Ball projecting apparatus

A ball projecting apparatus includes a housing with a frontward opening. The interior of the housing has an elongated ball guider which extends inclinedly and longitudinally from a position near the frontward opening and which terminates at a lower position, an electrically driven rotor which is mounted below the elongated ball guider, and a torsion spring which is mounted pivotally to the housing. The torsion spring has a first end portion which engages by a stopper and a second end portion which extends into a circular path that is traveled by the rotor when the rotor is activated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a ball projecting apparatus, more particularly to 
a ball projecting apparatus which enables a player to improve his hitting 
efficiency. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional ball projecting apparatus 1 is 
shown to comprise a ball impelling tube 14 which receives randomly a ball 
from a ball storing body 11 at pre-arranged intervals and a pneumatically 
operated piston assembly 13 which is communicated with the ball impelling 
tube 14 and which projects the ball out from the impelling tube 14 upon 
operation of the projecting apparatus 1. 
Some of the drawbacks associated with the conventional ball projecting 
apparatus 1 are as follows: 
(I) An external power source 19 is required to operate a pump 18 of the 
ball projecting apparatus 1, thereby hindering the use of the apparatus 1 
in open fields where electricity is not easily available. 
(II) The conventional ball projecting apparatus 1 comprises a support stand 
15 for mounting the ball impelling tube 14, a ball storing body 11 mounted 
above and communicated with the impelling tube 14, a piston assembly 13 
mounted to the impelling tube 14 for projecting a ball therefrom, a pump 
18 with a plurality of control valves 17, and a plurality of connecting 
pipes 16 which interconnect the pump 18 to the piston assembly 13. Due to 
the large number of components involved, it takes a longer time to 
assemble the conventional projecting apparatus 1, thus increasing 
correspondingly the manufacturing expense thereof. 
(III) The conventional ball projecting apparatus 1 is bulky and cannot be 
stored and transported conveniently. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a portable ball projecting apparatus 3 which can 
overcome most of the above-mentioned drawbacks. As illustrated, the 
conventional ball projecting apparatus 3 comprises a casing 31 which has 
an upper section with a ball inlet 35 and a front section with a ball 
outlet 36. The casing 31 further has an electrically operated roller 32 
and a curved plate 34 therein. The curved plate 34 and an external surface 
of the roller 32 cooperate to define a ball traveling path 341 
therebetween. The path 341 has a width (H) that is slightly smaller than 
the diameter of the ball 2. When the ball 2 is fed into the traveling path 
341 and the roller 32 is driven in an anti-clockwise direction, friction 
among the roller 32, the ball 2 and the curved plate 34 causes the 
projection of the ball 2 out of the casing 31 via the outlet 36. 
Some of the drawbacks that result of the conventional projecting apparatus 
are as follows: 
(I) Though the conventional projecting apparatus 3 is portable, it is still 
inconvenient to use in the open fields, where electricity is not easily 
available. The conventional projecting apparatus 3 requires ac power to 
operate the motor 33 so as to drive the roller 32 in order to generate a 
force sufficient to impel the ball passing through the path 341 and flying 
out therefrom. 
(II) The width of the ball traveling path 341 is not adjustable so that it 
can accommodate only a ball with a particular size, thereby limiting the 
use thereof. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A main objective of the present invention is to provide a portable ball 
projecting apparatus which can project a ball of different sizes. 
A second objective of the present invention is to provide a ball projecting 
apparatus which has ball impelling mechanism that can be operated by DC 
power to permit the use of the apparatus in open field where electric 
outlets are usually unavailable. 
A third objective of the present invention is to provide a ball projecting 
apparatus which can be easily assembled so as to reduce the time that is 
required to assemble the apparatus and the manufacturing expense. 
Accordingly, a ball projecting apparatus of the present invention includes 
a housing with a frontward opening and which has an elongated ball guider, 
an electrically driven rotor and a torsion spring therein. The elongated 
ball guider is provided with a longitudinal slot and extends inclinedly 
and longitudinally from a position near the frontward opening to a lower 
position of the housing. The rotor is mounted below the elongated ball 
guider and has at least one lobe with a free end. The free end revolves 
with the lobe along a circular path when the rotor is driven electrically. 
The torsion spring is mounted pivotally in the housing and has a first end 
engaging by a stopper and a second end portion extending into the circular 
path via the longitudinal slot. Thus, a ball that was fed into the 
elongated ball guider of the housing can be projected exteriorly of the 
latter via the frontward opening when the torsion spring is triggered by 
the rotation of the rotor. 
The housing further has means for sensing the ball in the ball guider in 
order to initiate the rotor, and a shock absorber between the elongated 
ball guider and the rotor. The shock absorber abuts the second end portion 
of the torsion spring at the normal condition. 
In the disclosed embodiment, the housing comprises two halves, and the 
elongated ball guider comprises a first longitudinal plate with an 
inclined top face and which is integral with one of the halves and a 
second longitudinal plate which is mounted pivotally on the other one of 
the halves. The first and second longitudinal plates have separate 
longitudinal edges and cooperatively define the above-mentioned 
longitudinal slot therebetween. The sensing means includes a switch 
mounted below the second longitudinal plate and connected electrically to 
the rotor. The switch has an actuating rod which bears on the second plate 
during the normal condition and which actuates the rotor upon being 
depressed by pressure of the ball that is disposed on the second plate. 
The housing preferably has an upward opening at a top section above the 
elongated ball guider, a fixed shaft for holding pivotally the torsion 
spring, and a guiding path below the fixed shaft and formed cooperatively 
by inner surfaces of the two halves for receiving the stopper therein. A 
battery chamber is formed below the guiding path. Movement of the stopper 
along the guiding path due to actuation of the regulating screw member can 
alter the elastic characteristics of the torsion spring. 
In use, a funnel-shaped net with a bottom opening can be stretched above 
the housing in such a manner that the bottom opening of funnel-shaped net 
is disposed above the upward opening of the housing. Thus, player can 
strike an advancing ball toward the funnel-shaped net so as to improve his 
ball hitting efficiency. 
The two halves which form the housing can be easily produced in a known 
manner, and the assembly of the torsion spring and the rotor in the 
housing can be done with little inconvenience. Thus, the production time 
and manufacturing expense incurred are less than those incurred in the 
production of the previously mentioned conventional projecting apparatuses 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a ball projecting apparatus according to the 
present invention is shown to comprise a housing 5 which is formed by two 
halves 50. The halves 50 are produced separately in a known manner and are 
combined to one another by a suitable mounting means to form the housing 
5. The housing 5 has a peripheral wall which is formed by the peripheries 
of the combined halves 50. The peripheral wall has a top section which is 
provided with an upward opening 501 for feeding a ball into the housing 5, 
a front section and an inclined section 57 which extends between the front 
and top sections. The housing 5 is provided with a frontward opening 502 
which is formed through the inclined section 57 for projecting of the 
balls therefrom. 
The housing 5 has an elongated ball guider 503 which is formed 
cooperatively by a first longitudinal plate 511 with an inclined top face 
that is integral with one of the halves 50, and a second longitudinal 
plate 512 which is mounted inclinedly and pivotally on the other one of 
the halves 50. The inclined top faces of the first and second longitudinal 
511, 512 cooperatively define a longitudinal slot therebetween. The 
elongated ball guider 503 extends inclinedly and longitudinally from the 
frontward opening 502 and terminates at a lower position interiorly of the 
housing 5. The elongated ball guider 503 is below the upward opening 501. 
Each of the first and second longitudinal plates 511, 512 has a peripheral 
edge which cooperates with the peripheral edge of the other one of the 
longitudinal plates 511, 512 to define a clearance 513 therebetween, the 
purpose of which will be disclosed in the following paragraphs. The 
clearance 513 is communicated with the longitudinal slot. 
An electrically driven rotor 7 is mounted within the housing 5 below the 
elongated ball guider 503 and includes a motor 70 with a driving shaft 71 
and a rotatable unit 72 mounted securely on the driving shaft 71. The 
rotatable unit 72 has three lobes 721, each with a roller 722 at its free 
end. The rollers 722 revolve along a circular path when the motor 70 is 
driven electrically. 
A shock absorber 73, generally made from rubber to retard vibration, is 
mounted adjacent to the terminal end of the ball guider 503 between the 
elongated ball guider 503 and the rotor 7. 
The housing 5 further has a fixed shaft 51 which extends between the two 
halves 50 adjacent to the upward opening 501 and a guiding path 52 which 
is disposed below the fixed shaft 51 and which is formed cooperatively by 
inner surfaces of the two halves 50. A stopper 55 is disposed transversely 
in the guiding path 52. A regulating screw member 54 can be inserted into 
the guiding path 52 so as to connect with the stopper 55. A battery 
chamber (B) is formed below the guiding path 52 for receiving battery 
cells therein. 
A torsion spring 6 has a curved portion 61 mounted pivotally by the fixed 
shaft 51 in the housing 5, a first end portion 62 engaging by the stopper 
55 and a second end portion 63 extending the stopper downwardly into the 
circular path of the rollers 722 via the longitudinal slot of the ball 
guider 503 so that the second end portion 63 of the torsion spring 6 abuts 
the shock absorber 73 during the normal condition, as shown in FIG. 6. 
Note that actuation of the regulating screw 54 changes selectively the 
position of the stopper 55 along the guiding path 52 to alter 
correspondingly the elastic properties of the torsion spring 6, as 
illustrated in FIG. 9. 
Referring to FIG. 7, the housing 5 further comprises means for sensing a 
ball that was fed into the elongated ball guider 503. The sensing means 
includes a switch 74 which is provided below the second longitudinal plate 
512 and which is connected electrically to the motor 70 and the battery 
cells by wire means 76, and an actuating rod 75 which bears against the 
second longitudinal plate 512 during normal conditions. 
Referring to FIG. 8, when a ball is fed into the elongated ball guider 503 
from the inlet 501, the second longitudinal plate 512 is depressed by the 
weight of the ball which depresses consequently the actuating rod 75 so 
that the switch 74 is activated. The motor 70 rotates in a clockwise 
direction, and the second end portion 63 of the torsion spring 6 is 
depressed rearwardly by the roller 722 which disengages from the former 
after a short period of rotation. Thus, the ball is projected by the 
second end portion 63 of the torsion spring 6 to fly out of the housing 5 
via the frontward opening 502. Once the ball has been projected from the 
housing 5, the second longitudinal plate 512 ceases to be depressed and 
the switch 74 is deactivated. The motor 70 is correspondingly deactivated. 
Referring to FIG. 10, the ball projecting apparatus of the present 
invention can be used to enable a player to improve his hitting 
efficiency. A funnel-shaped net 9 with a bottom opening 92 can be 
stretched above the housing 5 by the use of a suspension frame 8 such that 
the upward opening 501 of the housing 5 is in communication with a bottom 
opening 92 of the net 9. The player can strike the advancing ball by 
aiming at the funnel-shaped net 9. The ball will fall back into the ball 
projecting apparatus of the present invention if it hits the funnel-shaped 
net 9. 
The apparatus is compact so that it can be transported to a desired 
location. AC current is not required to drive the rotor 7. The assembly of 
the rotor 7 and the first and second longitudinal plates 511, 512 to the 
halves 50 can be done easily before the halves 50 are combined to form the 
housing 5. Since the ball guider 503 of the housing 5 is adapted to 
receive balls of different sizes, the apparatus of the present invention 
can be used to train for different games, such as tennis, baseball, etc. 
While a preferred embodiment has been described and explained, it will be 
apparent that many changes and modifications can be made in the general 
construction and arrangement of the present invention without departing 
from the scope and spirit thereof. Therefore, it is desired that the 
present invention be not limited to the exact disclosure but only to the 
extent of the appended claims.