Patent Publication Number: US-2005143196-A1

Title: Baseball batting practice device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to a device for practicing batting of baseball, and in particular to a baseball batting practice device that allows for adjustment of the location of a stand that supports a baseball to be batted in orthogonal directions to suit the need of different batters.  
      2. The Related Art  
      Baseball batting practice devices are known. The baseball batting practice device comprises an upright holder that is rotatably mounted to a home plate for supporting and positioning a baseball. The upright holder is selectively retained at different discrete angular positions by means of a rotation mechanism. Such a rotatable construction of the baseball holder allows a player to selectively set a baseball supported by the holder at different positions. However, the structure of the baseball batting practice device is complicated, for the holder is set at an angular position by having a spring-biased pin removably fit into angularly discrete retention holes defined in the home plate. Such a complicated structure, apparently, leads to increase of manufacturing cost and probably shortening the service life of the device.  
      Thus, it is desired to have a baseball batting practice device that overcomes the problems encountered in the prior art by employing a simple but effective construction.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a baseball batting practice device that allows a user to selectively position a baseball to be batted at different locations on a base without employing a complicated structure.  
      Another objective of the present invention is to provide a baseball batting practice device that is low cost.  
      To achieve the above objectives, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a baseball batting practice device comprising a home plate having a top face in which a plurality of channels extending in different direction are embedded. Each channel has top flanges spaced from each other to define a slot therebetween. The top flanges are substantially flush with the top face of the base plate. A slide is selectively and movably received the channels. A threaded rod extends from the slide and through the slot of the channel. An upright stand has a lower end defining an inner-threaded hole engageable with the threaded rod to attach the stand to the slide whereby the stand is movable along and switchable between the channels. The stand has an upper end forming a cavity for receiving and supporting a baseball to be batted whereby a user may selectively position the baseball at any desired location along the channels for practicing ball batting. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a baseball batting practice device constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a home plate of the baseball batting practice device of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the baseball batting practice device of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the baseball batting practice device constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a baseball batting practice device constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated with reference numeral  10 , comprises a home plate  12  positionable on for example the ground of a practice field. The home plate  12  has a top face  14  on which an upright stand  16  is removably and position-adjustably mounted. The stand  16  has a lower end removably attached to the top face  14  of the home plate  12  and an opposite upper end forming a conical cavity  20  for receiving and supporting a baseball (not shown) therein.  
      A plurality of channels is defined in the top face  14  of the home plate  12 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , the channels are divided in two groups, the first channels  22  and the second channels  24 , extending in perpendicular directions. However, the channels  22 ,  24  can be extended in directions that are different but not perpendicular. The channels  22 ,  24  may have different lengths but each starts from an edge (not labeled) of the home plate  12  whereby an entrance opening is defined in the edge. Each channel  22 ,  24  has opposite top flanges  26  spaced from each other to define a slot  28  therebetween.  
      In the embodiment illustrated, the home plate  12  is made of rubber or plastics by molding, while the channels  22 ,  24  are made of metal. The channels  22 ,  24  are embedded in the top face  14  of the home plate  12  whereby the flanges  26  of the channels  22 ,  24  are substantially flush with the top face  14  of the home plate  12 .  
      A slide  30  is sized and shaped to be selectively and movably received in one of the channels  22 ,  24  through the associated entrance opening. The slide  30  can be switched between different channels  22 ,  24 . A threaded rod  32  extends from the slide  30  and through the slot  28  to get beyond the flanges  26 .  
      The lower end of the stand  16  defines an inner-threaded hole  34 , see  FIG. 3 , engageable with the threaded rod  32  of the slide  30  with the opposite flanges  26  of the channel  22 ,  24  in which the slide  30  is movably received interposed between the lower end of the stand  16  and the slide  30 . The friction between the flanges  26  of the channel  22 ,  24  and the slide  30  and the lower end of the stand  16  helps to securely fix the stand  16  to the top face  14  of the home plate  12 , while allowing selectively moving the slide  30  and the stand  16  to any desired position along the channel  22 ,  24 , or re-positioning the slide  30  into other channels  22 ,  24 , by loosening the threading engagement between the stand  16  and the slide  30 .  
      In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , three first channels  22  are defined in the top face  14  of the home plate  12 . A central channel extends from an apex of the pentagonal home plate  12 , while two side channels extend from the edge opposite to the apex and located on opposite sides of the central channel. A single second channel  24  is formed in the top face  14  of the home plate  12  and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first channels  22 . The second channel  24  extends between opposite edges of the home plate  12  and divides each side channel into two sections of which one has both ends closed. To allow attachment of the stand  16  to the section having both ends closed, an additional slide can be positioned in the section of the channel in advance. It is apparent that the number, position, and direction of the channels  22 ,  24  are simply a matter of design choice. Modification and variation on the channels  22 ,  24  can be done easily. For example and as shown in  FIG. 4 , in which a home plate, also designated with reference numeral  12 , constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, only a single first channel  22 ′ and a single second channel  24 ′ are formed in the home plate  12  of the second embodiment, illustrating a simplified arrangement of the channels for position-adjustably securing the stand  16 .  
      Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.