Automated T-Ball batting tee baseball stand for little league teams

Abstract

Automated T-Ball batting tee baseball stand for little league teams is disclosed. Having an automated stand with remote control and foot switches speeds up play of little league games and practice by removing the physical time it takes for the coach to make the manual adjustments. The coach can adjust the setting for each player quickly which is also an improvement for helping the young players learn how to swing the bat and hit the ball.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Problem Solved: Beginning little league baseball players (boys and girls ages under 6) hit the ball on T-Ball stand that has to be manually adjusted for the height of each player to match their swing plane.

The manual T-Ball stands take 2 hands to adjust the height of the stand and it requires someone to take the time to go to the stand at home plate. If the coach is standing where a pitcher would stand he/she has to walk to home plate to make the adjustment.

Having an automated stand with remote control speeds up play and practice by removing the physical time it takes for the coach to make the manual adjustments. The coach can adjust the setting for each player quickly which is also an improvement for helping the young players learn how to swing the bat and hit the ball. The automated T-Ball unit will also have up and down foot switches integrated into the base of the unit so the height of tee can be adjusted with the press of the foot on the switch.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Current manual T-Ball batting tees require 2 hands to adjust the height of tee for each player at bat during a game. The coach normally has a glove on one hand during the game. As the T-Ball batting tees are used they become hard to adjust due to sand interfering with the tight friction of the extendable tubes.

One object of the present invention is to give the T-Ball coaches an easy to use adjustable tee that can quickly change the height of the tee for each for each batter. This gives the coach more time to focus on the batter and speeds up play which gives batter more chances at bat.

Another object of the present invention is to have a reliable tee that will not become difficult to use over time from sand and dirt on the playing field.

A still further object of the present invention is for the coach to be able to adjust the height of the tee even if he is not near the batter. Placing the ball on the tee does not take skill but the coaches skill is needed to set the height for the batter to improve his or her batting success at the entry level little league.

Another object of the present invention is to look similar to the manual T-Ball tees which are the current standard for little league games.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to have a mechanism to manually make height adjustment if there is a problem with the automation mechanism of the tee.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the present invention with a view of the enclosure for the remote receiver and transmitter, momentary foot switches, and power supply.

FIG. 2 shows a side by side view of the present invention to demonstrate the automation adjustment of the T-Ball tee.

FIG. 3 shows an inline side rail actuator and how it can be connected inside the T-Ball tube that will be raised and lowered to change the height of the ball.

FIG. 4 shows the enclosure and components that contain the remote receiver, momentary foot switch and power supply.

FIG. 5 shows the base in the shape of home plate and the lock collars for the actuator and enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As stated above, beginning little league baseball players (ages under 6) hit the ball on T-Ball stand that has to be manually adjusted for the height of each player to match their swing plane. The invention claimed here solves this problem.

The automated T-Ball stand FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 allows coaches to adjust the height of the stand to the desired position by using a remote control switch to raise and lower the stand using a motorized mechanism. The age group of T-Ball players is four to six and they come in a wide range of heights. This function makes it easier and faster for coaches to adjust the height of the T-Ball stand for each player during their turn at bat during a game. This device can also be used for practice.

The claimed invention differs from what currently exists. I have not found any automated T-Ball stand on my market searches. They are all manually adjusted. The patents that state improvements to batting tees are focused on the older more experienced players and their swing practice. The automation stated in some of the disclosures are very helpful for practice but cannot be used in a little league game. Patents found that can be used in little league games were all manually adjusted. The following examples improve upon batting practice tees or non automated tees that could be used in a little league baseball game.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,821,322 to Jorgens, et al., September 2014, Adjustable batting tee having a removably attachable base mechanism.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,747,258 to Durham et al., June 2014, Batting Tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,246,492 to Gangelhoff, August 2012, Baseball/softball batting tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,077 to Andrews, April 2005, Baseball training device.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,425,352 to Loduca et al., April 2013, Mechanical baseball tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,992,348 to Meier et al., March 2015, Training device, system and method for improving a baseball player's swing of a baseball.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,736,246 to Lortscher, January 2006, Baseball bat swing training aid.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,823 to Prieto, February 1995, Adjustable baseball batting tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,429 to Pecoraro et al., July 2002, Automated batting tee apparatus.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,445 to Tanner, January 2004, Durable Batting Tee for Baseball.

This invention is an improvement on what currently exists. I have not found any automated T-Ball stand on my market searches. They are all manually adjusted.

During baseball games and baseball practice the stand needs to be adjusted for each player or left at an average position which may not be the best for each player. It takes time away from practicing or game time if the adjustment is done manually. It hinders a tall or short player if the coach does not adjust the height during practice or the game. Having an automated stand with remote control speeds up play and practice by removing the physical time it takes for the coach to make the manual adjustments. The coach can adjust the setting for each player quickly which is also an improvement for helping the young players learn how to swing the bat and hit the ball.

The Version of the Invention Discussed here Includes:

1.12 volt, 10-12 inch linear slide rail actuator 30 used to move the inner tube 12 of the stand up and down to raise the height of the baseball 14. The power supply 49 needs to support the requirements of the actuator 30 and remote control system (receiver) 47.

2. 12 volt battery power supply (rechargeable) 49 for actuator 30 and remote control system 47.

3. Remote control system 47 attached to the T-Ball stand base 10 to control the movement of the up and down motion of the stand as shown in FIG. 2. The remote switches 15 are momentary.

4. Momentary (DPDT) foot switches 48 including foot pedal 40 to allow for using the automated control of the actuator without the remote control system.

5. The inner tube 12 that is connected to the actuator 30 and moves up and down. The tube 12 can also be released from the actuator 30 if there is a mechanical/electrical problem. The actuator side rail connector 35 is pressure fit to an inner tube slot 31 and can be released by turning the top of the inner tube 12. The tube can then be adjusted up and down similar to standard T-Ball stands.

6. FIG. 4 shows the top of the enclosure case 16 with the foot pedal 40, the wiring connection 41 for the power cord connector from the actuator 32, connector to recharge the power supply 43, power on/off button with LED 42 to indicate the power is on. FIG. 5 shows the opened bottom view of the enclosure case 16 that holds the 12 volt power supply 49, momentary foot switches 48, and remote control system 47. The components are accessed from the bottom plate 44 by removing the four screws 46 from the plate. The plate, FIG. 6, has a pressure fit collar 45 to attach the enclosure case 16 to the hole in the base 50.

Relationship Between the Components:

The automated T-Ball stand FIG. 1 will look similar to a current manual T-Ball stands. The manual stands have a rubber tube attached to a rubber base that looks like home plate. It has a second tube that fits into the outer base tube and is manually adjusted up and down. The baseball sits on top of the second tube. The proposed system has a side rail linear actuator 30 with an inline motor 34 including the gears 33 to move the rail connector 31 up and down resulting in moving the inner tube 12 up and down inside the outer base tube 11. The inner tube 12 is inserted into the outer base tube 11 will attach to the actuator 30. The actuator 30 fits in the hole in the locking collar 51 in the base 10 and the outer tube 11 slides over the inner tube 12 and locks into the collar 51. There is a slot in the collar 51 to allow for the power cord 32 from the actuator motor 34 to connect to the enclosure case 16. The inner tube 12 has a smaller tube 13 attached at the top for the baseball 14 to sit on.

The actuator 30 will connect to the remote control system 47 that is attached to the base 10 of the T-Ball stand by the power cord connector 32. The remote control system 47 is connected to the 12 volt power supply 49 that is also housed inside the enclosure case 16 attached to the base 10 of the T-Ball stand. The remote switches 15 that are part of the remote control system 47 are momentary RF wireless up and down switches that control the movement of the inner tube 12 to adjust the height for each player. The actuator 30 automatically stops at the top of its movement and the bottom of its movement. The foot switches 40 are integrated into the enclosure case 16 that is attached to the home plate base 10 so that the actuator 30 can be used by pressing the up (+) switch or the down (−) switch 40 to control the height of the T-Ball stand FIG. 2. The foot switches 48 are connected to the power supply 49 and actuator 30 to control the up and down motion. When one foot switch (+ or −) 40 is pressed it disconnects the remote unit 47 and the other switch (+ or −) 40.

How the Invention Works:

Automation of a T-Ball baseball stand FIG. 1 needs to be able to adjust the height of the stand for each baseball player so that the ball 14 that sits on top of the stand (tube 13) is at the proper height for each player. The height difference between four and six year old baseball players (boys and girls) can vary quite a lot. Automation of the T-Ball stands requires the five components to be connected.

The actuator 30 will be contained within the outer base tube 11. The actuator 30 will be connected to the remote control system 47 and the foot switches 48 that are enclosed in the case 16 and attached to the base 10. The inner tube 12 fits inside the outer base tube 11 and is connected to the actuator 30 side rail system 35 shown in FIG. 3. It is the inner tube 12 connected to tube 13 that moves up and down with the ball 14 sitting on top to adjust to the batters swing plane.

The remote control system 47 and the foot switches 48 are enclosed in the case 16 that is attached to the base 10 and connected to the 12 volt power supply 49 and to the actuator motor 34. The remote control switches 15 that come with the remote control system 47 are controlled by the coach to adjust height of the T-Ball stand to the appropriate swing plane of the batter. The remote switches 15 are momentary so the movement of the inner tube 12 will go up or down as long as the up or down button is pressed. The actuator 30 stops moving as soon as the button is released. If the actuator side rail 35 reaches the maximum height or lower limit the actuator 30 stops automatically. The opposing remote switch 15 (up or down button) needs to be pressed to move the actuator 30 in the opposite direction. The height adjustment will move approximately from 21 to 33 inches high. The range can vary by the length of the actuator 30. The momentary foot switches 48 can also be used to control the actuator by pressing the up (+) or down (−) switch 40 to adjust the height. The foot switch 40 can be used if the coach or assistant coach is setting up the ball 14 for the player. If the battery in the remote switch 15 needs to be replaced the foot switch 48 will work. If the 12 volt power supply 49 needs to be recharged the inner tube 12 can be released from the actuator 30 and moved up and down manually so there is no interruption to the game.

How to Make the Invention:

The components can be purchased off the shelf to build a functioning automated T-Ball stand. This can be done by purchasing the actuator 30, power supply 49, remote control system 47, two momentary foot switches or integrated switches 48, and a manual T-Ball stand FIG. 1. Production units should have a molded base 10 that will have the connections (50 and 51)for the enclosure case 16, actuator 30, and outer tube 11. The power supply 49, remote receiver 47, and the foot switches 48 are connected and contained inside the enclosure case 16. The actuator 30 needs to be integrated into the inner tube 12. The actuator power cord 32 connects to enclosure case 16 which connects to the remote control system 47 and foot switches 48 which connect to the to the power supply 49. The inner tube 12 needs to be a tube that will move freely up and down the outer tube 11 while connected to the rail slide actuator 31. The inner tube 12 will have a slot 35 created in the inside of the tube where it connects to the side rail connector 31. The downward pressure when sliding the inner tube 12 over the actuator 30 will lock the tube in place. The depth of the slot 35 is graduated from side to side so it can be released by twisting the inner tube 12 to manually adjust the height if there is a problem with automation system.

The actuator 30 and power supply 49 are mandatory. The foot switches 48 attached to the power supply 49, actuator 30 and the output wires of the remote receiver 47 could be used instead of using the remote control system 47. The foot switch 48 will disconnect any power going to the remote control system's 47 output wires while a foot switch 40 is pressed. The integrated foot switches 40 can be used by the assistant coaches who are setting up the stand at home plate or if the coach left the remote switch 15 at home or the remote switch battery has died. Using the foot switch 40 is a simple and fast automated way to adjust the height.

A more complex actuator combination could be designed to move the actual base tube 11 to various positions relative the base 10 which is the size of home plate. This would add value for teaching hitting the balls that are closer or farther away from the batter.

A unit could also be designed with sensors to automatically choose a height setting for the batter.

An automated ball set up mechanism could be added so the batter could hit more than one ball. There are hoppers of balls for batting tees but they would need to be redesigned to fit the automated T-Ball stand for height adjustments.

Inexpensive rechargeable power supplies 49 make the unit more affordable. The power supply should have an LED indicator inline 43 to show if the battery needs to be charged. The actuator could be modified to use a flexible mechanism to reduce cost and weight instead of using an off the shelf industrial strength actuator. This would be key to mass producing the automated T-Ball stand.

The unit can be made without the remote control system 47 and only use the foot switches 40 connected to the enclosure case 16 that is connected to the T-Ball Stand. This reduces costs but also reduces the value by requiring the coach to have to walk to the T-Ball stand for every adjustment.

How to use the Invention:

Coach turns presses the power on switch 42 and the Coach or user presses the up or down button on the remote switch 15 and the height of the ball changes as the actuator 30 moves the second inner tube 12 up and down. The ball can be sitting on the tube 13 while the coach adjusts the height with the remote switch 15 for each batter. The automated T-Ball stand can be used for games or practice. The batters will be ready to bat sooner than with the manual T-Ball stand. The height can also be adjusted by using the foot switches 40.

Claims

1. A T-Ball little league baseball game playing apparatus for little league games comprising:

a base member,

a support member mounted perpendicularly to said base member, said support member including an actuator to raise and lower the height of said support member,

automated means for adjusting and setting the vertical height of said support member,

a ball holding member connected to the top of said support member,

a protective covering member to protect the actuator of said ball support member,

a removable enclosure holding rechargeable battery to power the actuator, on/off lighted switch, remote control receiver and foot switches to control said support member,

a remote control transmitter to control said actuator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said actuator is contained within the flexible hollow tube of said support member allowing for the movement to raise and lower the height of said ball holding member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ball holding member is a hollow flexible tube that has an diameter large enough to hold a baseball.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base member, said support member with said protective member, and said enclosure are removable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said protective covering member is impact resistant to protect said actuator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support member can be manually adjusted if there is a mechanical/electrical problem.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the said means to automate the said actuator movement is through the said remote control unit and said foot switches.