Patent ID: 6089215
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
A ball throwing apparatus, comprising:(a) a ball feeding guide having opposite first and second ends and defining a path open at and extending between said first and second ends for receiving balls at said first end of said ball feeding guide, guiding the balls in a single file arrangement along said path with the balls being movable by the force of gravity through said path and feeding the balls from said second end of said ball feeding guide;(b) an actuator disposed adjacent to said ball feeding guide near said second end thereof and having a stop member movable between an extended position in which said stop member blocks said path of said ball feeding guide adjacent to said second end thereof and thereby retains the balls in the single file arrangement within said path of said ball feeding guide spaced from said second end thereof and a retracted position in which said stop member unblocks said path of said ball feeding guide and thereby allows the feeding of balls from said path of said ball feeding guide at said second end thereof, said actuator being operable so as to move said stop member from said extended position to said retracted position and back to said extended position in a manner allowing for feeding of one ball at a time from said ball feeding guide;(c) first means for controlling movement of said stop member of said actuator between said extended and retracted positions;(d) a throwing arm having opposite first and second ends, said first end for receiving the one ball at a time fed from said second end of the ball feeding guide, said throwing arm being pivotally movable about an axis at said second end thereof between a ball receiving position in which said first end of said throwing arm is located to receive the one ball at a time from said second end of said ball feeding guide and a ball launching position in which said throwing arm upon movement from said ball receiving position to said ball launching position is adapted to release and throw the ball away from said apparatus; and(e) second means for controlling movement of said throwing arm between said ball receiving and launching positions;(f) said first means for controlling movement of said stop member of said actuator including(i) a first sensor disposed at a location adjacent to said throwing arm and being operable to actuate said actuator so as to cause said stop member thereof to move from said extended position to said retracted position in response to said throwing arm reaching said ball receiving position,(ii) a second sensor disposed alone said path of said ball feeding guide adjacent to and on a side of said actuator opposite from said second end of said ball feeding guide and being operable to allow said first sensor to actuate said stop member of said actuator to move from said extended position to said retracted position only when a ball next to be fed past said actuator to said second end of said ball feeding guide is sensed by said second sensor, and(iii) a third sensor disposed along said path of said ball feeding guide between said actuator and said second end of said ball feeding guide and being operable to allow said stop member of said actuator to move from said retracted position to said extended position in response to sensing a ball moving past said third sensor along said path of said ball feeding guide from said actuator to second end of said ball feeding guide.