Patent GB-1457156-A (GB)
Title: Device for ball launching in sports training
IPC: A63B69/40
Filed: 1974-07-16
Abstract: 1457156 Ball launcher F DORNETTI 16 July 1974 [18 July 1973] 31453/74 Heading A6D Balls, particularly tennis balls, may be successively launched by a spring-loaded club 34 that is pivotted at 33 in a frame 8, which itself is supported for relative motion in at least two places, by a frame 1, a first motor 48 rotating one or more levers 53 that first cook the chub against the tension of a spring 41 and then release it for the throw, the first motor also operating the ball-supply mechanism, which is in the form of a cage and is supported by the frame 8, a second motor 55 being provided so that the trajectory may be altered, particularly cyclically, by moving the frame 8 sideways and vertically and simultaneously turning a cam 47 to alter the tension in the spring 41. The supply cage consists of spaced-apart strip 25 that extend between parallel belts 24 running on pairs of pulleys 22 and 23, the sides 26 and 27 being closed apart from an inlet 28 and an outlet 30. Some of the strips 25 have channels 29 on. the inside, their diameter being slightly greater than that of the balls so that these are collected from the bottom and delivered to the. top when the pulleys rotate. A channel inside the cage slopes towards the outlet 30 and collects the balls as they fail from the channels 29 at the top of their travel. Balls emerging from the outlet 30 are held one at a time ready for launching by the. outlet and a counter-plate 32, both of which are provided with lips of flexible material such as rubber. The rotating levers 53 carry rollers or ball-bearings 54 at their ends that engage a projection 39 on the club. A bail held at the outlet is struck by adjustable-tension strings 36 on the club. After the throw the club 34 encounters a wheel 60 that is freely-mounted on an axle 61, the wheel acting as a. damper. To move the frame 8 relative to frame 1, frame 8 carries in bearinigs a shaft 11 connected at .one end via reduction gear (56) and transmission (58) to the second motor 55 and. at the other end connected to cranks 12 and 13, 13 being rotatably mounted in the part 14 of the frame 1; rotation of the shaft 11 therefore causes the front end of frame 8 to move in a circular path so altering the trajectory. The second motor 55 may be used to alter the trajectory to a chosen Value or it may be used to vary the trajectory cyclically. The cam that alters the tension in the spring 41 is phased so that during a cycle maximum tension corresponds to maximun elevation of the frame. The motors are preferably electric and may be remotely controlled. A blade 70 is rotatably mounted on frame 8 near the outlet 30 and has a lever 72 connected to frame 1 by a rope 73. A spring 74 connects the blade to the frame 8 and serves to kleep the blade out of the launch path unless rope 73 is pulled, for distance. by relative movement of the two frames, when the blade may be moved into the launch path to deflect a ball, the extent of the deflection depending on the pull exerted on the rope. Frame 1 is mounted. on two fixed wheels (2) and 3 and a steerable wheel 4 and carries a jack for lifting its front end.