TENNIS BALL THROWING MACHINE
A tennis ball throwing machine includes a support frame for carrying the machine, a pair of round pitching wheels, and a hopper mounted on the frame and above the pitching wheels. A ball chute connects the bottom of the hopper and a launch point that is proximate the point where the pitching wheels are closest together. The ball chute includes a plurality of guide rails that are spaced apart and open between them such that the guide rails are separated but are close enough together that they may support and carry a ball down the chute. The open rails allow for dirt and other debris to fall through the machine and away from the ball chute.
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The present invention is directed to an improved tennis ball throwing machine. The improvements in the machine include a plurality of guide rails used in the ball chute that connects a ball hopper and the launch point of a ball throwing machine between two spinning wheels.
BACKGROUNDTennis ball throwing machines have been manufactured and used widely for many years. They are effective tools to let individuals of all skill levels practice their tennis shots. As a result of this broad usage, there are some challenging issues that have been recognized with respect to these throwing machines, but have not yet been solved.
One important issue with tennis ball throwing machines is dirt and debris. Specifically, excessive tennis ball fuzz, pollen, clay, dust, and other dirt may collect on tennis balls. This dirt and sticks, twigs, and leaves can easily and often does come off a ball and builds up inside a tennis ball throwing machine and especially in the chute that feeds balls to the pitching wheels. If there is excessive dirt and debris build up, then it may affect the consistency and, if bad enough, the actual operation of the throwing machine. This dirt build up may, especially for heavily used machines, require frequent service for cleaning of the machine.
Another issue with tennis ball throwing machines generally is the consistent, regular feed of tennis balls from a tennis ball hopper to the pitching wheels. If there is a ball jam issue in the hopper, then time is wasted, practice is interrupted, and the user can be frustrated with the machine. Ball jams present a safety risk as well, since inexperienced users may try to resolve a jam while standing in front of and/or reaching inside of the machine.
SUMMARYAccordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing short comings with existing tennis ball throwing machines.
In one example, a tennis ball throwing machine throws balls of a selected substantially uniform compressible type. The machine comprises a support frame for carrying a pair of pitching wheels and drive motors. The pair of pitching wheels are round with their axes of rotation being substantially parallel, rotatable mounted on the support frame wherein the wheels each comprise a ball engaging peripheral surface. The respective peripheral surfaces are adjacent on another and laterally spaced such that a ball is slightly compressed when passing between the surfaces. The pair of drive motors is mounted on the support frame and connected one each to the pitching wheels to cause those wheels to rotate in opposite directions at variable speeds. A hopper is mounted on the support frame and above the pitching wheels. A ball chute is positioned in a path from the bottom of the hopper and a launch point that is proximate the point where the peripheral surfaces of the pitching wheels are closest together. The ball chute comprises a plurality of guide rails that are spaced apart and open between with the guide rails being separated at a distance apart to support and direct a ball that is carried by the rails. As a result, debris is free to fall out of and away from the ball chute.
The hopper may comprise a generally solid base but for a generally ball-sized aperture therein. The ball chute is connected proximate to the hopper at and around the aperture. The hopper may further comprise a rotating turntable mounted on the base of the hopper with the turntable have a ball-sized opening therein. The turntable opening intersects the hopper aperture with each revolution of the turntable on the base. The delivery of balls to the chute is controlled by the speed of rotation of the turntable. The turntable may comprise multiple openings that intersect with the aperture with each rotation of the turntable on the base. In another example, the base of the hopper may further comprise a trigger latch proximate the side of the aperture where the balls may be fed into the aperture. The trigger latch is adapted to detect the presence or absence of a ball in the turntable opening aligning with the aperture during the rotation of the turntable on the base. An electronic processor may be mounted on the support frame and connected to the drive motors and connected to the drive motors and to the hopper turntable motor with the processor adapted to allow a user to control the speed and position of each of the motors. The ball chute defines a passageway for a tennis ball in the path from the hopper to the launch point. A portion of the passageway may be defined by one of the pitching wheels and the diameter of the passageway in this portion is slightly less than the diameter of the tennis ball. The axes of rotation of the pitching wheels are movable with respect to one another where by the trajectory of a ball thrown by the machine may be changed. The guide rails in the ball chute may comprise generally parallel, spaced apart, metal blades. Alternatively, the guide rails may comprise generally parallel, spaced apart, metal wires.
The tennis ball throwing machine described herein solves, or at least greatly reduces the problems arising from, the issue of debris and dirt build-up in the machine. As will be described, the operating components of the machine are substantially protected from the sun and the environmental elements such as rain and precipitation. However, the bottom of the machine is open to the surface under the throwing machine. Moreover, at least a portion of the ball pathway and chute in the mechanism are open so that debris that may otherwise collect on along ball pathway or otherwise in the machine is free to fall to the surface under the machine.
As shown in
Turning now to
The wheel frame 52 has large rear wheels 80 connected to the rear portion of that frame and caster wheels 82 connected to the front side of the frame. The large wheels 80 allow a user to more simply maneuver the machine 50. The support plate 56 has the pitching assembly 70 connected to the underside thereof and the ball hopper walls 58 connected to the topside thereof. The hopper walls 58, and especially its outside sidewalls, may form a segment of the outer shell of the machine such as shown in
The pitching mechanism 70 includes the lower pitching wheel 72 and upper pitching wheel 74. Each pitching wheel 72 and 74 has a ball engaging peripheral surface 73 and 75 respectively on its outside perimeter. The surfaces 73 and 75 may be rubber or some other suitable material. The surfaces 73 and 75 may also be slightly concave in profile to conform to a tennis ball diameter. The spot that is generally the closest spot between the lower and upper pitching wheels 72 and 74 is referred to as the launch point 76. This is generally the location where a ball is thrown from the machine 50.
As is readily evident from
Turning now to
An additional benefit from the rail ball chute delivery system is the notable tracking consistency of the ball to the pitching wheel launch position. The inner two rails 124 guide the ball to the center of the pitching wheels 72 and 74 each time by steering the ball as it rolls between the upper pitching wheel 74 and the inner two rails. Two rails 124 are used in this example as the rolling surface and the ball is located side to side and guided initially by the outer two ball chute guide rails 122. The increase in consistent launch location tends to add consistent to the pitching spin and trajectory.
The upper and lower pitching wheels 72 and 74 respectively spin around axes 112 and 110 respectively. The axes 110 and 112 are substantially parallel to each other to guide a tennis ball that is pitched from those wheels generally straight in front of the machine. The pitching mechanism 70 is mounted so that the pitching wheels 72 and 74 may be positioned relative to each other to change the trajectory and rotational spin of balls thrown by the machine. For instance, if the lower pitching wheel 72 is generally rotated downwardly, relative to the upper pitching wheel 74, then a ball that is thrown by the pitching machine will have an arc that is more flat to the ground. In addition, by varying the pitching wheel speeds in relation to one another to cause top or backwards spin on the ball, the ball flight characteristics and ground impact deflection characteristics may be changed. In the drawings of
The rails 122 and 124 may be comprised of aluminum, stainless steel, or other acceptable materials including plastic. Preferably, the metal is not able to rust. If the rails 122 and 124 were to rust, then it could roughen the passageway and affect the delivery of tennis balls to the launch point in the machine.
Also, the rails 122 and 124 are shown in the form of flat sheets or blades of metal. These rails may also be made from wire or bars or other round supports. The round wire pieces may be spaced similar to the blades shown in
As shown in
The chute 120 includes a top end 130 and a bottom end 132. The top end 130 of the chute 120 is near the hopper and the aperture 110 in the bottom of the hopper that allows a ball to feed into the passageway defined by the chute 120. The top end 134 of the inside rails 124 are tapered and pointed to allow for a funnel effect to guide the balls into the passageway.
Other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification. It is intended that the specification and Figures be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A tennis ball throwing machine for throwing balls of a selected substantially uniform compressible type comprising:
- a support frame for carrying a pair of pitching wheels and drive motors;
- the pair of pitching wheels being round and with their axes of rotation being substantially parallel, rotatably mounted on the support frame wherein the wheels each comprise a ball engaging peripheral surface and those respective surfaces are adjacent one another and laterally spaced such that a ball is at least slightly compressed when passing between the surfaces;
- the pair of drive motors mounted on the support frame and connected one each to the pitching wheels to cause those wheels to rotate in opposite directions at variable speeds;
- a hopper mounted on the support frame and above the pitching wheels;
- a ball chute positioned in a path from a bottom of the hopper and a launch point that is proximate the point where the peripheral surfaces of the pitching wheels are closest together, wherein the ball chute comprises a plurality of guide rails that are spaced apart and open between them, and the guide rails are separated at a distance apart to support and direct a ball that maybe carried by the rails, whereby debris is free to fall out of and away from the ball chute.
2. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 1 wherein the hopper comprises a generally solid base but for a generally ball-sized aperture therein, and the ball chute is connected proximate to the hopper at and around the aperture, and
- wherein the hopper further comprises a rotating turntable mounted on the base of the hopper, and the turntable has a ball-sized opening therein with the opening intersecting the aperture with each revolution of the turntable on the base, whereby the delivery of balls to the chute is controlled by the speed of rotation of the turntable.
3. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 2, wherein the turntable comprises multiple openings that intersect with the aperture with each rotation of the turntable on the base.
4. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 2, wherein the base of the hopper further comprises a trigger latch proximate the side of the aperture where balls may be fed into the aperture, the trigger latch adapted to detect the presence or absence of a ball in the turntable opening aligning with the aperture during the rotation of the turntable on the base.
5. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 2, further comprising an electronic processor mounted on the support frame and connected to the drive motors and to the hopper turntable motor, the processor adapted to allow a user to control the speed and position of each of the motors.
6. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 1, wherein the ball chute defines a passageway for a tennis ball in the path from the hopper to the launch point, and further wherein a portion of the passageway is defined by one of the pitching wheels and the diameter of the passageway in this portion is slightly less than the diameter of a tennis ball.
7. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 1, wherein the axes of rotation of the pitching wheels are moveable respective to one another whereby the trajectory of a ball thrown by the machine may be changed.
8. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 1, wherein the guide rails comprise generally parallel, spaced apart, metal blades.
9. A tennis ball throwing machine as described in claim 1, wherein the guide rails comprise generally parallel, spaced apart, metal wires.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 24, 2012
Publication Date: Apr 24, 2014
Applicant: LUCK STONE CORPORATION (Richmond, VA)
Inventor: Hurst H. Edson (Lynchburg, VA)
Application Number: 13/658,898
International Classification: A63B 69/40 (20060101);