Abstract:
Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, articles, methods, and tires for throwing machines are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Description:
FIELD 
     Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to tires for throwing machines. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Throwing machines, also referred to as “pitching machines,” may be used to throw or project a ball or other object towards a user for various purposes, such as baseball or softball batting practice, or tennis practice. A throwing machine may include a tire that may be spun (e.g., with an electronic or gasoline motor) so that a ball brought into contact with the spinning tire is launched as a result of friction between the ball and a surface of the tire. In many instances the tire may include pitching surface with a high friction rate, so that a ball or other projectile brought into contact with the pitching surface will be carried with the pitching surface. 
     Many conventional throwing machine tires are made of solid rubber. Some tires are rounded, similar to tires that might be found on a bicycle, go-cart or motorcycle. Yet other tires are formed to be somewhat concave. A rounded tire may have a relatively small area of contact with a ball and may not have reinforced sidewalls. A relatively small area of contact with the ball afforded by a rounded tire may lead to less accurate, more inconsistent throws than a tire with a larger contact area. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a pitching machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the pitching machine of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a pitching machine according to another embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the pitching machine of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a view of a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the pneumatic tire of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  shows a pneumatic tire in cross section, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific devices and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments. 
     Further, various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention; however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation. 
     The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment; however, it may. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. 
     In providing some clarifying context to language that may be used in connection with various embodiments, the phrases “A/B” and “A and/or B” mean (A), (B), or (A and B); and the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C) or (A, B and C). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an example of a ball pitching machine  10  is shown having two pneumatic tires  12 . A ball pitching machine  10  may have more or less tires, as shown for example in  FIGS. 3-4 . 
     Ball pitching machine  10  is operated in some embodiments by causing pneumatic tires  12  to rotate in opposite directions, at the same speed or at different speed. A ball (not shown) such as a baseball or softball is positioned on one or more pitching surfaces  14  of the spinning pneumatic tires  12  so that friction between a surface of the ball and the one or more pitching surfaces  14  causes the ball to be launched in a direction tangent to a circumference of the pneumatic tires  12 . In this embodiment, the ball is placed in between pneumatic tires  12  at a first end so that the rotation of pneumatic tires  12  draws ball in and launches it out an opposite end. 
     While the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-2  has two pneumatic tires  12 , other numbers of pneumatic tires are contemplated herein. For example, the ball pitching machine  10  in  FIGS. 3-4  has a single pneumatic tire  12 . Ball pitching machine  10  of  FIGS. 3-4  may be operated similarly to ball pitching machine  10  of  FIGS. 1-2 . Pneumatic tire  12  may be spun using a spinning mechanism (not shown) such as an electric motor. A ball or other spherical object (not shown) may be placed on a pitching surface  14  of a spinning pneumatic tire  12  so that friction between the ball and pitching surface  14  causes the ball to be carried with pitching surface and subsequently launched from ball pitching machine  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , pneumatic tire  12  may have a diameter (indicated at “D”) up to and including about 13 inches. In some embodiments, pneumatic tire  12  may have a diameter between about 9 inches and about 8 inches, or between about 8.25 inches and about 9.75 inches. In some embodiments, pneumatic tire  12  has a diameter of approximately 8.5 inches. In some embodiments, pneumatic tire  12  may have a diameter of about 6 inches. In some embodiments where multiple pneumatic tires  12  are used, each pneumatic tire  12  may have the same or substantially the same diameter. In other embodiments, each pneumatic tire  12  may have a different diameter. 
     Pneumatic tire  12  may have reinforced sidewalls  16  with pitching surface  14  in between. Pitching surface  14  may be similarly reinforced. Reinforcing pitching surface  14  and/or sidewalls  16  may prevent “doming” of pitching surface  14  when pneumatic tire  12  is spun at a high velocity by causing pitching surface  14  to be substantially flattened to receive a ball for launching. Reinforced pitching surface  14  and/or sidewalls  16  additionally or alternatively may allow pneumatic tire  12  to stay seated on a rim  18  even when pneumatic tire  12  is spun at high rotational velocities, including rotational velocities exceeding about 3,500 rotations per minute (“rpm”). 
     Reinforced sidewalls  16  may be reinforced in various ways. In some embodiments wool windings  20  are interspersed in a layer of rubber in various patterns. For example, in  FIG. 7  wool windings  20  are interspersed generally in a layer of rubber  22  a diagonal cross pattern. In some embodiments, increasing the severity of angles between the wool windings  20  and a direction of centrifugal forces on pneumatic tire  12  when it is spinning decreases how much pitching surface  14  will stretch or “dome.” Wool windings  20  positioned at more severe angles may cause pitching surface  14  to remain in a relatively flat configuration for delivering consistent, accurate pitches. 
     Pneumatic tires  12  having diameters of up to and including about 13 inches may be spun at higher rotational velocities than larger tires. For example, in some embodiments, ball pitching machine  10  may include a spinning mechanism (not shown) such as an electric motor to spin one or more pneumatic tires  12  at greater than about 3,500 rpm. In some embodiments, the spinning mechanism may cause pneumatic tires  12  to spin at other velocities, including but not limited to greater than 4,000 or 4,200 rpm. 
     Pneumatic tires  12  as disclosed herein may be inflated to various pressures. For example, in some embodiments pneumatic tire  12  is inflated to about 20 pounds per square inch (“psi”). In some embodiments, inflating pneumatic tire  12  to significantly less than 20 psi may cause reinforced side wall  16  to not seat properly to rim  18 . In some embodiments, inflating pneumatic tire  12  to a psi significantly higher than 20 psi may cause pneumatic tire  12  to be too firm to properly throw a ball. 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of the above-illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments. This description is intended to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on embodiments of the present invention.