Patent Application
20140274485
The present invention relates to a ball feeder for a ball projecting machine configured for use with a ball bucket.
Pitching machines are widely used by both professional and non-professional athletes for batting practice. Conventional pitching machines include a pitching head having either one motor driven wheel or two counter-rotating motor driven wheels that engage a ball and project the ball toward an awaiting batter. Pitching machines enable a coach, players or a team to project balls, such as baseballs or softballs to players repeatedly for a single batter or multiple batters. The pitching machines simulate a pitched ball and typically the speed of the pitch can be adjusted to match the desired need of the player, team or coach. The pitching machine saves the coach or other player from having to throw pitches at the desired location and speed over and over again. Pitching machines enable a player, team or coach to focus on a particular hitting skill or multiple hitting skills. Ball projecting machines can also be used to simulate batted balls, such as ground balls, infield pop-ups, flyballs, line drives, etc.
Pitching machines are such an effective tool for baseball or softball practice that many users find a limitation of the machine to be the collection and reloading of baseballs or softballs into the machine. Teams often collect baseballs and softballs from the field or their storage area in ball buckets that typically hold up to approximately 60 balls. Existing ball projecting or pitching machines have some drawbacks when it comes to ball loading. Some pitching machines have no ball load or feed system and require a coach or other user to manually feed balls into the pitching machine one at a time to the batter. Other pitching machines have very small ball feeders that hold very few balls and, in some instances, have designs that enable the balls to be readily dislodged from the ball feeders resulting in practice balls dropping to the ground around the pitching machine. Other existing ball projecting machines can include large ball feeding tube assemblies that must be filled one ball at a time by the user. Typically, the team, player or coach will manually retrieve one or two balls from the ball bucket and place them into either the ball feeder assembly or directly into the ball projecting machine. Such repeated manual filling of such ball feeders can become tedious or burdensome to many users. Other more expensive pitching machines can include very large hoppers for storing a hundred or more balls. Such machines are usually quite large and are difficult to maneuver about the practice area or field, particularly when they are filled with balls. Such ball hopper systems can be impractical because very few coaches, players or teams want to shag one hundred or more balls at one time, and some teams don't have a hundred or more usable balls.
Accordingly, a need exists for a more efficient way to provide balls to a ball projecting machine. It would thus be desirable to provide an assembly that enables a player, team or coach to easily load or feed practice balls into a pitching machine or ball projecting machine. It would be advantageous to provide a ball feeding system that did not require manual loading of balls into a ball feeder. What is needed is a ball feeding system that is simple, cost effective and works well with existing equipment. It would be desirable to provide a ball feeding system that is not too small or too large, and prevents the balls from being readily dislodged from the ball feeder.
The present invention provides a ball feeder assembly for a ball projecting machine includes a frame, a ball delivery element, a motor, and a ball feed member. The ball feeder assembly is configured for supporting a cylindrical bucket having top and bottom end and at least a pair of annular projections adjacent the top end. The bucket is configured for holding a plurality of balls. The frame includes a bucket support arm having first and second spaced-apart bucket supports. The first support is configured to removably engage the bucket between the pair of annular projections. The motor is supported by the frame and is operably coupled to the ball delivery element. The ball feed member is coupled to the ball delivery element. The ball feed member has a first end coupled to the ball feeder assembly and a second end removably coupled to the ball projecting machine.
According to a principal aspect of a preferred form of the invention, a ball feeder assembly for a ball projecting machine includes a stand, an upper frame, a ball delivery element coupled to the upper frame, and a ball feeder member coupled to the ball delivery element. The ball feeder assembly is configured for supporting a cylindrical ball bucket containing a plurality of balls. The bucket longitudinally extends from a closed bottom end to an open top end along a longitudinal axis. The upper frame is movably coupled to the stand between at least a first bucket loading position in which the upper frame is configured to support the bucket in a generally upright position with the upper top end at a higher elevation than the bottom end such that the longitudinal axis of the bucket is at angle within the range of between 0 and 80 degrees from a vertical plane, and a ball feed position in which the upper frame is configured to support the bucket in a downward position with the bottom end at a higher elevation than the upper end such that the longitudinal axis is within the range of 5 to 90 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane.
According to another principal aspect of a preferred form of the invention, a ball feeder assembly is configured to deliver a plurality of balls to a ball projecting machine, and includes a stand, an upper frame movably coupled to the stand, a first adjustment mechanism, a cylindrical ball bucket, a ball delivery element, and a ball feed member coupled to the ball delivery element. The first adjustment mechanism is coupled to at least one of the stand and the upper frame. The first adjustment mechanism includes a first adjusting element that, when repositioned, incrementally rotates the upper frame about the first pivot axis. The cylindrical ball bucket is removably coupled to the upper frame. The bucket longitudinally extends from a closed bottom end to an open top end along a longitudinal axis, and includes at least two spaced apart annular projections adjacent the open top end. The ball delivery element includes a ball receiving surface and defining at least one outlet aperture.
This invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described herein below, and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts.
Referring to
The pitching machine 10 is one representation of a ball projecting machine. The pitching machine includes a pitching head 14 situated atop of, and coupled to, a pitching stand 16 through a support arm 18. The pitching machine 10 includes a ball inlet 22 and a ball projecting region 24 for projecting the ball 12 from the pitching machine 10. The ball feeder assembly 20 is configured for use with other types of pitching machines and ball projecting machines.
Referring to
The stand 30 is a rigid support structure configured to support the ball feeder assembly 20 on a generally horizontal surface such as a ball field, an indoor practice facility, a pitcher's mound or other practice location. The stand 30 is configured to maintain the bucket ball feeder in an operable position and inhibit the ball feeder assembly 20 from tipping over upon incidental contact with a user. The stand 30 can be formed as a tripod having three rigid legs 42 for supporting the ball feeder 10. The legs can have a fixed length or can be adjustable in length. The legs 42 can be integrally or non-separable connected to the rest of the stand 30. In another implementation, the legs 42 can be removably attached to the rest of the stand 30. In another implementation, the stand can have two, four or more legs. In another implementation, the stand can include an enlarged base for supporting the ball feeder. In another implementation, the stand can be configured to be driven into the ground for support, like a stake. In another implementation, the ball feeder assembly 20 can have no stand or have the stand removed, and the feeder assembly 20 can be coupled to the pitching machine 10 and supported by the stand of the pitching machine 10. In another implementation, the stand can be configured to support the ball feeder assembly on a raised structure such as a table. In another implementation, the stand can be configured to attach to another rigid support structure such as a batting cage or pitching fence frame.
The stand 30 is coupled to the upper frame 32. In one implementation, the stand 30 is movably coupled to the upper frame 32 by at least one axis. A first adjusting mechanism 44 can be used to movably couple the stand 30 to the upper frame 32 such that the upper frame 32 is repositionable about a vertical axis 46 as desired by the user. The first adjusting mechanism 44 can include a first locking handle 48. In other implementations, other forms of adjusting mechanisms can be used that provide repositioning of the upper frame with respect to the stand in at least two different orientations or positions about the vertical axis.
The upper frame 32 can include a lower post member 50 that movably engages the stand 30. The relative lengths of the stand 30 and the post member 50 can be varied to provide the desired height for the first adjusting mechanism 44. The stand 30 can be removable from the post member 50 to facilitate relocation or transporting of the feeder assembly 20. The stand 30 is preferably formed of a rigid, durable material, such as steel. In alternative embodiments, the stand can be formed of other materials, such as, for example, aluminum, other alloys, fiber composite materials, a plastic, other polymeric materials, a ceramic, wood, and combinations thereof.
Referring to
The bucket support arm 52 is configured to support the bucket 40. The bucket 40 is a conventional ball bucket, and is can also be referred to as a utility bucket or a paint bucket or a soil bucket. The bucket 40 is cylindrical and includes a closed bottom end 72, a side wall 74 and an open top end 76. The bucket 40 has a cylindrical shape that extends along a longitudinal axis of the bucket from the closed bottom end 72 to the open top end 76. The bucket 40 can have a generally circular transverse cross-sectional area, and the cylindrical bucket can be tapered such that the diameter of the bucket at the bottom end 72 can be smaller than the diameter of the bucket at the top end 76. The side wall 74 can include at least one annular projection generally positioned adjacent or near the top end 76. In other configurations, the bucket 40 includes two or more longitudinally spaced apart annular projections 80. The bucket 40 is typically formed of a durable material such as a high density polyethylene. The bucket can be formed of other durable materials, such as, other plastic materials, ABS, other polymeric materials, metal, wood, or combinations thereof. The bucket 40 can also include a handle 82. The bucket 40 is sized to carry a plurality of balls 12. In one implementation, the bucket 40 has a 5 gallon capacity, and can hold and retain approximately 60 balls. The bucket can have a diameter at its top end 76 of approximately 12 inches, a diameter at its lower end of approximately 10 inches, and a height of approximately 14 inches. In other implementations, the bucket can have other diameters, heights, and tapers. The bucket can be formed in other volumes such as 6 gallons, 4 gallons, 3 gallons, and other sizes.
The bucket 40 is removably attachable to the feeder assembly 20. The bucket 40 can be sold or grouped with the feeder assembly 20, or it can be supplied separately by a user. The feeder assembly 20 can accommodate a variety of different shaped buckets of different sizes.
The first and second bucket supports 58 and 60 of the bucket support arm 52 are spaced apart from each other to provide proper support for the bucket 40. The support arm 52 can include first and second slot arrangements 64 and 66 and associated first and second fasteners 68 and 70 for adjusting the positioning of the first and second bucket supports 58 and 60 along the support arm 52, respectively. In one implementation, the first bucket support 58 can be a cradle-type support that has an arcuate shape for engaging the side wall 74 of the bucket 40, preferably between two of the annular projections 80. The second support 60 can be configured to engage the bottom end 72 of the bucket. The second support 60 can include at least one notch 84 for engaging the bottom end 72. The first and second supports 58 and 60 support the side wall 74 and the bottom end 72 of the bucket 40. The first support 58 preferably has a width of approximately 0.75 inch to engage the side wall 74 between the projections 80 and support the bucket 40 laterally and longitudinally. The first support 58 serves as a stop that prevents the bucket 40 from sliding into contact with the ball delivery element 34. The first and second slot arrangements 64 and 66 and the first and second fasteners 68 and 70 enable the user to quickly adjust the feeder assembly 20 to accommodate buckets 40 of many different shapes and sizes. In other implementations, the first and second supports can have other shapes that engage the bucket.
Referring to
In another implementation, the ball feeder assembly can include a third adjusting mechanism that enables the ball feeder assembly to be moved or positioned relative to a third axis. The third axis can be perpendicular to both the first and second axes 46 and 94.
In the first bucket loading position as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
During use, the bucket 40 is loaded onto the feeder assembly 20 in the second ball feed position. The balls within the bucket 40 bear against the ball receiving surface 102. As the ball delivery element 34 rotates about the shaft 100, the agitator 110 facilitates the movement and loading of the balls and as the ball inlet aperture 104 moves next to one of the balls, the ball drops into the ball retention cavity 116 of the ball delivery element 34. The ball inlet aperture 104 is advantageously sized to permit enable one ball to fit through the aperture 104 at a time. The depth of the ball delivery element 34 and its rotation speed are configured to allow for one ball to enter the ball retention cavity 116 at any instance. In other implementations, other configurations of the ball delivery element 34 can be used to allow for two, three or more balls to enter the ball retention cavity of the ball delivery element at the same time. As the ball delivery element 34 continues to rotate, the ball within the ball retention cavity 116 is repositioned or moved within the ball delivery element 34 until the ball outlet aperture 108 of the ball feed surface 106 is aligned with the ball feed member 36. The ball outlet aperture 108 is sized to allow the ball to pass through the aperture 108 when the aperture 108 is aligned with the cylindrical opening defined by the ball feed member 36. Once aligned, gravity causes the ball to exist the ball delivery element 34 through the aperture 108 and into the ball feed member 36 for delivery to the ball projecting machine 10 or other device.
Referring to
Referring to
The electric motor of the drive assembly 38 can be powered through cord 120 to an offsite electric power source. An on/off switch 122 can be mounted to the drive assembly 38 for access by the user at the machine.
Referring to
In another implementation, the ball feeder assembly 20 can be removably attached to a soft toss mechanism 130. A second end 132 of the ball feed member 36 can be removably coupled to the soft toss mechanism 130. The soft toss mechanism 130 applies a force to the ball 12 at the second end 132 of the ball feed member 36 to project the ball 12 upward by a few feet to provide a slow tossed ball to the user for batting practice. The soft toss mechanism 130 can be adjustable to provide different levels of force to the ball and thereby provide soft tossed balls at different heights. In one implementation, the soft toss mechanism 130 includes a spring loaded lever 138 that projects the ball 12 upward. The soft toss mechanism 130 can be powered by an electric motor 140 which can be supplied by a battery (such as the battery 124) through a power cord 142. In one implementation, the battery 124 used to power the ball feeder assembly 20 can also be used to supply power to the soft toss mechanism 130. In other implementations, separate batteries can be used for each electric motor and/or power can be supplied from an offsite power grid through the cords to the motors.
Referring to
Referring to
The above-described features of the ball feeder assembly 20 provide a more efficient way to provide balls to a ball projecting machine. The ball feeder assembly 20 of the present invention enables a player, team or coach to easily load or feed practice balls into a pitching machine or ball projecting machine without having to load the pitching machine one ball at a time, or load a ball feed tray one ball at a time. The ball feeder assembly 20 is a ball feeding system that is simple, cost effective and works well with existing equipment of various types. The ball feeder assembly 20 is configured for use with professional grade pitching machines that project baseballs and softballs at speeds up to 100 mph, to soft toss mechanisms, to ball projecting machines of other sizes and outputs. The ball feeder assembly 20 provides a ball feeding system that is not too small or too large, and prevents the balls from being readily dislodged from the ball feeder.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. One of skill in the art will understand that the invention may also be practiced without many of the details described above. Accordingly, it will be intended to include all such alternatives, modifications and variations set forth within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Further, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail because such structures or functions would be known to one skilled in the art. Unless a term is specifically and overtly defined in this specification, the terminology used in the present specification is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though may be used conjunction with the description of certain specific embodiments of the present invention.
