Abstract: A projectile machine for use in practicing various activities including the practice of basketball shots from various positions on a basketball court. The projectile machine when practicing basketball shots automatically returns the basketballs to the person practicing shots thereby eliminating the necessity for the practicing player or other players to retrieve the basketballs that have been shot and return them to the player practicing the shots. More specifically, the present invention enables basketballs that have been shot towards the basketball goal or hoop to be automatically collected and mechanically returned to a selected on-court location at varying elevations, trajectories and velocities. The projectile machine can also be used during various activities relating to the practice of various endeavors in which an article is projected in a desired trajectory. The projectile machine may be supported from a support post for the backboard and goal for use as a home unit.

Abstract: A tennis ball return apparatus associated with a tennis net which has its lower edge disconnected from supporting posts to enable balls striking the net to drop substantially straight downwardly rather than rebounding from the net with the apparatus of this invention causing the tennis balls which strike the net and drop downwardly to enter a channel-shaped area having a horizontal tray or trough in the bottom thereof which has a driven endless cord with knots thereon for returning the balls to a putter-type mechanism to project the balls back towards the base line of a tennis court.

Abstract: An origami printed circuit board comprises a rigid printed circuit board having a flexible conducting back secured to the bottom of the circuit board. The flexible back is constructed of alternating layers of flexible dielectric and conducting layers bonded together, where the conducting layers may include copper. The circuit board is then grooved in a predetermined manner with the grooves extending through the rigid circuit board, but not extending into the flexible conducting back. The entire circuit board/flexible back is then folded along the grooves in origami fashion to form an enclosure, or other designed shape, with the flexible back forming the outer walls of the shape. By coupling the electronic elements of the circuit board to the conducting layers of the flexible back, the flexible conducting back includes electronic circuit printed interconnections on the rigid board. A bottom conducting layer of the flexible back may be uncoupled to the electronic elements of the circuit board.

Abstract: Water well treatment apparatuses and methods or procedures followed during such treatment in which fluids produced from the well are recycled through the well and aquifer with the recirculated fluids being subjected selectively to various treatment techniques to more effectively clean or otherwise treat the well and aquifer. By using various modifications of the basic arrangement, shallow wells and deep wells may be effectively treated and wells which use turbine pumps, submersible pumps and the like may also be effectively treated. The apparatus and method includes a structure for heating the recirculated fluid to desired temperature levels, adding various cleaning the treating solutions thereto, varying the parameters of the treatment methods in accordance with the conitions of the well and aquifer and purging the well when desired.

Abstract: A basketball return device comprises a portable unit for positioning on a basketball court in a location generally underneath a basket into which shooting practice is to be conducted. The device includes a base with a ball-return mechanism therein and a vertically extending chute projecting upwardly from the base and terminating in a hoop-like top opening for positioning substantially directly beneath the basket. The ball-return mechanism includes a horizontal ball-collection and dispersion tube mounted in the base for swinging movement about a vertical axis so that the tube may be positioned to direct balls through an open end thereof to a required location on the court. The ball-return mechanism includes a solenoid operated plunger carried at the back of the tube for projecting balls therethrough and the device may include various electrical controls for automatically and semi-automatically operating the ball-return mechanism.

Abstract: A ball-returning tennis net assembly comprises a net structure of an inner net and an outer net on each side of the inner net for gathering balls hit into the net structure in a manner preventing the balls from rebounding onto a playing surface of a tennis court and for causing the balls to drop into an elongate inclined tray positioned along the base of the net so that the collected balls will roll down the tray to one end of the net structure. The tray delivers the ball to an automatic ball return mechanism at the side of the court which has a powered paddle device for batting the balls to a selected location at either end of the court.