Patent Publication Number: US-7914400-B2

Title: Baseball practice systems

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This utility application claims priority to commonly owned U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. No. 61/016,318, filed on Dec. 21, 2007, entitled “Batting Practice Device,” and Ser. No. 61/138,219, filed on Dec. 17, 2008, entitled “Batting Practice Systems,” both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to baseball training aids. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As in many other endeavors, practice is the activity which a ball player can most profitably utilize to improve his or her game. Thus, batting practice can be utilized to enable one to hit the ball more effectively; practice can also be counted on to improve a pitcher&#39;s control and delivery and a player&#39;s ability to field a ball. 
     Live practice is effective. However, it has the disadvantage that a number of players in addition to the one who is practicing are required. A batter, for example, must be supported by a pitcher, a catcher, and fielders. Consequently, for an entire team to take batting practice involves an investment in time and manpower which may make it impractical at best for a player to take extra practice or to practice when other players are not available. Live practice is also constrictive in that a playing field is required. This has resulted in a number of practice devices being proposed, including devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,250, entitled “Tethered Ball Practice Device,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     SUMMARY 
     Baseball practice systems are provided. In this regard, an exemplary embodiment of a baseball practice system comprises: a backstop; a ball; a suspension assembly operative to suspend the ball in a strike zone, the suspension assembly having a first cantilevered arm and a damping assembly, the damping assembly being operative to damp motions of the ball as the ball returns to a rest position after having been struck, the cantilevered arm supporting a portion of the damping assembly; and a tether assembly comprising at least one line operative to assist in establishing the rest position of the ball. 
     Another exemplary embodiment of a baseball practice system comprises flexible material having located thereon multiple indicia, a first of the indicia corresponding to home plate, a second of the indicia corresponding to a location at which a baseball is to be struck. 
     Other systems, methods, features and/or advantages of this disclosure will be or may become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and/or advantages be included within this description and be within the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a practice system shown erected and configured for batting practice. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but with a game ball component displaced. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  showing a cantilever-mounted arm pivoted to move the ball. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a practice system. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a partial view of the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a partial view depicting an alternative configuration for attaching a cantilevered arm. 
         FIG. 9  is a partial view of the embodiment of  FIGS. 5-7 , showing detail of a pulley. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a practice system. 
         FIGS. 11A-11E  depict an embodiment of a practice system with relative positions of a suspended ball and a hitting mat being changed to simulate different types of pitches. 
         FIG. 12  is a partially cutaway, assembly view of a coupler and corresponding frame members. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Baseball practice systems are provided, several exemplary embodiments of which will be described in detail. In some embodiments, such a system includes a tethered ball that is supported by one or more cantilevered arms. The ball is rapidly reset to a rest position after being struck by a bat. In some embodiments, positioning of the tethered ball can be coordinated with instructional markers that identify preferred impact locations for the ball and bat. These markers can be provided on a mat that also includes an indication of home plate. 
     In this regard,  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a baseball practice system that incorporates a practice device erected and configured for batting practice. Notably, the practice device is identified by reference character  40  and is similar in many respects to a device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,250, entitled “Tethered Ball Practice Device.” 
     The major components of the practice device of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  are a backstop unit  42 , a suspension system  44  for a ball  46 , and U-shaped, surface-engaging components  48  and  50 . Components  48  and  50  cooperate with a telescopic strut  52  to maintain backstop unit  42  in an erect position. Practice device  40  also has wheels  58  and  60  which can be lowered to roll the device from place-to-place and a home plate  62 . 
     Backstop unit  42  includes a rectangular frame  64 , a net  66 , composed of filaments  67 , and a cord  68  which can be threaded into net  66  at a location selected by a user to outline a strike zone. Backstop frame  64  has top and bottom rails  70  and  72  and side rails  74  and  76 . Supporting feet  78  and  79  are fixed to bottom rail  72  at opposite ends of that rail. Backstop frame side rails  74  and  76  each have two sections (e.g.,  76   a  and  76   b ) which are held in longitudinally aligned, end-to-end relationship when practice device  40  is set up for batting, fielding, or pitching practice. Bungee cord connector systems (not shown) keep the sections (e.g.,  76   a / 76   b ) from becoming totally separated and making the backstop unit hard to handle. Net  66  is open mesh construction. Its filaments  67  are fabricated of resilient material so that balls striking the net will bounce back toward one using practice device  40 . 
     The ball-suspension system  44  utilized when device  40  is configured for batting practice includes an elongated, cantilevered arm  83  extending at normally from and supported at one end from the top rail  70  of backstop frame  64  in the fitting  84 . This fitting allows the opposite, free end  86  of the arm to be swung horizontally as indicated by arrow  90  in  FIG. 4 . As a consequence, ball  46  can be moved from side-to-side of a movable base (home plate)  62  as shown in the same figure. Thus, ball  46  can be readily positioned to emulate inside and outside pitches and pitches which cross the center of home plate  62 . Also, fitting  84  allows arm  83  to be swung to an out-of-the-way position for storage and transportation of practice device  40 . 
     Ball-suspension system (suspension assembly)  44  also includes an elastic damping unit  94  (damping assembly) and a tether assembly  98  composed of two inextensible cords  100  and  102 . Damping unit  94  of suspension system  44  is composed of three bungee cords  104 ,  106 , and  108  joined in end-to-end relationship by connectors or couplings  110  and  112 . An elastic cord  114  is strung through ball  46  and immobilized along the cord between two knots, one above and one below the ball. The upper knot is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and identified by reference character  116 . 
     One end of bungee cord  104  is fixed to the upper end of cord  114  by connector  115 . From there, the bungee cord is trained through a pulley  118  suspended from cantilevered arm  83  near the free end  86  of that component by an eye bolt  119  and through a second pulley  120  suspended from arm  83  at the opposite, frame-associated end  121  of the arm. The second bungee cord  106  extends from connector  110  through a pulley  122  suspended from telescopic, backstop unit supporting strut  52  intermediate the upper and lower ends of that component. Pulley  122  is attached to a fitting  123  which is mounted on and slidable along telescopable strut  52 . The third bungee cord  108  extends from connector  112  through: (1) a pulley  124  suspended from the bottom rail  72  of backstop frame  64 , and (2) a pulley  126  suspended from home plate  62  by a quick release fitting  127  to (3) a connector  128  which couples bungee cord  108  to the lower end of ball-supporting cord  114 . Notably, in other embodiments, various other forms of anchoring of cord  108  can be used. By way of example, a movable plug can be used to anchor the cord to a corresponding hole in the plate. Additionally or alternatively, the plate can be weighted down, such as by filling the plate (which may include an interior cavity) with sand or water, for instance. In still other embodiments, anchoring of cord  108  can be provided by a component that does not take on the shape of home plate. 
     As is best shown in  FIG. 4 , the two cords  100  and  102  of tether  98  are tied at one end, and at the same location  129  beneath ball  46 , to the ball-supporting cord  114 . From there, tether component  100  is trained through the eye of an eye bolt  130  at the lower end of backstop frame side rail  74  and then through a ratchet-type keeper or latch  132 . Latch  132  is best shown in  FIG. 4  and is suspended from telescopic strut  52  toward the lower end of that component by a fitting  134  which is adjustable along the strut as indicated by arrow  136  in  FIG. 2 . The second of the tether cords  102  similarly extends from the location  129  where it is tied to cord  114  beneath ball  46  through the eye of an eye bolt  138  at the opposite side of backstop frame  64  and toward the lower end of side rail  76  and then through a second ratchet-type latch  140  also suspended from fitting  134 . 
     Fitting  123  is adjusted along strut  52  to raise and lower ball  46 , thus emulating high and low pitches. Displaceable fitting  134  can at the same time be moved along strut  52  as necessary to accommodate the ball height-adjusting displacement of fitting  123 . 
     Tether components  100  and  102  are tightened to slightly tension the cords of damping system  94  by pulling equally on ball  46  to displace it in the arrow  144  direction (see  FIG. 2 .) from a straight line  145  extending between bungee cord-supporting pulleys  118  and  126 . The represented displacement of ball  46  in  FIG. 1  closely approximates the displacement actually-employed in setting up practice device  40  for batting practice. Greater displacement, for example to the position identified by reference character  146  in  FIG. 2  with the consequent, illustrated bowing of bungee cords  104  and  108  and ball-supporting line  114  would place too much tension on the bungee cord; and the practice device would not function properly; i.e., it would not rapidly damp movements of ball  46  as the ball returns to its rest position after being struck. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the impact of a bat drives ball  46  toward backstop unit  42  as suggested by arrow  148 . This stretches and displaces the elastic bungee cords  104 ,  106 , and  108  of damping system  94  as shown by arrows  104   a ,  104   c ,  106   a , and  108   a , storing potential energy in those segments; and the cords  100  and  102  of tether  98  becomes slack. Next, as the ball reaches the end of its movement toward net  66 , the stored potential energy is converted to kinetic energy which returns ball  46  to the rest position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as indicated by arrow  150  in  FIG. 3 . Damping system bungee cords  104 ,  106 , and  108  contract to their original lengths and return to their at rest positions with the motions of the cords being indicated by arrows  104   b ,  104   d ,  106   b , and  108   b  as this occurs. 
     As ball  46  reaches the rest position, tether lines  100  and  102  become taut and keep ball  46  from traveling in the arrow  150  direction beyond that position. With the tether tied to ball-supporting cord  114  beneath ball  46  and with damping system  94  tensioned to the extent just described, system  94  efficiently damps the oscillations of ball  46  as its supporting line  114  is brought to an abrupt halt by tether  98 . As a consequence, ball  46  is almost immediately restored to and made motionless in the rest position after being struck. 
     When practice device  40  is configured and rigged for batting practice, backstop unit  42  is positioned in an upright or vertical orientation as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . For pitching and fielding practice, the backstop unit may be tilted forwardly by strut  52  (typically through a maximum arc of 20 degrees) so that a ball striking backstop net  66  will be returned as a ground ball. Conversely, the backstop unit may be tilted backwardly (typically through a maximum angle of 45 degrees) so that a ball striking net  66  will rebound from the net in the air. 
     Home plate  62  is of conventional shape and dimensions. The home plate can be anchored to the playing surface by placing a weight  190  on the plate (see  FIGS. 1 and 4 ). If the surface is smooth—for example, a gymnasium floor—suction cups  191  attached to the bottom  192  of the home plate can instead be used to anchor the home plate to supporting surface  152 . Also, home plate  62  can be anchored by driving a spike  194  into the ground. The spike is connected to an eye bolt  196  at the rear edge  197  of home plate  62  by a tether  198 . 
     The eye bolt  196  is located both toward the rear edge  197  of home plate  62  and in the center of that practice device component. Two other eye bolts, identified by reference characters  202  and  204 , are also located toward the rear edge  197  of home plate  62  but at opposite sides  206  and  208  of the home plate. By coupling damping system fitting  127  to eye bolt  202 , ball  46  can be positioned as shown in  FIG. 4  to emulate a pitch which is on the inside of the plate to a left-handed hitter. Similarly, by connecting the fitting to the eye bolt  204  at the opposite side  208  of home plate  62 , ball  46  can be positioned to emulate a ball which is on the outside of the plate to the left-handed batter. 
     Various configurations and/or components can be used in other embodiments in contrast to the ones described above. By way of example, although various cords/lines are described as being elastic in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-4 , other embodiments could use one or more inelastic cords. Notably, additional information on other exemplary embodiments can be found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/138,219, filed on Dec. 17, 2008, entitled “Batting Practice Systems,” which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     Other embodiments of baseball practice systems are depicted in  FIGS. 5-12 . Each of these embodiments includes an optional second cantilevered arm. In these embodiments, the arms are vertically spaced from each other to support the ball so that the ball is suspended between the arms. Notably, the second (bottom) arm prevents misalignment of the lines (and/or associated pulleys), thereby potentially increasing the effective life of the lines. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , baseball practice system  250  includes a backstop  252 , a ball  254 , a suspension assembly  256  and a tether assembly  258 . Backstop  252  incorporates a base  260  and frame  262 , which is used to support a net (not shown in  FIG. 5 ), that can add pitch-back functionality. Suspension assembly  256  incorporates upper and lower arms  264 ,  265  and a damping assembly  268 . The arms suspend the ball in a strike zone, and the damping assembly damps motions of the ball as the ball returns to a rest position (depicted in  FIG. 5 ) after being struck. In this embodiment, the damping assembly includes bungee cords  270 ,  271 . Tether assembly  258  incorporates lines  274 ,  275  that assist in establishing the rest position of the ball. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , pulleys and eyelets are used to route the various lines and cords. Specifically, base  260  includes eyelets  281 ,  282 ,  283  and  284 , as well as pulley  286  (shown in greater detail in  FIG. 6 ). Arms  264 ,  265  mount pulleys  288  and  289 , respectively. Additionally, telescopable strut  290  includes eyelet  292 , as well as a cord pass-through  294 . As such, cord  270  passes from a connector  296 , through eyelet  292 , though pass-through  294 , then pulley  288  to ball  254 . Cord  271  passes from connector  296 , through pulleys  286  and  289  to ball  254 . Line  274  passes from connector  296 , through eyelets  281  and  282  to ball  254 , and line  275  passes from connector  296 , through eyelets  284  and  283  to ball  254 . 
     In  FIG. 5 , an optional marker  300  (e.g., representative of home plate) and another optional marker  302  (representative of a location at which ball  254  is to be struck relative to home plate) are depicted. These markers can be moved relative to the backstop so that different types of pitches can be simulated. Use of markers will be described in greater detail later. 
       FIG. 7  is a partial view of the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , pulley  286  is located between supports  305 ,  306  of mount  308 . Mount  308  includes a receptacle  310  that receives the proximal end  312  of arm  265 . 
       FIG. 8  is a partial view depicting an alternative configuration. Notably, instead of using a pulley  286 , an eyelet  316  (provided in this embodiment by an eyebolt) is used for routing cord  271  (not shown in  FIG. 8 ). Additionally, a receptacle  320  is connected directly to frame member  322  for attaching arm  265 . 
       FIG. 9  is a partial view of the embodiment of  FIGS. 5-7 , showing detail of pulley  289 . Notably, pulley  289  includes a pulley component  326  and a lower base  328  that is used to engage a load bearing surface (e.g., the ground). 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a practice system. In this embodiment, the principal component is a set  350  of markers that replicate the inner portion of a baseball batter&#39;s box. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the markers are provided by a top surface  352  of a flexible mat  354  that can be formed of various materials (e.g., those materials used for yoga mats). A marker  356  corresponds to an official size home plate. Mat  354  is marked for both right and left handed hitters and includes additional markers (e.g., numbered baseballs) that show proper contact points plus directional arrows to show where to drive the pitches. In other embodiments, markers for only a right handed or a left handed batter can be provided. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , nine markers are used to form an X-pattern. This pattern is a visualization of where a hitter should contact the ball as it comes across home plate. The arrows coming off the balls indicate the desired direction of flight of the ball. The  1  ball is for inside pitches, the  2  ball is for slightly inside pitches, the  3  ball is down the middle, the  4  ball is for slightly outside pitches and the  5  ball is for outside pitches.  FIGS. 11A-11E  depict relative positions of a suspended ball relative to the markers of  FIG. 10  for different types of pitches. 
       FIG. 12  is a partially cutaway, assembly view of a coupler and corresponding frame members. Notably, various backstop configurations can be used. In some embodiments, a backstop can be formed of multiple frame members that are attached to each other either directly or indirectly, such as by using couplers. In  FIG. 12 , an exemplary embodiment of a coupler is depicted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , coupler  370  includes a body  372  with opposing receptacles  374 ,  375 . A set screw ( 376 ,  377 ) communicates with each of the receptacles to capture a distal end of a corresponding frame member (member  378 ) within each of the receptacles. Notably, use of a coupler can facilitate ease of assembly and can reduce shipping costs since the frame can be broken down into relatively small portions for packaging and shipping. 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of this disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.