Claims
- 1. A pitching system including:means for propelling balls toward a target; means for visually displaying a moving video image of a pitcher; and means for synchronizing the release of said balls from said means for propelling with said moving image, said means comprising a programmable controller adapted to cause said means for propelling to initiate release of said balls at a predetermined time interval after the video image is initially displayed.
- 2. A pitching system of the type having a power head including three coacting wheels for propelling a ball toward a batter to interchangeably simulate pitches of different types to different locations at different speeds, wherein said power head is pivotably mounted on a base at a center pivot about which the power head may be pivoted in both a horizontal and a vertical position, said machine including:means for causing each of said wheels to rotate at a predetermined speed; means for causing said power head to assume a predetermined horizontal angular position; means for causing said power head to assume a predetermined angular vertical position; means for controlling the rotational speed of each wheel, the horizontal angular position of the power head and the vertical angular position of the power head; means for visually displaying a moving image of a pitcher; and means for synchronizing the propelling of said balls with said moving image.
- 3. The pitching system of claim 2, wherein said wheels are positioned on said power head at equal distances relative to the ball being propelled.
- 4. The pitching system of claim 2, wherein said means for controlling the rotational speed of each wheel includes a motor and a drive control, wherein said drive control includes means for rapidly changing the speed of each wheel.
- 5. The pitching system of claim 2, wherein said means for causing the power head to move to a predetermined horizontal angular position comprises at least one horizontal linear actuator adapted to cause said power head to rotate in a horizontal plane about a center pivot and wherein said means for causing the power head to move to a predetermined vertical angular position comprises at least one vertical linear actuator adapted to cause said power head to rotate in a vertical plane about said center pivot.
- 6. The pitching system of claim 2, wherein said means for controlling comprises a programmable controller.
- 7. The pitching system of claim 6, wherein said programmable controller includes a programmable microprocessor.
- 8. The pitching system of claim 6, wherein said programmable microprocessor may be operated in a manual mode in which an individual can manually select for each pitch its type, speed and location or in an automatic mode in which the microprocessor is pre-programmed to deliver different pitches at different speeds to different locations in pre-programmed sequence.
- 9. The pitching system of claim 6, wherein said programmable microprocessor includes a smart card reader adapted to read a pre-programmed smart card contains a pre-programmed sequence of pitches in order to re-program said microprocessor.
- 10. The pitching system of claim 2, wherein said means to visually display includes a video player for storing said moving image in a digital format, a screen situated between said machine and said batter, and a video projector for displaying said moving image on said screen.
- 11. The pitching system of claim 10, wherein said screen includes an aperture for allowing passage of said ball therethrough.
- 12. The pitching system of claim of claim 2, further including means for retaining the ball in a queued position adjacent to said wheels.
- 13. The pitching system of claim 2, wherein said means to synchronize is controlled by a programmable controller.
- 14. The pitching system of claim 13, wherein said programmable controller is adapted to control said means to visually display said image.
- 15. The pitching system of claim 14, wherein said programmable controller is further adapted to detect when said wheels have been caused to rotate to said predetermine speed and when said power head has assumed said predetermined horizontal and vertical angular positions.
- 16. The pitching system of claim 15, wherein said programmable controller is further adapted to initiate the display of said video image and initiate a countdown upon detecting that said wheels have been caused to rotate to said predetermined speed and when said power head has assumed said predetermined horizontal and vertical angular positions.
- 17. The pitching system of claim 16, further including means to impel said ball from said staging means to said power head.
- 18. The pitching system of claim 17, wherein said means to impel is a solenoid.
- 19. The pitching system of claim 17, wherein said programmable controller is further adapted to instruct said means to impel to impel said ball from said staging means to said power head upon the termination of said countdown.
- 20. The pitching system of claim 17, wherein said programmable controller is further adapted to instruct said means to impel to impel said ball from said staging means to said power head a predetermined amount of time after said programmable controller initiates said means for displaying.
- 21. A pitching system of the type having a power head including three coacting wheels for propelling a ball toward a batter to interchangeably simulate pitches of different types to different locations at different speeds, said machine including:means for causing each of said wheels to rotate at a predetermined speed; means for causing said power head to assume a predetermined horizontal angular position; means for causing said power head to assume a predetermined angular vertical position; means for controlling the rotational speed of each wheel, the horizontal angular position of the power head and the vertical angular position of the power head; means for visually displaying a moving image of a pitcher; a programmable microprocessor; a smart card reader adapted to read a pre-programmed smart card containing a pre-programmed sequence of pitches for re-programming said microprocessor; and means for synchronizing the propelling of said balls with said moving image.
- 22. A pitching system of the type having a power head including three coacting wheels for propelling a ball toward a batter to interchangeably simulate pitches of different types to different locations at different speeds, said machine including:means for causing each of said wheels to rotate at a predetermined speed; means for causing said power head to assume a predetermined horizontal angular position; means for causing said power head to assume a predetermined angular vertical position; a programmable controller for controlling the rotational speed of each wheel, the horizontal angular position of the power head and the vertical angular position of the power head; means for visually displaying a moving video image of a pitcher; and means for synchronizing the propelling of said balls with said moving image, wherein said programmable controller is adapted to initiate the display of said video image and initiate a countdown upon detecting that said wheels have reached a predetermined speed and the power head has assumed a predetermined horizontal and angular position.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 09/259,722 filed on Mar. 1, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/259722 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/457809 |
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US |