Baseball pitching target with a ball return

A baseball pitching target with a ball return is provided and consists of a return chute angularly elevated to extend away from a box-like enclosure having an open front end with a target frame vertically suspended between the open front end of the enclosure and the chute. A person standing behind the chute can pitch a baseball through the target frame. The baseball is stopped by the enclosure and falls into the chute to be returned back to the person. One end of the return chute has a front wall removably attached to the return chute by a tongue and groove arrangement whereby the wall can be removed to allow a ball to roll out of the chute and into the field of practice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The instant invention realtes generally to self-practice devices for ball 
sports and more specifically it relates to a baseball pitching target with 
a ball return. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Numerous self-practice devices for ball sports have been provided in prior 
art that are adapted to include areas in which balls may be thrown into 
and structures which facilitate the balls are returned back. For example, 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,750; 4,275,883 and 4,703,931 all are illustrative of 
such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular 
purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the 
purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a baseball pitching 
target with a ball return that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior 
art devices. 
Another object is to provide a baseball pitching target with a ball return 
which is a one-man pitching unit that will aid in improving user's 
pitching and fielding skills and abilities. 
An additional object is to provide a baseball pitching target that is 
lightweight and durable so that the target can be portable to be used in a 
backyard, a driveway, a park or the like. 
A further object is to provide a baseball pitching target with a ball 
return that is simple and easy to use. 
A still further object is to provide a baseball pitching target with a ball 
return that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may 
be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 
attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are 
illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific 
construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended 
claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference 
characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 
and 2 illustrate a baseball pitching target with a ball return 10 
consisting of a box-like enclosure 12 that has an open front end 14. A 
return chute 16 is angularly elevated to extend away from the enclosure 
12. A target frame 18 is vertically suspended between the open front end 
14 of the enclosure 12 and the chute 16. A person 20 standing at the chute 
16 can pitch a baseball 22 through the target frame 18. The baseball 22 
will be stopped by the enclosure 12 and fall into the chute 16 to be 
returned back to the person 20. 
The enclosure 12 includes a plurality of poles 24 affixed together to form 
a frame-like structure 26. A piece of tough, durable material 28 covers 
the frame-like structure 26 to form a top wall 30, a right side wall 32, a 
left side wall 34 and a rear wall 36 for stopping the baseball 22. 
The return chute 16 includes an elongated flat floor 38 and a pair of side 
angular floors 40, each extending away at an opposite side of the flat 
floor 38. A pair of side walls 42 are also provided, in which each extends 
upwardly at an opposite side to one of the side angular floors 40. A rear 
angular wall 44 extends away from rear end of the flat floor 38 and the 
side angular floors 40, whereby the rear angular wall 44 extends under the 
top wall 30 to bear against the rear wall 36 of the enclosure 12. A pair 
of spaced apart vertical legs 46 at the rear end of the flat floor 38 are 
for angularly elevating the return chute 16. A front wall 48 extends 
upwardly at front end of the flat floor 38 to stop the baseball 22 when 
rolling down the return chute 16. 
The target frame 18 further includes four support members 50, each 
extending from one corner thereof for vertically suspending the target 
frame 18 betwee the poles 24 of the enclosure 12 and the side angular 
floors 40 of the chute 16. 
As shown in FIG. 3, a normally opened button switch 52 is mounted to side 
wall 32 of the enclosure 12 behind the target frame 18. A pivotable long 
arm 54 is mounted to other side wall 34 of the enclosure 12 behind the 
target frame 18 to make contact with the switch 52. A counter 56 is 
electrically connected to the button switch 52 while a display 58 is 
electrically connected to the counter 56. A power supply 60, such as a 
battery or house current, is connected to the display 58 and the switch 
52. When the baseball 22 passes through the target frame 18 and strikes 
the long arm 54, the button switch 52 will close sending a signal through 
the counter 56 and putting a score on the display 58. 
As shown in FIG. 4, a sensor 62 is mounted to side wall 32 of the enclosure 
12 behind the target frame 18. An electronic eye 64 is mounted to other 
side wall 34 of the enclosure 12 behind the target frame 18 so as to be in 
alignment with the sensor 62. Counter 56 is electrically connected to the 
sensor 62 while display 58 is electrically connected to counter 56. Power 
supply 60 is electrically connected to the display 58, the sensor 62 and 
the electric eye 64. When the baseball 22 passes through the target frame 
18 braking visual contact between the sensor 62 and the electric eye 64 a 
signal will be sent from the sensor 62 through the counter 56 and a score 
will be put on the display 58. 
For best resutls the poles 24 could be made out of aluminum, the piece of 
material 28 made out of canvas, the chute 16 made out of aluminum, the 
target frame 18 made out of plastic and the support member 50 made out of 
nylon. Other types of materials can also be used in fabricating the 
invention. 
The front wall 48 and front end of the flat floor 38 in the return chute 
16, as shown in FIG. 5, further includes a tongue 66 and groove 68 
arrangement therebetween so that the front wall 48 can be removed 
therefrom, allowing the baseball 22 to roll out of the return chute 16 for 
fielding practice. 
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
10 baseball pitching target with ball return 
12 box-like enclosure 
14 open front end 
16 return chute 
18 target frame 
20 person 
22 baseball 
24 pole 
26 frame-like structure 
28 piece of tough, durable material 
30 top wall 
32 right side wall 
34 left side wall 
36 rear wall 
38 elongated flat floor 
40 side angular floor 
42 side wall 
44 rear angular wall 
46 vertical leg 
48 front wall 
50 support member 
52 normally opened button switch 
54 pivotable long arm 
56 counter 
58 display 
60 power supply 
62 sensor 
64 electric eye 
66 tongue 
68 groove 
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or 
more together, may also find a useful application in other types of 
methods differing from the type described above. 
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and 
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to 
be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various 
omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and 
details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by 
those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of 
the present invention. 
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of 
the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, 
readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, 
from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential 
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.