Patent ID: 9199154
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: A63B,F41B

Abstract:
1. A pitching machine for pitching a ball to a batter, comprising: a frame having a first upwardly extending wall spaced sidewardly from a second upwardly extending wall; a first track segment; a second track segment, wherein the first and second track segments are fixed between the first and second side walls and spaced sidewardly from one another to define a gap therebetween, a ball channel being defined between the upwardly extending walls above the first and second track segments; a pitching arm rotatably mounted to the frame to rotate about a first axis, the pitching arm extending from the first axis in a radial direction to a hand segment, wherein the arm extends radially through the gap such that the hand segment projects above the track segments; a biasing member which extends between the frame and the arm to bias the arm in a frontward direction; and portions of the pitching arm hand segment which define a frontwardly opening concave surface portion which is continuous with a frontwardly facing distal convex portion which extends radially outwardly from the concave surface portion, such that the arm when released engages the ball within the ball channel, thereby propelling the ball along and out of the ball channel, with spin imparted to the ball as it traverses the distal convex portion and separates from the pitching arm.