Patent Publication Number: US-2005133015-A1

Title: Ball machine mobility mount and a method of using it

Description:
This application claims priority from pending United Kingdom Patent Application No.0329742.1, filed Dec. 22, 2003. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      This invention relates to a ball machine mobility mount.  
      2. Description of Prior Art  
      Ball machines are used in various sports as practice aids. They feed balls repeatedly to random, coincidental or pre-programmed places/positions. Some ball machines feed balls while oscillating, affecting the direction and placement of each fed ball.  
      Practicing players suffer from the disadvantage that ball machine feeds are regular, predictable and expected. The machines cannot react to a practicing player&#39;s movements or positions, and as a consequence cannot make decisions regarding ball placement or apply tactics according to a given situation/scenario.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention allows a ball machine to be transported and reduces the predictability of ball feed direction by allowing a ball machine to be aimed or directed manually by an operator, to do this a ball machine is temporarily mounted securely on a ball machine mobility mount.  
      The present invention comprises a platform on which a ball machine is temporarily mounted and can be secured. Beneath the platform a type of pivot or other variety of mobility providing device(s) is/are attached, to allow the platform to move about in multiple directions, tilt and/or rotate. The support platform can be allowed to roll, rotate, tilt and turn while a ball machine is attached to it. Handle(s) are attached to the platform to allow someone to manually manage/dictate the aim or position of the apparatus, thus control or change the direction of each ball fed when a ball machine is in operation and attached to the structure. The height of the handle(s) can be adjusted by telescopic method, depending on the preference of an operator, and once adjusted may be locked in place via a clamping device for example. The handle(s) can also be, either, detached from the platform or folded against it securely for storage and transport purposes via appropriate means. The mobility mount can also have provisions installed so that it is possible to operate the more sophisticated electronic controls of the ball machine that is attached, such as ball speed, spin, elevation and feed frequency, via a remote control control-panel attached to the handle(s) for instance, giving an operator more options to easily affect the behavior of each ball that is fed. The elements of the ball machine mobility mount as described can be incorporated into the contemporary construction of a ball machine, in that ball machines can be manufactured with motion providing device/s and with handles for the purpose of an operator to manually control/manage/dictate ball feed direction and placement without the use of additional or separate apparatus such as the invented ball machine mobility mount. When a ball machine is mounted on a ball machine mobility mount or when a ball machine is equipped to be operator-controllable, the following training method can be implemented when a practicing player is positioned ready to receive balls being launched from a ball machine under the control of an operator. An operator can determine the placement of each ball machine feed by turning or tilting the ball machine, controlling the approximate location that each ball impacts the ground. An operator can direct ball feeds corresponding to a practicing players position and location. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The ball machine mobility mount is illustrated with a ball and holder acting as one example of implementation of a mobility device.  
       FIG. 1  shows in perspective, the ball machine mobility mount with the ball machine securely mounted in its correct position ready to be directed while operating.  
       FIG. 2  shows the ball machine mobility mount from above.  
       FIG. 3  illustrates the ball machine mobility mount from its profile.  
       FIG. 4  illustrates the ball machine mobility mount from its front perspective.  
       FIG. 5  shows the ball machine mobility mount as it appears from below.  
       FIG. 6  shows a cross section close up of how the upright sleeves are attached and erected to the platform. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to the drawings the ball machine mobility mount comprises a platform  1 , to which a ball machine  5  can be temporarily mounted securely using securing devices such as a raised lip or edge  6  that runs around the perimeter of the platform which secures the ball machine  5  by wedging it in place preventing it from sliding or tipping off the platform  1 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The handles give an operator means to manage and control the elevation of the apparatus as well as the forward backward and rotational movement of the platform  1  and thus the ball machine  5 . The handles are comprising: gripping members  18 , their interconnection member  19  and sleeve members  7 . The interconnection member  19  slide into sleeve members  7 , to form an adjustable telescopic device, and are then locked into place via clamping devices  8 , this allows the height of the handles to be adjusted to the preference of an operator. The sleeves  7  are erected and secured to the platform by snugly slotting into shallow cylindrical holes  9  that are set within the upper surface of the platform  1 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Short durable elastic cords  10  are tied to loops or eyes  12  that are welded inside the bottom ends of the sleeves  7  and are then threaded, from the top of the platform, through small openings  11  at the bottom of each shallow, cylindrical hole  9 . The elastic cords  10  are knotted on the other side of the openings  11  on the undercarriage of the platform  1 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , in such a way that the sleeves  7  are pulled down by the elasticity of the cords but are not pulled taut so that the sleeves  7  cannot be retracted from the holes  9 . This method of attaching the sleeves  7  to the platform  1  prevents them from slipping out but still allows them to be easily detached provided adequate force is applied to free the sleeves  7  from the snugly fitted holes  9  and to stretch the elastic cords  10  sufficiently. The combination of the sleeves  7  snugly fitting into the holes  9  and the elastic cords  10  pulling the sleeves  7  down into the holes  9 , securely connects and erects the sleeves  7  to the platform  1 . The handles  3  i.e. sleeves  7  are removable from the holes  9  in the platform  1 , as one body, for transport and storage purposes. Once the handles  3  i.e. sleeves  7  have been removed from the holes  9  in the platform  1  they are allowed to be folded neatly and compactly against the platform&#39;s upper surface and are then fastened in place by clipping/wedging them between or within the raised lips or edges  6  of the platform  1 . One or plurality of motion providing device/s is/are attached below the platform  1 . In the preferred embodiment the motion providing device is built as a ball  2  and a holder, which comprises: a base plate  15  and arms  3 , which are attached with screws  16  to the center of the platform&#39;s  1  undercarriage,  Fig.5 . The mobility providing device&#39;s ball  2  is held by two pins  17  that protrude from the holder&#39;s arms  3  which extend from its base plate  15  that is screwed to the platform  1 ,  FIG. 4 . Each pin  17  fits freely into a hole along the ball&#39;s central horizontal axis,  FIG. 4 , allowing the ball  2  to rotate and therefore allowing the apparatus to be rolled back and forth as well as pivoting in multiple directions including; elevation up and down and rotation left and right. This illustrates one possibility in which the platform  1  is made to provide change of the direction, horizontally and vertically in which the mounted ball machine  5  is throwing balls under control of an operator using the handles  3 . Braces  4  that attach by clipping devices to the edge of the platform and, when erect, to the sleeves  7 , provide the ball machine mobility mount integrity and rigidity. The braces  4  are detachable from the sleeves  7  to allow the sleeves  7  and handles  3  to fold down against the platform  1 . Provisions for electronic ball machine controls such as a remote control control-panel  14  are fixed to the interconnection member  19  between the gripping members  18  by fastening device/s  20  as shown in  FIGS. 4 . This enables an operator to access them easily. An indented grab handle  13  is fabricated as part of the platform&#39;s undercarriage so that the apparatus can be easily carried by hand,  FIG. 5 . When a ball machine is mounted on a ball machine mobility mount or when a ball machine is equipped to be operator-controllable, the following tining method can be implemented when a practicing player is positioned ready to receive balls being launched from a ball machine under the control of an operator. An operator can determine the placement of each ball machine feed by turning or tilting the ball machine, controlling the approximate location that each ball impacts the ground. An operator can direct ball feeds corresponding to a practicing players position and location.  
      The foregoing exemplary description and the illustrative preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained in the drawings and described in detail, with varying modifications being taught. While the invention has been so shown, described and illustrated, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that equivalent changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, and that the scope of the present invention is to be limited only to the claims, except as precluded by the prior art. Moreover, the invention as disclosed herein may be suitably practiced in the absence of the specific elements that are disclosed herein. The elements of the ball machine mobility mount as described and claimed can be incorporated into the contemporary construction of a ball machine, in that ball machines can be manufactured with motion providing device/s and with handles for the purpose of an operator to manually control/manage/dictate ball feed direction and placement without the use of additional or separate apparatus such as the invented ball machine mobility mount.