Baseball Practice Device

Abstract

An elongated resilient element extends vertically between and is connected with an upper and lower support. A ball having a diametric bore surrounds the resilient element intermediate its ends. A lock means, within the bore of the ball, grips the resilient element and prevents relative movement between the resilient element and ball.

Parent Case Text

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This invention is a continuation-in-part of an application filed by me in the United States Patent Office on Oct. 6, 1969, Ser. No. 864,852 for Baseball Practice Device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention.

The present invention relates to a ball game device wherein a captive ball, after being struck in batting practice, is returned to its position of repose.

One of the important requirements in achieving proficiency in batting a pitched ball is training the batter's eye to follow the ball and coordinate the batter's muscular action for bringing the bat into contact with the ball. To be able to bat a thrown ball well requires development of the batter's wrist action and a strengthing of the arm muscles. I have found that proficiency in batting balls may be more easily gained by persons of all ages wherein the ball being batted is anchored or held captive by a resilient element so that the batter may individually practice batting balls and need not spend time retrieving the ball.

2. Description of the prior art.

The most pertinent prior patent is U.S. Pat. No. 1,554,409 which discloses a ball slidably supported diametrically by a vertically disposed run of cable entrained, at its respective end portions, over pullies and secured to horizontal spring members mounted on a support frame.

The principal distinction between this invention and this patent is the use of an elongated resilient element which diametrically extends through and supports the ball between vertically spaced supports wherein a lock means secures the ball to the resilient element at a selected position thus preventing movement of the ball relative to the resilient element in response to an upwardly or downwardly directed force imparted to the ball when struck by the bat.

This invention is distinctive over the above referred to application by substituting the resilient element for the spring members and by the lock means securing the ball to the resilient element.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An elongated resilient cord-like element extends, under slight tension, vertically between and is secured at its respective ends to upper and lower supports. A diametrically bored ball surrounds the resilient element intermediate its ends and is adjustably secured to the resilient element by a lock means within the bore of the ball impinging the cord against the wall forming the bore of the ball.

When the ball is struck in a lateral direction by a bat the resilient element yields in accordance with the force applied by the bat. A sheath surrounds the resilient element and normally prevents stretching the resilient element beyond its yield point.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a baseball batting practice device which holds a baseball captive and returns it toward a position of repose following each time the ball is struck by a bat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the device illustrating, by dotted lines, the action of the ball on its supporting element when struck by a bat;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, to a larger scale, taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, to a further enlarged scale, of the locking means per se; and,

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view, to a further enlarged scale, of the resilient element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numerals 10 and 11, respectively, indicate vertically spaced upper and lower supports between which the device, indicated generally at 12, is suspended. The lower support 11 may be a floor or any horizontal surface on which the user, not shown, stands. The upper support 10 may be the ceiling or any portion of a building structure disposed a substantial distance above the user's head so that the spacing between the upper and lower supports provides ample space about the vertical axis of the device 12 for freedom of movement of the user when swinging a bat.

The device 12 comprises an elongated cord-like resilient element 14, such as latex rubber 16, or the like, preferably surrounded by a resilient sheath comprising a synthetic thread woven covering, such as is presently marketed under the trade mark Nylon, indicated at 18 (FIG. 5). I have found that a satisfactory size of the element 14 is 3/8 inch diameter by approximately 12 feet along. The respective ends of the element 14 may be connected in any suitable manner to the upper and lower supports 10 and 11, such as by tying them to eye-screws 20.

A ball, preferably a conventional baseball 22, is diametrically bored, as at 24, with the diameter of the bore 24 substantially equal to the diameter of the element 14 in its position of repose. The bore 24 of the ball surrounds the element 14 at a selected position intermediate its ends. As is well understood when the resilient element 14 is elongated, as by stretching, its diameter is proportionally reduced which would tend to permit the ball 22 to move along the cord when the ball is hit by a bat, not shown, in a lateral and slightly upward or downward direction, therefore, to maintain the ball at a selected position intermediate the length of the element 14 a lock means 26 is positioned within the bore 24.

The locking means 26 comprises an elongated length of rigid material 28, rectangular strap-like in general appearance, having a length less than the diameter of the ball and a width substantially equal to the diameter of the bore 24 and a thickness on the order of one-third its width. A series of transverse projections are formed on one flat surface of the strap-like member 28 adjacent its respective end portions forming longitudinally aligned spaced-apart rows of teeth 30 and 32. The length of each row 30 and 32 is substantially equal to one-third the length of the member 28. The opposite surface or face of the strap-like member 28 is provided with a similar row of projections medially its ends extending approximately one-third its length and disposed opposite the spacing between the end portion teeth rows 30 and 32.

The locking means 26 is inserted in the bore 24 by manually stretching the element 14, placing the rows of teeth 30 and 32 in longitudinal contact with a portion of the element 14 at one end of the bore and forcing the lock means 26 into the bore to the position shown by FIG. 2. In this position the row of teeth 34 frictionally engage and extend into the resilient, normally cork, material forming the ball 22 while the other rows of teeth 30 and 32 engage the resilient element 14 which is deformed, by its contractile tendency, to fill the spacing between a portion of the bore wall and adjacent surface of the strap member 28, as shown by FIG. 3. The rows of teeth 30, 32 and 34 thus, tightly engaged with the material of the ball and the element 14, impinges the element 14 against the wall forming the bore 24 and prevents relative movement between the ball and the element 14.

Obviously the lock means may be formed of other cross sectional configuration, if desired.

OPERATION

In operation the ball 22, secured to the element 14 by the locking means 26, as disclosed hereinabove, is supported by the upper and lower supports 10 and 11. The tension on the element 14 is preferably kept to a minimum to allow maximum lateral movement of the ball when struck. The batter may then strike the ball with the bat, not shown, which moves the ball in a lateral direction, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1, wherein the resiliency of the element 14 tends to return it to its solid line position. After assembling the ball and locking device 26 on the element 14, the ball may be moved to a different position, intermediate the ends of the element, by manually stretching the element 14 in a longitudinal direction to reduce its diameter so that it may be manually forced in a sliding action through the bore 24 and longitudinally across the rows of teeth 30 and 32. When the tension on the element 14 is released, after moving the ball along the element 14, its resiliency returns it to the configuration of FIG. 2.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

Claims

I claim:

1. A baseball practice device, comprising: upper and lower vertically spaced supports;

an elongated resilient element extending between and connected with said supports;

a ball having a diametric bore surrounding said resilient element intermediate its ends; and,

lock means comprising an elongated member having a series of oppositely disposed outstanding projections formed thereon closely received by the bore of said ball and impinging a portion of said resilient element against the wall forming the bore in said ball for preventing relative movement between said ball and said resilient element,

said series of projections forming a pair of longitudinally aligned rows of teeth disposed respectively at the respective end portions of said elongated member and engaging said resilient element and a third row of teeth intermediate the ends of said elongated member longitudinally engaging a portion of the wall forming the bore of said ball.

2. A practice device according to claim 1 and further including:

an elongated resilient sheath formed of synthetic material surrounding said resilient element.