Ball throwing apparatus
US4015578A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 27, 1973 |
| Grant date | Apr 5, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 27, 1993 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF41B3/03
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A portable, self-contained tennis ball throwing apparatus is disclosed which includes a constantly rotating cam having gradually increasing radii of successive points around its periphery and an abrupt transition from a maximum radius to a minimum radius, a pivotally mounted throwing arm having one end biased into contact with the periphery of the cam and supporting a ball receiving cup at its other end, and a resilient member for biasing the throwing arm, such that the cam effectively cocks the throwing arm at a relatively slow rate and releases the throwing arm to move under the influence of the resilient member to impart a throwing force to a tennis ball. The housing of the apparatus is mounted on a carriage which is movable with respect to the housing to change the pitch angle thereof, and, therefore, the angle of trajectory of a thrown ball. The ball receiving cup is also adjustable to change the angle of trajectory of the thrown ball. An adjustable anchoring arm is provided for the resilient member and permits adjustment of the tension applied to the throwing arm. A gravity feed ball hopper feeds a ball release mechanism which is actuated by the throwing arm once during each …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.