Patent ID: 6837809
Filing Date: 2005-01-04
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A passive pitching device suitable for use by a pitcher pitching a baseball, comprising, a portable target to which is hingedly connected a support member; the target including a rectangular free-standing laminate including a pitch-indentable laminar backstop having front and rear faces, a resilient pad disposable on the front face of the backstop, and a cover sheet of synthetic resin; the target having height and width dimensions at least 20% greater than corresponding dimensions of a chosen strike zone and angularly disposed relative to the ground, with the laminate's lower edge in contact with the ground, and no dimension of the laminate greater than about 1.52 meters (60 ins); the support member being pivotably secured to the rear of the target near the top thereof, including a pair of legs terminal portions of which, when folded against the backstop fail to extend beyond the lower edge thereof, the legs adapted to contact the ground at locations spaced apart from each other and spaced apart from each lower corner of the target; the backstop being of a resilient flexible rectangle of man-made material, momentarily pitch-indentable by a baseball at a velocity of 100 km/hr (62 mph); the backstop's exposed front face having removably secured thereto the resilient pad having the same height and width dimensions as the backstop, the pad's resilience being measured as compressive pressure required to make an indentation 25% of the thickness of the pad, the pressure being in the range from 13.8-344.5 KPa (2-50 psi) and thickness In the range from about 0.2 cm (0.08 in) to about 4 cm (1.57 in); the resilient pad's exposed face being covered with the cover sheet having a thickness in the range from 254 μm to 1524 μm (10 mils to 60 mils), the cover sheet overlying the resilient pad in surface-to-surface contact with a predetermined tension so as to directly transfer force of the baseball impacting the cover sheet to the resilient pad and backstop; the cover sheet having a visually identifiable strike zone thereon; and, the legs of the support member being adjusted to present the exposed face of the cover sheet of the target at an obtuse angle in the range from about 100° to about 140°; whereby a baseball pitched against the target at a velocity of about 100 km/hr (62 mph) pitch-indents the backstop and is returned to a desired location in the range from about 2 m (6.5 ft) to about 15 m (49 ft) from the target without the target being moved from its location on the ground.