Patent ID: 6045463
Filing Date: 2000-04-04
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
A basketball return apparatus rotatable about an essentially vertical axis, said apparatus comprising:a substantially semi-circular upper strut, a substantially semi-circular lower strut and a plurality of substantially vertical mounting plates connecting said upper and lower struts;a pair of substantially vertical struts, each of said substantially vertical struts being mounted to the ends of said upper and lower struts;a substantially circular, movable rim having a substantially inverted L-shaped cross-section, said L-shape defining a substantially hornizontal arm and a substantially downwardly-extending arm;said movable rim further adapted to be substantially the same size as a basketball hoop, wherein said substantially horizontal arm is able to rest on the hoop and said substantially downwardly-extending arm is adapted to extended over the thickness of the hoop;a substantially L-shaped brace connecting said rim to said upper strut;a plurality of substantially horizontal mounting plates connecting said movable rim to said substantially vertical mounting plates;a plurality of support brackets attached to the lower ends of said substantially vertical mounting plates; and,a return mechanism mounted on said support brackets for engaging, squeezing and returning a basketball to a player;said return mechanism including an upper roller and a lower roller, a lower chute mounted below said movable rim for guiding a ball to said rollers, a transmission connecting said rollers, and a motor for imparting rotary motion to said transmission and rollers.