incremental change in the trajectory of a ball thrown by the machine.

Abstract: A skeet throwing device includes a frame mounting a pair of rotary wheels spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of a skeet member which is delivered to the wheels by a carriage movable toward and away from the wheels; either manually or by an extensible fluid pressure cylinder. In a powered arrangement, a skeet support adjacent the carriage supports a vertical stack of skeet members, and a skeet pusher on the carriage is disposed to engage the bottommost skeet member of the stack and move it forwardly from under the stack. A skeet guide on the skeet support guides the bottommost skeet member forwardly and laterally from the skeet support onto the carriage for delivery to the rotary wheels.