Patent Application
20150352426
The disclosure relates to cage devices and more particularly pertains to a new cage device for collecting a batted ball and returning the ball to the batter in a position to be batted again.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an enclosed area. A back section of the enclosed area is elevated relative to a front section of the enclosed area. A drain coupled to the rear section of the enclosed area receives and directs a ball through the drain. A chute is positioned adjacent to the enclosed area to receive the ball passing through the drain. The chute is sloped downwardly from an upper end to a lower end. A lofting mechanism is positioned at the lower end of the chute for lofting the ball when the ball exits the lower end of the chute. While lofted in the air the ball may be struck back into the rear section of the enclosed area.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A chute 26 is positioned adjacent to the enclosed area 12 such that an upper end 28 of the chute 26 is configured for receiving the ball 20 passing through the drain 18.
The chute 26 is sloped downwardly from the upper end 28 to a lower end 30 wherein the ball 20 moves from the upper end 28 of the chute 26 to the lower end 30 of the chute 26.
A lofting mechanism 32 is positioned at the lower end 30 of the chute 26 wherein the chute 26 is configured for lofting the ball 20 when the ball 20 exits the lower end 30 of the chute 26. Thus, the ball 20 is battable, using a conventional bat or other similar implement, into the rear section 14 of the enclosed area 12 while the ball 20 is in the air. The lofting mechanism 32 comprises netting 34 positioned adjacent to the lower end 30 of the chute 26. The netting 34 is substantially planar and resilient, either by construction or being held in a substantially tight condition to bounce the ball 20 off of the netting 34 using the velocity of the ball 20 striking the netting 34. The chute 26 is configured to deliver the ball 20 onto the netting 34. The netting 34 is angled relative to the chute 26 such that the netting 34 is configured for lofting the ball 20 in a substantially vertical direction adjacent to the enclosed area 12. Indicia 74 may be coupled to the device 10 proximate the aperture 40 and aligned with the chute 26.
A lower extension panel 36 is coupled to and extends forwardly from a bottom front edge 38 of the enclosed area 12. An aperture 40 extends through the lower extension panel 36. The lofting mechanism 32 is configured for lofting the ball 20 through the aperture 40. An upper extension panel 42 is coupled to and extends forwardly from a top front edge 44 of the enclosed area 12. The upper extension panel 42 extends over the lower extension panel 36 and is spaced to allow a bat or similar implement to pass between the lower extension panel 36 and the upper extension panel 42 to assist in preventing the ball 20 from moving too far from the enclosed area 12 on mis-hits of the ball 20. As shown in
A frame 48 is provided for supporting the enclosed area 12 and the chute 26. Each of the enclosed area 12 and the chute 26 is coupled to and supported by the frame 48. Each of a pair of legs 50 is coupled to the frame 48. The legs 50 are each telescopic and the chute 26 is held or supported in a static position relative to the frame 48 wherein a slope of the chute 26 is adjustable by adjustment of a length of the legs 50. The legs 50 may be positioned adjacent to a front 52 of the enclosed area 12 for accessibility and ease in making adjustments. Static non-telescopic legs 54 may be provided and positioned opposite the legs 50. The frame 48 may be constructed of tubing, pipes, or the like. The frame 48 may include a support 66 having an annular section 68 receiving the chute 26 therethrough wherein the chute 26 maintains alignment relative to the frame 48 during use. The frame 48 may further include a lateral cable 78 extending between a pair of eye hooks 80. The cable 78 is tight and extends across a lower junction 82 between the front section 16 and the rear section 14 to hold a bottom portion of the front section 16 tight.
A deflection panel 56 is positioned in the enclosed area 12. The deflection panel 56 is positioned within the enclosed area 12 such that the deflection panel 56 inhibits the ball 20 from bouncing into the front section 16 from the rear section 14. The deflection panel 56 and the enclosed area 12 may be constructed from net, tarp, or similar panels or sheets of material.
In use, the ball 20 may be thrown or struck towards the rear section 14 of the enclosed area 12. The ball 20 is collected within the rear section 14 and delivered through the drain 18 into the chute 26. The chute 26 delivers the ball to the lofting mechanism 32 which lofts the ball 20 adjacent to the enclosed area 12 to be struck back into the rear section 14. The cycle may be repeated for desired length of time allowing a person to practice swinging and striking the ball repeatedly without having to remove their hands from the bat or other implement being used to strike the ball 20.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
