Abstract:
An adjustable pitching machine is disclosed which generates a rise ball, or a drop ball, or a curve, or a slider, or a forkball, or a fastball, or other suitable pitches, or to produce a ground ball with or without topspin or side spin, or a fly ball with or without topspin, or side spin for fielding and fly ball practice. The pitching machine may also pitch tennis balls without topspin or sidespin to a tennis player during practice. The pitching machine may include a shield to prevent the hitter, or fielder or tennis player from observing the settings of the pitching machine and preparing for the next pitch prior to pitch delivery.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of automatic ball pitching machines. 
   2. Background Information 
   Pitching machines may be employed to train baseball, softball and tennis players. Pitching machines automatically deliver a baseball or softball to a batter. Some pitching machines may be adjusted to produce ground balls and fly balls for fielding and fly ball practice. Some pitching machines may be adjusted to produce a rise ball, a drop ball, a curve, a slider, a fastball or a limited combination of these pitches, but not all of these pitches. Other pitching machines may send tennis balls to a tennis player during practice. With many pitching machines, the hitter, fielder, or tennis player can observe the settings or layout of the pitching machine prior to pitch delivery and determine the type of pitch prior to delivery and use this foreknowledge to prepare for the pitch. It is preferable for the batter not to know which type of pitch is coming thereby better simulating an actual baseball game. Some prior machines produce pitches which cannot be predicted in advance of the pitch. As a result, the batter must step out of the batter&#39;s box so that a test pitch is made e.g. to insure that the batter is not hit by the ball. The batter therefore clearly knows the type of pitch in advance. When a player is training to field balls, it is impossible for the human pitcher to repeatedly throw the ball in a precise location. In contrast, the present invention can be set produce a pitch which is delivered to a precise location in a predetermined manner for the fielder to practice catching. There is no known prior pitching machine which has can produce all of the above-mentioned pitches, balls for fielding, which also trains tennis players, and which prevents the user from observing the settings. 
   A pitching machine is therefore needed which may be adjusted to pitch a rise ball, a drop ball, a curve, a slider, a forkball, a fastball, or other suitable pitches. A pitching machine which can produce a ground ball, with or without topspin or side spin, a fly ball with or without topspin or side spin, for fielding and fly ball practice is advantageous. Further, it is desirable to have a pitching machine that may also pitch tennis balls, with or without topspin or sidespin, to a tennis player during practice. The pitching machine should have a means to prevent the hitter, fielder or tennis player from observing the settings of the pitching machine and prepare for the next pitch prior to pitch delivery. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a pitching machine which may be adjusted to create a variety of pitches: a rise ball, a drop ball, a curve, a slider, a forkball, a fastball, and other suitable pitches, as well as producing a ground ball and a fly ball for fielding and fly ball practice. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pitching machine which will repeatedly produce the same pitch based on the settings made by the user. It is a further object of the present invention to have a pitching machine which may pitch tennis balls to a tennis player during practice. The pitching machine of the present invention is designed to prevent the user from observing the settings of the pitching machine and preparing for the next pitch prior to pitch delivery. 
   The ball pitching machine of the present invention includes a tube having a long axis, a first end and an opening in the tube parallel to the long axis. The ball pitching machine also includes an axle and an axle support. The axle support is attached to the tube perpendicularly to the axle and the long axis. The pitching machine further includes a drive wheel which is enclosed by a housing. The drive wheel is mounted on the axle and the bottom of the housing is placed over the opening in the tube. The pitching machine also includes a shield for blocking the view of the user. The shield has a hole located in the center of the shield for receiving the end of the tube along the perimeter of the hole. The drive wheel is rotated on the axle so that the drive wheel can impart spin on the ball as it moves through the tube. 
   These and other features and advantages of this invention will become further apparent from the detailed description and accompanying figures that follow. In the figures and description, numerals indicate the various features of the invention, with the same numerals referring to same features throughout both the drawings and description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a rear view of a ball pitching machine according to the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the ball pitching machine of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a ball pitching machine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 4  is a section cut view of the ball pitching machine of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a rear view of the connection between clevis  52  and clevis  60  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5B  is a front view of the connection between clevis  52  and clevis  60  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5C  is a side view of the connection between clevis  52  and clevis  60  of  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 5D  is a side view of the connection between clevis  52  and clevis  60  of  FIG. 5A  with clevis  60  pivoted relative to clevis  52 . 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the ball pitching machine of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 7  is a section cut view of the ball pitching machine of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of the control mechanism for motor  54 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The pitching machine  10  is shown in  FIG. 3 . A ball  14  is placed into the tube  12  by the user through tube  12  until the ball is engaged by drive wheel  16 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The spinning drive wheel  16  creates suction which pulls the ball forward through the tube. When the drive wheel  16  contacts the ball  14 , the ball is propelled out of the tube  12 . The angle of the drive wheel relative to tube  12  and ground  82  determines the type of pitch thrown by the pitching machine  10 . The drive wheel angles may be selected by the user to create different types of pitches and range from zero to 360 degrees. For example, different drive wheel angles are shown in  FIG. 1 : a zero degree angle  24 , 45-degree angle  26 , 90-degree angle  28 , or 135-degree angle  58 , or 180-degree angle  30 , or 225-degree angle  32 , or 270-degree angle  34 , or 315-degree angle  36 . The following is a table of the settings to form the various pitches: 
                                           Type of Pitch   Drive Wheel Angles shown in FIG. 1                           Drop ball   26–36 (between 315° &amp; 45°)           Fast ball   24 (0°)           Curve ball   26–28 (between 45° &amp; 90°)           Rise ball   58–32 (between 135° &amp; 225°)           Slider or screw ball   34–36 (between 270° &amp; 360°)                        
The drop ball has top spin and the fast ball has back spin.
 
The drive wheel  16  angles cannot be seen by the batter when pitching machine  10  is viewed from the side opposite a shield  20 . The shield  20  prevents a user from viewing the angle of drive wheel  16  and determining the type of pitch prior to delivery.
 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the ball  14  enters the tube  12  through the aft end  84 . The drive wheel  16  rotates on the axel  18 . A protective cover  46  encloses the drive wheel  16  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The cover  46  is attached to the tube over an opening in tube  12  (not shown). The axel support  70  is also affixed to the tube  12 . Drive wheel  16  rotationally engages ball  14  inducing a rotation into ball  14  and propelling it past the forward end  86  and out of the tube  12 . The rotational speed of drive wheel  16  may be varied so that a pitched ball may leave forward end  86  at speeds up to and exceeding 65 miles per hour. Ball speeds of 110 mph for baseball and even faster ball speeds may be achieved by using a larger wheel and a smaller tube. The tube  12  may be elevated or pointed downward by angle  22  relative to ground  82 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The tube is typically set downward to create ground balls. The tube may be elevated slightly to aim at the high portion of the strike zone or the lower portion of the strike zone, as well as to create particular types of pitches. The angle  22  may be 2 to 3 degrees for a rise ball and zero degrees for a fast ball. The elevation of tube  12 , the drive wheel speed and drive wheel  16  angle are all factors in creating the type of pitch. The tube elevation is set such that the tube pivots around  62  by loosening screw  42 . 
   The pitching machine may be portable and mounted on a stand  88  with wheels.  FIG. 3  shows the tube, axle, axle support, and the drive wheel mounted to a stand  88 . The stand  88  includes a brace  72 , a leg  90 ,a fastener  94  and a collar  80  attached at the top of the stand  88 . The wheel  40  is rotationally connected to stand  88 . An axle or other suitable means may connect the drive wheel  40  to the stand  88 . The wheel  40  is located on stand  88  so that pitching machine  10  can be tilted back onto the wheel  40  and relocated on the ground  82 . Fastener  94  may be attached to ground  82  by fitting fastener  94  through a hole  92  in leg  90 . Fastener  94  is threaded or may have any suitable configuration. Fastener  94  may be screwed into ground  82  to secure the machine in place. The hole  92  may be threaded or may have another suitable configuration. The axel  18  is connected to tube  12  by axle support  70 . The stand  88 , leg  90 , brace  72  and fastener  94  may be fabricated from metal or other suitable material. The wheel  40  may be fabricated from metal, or plastic, or rubber or other suitable material. 
   The tube  12  may also be positioned horizontally from side to side as well as vertically up and down. The tube is positioned horizontally by loosening screw  66  as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , a clevis  52  is attached to tube  12  and pivots in collar  80 . A screw  66  is inserted through a threaded hole in collar  80  to clamp the clevis  52  to collar  80  thereby preventing the clevis  52  from pivoting in collar  80 . The clevis  52 , collar  80  and screw  66  may be fabricated from metal or other suitable material. 
     FIGS. 5A ,  5 B,  5 C and  5 D, shows how the tube, axel and axel support is interconnected to the stand. A clevis  52  is pivotably connected by pin  62  to a clevis  60 . The clevis  60  is connected to the tube  12 . The block  64  is connected to the clevis  52 . A screw  42  is inserted through a threaded hole in the block  64  and impinges upon the clevis  60 . Extension or retraction of screw  42  as shown in  FIGS. 5C and 5D , adjusts the pivoting of the clevis  60  about pin  62  and therefore the elevation of the tube  12 . The clevis  60 , the pin  62 , the block  64  and the screw  42  may be fabricated from metal or other suitable material. 
   The drive wheel angle cannot be seen when pitching machine  10  is viewed from the side opposite shield  20 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . A user may not be able to view the angle of the drive wheel  16  behind shield  20  and prevent the user from determining the type of pitch prior to delivery. The batter must react to the pitch after it leaves the tube  12 . The shield  20  may be fabricated from metal, including aluminum, hardened steel, plastic or other suitable material. The drive wheel  16  may be fabricated from metal, or plastic, or rubber or other suitable material. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the clevis  60  is attached to a sleeve  68 . The tube  12  is slideably fitted through sleeve  68  permitting rotation to produce drive wheel  16  angles from zero to 360 degrees. A screw or pin  48  is inserted through a threaded hole in the sleeve  68  to clamp the tube  12  to sleeve  68  thereby locking tube  12  and drive wheel  16  in place at an angle from zero to 360 during operation. Slots may be placed at predetermined locations in the sleeve  68  to lock the pin  48  (and therefore the drive wheel) into position at particular angles. The handles  38  further facilitate rotation of tube  12  in sleeve  68 . The shield  20  may be fabricated from metal, or plastic, or rubber or other suitable material. 
   The motor  54  is attached to cover  46  and rotationally propels drive wheel  16 . The motor  54  may be rotationally connected to drive wheel  16  by belts and pulleys, chains and sprockets or directly to axle  18  or other suitable means. The motor  54  may be an AC or DC electric motor, a generator, an internal combustion motor or any other suitable motor. The motor  54  is electrically connected to the control box  56 . The control box  56  includes a switch  78  and speed controller  74 . The switch  78  turns the motor  54  on or off. In a preferred embodiment, the speed controller  74  is a conventional electronic controller of the rotational speed of the DC motor  54 . The speed of the motor is selected with switches on the controller  74 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 8 , power enters control box  56  when connector  76  is connected to a suitable power supply and when switch  78  is in the closed position. 
   Having now described the invention in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will understand how to make changes and modifications in the present invention to meet their specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims and their equivalents.