Triple-adjustable height batting practice device

An upright standard is provided including a plurality of horizontally outwardly projecting vertically spaced support arms journaled from the sleeve for rotation thereabout, the outer ends of the support arms including target members thereon for striking by a bat-like member. The upright is removably supported from a base structure including depending ground impaling blades and the support arms are mounted from the upright upon sleeves journaled from the upright and including weight means on the sides thereof opposite the sides from which the support arms project in order to enable the support arms to rotate about the upright in a substantially balanced manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a batting practice device, primarily for 
children, which enables children of different sizes to engage in batting 
practice and also which enables a child of a given height to engage in 
batting practice at three different heights. 
2. Description of Related Art 
Various different forms of batting practice devices heretofore have been 
provided including some of the general, structural and operational 
features of the instant invention. Examples of these previously known 
forms of batting practice devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,529,823, 3,547,437, 3,663,018, 4,907,801 and 5,071,112. However, these 
previously known forms of batting practice devices do not include the 
overall combination of structural and operational features of the instant 
invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The batting practice device incorporates an upright standard whose lower 
end is removably supported from a base structure adapted for support from 
a horizontal surface and which is further adapted to maintain the upright 
supported therefrom in an upright position against considerable lateral 
force directed thereon. A plurality of vertically spaced horizontally 
outwardly projecting support arms have their base ends journaled from the 
upright and target members such as baseballs are supported from the free 
ends of the arms to be struck at by children swinging a bat. 
The support arms are journaled from the upright through the utilization of 
sleeves which are counterweighted on the sides thereof remote from the 
sides from which the arms project in order that the arms may swing about 
the upright in reasonably balanced condition and the upright is removably 
supported from the base through the utilization of a bayonet connection, 
whereby the batting practice may be compactly stored. In addition, the 
sleeves which journal the support arms from the upright each are loosely 
received between a pair of upper and lower abutment rings mounted upon the 
upright and each pair of upper and lower support rings is adjustable along 
the vertical extent of the upright. In this manner, the batting practice 
device may be readily modified for use by different height children. 
The main object of this invention is to provide a batting practice device 
which may be used effectively to teach small children the art of baseball 
or softball batting. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a batting practice device 
which will enable a child of a given size to quickly alternately practice 
between batting a high ball, a low ball or a midheight ball. 
Still another important object of this invention is to provide a batting 
practice device in accordance with the preceding objects which may be 
adjusted to accommodate children of different heights. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a batting practice device 
constructed in a manner such that it may be broken down for compact 
storage and transport. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a batting practice device 
including a base structure for support of the batting practice from the 
ground and wherein the batting practice device includes ground penetrating 
tines. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a batting practice 
device including horizontally outwardly projecting arms rotatably 
supported from an upright and wherein the arms are counterbalanced with 
sufficient weighting whereby the arms may rotate about the upright in 
reasonably balanced relation and whereby the arms will have sufficient 
momentum, when swung in the opposite direction towards a practicing 
batter, to simulate movement of the target ball toward the strike zone of 
the batter. 
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to 
provide a batting practice device in accordance with the preceding objects 
and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple 
construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be 
economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in 
operation. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally 
designates the batting practice device of the instant invention. The 
device 10 includes an upright standard 12 having upper and lower ends 14 
and 16 and the lower end 16 is supported from a base 20 adapted to 
maintain the upright 12 relative to a horizontal surface 22 from which the 
base 20 is supported. 
The upright or standard 12 is tubular and cylindrical in configuration and 
includes vertically spaced sets of diametrically aligned radial bores 24 
with each set of bores 34 comprising adjacent pairs of vertically spaced 
diametrically registered bores. The vertical spacing between each pair of 
registered bores 24 is identical to the vertical spacing between adjacent 
bores of adjacent sets of bores. 
Selected sets of bores 24 have retaining pins 26 passed therethrough as 
well as through diametrically opposite radial bores formed in a pair of 
corresponding abutment rings 28. A journal sleeve 30 is journaled on the 
upright 12 between the corresponding set of abutment rings 28 and each 
journal sleeve 30 supports a horizontal support arm 32 therefrom including 
a base end 34 supported from the sleeve 30 and a free end 36 which 
projects generally radially outwardly from the sleeve and is externally 
threaded as at 38. A resilient target ball 40 is provided for each support 
arm 32 and includes a threaded radial blind bore 42 therein in which the 
corresponding free end 36 is removably threaded 
The base end 34 of each support arm 32 is reinforced relative to the 
corresponding sleeve 30 through the utilization of integral web plate 
portions 44 and the sides of the journal sleeves 30 remote from the 
support arms 32 include outwardly opening and generally radially outwardly 
projecting large diameter sleeve portions 46 in which weight material 48 
is contained such that the support arms 32 may rapidly rotate about the 
upright 12 in substantially balanced relation. 
The pins 26 have pull rings 50 supported therefrom at one end whereby the 
pins 26 may be removed and the associated abutment rings may be adjusted 
along the upright 12 before reinsertion of the pins 26. In addition, the 
ends of the pins 26 remote from the pull rings 50 project beyond the 
remote sides of the abutment rings 28 and include any suitable structure 
(not shown) for releasably securing the pins 26 through the abutment rings 
28. 
The base 20 includes an upwardly opening cylindrical central portion 56 and 
a plurality of circumferentially disposed of a radially outwardly 
projecting and downwardly extending ground impaling tines 58 whose lower 
ends are pointed as at 60, midheight portions of the tines 58 including 
radially outwardly projecting abutments 62 for butting the surface 22 of 
the ground into which the lower end portions of the tines 56 are 
penetrated. 
The central portion 56 also includes diametrically opposite bayonet slots 
64 formed therein and the lower end 16 of the upright 12 includes 
diametrically opposite radially outwardly projecting bayonet connection 
pins 66 downwardly receivable through and releasably lockable within the 
slots 64. 
From viewing FIG. 1 of the drawings it may be noted that the support arms 
32 may be vertically spaced to allow a child 70 to effect practice swings 
with a bat 72 at the target member balls 40 which are disposed at 
different heights to simulate a low ball, a high ball or a midheight ball. 
Of course, the vertical spacing between the balls 40 may be adjusted as 
may be better understood from FIG. 2 of the drawings. Furthermore, the 
overall elevation of the three support arms 32 may be adjusted as desired 
according to the height of the child 70. 
When a child 70 first begins to use the batting practice device 10, the 
support arms 32 may be adjusted according to the height of the child 70 
and the child may make practice swings at the balls 40 in an alternate 
manner as directed by a coach so that the child 70 may practice quickly 
determining whether he is to swing at a high ball, a low ball or a 
midheight ball. 
When the desired ball 40 is properly struck by the bat 72, the 
corresponding support arm 32 will swing about the upright 12 in a 
substantially balanced manner and when the arm 32 finally comes to a rest 
it may be repositioned in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1. 
However, as the child 70 becomes more proficient, a coach coaching the 
child 70 may have all three arms 32 disposed on the side of the upright 12 
remote from the child 70 and the coach may then quickly bat, with his 
hand, one of the balls in a counterclockwise direction so that the 
corresponding support arm may swing that ball around the upright 12 and 
finally into position approaching the child 70 as through it had been 
pitched by a pitcher. Of course, the child 70, upon seeing which support 
arm 32 is being swung toward him must then make his swing according to the 
height of the corresponding ball. Thus, it may be seen that the adjustable 
height batting practice device of the instant invention may be used 
effectively to teach beginning children the basics of batting practice. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes readily will 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, 
and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be 
resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.