Football passer

Abstract

A mechanical football passer comprises a throwing arm mounted adjacent one end on a frame for pivotal movement and equipped at its free end with a ring-like ball holder. A mechanical timer provides a time delay release of the throwing arm. The throwing arm is pivotally propelled in a generally horizontal plane by two springs and provides a "follow-through" action, rather than being stopped short. The football is propelled from the throwing arm by centrifugal and tangential forces resulting from this pivotal motion. The ball holder includes an adjustable stop which imparts rotation to the ball (to produce a spiral pass) and determines the direction of flight.

Description

HISTORY OF THE INVENTION

Man has used catapults for centuries, particularly as engines of war to hurl a variety of destructive missiles. Since the invention of gunpowder, however, military use of catapults has declined and, in recent years, catapults have generally been used in equipment designed for other purposes, such as sports. In sports equipment, catapults have been used to throw baseballs, tennis balls and clay pigeons for skeet shooting. These devices have proved very useful because they save manpower and provide for individual practice. Baseball pitching machines, for example, permit extended periods of batting practice without using a member of the pitching staff who might otherwise become over-tired and perhaps bored by having to pitch to a constant succession of batters. They also permit batting practice by an individual, as well as the opportunity to practice hitting a particular type of pitch which can be duplicated again and again by the machine. The tennis ball throwers eliminate the need for an unavailable partner, and also, like the pitching machine, provide the opportunity to practice against a particular type of serve or return. The clay pigeon throwers permit individual practice and, unlike the other two, can be used in actual competition.

Despite the usefulness and widespread use of these machines, particularly the pitching machine, it appears that no throwing apparatus has yet been developed for passing a football. One device that has been developed for use with a football is not a passing apparatus but rather an automatic center and its use is primarily limited to back field and passing practices during which the center ordinarily has no blocking responsibilities. This lack of development of a football passer is probably due to the spiraled forward motion that is required of a football and for which none of the above devices is capable of being readily adapted. Many previously known devices rely on the sudden stopping of the catapult arm to cause the ball, or other projectile, to leave the arm or associated holder. Others, such as the skeet devices, rely on centrifugal force to move the projectile along the throwing arm until it slides off the end. The snapping action of those throwing arms which are stopped short to project a ball can not simulate the throwing motion of a human quarterback who lets the ball roll off his fingers as he "follows through" with his arm. Those throwers which do operate with a continuous motion, such as some pitching machines and hurlers for clay pigeons, to the extent that they cause rotation of the projectile, impart rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the direction of flight. With a football this would result in an end-over-end pass and not the accurate, spiraled flight that is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A football passer, according to the present invention, is a new and unique device which fills a long felt and heretofore unsatified need of football enthusiasts. The passer comprises a frame having two spaced-apart, generally horizontal and parallel frame members extending laterally, generally perpendicular to the intended direction of flight. A generally horizontal throwing arm pivots about one end between the frame extensions and has a ring type ball holder attached to its other end. A timer-trigger triggers propulsion of the throwing arm after a selected time delay. The throwing arm is pulled between the frame extensions by propulsion means, consisting of two identical springs, each attached to the throwing arm and to one of the two frame extensions. This construction allows the throwing arm to simulate the natural action of a quarterback and "follow-through" after the ball is released, rather than being stopped short.

The ring type holder is oval-shaped and is positioned in a generally horizontal plane, with its major axis perpendicular to the center line of the throwing arm. It includes a rear bracket that engages the trailing tip of the football and pushes the football as the throwing arm pivots forward and moves the holder in an arc. An adjustable forward support member extends across the underside of the front of the holder and assists the rear bracket in maintaining a proper relatively downward angle on the football as it sits in the holder. An adjustable side stop located on the outer edge of the oval holder near the center line of the throwing arm imparts rotation of the football about its longer axis and controls the horizontal orientation of that axis relative to the longer axis of the holder as the football leaves the holder, thus controlling the direction of flight. The centrifugal force produced by the rotational movement of the throwing arm tends to push the football out along the axis of the throwing arm and the side stop tends to restrain it. At the point where the centrifugal force overcomes the restraining ability of the stop, the football rolls out and over the stop and by this rolling motion achieves the spiral effect necessary for proper flight. The lengthwise orientation of the side stop, relative to the center of the football, determines whether one end of the football will tend to leave the holder ahead of the other, thus affecting the orientation of the football as it leaves the holder and its subsequent direction of flight.

The usefulness of this football passer is further enhanced by the inclusion of a timer device which permits a player to arm the passer, select a time delay period after which the football will be thrown, and to go out for the pass, thereby permitting individual practice in pass reception, and practice of related maneuvers, such as defensive coverage of a pass receiver, without requiring a quarterback. In an exemplary embodiment, a timer consists of a threaded arm traversing a generally vertical, rotatable threaded rod having an inertial device, such as a cross member with a weighted knob at each end, attached to its upper end to form a unitary structure. A string or cord connects the threaded arm to a trigger mechanism which engages a catch restraining the throwing arm in a "cocked" position.

In operation, the player selects the desired time interval by spinning the weighted knobs on the timer, causing the vertical threaded rod to rotate and the threaded arm to move down along the rod for an appropriate distance. The timer is set in motion by forcibly spinning the weighted knobs in a direction opposite that used to select the time delay. This causes the vertical rod to rotate and the threaded arm to move up the rod. The inertial character of the knobs sustains the rotational movement of the rod until the arm engages a stop at the top of the rod. The threaded arm then turns with the threaded rod and pulls the cord actuating the trigger mechanism, which releases the throwing arm. The time delay may be varied by varying the distance between the threaded arm and the top of the threaded rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following description of two exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a football passer constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the passer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the passer of FIG. 1, partly broken away to show the timer-trigger mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the passer of FIG. 1, showing the ball holder in partial transverse cross-section;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a football passer constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the passer of FIG. 5, with the cover guard removed; and

FIG. 7 is a partial top view of the passer of FIG. 5, with the upper frame extension removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, a football passer comprises an elongated throwing arm 10, pivotally mounted adjacent one end on a frame, generally designated 12. Adjacent the other end of the throwing arm 10 is a football holder 14, which is preferably part of the throwing arm rather than a separate attachment. The frame, throwing arm, and holder may be made of any convenient lightweight and durable material, such as wood, aluminum or plastic. In a preferred embodiment, the frame 12 includes two members 16, one underlying the other, extending in generally horizontal, parallel planes and in a direction perpendicular to the general direction of the flight of the football. The throwing arm 10 is mounted between the frame extensions 16 and pivots adjacent one end between the extensions 16 in a plane parallel to the extensions and about an axis inclined at a small angle to the vertical.

The ball holder 14 is a generally oval ring aligned in the plane of the throwing arm 10 with its major axis perpendicular to the center line of the throwing arm. The holder 14 includes a rear bracket 18 which serves the dual purposes of (1) pushing the football 20 during the rotational movement of the throwing arm 10 and (2) helping to incline the ball generally downwardly from rear to front at a slight angle to achieve a direct forward spiral when it leaves the holder 14. This angle, defined by a horizontal plane and a line passing through the center of the football 20 from tip to tip, is preferably about ten degrees, inclined downwardly from rear to front, as best seen in FIG. 4.

A forward support 22 assists the rear bracket 18 in providing the necessary downward angle on the ball 20. In a preferred embodiment, the support 22 is a flat, generally trapezoidal member with a rounded notch 24 extending into its longer base and is attached to the under side of the front of the ball holder 14 by a pivotal connection 26 adjacent the shorter base of the trapezoidal support. The pivotal connection 26 permits the support 22 to move in a vertical arc perpendicular to the plane of the support and thus raise or lower the front part of the football 20, which rests in the notch 24. The support 22 may be maintained in a particular position by any desired means, for example a bolt 28 passing through a hole in an extension 30 from the short base of the support. This bolt 28 is secured in the end of the holder 14 and, as shown in FIG. 4, there may be a biasing spring 32 coiled about the shaft of the bolt 28 to press downward against the extension 30 and ensure positive upward pressure by the support 22 on the front of the ball 20.

A stop 34, located on the side of the oval holder 14 opposite the throwing arm 10, resists the centrifugal force acting on the football 20 as the throwing arm 10 rotates in a forward arc. At the point in the arc where the centrifugal force overcomes the resistance of the stop 34, the ball 20 will tend to move outward, along the central axis of the throwing arm 10, and roll up over the top of the side stop. In doing so, the ball 20 will be rotated about an axis running from tip to tip and thus achieve a spiraled motion as it leaves the holder. The stop 34 is preferably located on the outer side of the holder 14 near an extension of the center line of the throwing arm 10 and should be adjustable to achieve any desired direction of flight. For example, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the stop 34 is composed of a short bar 36 which pivots adjacent one end. The free end of the bar 36 has a short protrusion 38 from its underside which engages a series of slots or grooves 40 formed in a projection 42 extending from the rear of the ball holder 14 in a direction generally parallel to that of the throwing arm 10. At its other end, the bar 36 projects slightly beyond the pivot point, and a vertical extension 44 rises to give and L-shaped configuration. A short screw 46, or similar member, is received in the extension 44, near its tip, and is aligned generally parallel to the bar 36 and the major axis of the holder 14. This stop mechanism is adjusted by moving the protrusion 38 from one to another of the various slots or serrations 40 provided, thus varying the angular alignment of the screw 46, in the vertical extension 44, in relation to the axis of the throwing arm 10. When the screw 46 is perpendicular to the throwing arm 10 and the direction of the centrifugal force, the football 20 will be thrown straight out from the passer. As the angle between the screw 46 and the throwing arm 10 increases, looking from rear to front along the holder 14, the football 20 will tend to leave the holder 14 front end first or generally inclined to the right, in a passer constructed as in the drawings, and thus will be thrown to the right. Similarly, as the angle between the screw 46 and the throwing arm 10 decreases, the football 20 will leave the holder 14 rear end first or generally inclined to the left and thus will be thrown to the left. In another embodiment (not shown), the side stop comprises a slide mounted on a flat metal band, attached to the side of the holder 14 and aligned parallel to the major axis of the holder. The slide has a vertical projection which rises to about the midpoint of the football. In operation, the slide is moved along the metal band forward and back of the central axis of the throwing arm 10. Thus, its position relative to the axis of the throwing arm 10 affects the direction of flight in a manner similar to the angular alignment of the stop 34 shown in the drawings.

In a preferred embodiment, the throwing arm 10 and ball holder 14 are pivoted in a forward arc by two identical springs 48 which are attached at one end to the throwing arm 10 near its pivot point and at the other end to the frame extensions 16, one spring to each extension. The dual frame extensions 16 and springs 48 result in a steady, even, forward pull and allow the throwing arm 10 to "follow through," to simulate better the arm motion of a human passer. In a typical throwing operation, the arm 10 is cocked and restrained in a position generally parallel to the intended direction of flight and perpendicular to the frame extensions 16, thus extending the springs 48 to their greatest extent. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the throwing arm is restrained by means of a catch 50 in its trailing edge which locks into a trigger mechanism 52 in the side wall of the frame 12. When the throwing arm 10 is released, the springs 48 pull it forward, rotating about its stationary end, until it passes between the frame extensions 16, at which point the ball 20 leaves the ball holder 14. As the throwing arm 10 passes beyond the frame extensions 16 or "follows through," the reverse spring action slows it and then returns it to its equilibrium position between the frame extensions 16.

The football passer becomes "automatic" in operation by the inclusion of a timer-trigger mechanism. The timer portion of this mechanism comprises a threaded arm 54 which traverses a generally vertical threaded rod 56. This rod 56 is supported at its lower end by a bracket 58 which permits free rotational movement of the rod. At its upper end, the rod 56 is attached to an inertial device, which may be a slightly arcuate arm 60 connected by any convenient means so that it moves as a unit with the rod 56 and, together with the rod, assumes a flattened Y-shaped configuration. Weighted knobs 62 are attached to either end of the arm 60. Thus, rotational movement of the weighted knobs 62 will cause rotation of the rod 56 and resultant movement of the threaded arm 54 along the rod. The duration of a time delay is related to the distance through which the threaded arm 54 must travel before it is stopped at the upper end of the threaded rod 56 and actuates the trigger 52, releasing the throwing arm 10. This distance is selected by rotating the weighted knobs 62 in the appropriate direction to cause the threaded arm 54 to move down along the rod 56. The timer is set in motion by vigorously spinning the weighted knobs 62, in a direction opposite that used to select the time delay, which causes the threaded arm 54 to move upward along the threaded rod 56. The inertial character of the knobs sustains this movement until the arm 54 reaches the upper end of the threaded rod 56, where it contacts a stop 64, which may consist, for example, of two nuts locked together. When the arm 54 reaches this position, it is unable to travel further up the rod 56 and rotates with it. A cord 66 connects the free end of the threaded arm 54 with a spring loaded, pivoting trigger arm 52 which engages a catch 50 on the throwing arm 10. As the threaded arm 54 rotates, it tightens the cord 66 and disengages the trigger 52 from the catch 50. The throwing arm 10 is then free to pivot under the influence of the springs 48 and throw the football 20. When the time delay is selected for the next pass and the cord 66 is allowed to go slack, a spring 68 returns the trigger 52 to a position to reengage the catch 50. Two stops 70, located on either side of the trigger 52, prevent excessive pivotal movement of that mechanism.

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the timer-trigger mechanism is enclosed within a rectangular housing 72 with only the arm 60 and the weighted knobs 62 extending outside the housing. The housing 72 may be a part of the frame 12, joining the frame extensions 16 which also may be extensions of the top and bottom of the housing, as shown in the drawings. Thus, the throwing arm 10, when cocked, is held in place parallel to the longer side of the housing 72 and the throwing arm catch 50 projects into the housing 72, through a slot 74 in its side, to engage the trigger 52.

It is further contemplated that the entire passer should be mounted on two parallel bipods 76 aligned in the general direction of throw. These bipods 76, as best shown in FIG. 3, have legs of unequal length and the shorter leg of each bipod 76 is aligned in front of the longer leg. The passer is attached to the longer legs, and is therefore positioned in a generally uphill manner such that the throwing arm 10 rotates about an axis at a slight angle to the vertical. Each leg of the bipods 76 is provided with a small hole 78 near its tip which receives metal pin or spike 80, preferably about 10 inches long, which can be driven into the ground and thus give added stability to the passer. For convenience in transporting the passer, the bipods 76 are provided with hinges 82 which permit the shorter leg of each bipod 76 to be folded flat against the longer leg.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate a second embodiment of a football passer constructed according to the invention, including a cover guard for increased safety, and utilizing components suitable for mass production of the football passer. Like the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the football passer of FIGS. 5-7 comprises an elongated throwing arm 10' pivotally mounted adjacent one end on a frame, generally designated 12'. Adjacent the other end of the throwing arm 10' is a football holder 14', which is part of the throwing arm but is oriented at a slight, for example 51/2.degree., downward angle from the upper surface of the throwing arm. Both the throwing arm 10' and the holder 14' are preferably formed of aluminum and have peripheral flanges 83 projecting at right angles to the plane of each in both directions to give added rigidity.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 5-7, the two frame extensions 16' are preferably manufactured of aluminum and in plan resemble hollow trapezoids with one non-parallel side 84 being of substantially greater width than the remaining sides. The wide sides 84 of the two frame extensions 16' define the top and bottom of a housing 72', similar to the housing 72 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. The remaining sides of each frame extension 16' comprise a narrow metal strip extending around the central opening in the frame extension. A peripheral flange 85, similar to the flange 83, adds rigidity to the narrow sides of each frame extension. The frame extensions 16' not only provide a place for attaching the springs 48 for operating the throwing arm but also support a cover guard 86, as described herinafter.

The ball holder 14' is distinguished from the ball holder 14 of FIGS. 1-4 in that the rear bracket 18' is reduced in size and the forward support 22' is secured to the ball holder 14' by two screws 87 passing through slots 88 spaced on either side of the forward support 22'. The stop 34', corresponding to the stop 34 of FIGS. 1-4, includes a bar 36' only long enough to accept a screw 90 for securing the bar 36' to the upper surface of the ball holder 14'.

The timer-trigger mechanism of FIGS. 5-7 is essentially identical to the mechanism of FIGS. 1-4 and is enclosed within the rectangular housing 72'. A protruding arm 60', corresponding to the arm 60 of FIGS. 1-4, instead of being slightly arcuate, has a straight, flat center portion and two slightly inclined end portions, each of which supports a weighted knob 62'. The knobs 62' have cusps around their edges to provide a better grip for rotating the arm 60'.

The top and bottom of the housing 72' are defined by the wide sides 84 of the frame extensions 16'. Three sides of the housing 72' are provided by a three sided member 91, which includes on one side a pair of spaced-apart, triangularly shaped lugs 92 having aligned holes for supporting the pivoted end of the throwing arm 10'. A screw 93 passes through the holes in the lugs 92 and a hole in the pivoted end of the throwing arm 10' to mount the throwing arm. The support bracket 58' for the rod 56' of the timer-trigger mechanism and one trigger stop 70' are formed integrally with the member 91. The fourth side of the housing 72' is formed by a side panel 94, which is removable for convenient access to the timer-trigger mechanism. The side panel 94 may be fabricated of plastic as it supports no weight. The member 91 should be fabricated of a stronger material, such as aluminum, because it supports the throwing arm 10'.

A plastic cover guard 86, referred to previously, restricts access to the throwing arm 10'. The cover guard 86 includes a generally flat portion 96, which has approximately the same outer lateral dimensions as the frame extensions 16', and a raised portion 98, which is arranged along one side of the flat portion 96. The raised portion 98 of the cover guard 86 extends from a point slightly ahead of the forward sides of the frame extensions 16' rearward in an arc to a point that permits the football holder 14' to be completely exposed when the throwing arm 10' is latched against the housing 72'. The raised cover guard portion 98 has a generally semicircular cross-section at its trailing edge and it gradually flares radially outward towards its forward edge. At the forward edge of the raised portion 98, the outer quarter-circle of its cross-section has obtained a substantially L-shaped configuration, as best seen in FIG. 5. The cover guard 86 thus guards against accidental contact with the moving throwing arm 10', without restricting the possible direction of flight of the football 20.

The football passer of FIGS. 5-7 is mounted on two tubular steel bipods 76' which are aligned in the general direction of throw. Screws passing through the lower frame extension 16' and a leg of each bipod 76' secure the frame to the bipods. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower frame extension 16' includes a short mounting projection 100 to provide a larger surface for securing the frame to the left hand bipod 76'. The bipods 76' have legs of unequal length and the shorter leg of each bipod 76' is aligned in front of the longer leg. Although the longer legs of the bipods 76' are generally parallel, the shorter legs are angled not only downward from the longer legs but also away from each other, to enhance the stability of the passer. The tip 102 of each leg is bent at an angle from the rest of the leg to define a foot which rests generally flat on the ground.

It will be understood that the above described embodiments are merely exemplary and that those skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A football passer comprising a frame; an elongated throwing arm mounted on the frame for pivotal movement relative to the frame about an axis that is more nearly vertical than horizontal and that is located adjacent one end of said arm, the throwing arm also having adjacent its other end a holder means for a holding football; a football received in the holder means, the holder being shaped and dimensioned to nest loosely the football therein and enable the football to roll generally radially outwardly with respect to the pivot axis of the throwing arm and upwardly out of the holder means upon imposition of centrifugal and tangential forces thereon; propulsion means associated with the throwing arm and frame for accelerating the throwing arm pivotally relative to the frame about said axis and moving the holder means in an arc to impart centrifugal and tangential forces to the football in the holder means and propel the football from the holder and for decelerating the pivoting of the throwing arm after the football has been propelled out of the holder means as the throwing arm traverses said arc without abruptly and substantially slowing the movement of the throwing arm and the holder such that the throwing arm follows through smoothly and simulates natural arm motion of a human passer; and a timer-trigger device including means for triggering propulsion of the throwing arm after a selected time delay.

2. A football passer according to claim 1 wherein the timer-trigger device includes a rotatable threaded rod; a threaded arm mounted on the threaded rod so as to traverse the rod longitudinally as the rod rotates; means for initiating rotational movement of the threaded rod and for selecting a time delay, the time delay corresponding generally to a length of time required for the threaded arm to move from a first point on the threaded rod to a second point on the threaded rod spaced longitudinally of the rod from the first point; and means responsive to movement of the threaded arm for triggering propulsion of the throwing arm after the selected time delay.

3. A football passer according to claim 2 wherein the movement initiating and time delay selecting means includes an inertial device affixed to one end of the threaded rod for sustaining a force applied to the rod to rotate it and thus cause the threaded arm longitudinally to traverse the threaded rod.

4. A football passer according to claim 3 wherein the propulsion triggering means includes a cord attached between the threaded arm and a spring-loaded trigger arm pivoting adjacent one end, said trigger arm engaging a catch which restrains the throwing arm.

5. A football passer according to claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a body and a pair of spaced-apart and relatively immovable members extending therefrom, the throwing arm being mounted from the body between the frame extensions for movement between and relative to the frame extensions, and the propulsion means comprises two springs, each spring being attached to the throwing arm and to a different one of the two frame extensions.

6. A football passer according to claim 1 wherein the football holder means is a generally oval-shaped ring lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the said pivot axis of the throwing arm and positioned with its longer axis disposed generally perpendicular to the longer axis of the throwing arm.

7. A football passer according to claim 6 wherein the football holder means further includes a rear bracket mounted on the rear of the holder means and extending upwardly to engage one nose end of the football and to push it while the throwing arm is in forward motion.

8. A football passer according to claim 6 wherein the football holder means further includes adjustable stop means attached thereto on the side thereof away from the said pivot axis for engaging the football at a point generally intermediate the nose ends thereof and for imparting rotation to the football about its longer axis and controlling the orientation of the axis of the football relative to the longer axis of the holder means as the football leaves the holder means to establish the direction of flight of the football.

9. A football passer according to claim 6 wherein the holder includes an adjustable forward support means attached to the holder adjacent the forward end of the oval for engaging the forward end of the football and maintaining it at a selected forward and downward angle of its major axis relative to the said plane of the oval.

10. A football passer according to claim 1 further comprising a pair of bipods, each having a shorter generally straight leg and a longer generally straight leg, the shorter legs being positioned forward of the longer legs and the frame being attached to the longer legs of the bipods, thereby inclining the pivot axis of the throwing arm at an angle to the vertical.

11. A football passer according to claim 10 wherein legs of each bipod are fitted with holes to receive spikes which pass through the legs and into the ground to give added stability to the passer.

12. A football passer according to claim 1 further comprising a cover secured to the frame adjacent the uppermost part of the frame, the cover being arranged above the throwing arm and the holder means and extending over at least a part of the arc through which the holder means is moved.

13. A football passer comprising a frame; an elongated throwing arm mounted on the frame for pivotal movement relative to the frame about an axis that is more nearly vertical than horizontal and that is located adjacent one end of said arm, the throwing arm also having adjacent its other end a holder means for holding a football; a football received in the holder means, the holder means being shaped and dimensioned to nest loosely the football therein and enable the football to roll generally radially outwardly with respect to the pivot axis of the throwing arm and upwardly out of the holder means upon imposition of centrifugal and tangential forces thereon; and propulsion means associated with the throwing arm and frame for accelerating the throwing arm pivotally relative to the frame about said pivot axis and moving the holder means in an arc, to impart centrifugal and tangential forces to the football in the holder means and propel the football from the holder means and for decelerating the pivoting of the throwing arm after the football has been propelled out of the holder means as the throwing arm traverses said arc without abruptly and substantially slowing the movement of the throwing arm and the holder means such that the throwing arm follows through smoothly and simulates natural arm motion of a human passer.

14. A football passer according to claim 13 wherein the frame comprises a body and a pair of spaced-apart and relatively immovable members extending therefrom, the throwing arm being mounted from the body between the frame extensions for movement between and relative to the frame extensions, and the propulsion means comprises two springs, each spring being attached to the throwing arm and to a different one of the two frame extensions.

15. A football passer according to claim 13 wherein the football holder is a generally oval-shaped ring lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis of the throwing arm and positioned with its longer axis disposed generally perpendicular to the longer axis of the throwing arm.

16. A football passer according to claim 15 wherein the football holder further includes a rear bracket mounted on the rear of the holder and extending upwardly to engage one nose end of the football and to push it while the throwing arm is in forward motion.

17. A football passer according to claim 15 wherein the football holder further includes adjustable stop means attached thereto on the side thereof away from the said pivot axis for engaging the football at a point generally intermediate the nose ends thereof and for imparting rotation to the football about its longer axis and controlling the orientation of the axis of the football relative to the longer axis of the holder as the football leaves the holder to establish the direction of flight of the ball.

18. A football passer according to claim 15 wherein the holder includes an adjustable forward support means attached to the holder adjacent the forward end of the oval for engaging the forward end of the football and maintaining it at a selected forward and downward angle of its major axis relative to the said plane of the oval.

19. A football passer according to claim 14 further comprising a pair of bipods, each having a shorter generally straight leg and a longer generally straight leg, the shorter legs being positioned forward of the longer legs and the frame being attached to the longer legs of the bipods, thereby inclining the pivot axis of the throwing arm at an angle to the vertical.

20. A football passer according to claim 19 wherein each leg of each bipod is fitted with holes to receive spikes which pass through the legs and into the ground to give added stability to the passer.

21. A football passer according to claim 13, further comprising a cover secured to the frame adjacent the uppermost part of the frame, the cover being arranged above the throwing arm and the holder means and extending over at least a part of the arc through which the holder means is moved.

22. A football passer according to claim 14, wherein the football holder means includes two side portions that are spaced apart along at least a part of their respective lengths so as to define between them an opening adapted to receive at least a lower side portion of the football, the football holder means and said opening within the holder each having in a plane generally perpendicular to the pivot axis of the throwing arm a longer axis and a shorter axis oriented generally perpendicular to the longer axis, the football holder means being positioned relative to the throwing arm so that both side portions are oriented in directions transverse of the longitudinal axis of the throwing arm and so that the longer axes of the football holder means and the opening are disposed generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the throwing arm.

23. A football passer comprising a frame having a body and a pair of spaced-apart, a football generally horizontal and parallel members extending laterally from the body, generally perpendicular to the intended direction of throw of the passer; an elongated throwing arm pivoting between the frame extensions about an axis adjacent one end of said throwing arm and having a holder for a football adjacent its other end, said holder being formed as an oval ring, positioned with its longer axis generally perpendicular to the longer axis of the throwing arm, having a rear bracket to engage the rear nose end of a football, an adjustable stop on the side thereof away from the said pivot axis for imparting rotation to a football and establishing its direction of flight, and a forward support for maintaining a forward and downward angle of the major axis of a football; two springs, each spring being attached to the throwing arm and to one of the frame extensions, for pivoting the throwing arm relative to the frame about said pivot axis and moving the holder in an arc, to impart centrifugal and tangential forces to a football in the holder and propel it from the holder; and a timer-trigger device, including a threaded arm moving on a generally vertical, rotatable, threaded rod having an inertial device attached to its upper end to form a unitary structure, said structure initiating and sustaining the movement of the threaded arm along the rod, when force is applied thereto, and transducing said movement into a relative period of time after which propulsion of the throwing arm is triggered by a trigger activated by the threaded arm.