Sports object launcher

The sports object launcher is an air pressure powered fluid control valve with an aiming channel to direct a ball or hockey puck to a specific target. A simple commonly available throttling control fluid control valve is connected to a pressure vessel to provide air pressure. The outlet end of the fluid control valve is connected to a rectangular aiming channel in the case of hockey. When the fluid control valve is released, the released pressure launches the hockey puck out the exit end of the aiming channel. The aiming channel may be controlled to provide specific aiming when practicing a particular sport. In the case of use with hockey the air pressure system may be used to power air cylinders and control valves to position the aiming channel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to devices used to throw, shoot or launch objects 
such as hockey pucks and balls for the practice of a particular sport. The 
new device provides a means to launch an object such as a hockey puck at a 
selected velocity to a particular target. The variation in velocity and 
location at which the object is launched provides for practice in reacting 
to and hitting the hockey puck or ball. 
2. Description of Related Art 
There are currently in use various types of devices for throwing or 
launching projectiles for practice in sports such as baseball and tennis. 
These devices typically involve a mechanical throwing arm which receives 
balls from a feed mechanism and rotates rapidly to hurl the ball at the 
player for purposes of practice at hitting the ball. Other devices such as 
a mechanical piston mechanism have also been used to basically push the 
balls out of a tube to provide velocity and direction. All such devices 
require complicated mechanical mechanisms in order to achieve the 
launching of the ball or object. 
Devices using air or other gas under pressure are also available such as 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,928. This device uses compressed air with 
a valve having a diaphragm that opens due to a pressure defferential thus 
causing a sudden release of air pressure. However, the pressure 
defferential control mechanism for the valve and diaphragm is quite 
complex thus creating an expensive mechanism with potential reliability 
problems. This system does not incorporate an accurate aiming mechanism. 
While fluid control values such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,029 are 
known in the art, these valves are designed and used in liquid systems. 
Application in gas applications has not been obvious. Use of such a valve 
in an gas pressure application such as the present invention is important 
for rapid valve opening and closing, for efficiency of launcher size and 
weight, and for minimizing complexity including the mechanical parts. 
The present invention combines the use of a simple fluid control valve with 
an air pressure system and directional control mechanism to simply and 
accurately launch an object such as a hockey puck or ball to a given 
target for practice at hitting or deflecting the projectile. By use of a 
fluid control system the sports object launcher removes the need for 
complicated mechanical mechanisms while providing an accurate reliable 
system. Compressed air is used to launch the projectile by means of the 
fluid control valve and a cylindrical or rectangular tube or channel is 
used to aim the projectile in the desired direction. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide the launching of 
an object such as a hockey puck or ball at a selected velocity in a 
selected direction by the use of gas pressure. A further object is to 
provide a method to aim the sports object launcher in a variety of 
directions to provide more realistic conditions for practice in a 
particular sport. Another object is to provide variable velocity control 
for realistic practice. A further object is to provide an automatic 
projectile loading capability.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The sports object launcher consists of a fluid control valve attached to a 
pressure vessel on its inlet side and to an aiming channel on its outlet 
side. There is a pressure control system to pressurize the vessel and 
valve and to allow release of pressure to launch the projectile. The 
aiming channel may also have an aiming control system operated by the air 
pressure system or may utilize other aiming control mechanisms. The aiming 
channel may be provided with an automatic loading system to handle 
multiple projectiles or may be loaded individually. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 a fluid control valve (21) is connected at an 
inlet side (3) to a pressure vessel (20). The fluid control valve (21) 
outlet side (4) is connected to an aiming channel (23). The aiming channel 
(23) illustrated is rectangular in cross section to provide for use with 
hockey pucks (32). In this instance the aiming channel (23) is connected 
by means of an aiming channel adapter (22) as illustrated in FIG. 11 and 
12. The aiming channel adapter (22) has a circular base for attachment to 
the pressure vessel (20) and rectangular port (38) with an aperture (39) 
therein. The aiming channel (23) has an automatic loader (9) attached to 
provide for storage of multiple objects such as hockey pucks (32) to allow 
continuous loading of the sports object launcher. 
The fluid control valve (21) is connected at its outlet side (4) by a pilot 
valve line (6) through a pilot control valve (16) to a coalescent filter 
(18) and a gas source such as a gas compressor (2). In addition the inlet 
side (3) is connected by a gas supply line (7) through a gas regulator 
(19) to the coalescent filter (18) and gas compressor (2). These are the 
fluid control elements of the pressure control system (5) to operate the 
fluid control valve (21). 
The fluid control features of this configuration as illustrated in FIG. 9 
and 10 are typical of popular fluid control valves such as the "ROLL SEAL" 
brand throttling control valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,029 and 
hereby incorporated by reference. Air pressure is introduced into the 
fluid control valve (21) and pressure vessel (20) such that the pressure 
on the inlet side (3) and in the control chamber (10) equalize through the 
pilot valve line (6) with the pilot control valve (16) closed. Once the 
air pressure is at the selected pressure level as controlled by gas 
regulator (19) the sports object launcher is ready to launch the object in 
the aiming channel (23) illustrated as a hockey puck (32). 
When the pilot control valve (16) is opened the pressure in the control 
chamber (10) is lowered via pilot valve line (6) which results in the 
liner (12) collapsing against the control chamber cavity wall (13). This 
collapse allows the rapid release of the pressure vessel (20) air into the 
outlet side (4) of the fluid control valve (21) and into the aiming 
channel (23). This air pressure against the hockey puck (32) forces the 
hockey puck (32) to be launched from the aiming channel (23). 
The fluid control valve (21) may have a safety valve (not shown) to prevent 
excessive pressure in the pressure vessel (20) and fluid control valve 
(21). 
The automatic loader (9) as further illustrated in FIG. 11 is threaded into 
the aiming channel (23) at the loading end (40) to deposit a hockey puck 
(32) into the aiming channel (23). There is a loading tube (33) with a 
loading cap (34) having a seal (41) and hold down screws (42) to retain 
the hockey pucks (32) against the force of the released air pressure when 
a hockey puck (32) is launched from the aiming channel (23). A guide shaft 
(34a) may also be provided. 
The shape of the aiming channel (23) may be changed to a circular cross 
section in order to be used with balls such as tennis or baseballs. 
In one embodiment, an aiming control system (8)may be attached to the 
aiming channel (23) and fluid control valve (21) which system uses air 
pressure to aim the sports object launcher as illustrated in FIGS. 4 
through 8. By use of commonly available position air cylinders (24,25) 
connected to the flow control valves (26a,26b,26c) and solenoid control 
valves (27a,27b,27c) which are connected to the coalescing filter (18) and 
gas compressor (2), the aiming channel (23) may be positioned to launch an 
object in a specific direction. Other systems such as electronic or 
mechanical threaded positioners may also be used. 
In the case of use with hockey pucks (32), the vertical dimension may be 
controlled for a high and low position by the use of a single air cylinder 
(24) connected to the main frame (31) by a hoist cable (24b). In the 
horizontal dimension a dual digital cylinder (25) could be used to give a 
right--center--left or 3 position control. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 
through 7 the dual digital cylinder (25) has a frame piston arm (25a) 
attached to the main frame (31) and a valve piston arm (25b) attached to 
the pivot assembly (35). As a left flow control valve (26b) and right flow 
control valve (26c) are operated, the dual digital cylinder (25) functions 
to move the aiming channel (23) left or right. A pivot assembly (35) 
having a pivot arm (36) attached to the dual digital cylinder (25) with 
the pivot arm (36) connected to a main support shaft (35b) is illustrated 
in FIG. 8. The main support shaft (35b) is attached to the main frame (31) 
by a main bearing (35a) and on the other end to a pivot mounting plate 
(30) by a plate bearing (35c) and clevis (35d). The pivot mounting plate 
(30) is attached to the fluid control valve (21). For the hockey player to 
practice guarding the goal this provides quick change between these six 
important shooting points on the goal at the four corners and at the top 
and bottom middle position. A master control unit (11) may be used to 
provide electrical switch and variable control to the aiming control 
system (8) and pressure control system (5).