U.S. patent application number 10/987106 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-19 for variable trajectory kit for a ball pitching mechanism.
This patent application is currently assigned to Unified Solutions, Inc.. Invention is credited to Cromwell, Samuel H., Hudson, David H., Jordan, Gary, Tucker, Alan F..
Application Number | 20050103319 10/987106 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34577675 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050103319 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hudson, David H. ; et
al. |
May 19, 2005 |
Variable trajectory kit for a ball pitching mechanism
Abstract
The present invention is a method and apparatus for use with a
ball throwing machine (e.g., baseball/softball pitching machines,
tennis ball serving machines and the like) that may be employed for
practice at hitting and/or catching balls thrown. In many
conventional systems, such machines have a fixed position and are
unable to vary the direction (horizontal) or angle (vertical) at
which a ball is thrown. The present invention provides a simple,
cost-effective device by which conventional machines may be adapted
to provide randomly variable movement of the machine so as to
enable a ball to move about a target location in order to simulate
a competitive environment.
Inventors: |
Hudson, David H.;
(Canandaigua, NY) ; Jordan, Gary; (Victor, NY)
; Cromwell, Samuel H.; (Honeoye Falls, NY) ;
Tucker, Alan F.; (Hilton, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BASCH & NICKERSON LLP
1777 PENFIELD ROAD
PENFIELD
NY
14526
US
|
Assignee: |
Unified Solutions, Inc.
Rochester
NY
|
Family ID: |
34577675 |
Appl. No.: |
10/987106 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60520024 |
Nov 14, 2003 |
|
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|
60558837 |
Apr 2, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
124/78 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 4/00 20130101; A63B
71/023 20130101; A63B 69/40 20130101; A63B 69/406 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/078 |
International
Class: |
F41B 004/00 |
Claims
1. A displacement device for a ball pitching machine, comprising: a
support base on the ball pitching machine; an eccentric drive
operatively attached to said ball pitching machine, said drive
generating displacement in at least a first plane using a single
motor to produce a displacement of the ball pitching machine to
alter the trajectory of a ball thrown therefrom.
2. The displacement device of claim 1, further comprising means,
connected to the eccentric drive, for adapting and operatively
coupling the eccentric drive to at least one leg of a multi-legged
support for the pitching machine, wherein said means translates
motion from the eccentric drive to the leg.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the eccentric drive further
comprises a motor and a crank coupled to said motor, and where the
adaptation means rotationally constrains at least an end of the
control leg and causes said end of the control leg to move in at
least two directions.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is position relative
to the pitching machine so as to cause motion in three
directions.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein said leg adaptation means is
engaged with at least one of the supporting legs of said ball
pitching machine.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one other of said
supporting legs includes at least one roller in contact with the
supporting surface so as to enable at least one other of said
supporting legs to move relative to the supporting surface.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one other of said
supporting legs includes means for enabling sliding contact with
the supporting surface.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein said variable trajectory means is
a crank having a plurality of holes therethrough and wherein one of
said holes operatively receives the leg adaptation means.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein said crank is affixed to a
rotation means through one of said plurality of holes and the
trajectory displacement is a function of the hole selected.
10. A free standing ball throwing machine comprising: means to
throw a ball in a generally predetermined direction on a trajectory
that is a function of the ball speed and angle of release; and an
eccentric drive means associated with a motor and a control leg
receiver operatively associated with at least one support of the
ball throwing machine, wherein said control leg receiver is moved
in at least one direction to effect a change in the direction or
angle at which the ball is released so as to vary the location at
which the ball is received in the vicinity of a target region as a
result of the variable displacement of the control leg receiver as
the ball is released.
11. A device for altering the position of a ball delivery machine
having a plurality of legs to support the ball delivery machine on
a surface, comprising: a leg mount to operatively connect the
device to at least one of the legs; a crank; a pivotable connection
between the leg mount and the cam, operatively coupling the leg
mount to the cam; and means for rotating the crank about an
eccentric axis, wherein the leg mount moves in at least a varying
bi-directional manner as a rotating means is operated so as to
cause the ball delivery machine to alter an angle at which a ball
is delivered.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the leg mount receives a
leg.
13. The device of claim 11, wherein the leg is inserted, at least
partially, into the leg mount.
14. The device of claim 11, wherein rotating means is an electric
motor.
15. The device of claim 11, further including a roller operatively
associated with at least one other leg.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/520,024, filed on Nov. 14, 2003 and U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/558,837, filed on Apr. 2, 2004,
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] This invention relates generally to a throwing or pitching
machine used in athletics for the practice of various ball
dependant sports, such as baseball, football, tennis and the like,
and more particularly to an improvement in the nature of a kit
containing a mechanism to modify the trajectories of balls pitched
or thrown by such machines.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Pitching machines are powerful and versatile training tools
for athletes of all ages and skill levels. Developing players
benefit from the safety and predictability of a ball being
repeatedly delivered within the center of the strike zone and
thereby allowing the inexperienced athlete to work on swing
mechanics under consistent conditions and thereby alleviate the
fear of errant balls often thrown by the pitcher, coach, etc.
[0004] Pitching and throwing is often accomplished with one, or
possibly two, driven wheels rotating in opposing direction that
project the ball upon contact with the pair of counter-rotating
radial surfaces which are co-acting to provide a curvilinear
trajectory. Similarly, an arm of similar ball delivery mechanism
may be employed to throw or project a ball toward a batter or
receiver. Wheeled pitching machines mounted onto a tripod have been
the industry standard for many years. Companies such at ATEC of
Sparks, Nev., The Jugs Company of Tulatin, Oreg., and Bata Baseball
Machines of San Marcos, Calif. have long marketed two wheeled
pitching machines for use in a training environment. While these
basic pitching machines are well suited for practicing the
principle elements of a sport, they are all too often lacking in
the ability to simulate actual game situations, such as high/low
pitches and those that are to the inside or outside of the strike
zone. Although described herein relative to a baseball pitching
machine, it will be appreciated that the advantages of the present
invention may be enjoyed in other ball sports and for purposes
other than batting practice (e.g., infield and outfield practice,
fly-ball practice, football receiver practice, etc. On one hand it
is advantageous to consistently place the ball within a designated
zone to perfect a technique, however this is an obvious
contradiction to actual play where the trajectory and azimuth of
the ball is relatively inconsistent and unpredictable. Admittedly,
traditional pitching and throwing machines have a harmful effect in
not providing the athlete the experience in reacting to balls that
are randomly delivered within the peripheral border of the strike
zone or the like, or even outside the strike zone all together.
[0005] In order to obtain the maximum advantage of conventional
pitching machines there is an apparent need to provide a realistic
batting session whereby the ball is delivered in a manner where the
position of the ball, relative to the plate, is variable. This is a
critical feature in providing experience in coordinating visual
acuity with spontaneous muscle control and the development of gross
motor skills. To that end pitching machines have now been developed
whereby variations to the trajectory are applied in both the x and
y directions using a variety of motion control methods and
associated mechanics. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,440,013, U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,013, U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,075 and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,782. However, due to the complexity of the x
and y movement mechanisms in such devices, there is no known
retrofit kit providing for an "after market" integration of a
variable trajectory feature into a conventional pitching machine
mechanism.
[0006] Thus, there exists an unmet need to readily adapt existing
pitching machines to accommodate the necessity for a more realistic
training exercise by providing for a variable or randomized
trajectory of the ball and relying on the batter to make an
instantaneous decision as to the coordinates of the ball as it
approaches the plate.
[0007] The present invention involves the adaptation of a ball
pitching or throwing machine whereby a variable trajectory "kit" is
operatively coupled to the pitching machine base for the purpose of
continuously altering the trajectory of a pitch in order to provide
a random presentation of the ball to the batter. The pitching
machine as referenced in this invention comprises a ball tossing
assembly affixed to a multi-leg base. The base may be a tripod, or
other appropriate configuration that is capable of supporting and
accommodating the re-coil of the pitching machine at a desired
height and position.
[0008] Generally speaking the present invention is rotationally
coupled to at least one leg, arm or corner of the supporting stand
of a pitching machine. It will be appreciated, however, that as
noted above the techniques described herein relative to the sport
of baseball may be equally applied to other ball pitching devices
and is therefore intended to include all those mechanical devices
that are employed in the propulsion of game balls during training
and practice sessions including, but not limited to, softball,
hardball, tennis, badminton, football, ping-pong, lacrosse, and the
like. In the preferred embodiment the invention acquires and
controls at least one support member of the pitching machine and
utilizes the member as a dynamic position control rod to oscillate
the supporting structure of the pitching mechanism. The invention,
in effect, intervenes between the supporting surface and a point of
contact of at least one of the supporting legs to provide a fulcrum
point as the trajectory of the propelled ball is continuously
modified. Accordingly, this invention varies the vertical and/or
horizontal vector of the ball with respect to the position of the
batter or receiver where the resultant displacement within the
strike zone, for instance, is the summation of the x (vertical) and
y (horizontal) components where; y.Arrow-up
bold.+x.fwdarw.=.angle.xy. It should also be appreciate that a
relatively minor z component is inherent within the motion profile
of the pitching machine due to the in/out displacement of the
connection point between the pitching machine and the variable
trajectory kit.
[0009] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a means for producing a variable trajectory of
the ball whereby the first direction of motion is continuously
varied along with the second direction of motion. In effect this
continuous adjustment of the x and y coordinates of the pitching
machine facilitate an environment that emulates the throwing
patterns of a pitcher. In actual practice this invention variably
delivers the ball within a prescribed elliptical corridor contained
within the "strike zone" by controlling both the horizontal and
vertical orientation of the machine. A strike zone may be defined
as a vertically orientated rectangular area over a home plate,
where the width and horizontal position is relative to the home
plate and the height and vertical position is relative to the
batter.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a free standing and autonomous displacement
device for use in conjunction with a ball pitching machine,
comprising a support base on the ball pitching machine; an
eccentric drive operatively attached to said ball pitching machine,
said drive generating displacement in at least a first direction
using a single motor to produce a displacement of the ball pitching
machine to alter the trajectory of a ball thrown therefrom and a
means for adaptation to at least one leg of the multi-legged
support, said adaptation means flexibly translating the motion from
the drive means to the pitching machine.
[0011] In accordance with a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a self-contained ball throwing machine
comprising a means to throw a ball in a generally predetermined
direction on a trajectory that is a function of the ball speed and
angle of release; and an eccentric drive means associated with a
motor and a control leg receiver operatively associated with at
least one support of the ball throwing machine, wherein said
control leg receiver is moved in at least one direction to effect a
change in the direction or angle at which the ball is released so
as to vary the location at which the ball is received in the
vicinity of a target region, generally within a pre-defined strike
zone, as a result of the variable displacement of the control leg
receiver as the ball is released.
[0012] It is further intended that the present invention may be
employed as an "after market" kit to enhance the functionality of
existing pitching machines whereby the invention is readily
installed and removed without the requirement for tools or
modifications to the currently available pitching products.
Furthermore, the drive means for varying the pitch trajectory is a
single motor device having a minimum of moving parts, therefore
being an economical and reliable improvement to a majority of the
pitching machines currently in use. Moreover, the present invention
accomplishes dual-direction variability of a pitching or throwing
machine with only a single drive, thereby making the invention or
"kit" easily transportable and attachable to multiple machines
(e.g., may be used by the baseball coach one day and the tennis
coach the next).
[0013] The integration of a variable trajectory drive system into a
ball pitching or throwing machine is advantageous because this
readily provides a complete range of ball orientations that are
concurrent with actual playing conditions and can be presented to
the batter or receiver with a minimal investment and modification
to existing pitching devices. These and other objects and
advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art after considering the following detailed
specification, which describes an embodiment of the present
invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The objects and features of the present invention may be
more easily understood from the following detailed description and
by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a frontal view of the strike zone and the stance
of the batter prepared to swing at a randomly pitched ball;
[0016] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a a ball pitching device
inserted into a receiving member of an eccentric drive assembly of
"kit" in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 2B is a front planar view of a roller assembly attached
to another leg of the ball pitching device of FIG. 2A;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
eccentric drive assembly;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
motor and crank in the eccentric drive assembly;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
eccentric drive assembly incorporating a motor and cam;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
eccentric drive assembly incorporating a motor, cam and cam
follower;
[0022] FIGS. 7-9 are views illustrating another embodiment of the
eccentric drive assembly incorporating a cylinder having a helical
and circumferential channel and a shroud with cam follower.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 the strike zone 28 is
generally considered to be within an area immediately above home
plate 33, where the upper limit thereof is a horizontal line at the
midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the waist of batter
11, and the lower limit being a point extended from the knees of
batter 11. Ball 40 is preferably presented within an elliptical
pattern having both the minor and major axis within strike zone
28
[0024] Now in FIG. 2A a typical ball propelling machine 10, having
a pair of variable speed pitching wheels 12, whereas the
constructed and operated is well known within the art. The ball
pitching machine 10 may comprise a variety of configurations
capable of delivering a ball or similar projectile to a target
including belts, a pneumatic cannon or an arm to impart a
propelling force to ball 40. Machine 10, which is an embodiment
designed to throw ball 40 at a variable speed, is generally
supported by triangular base 15 forming a tripod whereby the
machine 10 is moveably attached to the triangular base 15 by means
of a coupling device 18. Coupling device 18 may accommodate
horizontal and vertical adjustment of the trajectory of the ball
40. Once the flight of the ball 40 over the plate has been
established the coupling device 18 is secured in position, for
example using a thumb-screw or similar fastener threadably engaged
within the coupling device 18, whereby the machine 10 is prohibited
from moving off the pre-set pitch line, thereby providing a
reliable and repeatable trajectory of the ball 40. The present
invention employs an eccentric drive assembly 20 positioned
underneath or adjacent to the existing triangular base 15 of
machine 10. The eccentric drive 20 receives and controls at least
one leg of the triangular base 15 and is constructed such that the
machine 10 can be positioned and re-positioned to alter the
trajectory of ball 40. The eccentric drive 20 therefore employs one
of the supporting legs as a "tiller" or "arm" to steer the ball 40,
preferably within the limits of strike zone 28.
[0025] As the eccentric drive 20 moves the control leg 16 up and
down the angle or trajectory at which the ball is released, and
similarly the height of the ball, 40 becomes variable. In like
manner, as eccentric drive 20 concurrently moves the leg 16 left
and right, the ball 40 will deviate from the nominal centerline
accordingly. The motion output of eccentric drive 20 is
intentionally asynchronous to the actual delivery or propulsion of
the ball 40 from the machine 10 and thereby provides a multitude of
trajectory angles for ball 40, as would be the case in an actual
game. In order to assure even horizontal motion of the triangular
base 15 at least one other leg may attached to a roller 21 (e.g.,
leg 19) or may be placed on a low friction skid pad 31 (e.g. leg
17) to enable movement about. However the movement of the other
supporting legs may not be required if only unilateral vertical
motion of the triangular base 15 is desired. Skid pad 31 may a
sheet of material having a low coefficient of friction, such as
PTFE, which is inserted beneath leg 17 to promote unrestrained
horizontal motion of the point of contact to the ground or floor.
Accordingly support leg 19, by remaining stationary, could provide
a fulcrum for bi-lateral variable trajectory system. In an
alternative embodiment at least one leg has attached a roller 21
whereby a stepped diameter adapter 23 is inserted within the leg 19
and axel 25 rotatably couples at least one wheel 27 to adapter 23
as depicted in FIG. 2B.
[0026] As described herein, a preferred embodiment of the present
invention as shown in FIG. 3 is directed toward a high torque motor
22 having a relatively low angular velocity within a range of at
least 1-30 rotations per minute (RPM) and preferably comprises an
electric motor, with either AC or DC as a current source, or any
other suitable power generating method capable of rotating a shaft.
One such motor is an AC motor drive, Model 3805 from
Multi-Products, Inc. having an output of 4 RPM. Crank 32 is
eccentrically connected to the output shaft of motor 22 and
provides for motion in the first plane when eccentric drive 20 is
positioned to be generally perpendicular with control leg 16. In
FIG. 2A eccentric drive 20 is shown as being in line with control
leg 16 and accordingly moving the leg 23 of machine 10 in an
elliptical pattern. In one embodiment, crank 32 may be attached to
the output shaft of motor 22 having coupler 29 inserted in one of a
plurality of positions along crank 32. By increasing the distance
of coupler 29 from the motor shaft, and thereby increasing the
displacement of control leg 16, a greater eccentric motion will be
imparted on the machine 10 and accordingly an expanded projection
pattern range will be achieved. Motor 22 is secured to mounting
plate 24 that in turn rests on the ground or other common surface
that is also supporting machine 10. Notably, eccentric drive 20 and
roller 21 are readily attached to a plurality of pitching machines
using one or more stepped adapters 23. As noted in FIG. 4, adapter
23 consists of a plurality of increasingly larger outside diameters
to accommodate a range of support legs 16 having a corresponding or
slightly larger inside diameter. Adapter 23 may also be constructed
as a spherical cone, having an infinitely variable diameter from a
minimum (point) to a maximum diameter. In the case of leg 16 being
a solid rod, adapter 23 would further consist of a corresponding
bore having an inside diameter to receive leg 16 therewithin. The
aforementioned adapter 23 combined with a autonomous eccentric
drive 20 allows for an efficient means to integrate or operatively
couple a variable trajectory feature within the existing pitching
machine population with the installation of this after market kit.
It is to be noted that the adapter 23 does not have to be
permanently or releasably fastened to the leg 16, but may be so
fastened using any of a number of techniques such as locking
screws, pins, etc.
[0027] FIG. 4 further depicts the details of the rotational
coupling means comprising; crank 32, coupler 29, stepped adapter 23
and leg 16. Crank 32 may be attached to the motor shaft using a "D"
shaped hole to correspond with a similarly shaped shaft, or it may
be secured with a keyhole clamp formed within crank 32 and cinched
with screw 14. It is appreciated by those skilled in the art that
numerous alternatives are available to secure crank 32 to a
D-shaped or cylindrical shaft including, but not limited to, a
setscrew, dowel or roll pin, spline, threaded shaft with nut,
keyway or welding to name a few. Bearing 13 is pressed into crank
32 to allow coupler 29 to freely turn within crank 32. Preferably
adapter 23 moves in unison with coupler 29 having minimal relative
motion as they interact due to the weight of pitching machine 10
and the corresponding force onto the socket of adapter 23 on the
distal end of leg 16. It is anticipated that the ball and socket
means is preferred to a permanent affixing or conjoining mechanism
to connect adapter 23 to coupler 29 so as to provide a simplistic
means for fitting eccentric drive 20 to control leg 16. However, in
the case where the recoil force of pitching machine 10 may disrupt
the connection a universal joint or similar means may be employed
and attached to the leg 16 as noted above.
[0028] In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, motor 20
may be attached by way of one or more slides or rails 26 to chassis
24. Cam 34 communicates directly to chassis 24 providing a force
against a low friction surface or rollers 36 that, when rotated,
displaces the mounting plate 51 and motor 22 attached thereto a
distance equal to the offset of cam 34--thereby generating various
deflections of the leg heights. As will be appreciated, the
embodiment of FIG. 5 may be employed in a single-direction
displacement (vertical) as well as a multi-direction displacement
(vertical and horizontal) device. Attached to the eccentrically
mounted cam 34, in common with cam 34 at the point of rotation, is
control leg receiver 30, wherein a supporting leg of pitching
machine 10 is operatively engaged as described above relative to
FIG. 4.
[0029] Referring also to FIG. 6, the chassis 24 is now slideably
interconnected to base plate 38. Guides 26 passes within respective
vertical bores of the mounting plate 51 and are secured to chassis
24 thereby maintaining the mounting plate 51 in a stationary
horizontal position but allowing vertical displacement. Cam 34 is
eccentrically connected to the output shaft of motor 22. The offset
of cam 34 is directly proportional to the minimum and maximum
height of the pitched ball whereby the eccentric motion of cam 34
is coupled to the control leg 16 by means of control leg receiver
30. Receiver 30 is rotationally mounted to the output shaft of
motor 22 having cam 34 positioned therebetween. Receiver 30 is
configured to accept a plurality of leg form factors and is readily
adapted to accommodate a variety of ball pitching machines 10. In
this bi-directional embodiment the motor 22 and the mount plate 51
are allowed to move in a vertical manner along the path of the
guides 26 as chassis 24 moves horizontally from a reactive force
developed from roller 36 as the eccentrically driven cam 34
translates the rotary motion supplied by motor 22 into a single
directional component that is concentric with the receiver 30. FIG.
5 best shows this embodiment whereby the motor 22, mounting plate
51 and receiver 30 all move in unison. While this arrangement unto
itself is not specifically advantageous in developing reciprocating
motion, it will become readily apparent from the following
description as to the inherent advantages of this approach.
[0030] In particular, FIG. 6 shows a means to control the
displacement of the pitching machine leg 16, and thereby a ball 40,
in the horizontal plane concurrently with the motion in the
vertical plane. Using the same motor 22 as a driving means, motion
in the second plane is directly derived from the first plane motion
whereby slide follower 43 mounted on the distal end of the motor 22
output shaft allows the motor 22 to move along the second plane as
a function of, and concurrently with, the first plane motion. This
composite displacement (two-directions--horizontal and vertical) is
developed from first and second planes of motion substantially
perpendicular to one another. Eccentric drive 20, as depicted in
FIG. 5 has been adapted to develop motion in a second direction
that is perpendicular to the first. With reference to FIG. 6
chassis 24 is positioned onto the upper surface of base plate 38. A
pair of pins 47 operating within apertures 41, align chassis 24 to
the fixed base plate 38 in a consistent orientation, whereas there
is relative motion between the two base plates that is parallel to
the drive shaft of motor 22. As shown in FIG. 6 slide deflector 42
is attached directly to base plate 38. The distal end of the output
shaft of motor 22 extends into and beyond the curvilinear aperture
within the slide deflector 42. Attached thereon to the end of the
motor shaft, in direct contact with the outer surface of slide
deflector 42, is slide follower 43. As shown in FIG. 6 the radial
profile of slide deflector 42 is a function of the desired
horizontal displacement of the pitched ball. As motor 22 moves
along an axis perpendicular to the base plate a reactive right
angle force is applied to receiver 30 through slide deflector 42,
slide follower 43 and the motor shaft. The resultant motion as seen
at control leg receiver 30 is the summation of the x (vertical) and
y (horizontal) components of displacement where; y.Arrow-up
bold.+x.fwdarw.=.angle.z. As will be appreciated, various slide
deflector profiles may be employed, possibly substituted with one
another, to achieve varying deflections patterns of the ball
pitching apparatus.
[0031] In yet another embodiment, depicted in FIGS. 7-9, in order
facilitate the random trajectory of a ball pitching machine as in
FIG. 2, the eccentric drive 20 is positioned between a supporting
surface and control leg 16 such as previously described, however
the motion is generated using a cylinder in lieu of the
aforementioned crank 32 or cam 34. With reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and
9 in general terms, there is provided an alternative means to
develop motion or displacement in both the first and second plane
using a single motor 22 directly affixed to base plate 38. A
cylinder 52 having a uniform cylindrical surface is eccentrically
attached to the output shaft of the motor 22. The surface of the
cylinder contains one or more channels 54, 56 circumventing the
cylinder. The radial channel 56 follows a linear path that is
perpendicular to the axis of cylinder 52. Channel 54 is a helix
that can be characterized as a continuous curve circumventing the
diameter of the cylinder to form an elliptical or other motion
profile. The shroud 58 has a cam follower or similar provisions for
attaching between the cylinder and a leg of the triangular base 15
of pitching machine 10, and thereby transmitting to machine 10 the
motion generated by the rotation of eccentrically mounted cylinder
52. In the case whereby only the height of the ball is to be
controlled the cam follower is engaged in the radial channel 56 to
constrain the attached shroud to the first plane of motion only. In
the second case whereby the motion of the first plane is to be
combined with motion in the second plane the cam follower or
tracking pin 62 engages the helical channel 54, or a similarly
configured varying-direction channel, thereby generating a
composite angle of trajectory representing the sum of the first and
second planes of motion. This multi-plane displacement pattern is
directed to the pitching machine through the control leg 16 of the
plurality of supporting legs of triangular base 15.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 7, motor 22 is directly mounted to
bracket 50. Cylinder 52 is attached to motor 22 at one of a
plurality of possible mounting positions or points that are
displaced from the geometric axis of cylinder 52. Cylinder 52
rotates in an eccentric manner whereby the offset distance between
the motor 22 shaft and the centerline of the cylinder 52 is
selected from a group of mounting holes corresponding to strokes
that are proportional to the desired angle/height of the ball being
pitched. Shroud 58, having a radius nearly equal to the radius of
the cylinder 52, surrounds cylinder 52 in order to trace the motion
created by the rotating cylinder, thereby generating a variable
trajectory angle to manipulate the ball position across the plate.
Control leg receiver 30, with adapter 48, is connected to control
leg 16 of ball pitching machine 10, as previously described with
respect to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, the eccentrically driven
cylinder 52 is rotated so shroud 58 oscillates the control leg
receiver 30. The variation of only the height of the pitch is
accomplished when tracking pin 62 and shroud 58, shown in FIG. 8,
are engaged in channel 56 only of cylinder 52. Referring to FIG. 7,
the horizontal displacement of the ball is determined by the offset
of cylinder 52. A composite variation of the trajectory of ball 40
path is established when tracking pin 62 is engaged in channel 54
within cylinder 52. In this configuration both the x and y
components are developed and applied to the control leg 16.
[0034] It will be appreciated that the above embodiments, while
described within the context of the sport of baseball, are not
limited or dedicated to any specific sport. On the contrary any
athlete deriving training from a ball-propelling device will fully
appreciate the features and benefits of the present invention.
[0035] Thus there has been described herein a ball pitching machine
whereby the trajectory of the ball is randomly altered. It will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be
made in the size, shape and arrangement of elements described
hereinbefore without departing from the intended spirit,
functionality and operability of the subject invention.
Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives,
modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *