Patent Publication Number: US-2006019775-A1

Title: Baseball pitching practice aid

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:  
      The present invention relates to mannequin&#39;s, silhouettes, cutouts, dummies, and targets used during baseball pitching practice to simulate a batter thereby providing a game-type condition for a baseball player practicing his pitching.  
      During pitching practice, usually only a pitcher and a catcher are involved. This is an unrealistic situation, as a batter is at the plate under game conditions. During pitching practice, however, a manager does not want to chance injury to a batter. It is desirable to simulate a batter at the plate, such that a pitcher can practice as close to game conditions as possible.  
      In the past, mechanized mannequins have been used in amusement parks as part of amusement apparatus testing a participant&#39;s pitching aim. While these mechanized mannequins have been made to be life-like, they are heavy, need power and need large mounting making them impractical to use on a baseball diamond. Moreover, they do not permit a live catcher to act with the practicing pitcher.  
      Strike zone baseball silhouette cutouts have been made from a suitably thick plywood sheet, or an equivalent plastic plate. This silhouette is held upright by a stake driven into the ground and therefore be used on a baseball diamond. However, they are heavy to transport and setup. When used with smaller children, this is a disadvantage. When used with full grown men, the silhouette cutout can be knocked over when hit with a pitch, creating a safety hazard. A significant ricochet hazard also exists with both children and adults.  
      In order to overcome this safety hazard, these silhouette cutouts have been mated with a pitching target being a swingable gate simulating the strike zone. This eliminates a live catcher crouched at the proper distance behind the home plate, and eliminates a real game condition. Generally a stake is attached to the back of the silhouette cutout and is used to hold the cutout upright in the ground. As an alternative, the swingable gate has been mated with a blowup batter-looking “doll”. This doll is held in place by a weighted base or “foot”. While such blowup dolls are lighter than a plywood silhouette cutout, they are more fragile and can rupture when struck with a fast pitch. They are also more subject to even the slightest wind conditions due to their depth.  
      Improved blowup batter dummies for pitching practice have incorporated multiple air chambers. This assists the owner in locating an air leak. Blowup dummies generally require large base plates and take considerable time to be setup and to be taken down. These inflatable dummies also require an air pump on the ball field. If the pump is electric, a safety hazard may exist.  
      To overcome the shortcomings of blowup dummies, molded rigid plastic dummies have been introduced. These dummies generally require a large base plate, much like the blowup dummies. The problem created with a large base plate is that it forces the batter dummy farther away from the plate than where a live batter would stand, thereby creating an unrealistic simulated game condition.  
      The mannequins, rigid silhouette cutouts, and rigid plastic dummies can create a ricochet hazard when a pitched ball hits the object. The mannequins and rigid plastic dummies require large bases which force them to be placed too far from the plate. These objects also are generally very cumbersome to carry and store. While the blowup dummies do not create a ricochet hazard, they are fragile and require care in carrying and storage. Moreover, blowup dummies take time to inflate and deflate after use. Like the mannequins and the rigid plastic dummies, blowup dummies require large bases which also force them to be placed too far from home plate. Moreover, while the inflated dummies eliminate the ricochet hazard present with their rigid counterparts, the bases required by the inflated dummies introduce a ricochet hazard for balls “thrown into the dirt”.  
      What is desired is an improved simulated batter, which is easily positionable at varying distances both from the home plate and the pitcher&#39;s mound, and which i reasonably easy to transport, set up and store, and which is reasonably durable and eliminates or minimizes ricochet hazards.  
      An objective of this invention is to provide a durable silhouette cutout-type batting dummy which is reasonably light weight but also durable.  
      A second objective of this invention is to provide such batting dummy with pitched ball impact force absorption.  
      A third object of this invention is to provide such batting dummy with a mounting pole and a variety of base or securement members thereby permitting the dummy to be positioned at varying distances from home plate in a normal batter&#39;s box area.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:  
      The objectives of the present invention are realized in a simulated three dimensional batting dummy of the silhouette cutout-type. The “prop” will create the illusion of a crouched baseball batter (or softball batter) standing at home plate waiting for a pitched ball. The intent is to simulate a live right-handed or left-handed batter so that a pitcher can comfortably practice pitching in game simulated conditions, without the worry of hitting an actual batter with a wild pitch.  
      A pitcher would prefer to have a “live” or “real batter” standing at home plate so that he could practice his warm-up routine or practice his pitching closest to real game conditions as possible. A live batter is reluctant to stand at home plate for fear of getting hurt. Also, the pitcher, while he wants a live batter while he practices, will not be fully relaxed in his throwing routine or as eager to try new pitches for fear of hitting a batter and teammate with a wild pitch. The present invention fills a long felt need at all levels of play from little league to professional ball.  
      The “prop” is suitable to be set up in a batter&#39;s box at home plate, with little or no base member, to permit a catcher to crouch at his normal position behind the plate. Two sheets of closed cellular foam are cut into the shape (silhouette) of a crouched batter. A support pole is inserted between the sheets to create a hollow interior area having a small air pocket. This support pole forms the spine of the silhouetted dummy and extends from slightly below the “batter&#39;s shoes” to about his “shoulders”. The “head” portion and any included “bat” projecting from the “batter&#39;s hands” are unsupported by the spine.  
      The two sheets of foam are bonded together at their outer edges (the periphery of the silhouette) and bonded to the support pole. The shape of the silhouette is reasonably flat, with a shallow taper from its vertical middle, where the support pole is positioned, to the outer edges.  
      The foam is chosen to be energy absorbing and therefore resistant to impact and weather proof. The foam is also selected to have excellent tear strength and abrasion resistance with good flexibility and ultraviolet protection. Bonding of the two sheets together may be had by gluing or heat welding.  
      A color image of a batter painted or printed on the outer side of each cutout foam sheet either before or after assembly and bonding. Raised or relief features may be added to the surface of each cutout foam sheet if desired. These can be added by vinyl or rubber build-up techniques or by thermoforming the surface of each foam cutout sheet. Alternately, relief features may be attained by shading and coloring.  
      The support pole can be solid or hollow, but rounded at its end closest to the dummy&#39;s head. Where a hollow pole is used, it may be implemented in tubing or pipe. Round, rectangular or square cross-section may be used.  
      The base of the support pole is intended to seat into and be held in a receiving socket. Either a friction fit, a bayonet-like fit, or a pin tied (bolted) fit may be used between the bottom of the support pole and its receiving socket.  
      The receiving socket may be driven into the ground, or may be mounted to the top face of a weighted base. The receiving socket may also be a batting tee assembled via insertion into its protruding tee-tub. The receiving socket may also be a sand filled PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tube/pipe configuration, whereby the base is positioned behind the cutout/silhouette dummy. The base may be covered with the foam material to reduce ricocheting, or it may be buried in an indentation in the ground. Alternately, a steel base plate in the range of about 6 inches to about 15 inches on a side may be used. This base plate if of heavier weight material can preferably be in the range of about 7 inches to 10 inches on a side. This base plate can have a thickness of from about ⅛ inches to about ⅜ inches. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The features, advantage and operation of the present invention will become readily apparent and further understood from a reading of the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a silhouette “blank” of the invention, in front view, mounted on a non-anchored base stand;  
       FIG. 1   a  is a cross-section of the “blank” silhouette of  FIG. 1  with a rectangular or square spine pole taken as shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 2  is an imaged silhouette of the invention, in front view showing a left-handed batter, and mounted on the non-anchored base;  
       FIG. 3  is an imaged silhouette of the invention, showing a right-handed batter, and back view of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 3   a  is a cross-section of the imaged silhouette of  FIG. 3  having a round pole spine taken as shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the imaged silhouette of  FIGS. 2 and 3  wherein the head and helmet portion has been built-up with additional foam layers to maintain a uniformity of curvature;  
       FIG. 4   a  is a cross-sectional view of the built-up head and helmet portion of the silhouette taken as shown in  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the imaged silhouette of  FIGS. 2 and 3  wherein the head and helmet portion tapers to its sealed edges from the width established by the spine pole with ends adjacent thereto;  
       FIG. 5   a  is a cross-sectional view of the tapering head and helmet portion of the silhouette taken as shown in  FIG. 5 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the imaged silhouette of  FIGS. 2 and 3  wherein the head and helmet portion has been sealed together to eliminate any air space inside the outer sheets in the head and helmet area of the silhouette;  
       FIG. 6   a  is a cross-section of the head and helmet portion of the silhouette taken as shown in  FIG. 6 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a non-anchored mounting plate having a round receiving socket for a round pole spine;  
       FIG. 7   a  is a side view of the mounting plate of  FIG. 7 ;  
       FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the mounting plate of  FIG. 7  with a layer of foam bonded to the top face thereof;  
       FIG. 8   a  is a side view of the mounting plate of  FIG. 8 ;  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a non-anchored mounting plate having a square receiving socket for a square spine pole;  
       FIG. 9   a  is a side view of the mounting plate of  FIG. 9 ;  
       FIG. 10  is a side view of an in-the-ground round anchor;  
       FIG. 10   a  is a top plan view of the anchor of  FIG. 10  which is suitable for receiving a round spine pole;  
       FIG. 11  shows a round spine pole for being anchored into the base of  FIGS. 7 and 8  with a removable pin or bolt;  
       FIG. 12  shows a slotted round spine pole for being anchored into the base of  FIGS. 7 and 8  with a slide bayonet-like fit;  
       FIG. 13  shows a cutaway representation of an in-tube mounting of the silhouette;  
       FIG. 14  shows a cutaway representation of an over-the-tube mounting of the silhouette;  
       FIG. 15  shows a cutaway representation of an in-ground mounting of the silhouette;  
       FIG. 16  shows a flexible mounting with base plate sunken;  
       FIG. 17  shows a in ground mounting using a home plate type buried receiving cup;  
       FIG. 18  shows an off-set square socket which seats in the home plate receiving cup and fits in a slot cut into the bottom of home plate; and  
       FIG. 18   a  is a side view of the off-set socket structure of  FIG. 18 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:  
      The present invention is a baseball pitching practice aid which provides a shape of a baseball batter at home plate for pitching practice. The device is a silhouette-type cutout supported to with a ground mount to be standing in the batter&#39;s box area of home plate. The silhouette carries the color image of a batter on either side, with a first side being for left-handed batter presentation, and a second side being for right-handed batter presentation.  
      The goal is to provide a life-like presentation, which is of durable construction, which is portable and reasonably light, which will take a strike by a baseball while creating little or no ricochet hazard, which while absorbing the impact of a strike is also positionable at a realistic location in the batter&#39;s box, and which has a secure anchorage.  
      A silhouette cutout  21 ,  FIG. 1 , is cut from two sheets of foam material which are bonded together at their edges with a thicker cross-section in the vertical middle to provide a three-dimensional profile. The cutout  21  is mounted onto and bonded to a pole-type spine  23 , which supports the cutout  21  for mounting on a relatively flat and low profile base  25 .  
      The foam sheet  21  is obtained commercially, from suppliers or manufacturers, including the Gilman Corporation, Gilman, Conn., which markets its foam sheet under the trademark SOFTLITE. Foam sheet  21  is a closed-cell ionomer foam, which has the ability to bond ionically to neighboring molecular chains with the same bond as the polymer chain itself. Exterior surfaces can be shaped by heat and pressure, and where the outer skin is compressed, it forms a strong, abrasion-resistant surface.  
      The cutout  21  is made from sheets of a low-density, hydrophobic, flexible, tough, tear resistant and abrasion resistant ionomer resin foam, supplied by Gilman Corporation from ionomer resin material, and of the type manufactured by E.I. Dupont under the trademark SURLYN and of the type manufactured by Exxon Corp. under the trademark IOTEK. This material is resistant to commercial solvents, resists cracking and corona attack, and has a high tensile strength. The cutout  21  is cut to size to represent different sized ball players as discussed below.  
      The pole spine  23  can be a solid plastic pole, and is preferably a hollow rectangular or square tube or a round pipe. A PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe is used for the spine  23 . For smaller ball players, a pipe chosen in the range of about ½ inch to about ¾ inch ID (inside diameter), schedule  40  pipe can be used. This pipe has a wall thickness of about ⅛ inches and is approximately 1 and 1/64 inches on its outside diameter for a ¾ inch pipe. For larger silhouettes, a pipe in the range of about ½ inch to about  1  inch ID PVC, schedule  40  pipe can be used. This pipe has a wall thickness of about ⅛ inches and is approximately 1 and 5/16 inches on its outside diameter for a 1 inch pipe. These pipe sizes are not restrictive, such as a ½ inch ID pipe can be used for both sizes of silhouettes and other sizes of pipe or solid poles or tubes can be used. A cross-sectional shape of a square or a rectangular tube may be used, or even an oval one.  
      The base  25  can be of carbon steel, such as 1020, or of a stainless steel, such as an austenitic stainless  304  or a ferritic stainless  430 . Alternately, the base can be made of aluminum or other materials.  
      Typically, the base  25  should weigh between 10 and 25 pounds. However, depending upon the field conditions and the player sizes, this range may also be varied. However, at the same time it should have a small footprint and a low profile. A thickness of up to ½ inches is acceptable. A size in the range of from 6 inches on a side to 15 inches on a side is acceptable. However, a size in the range of 7 to 10 inches is preferred. The shape of the base can be square or rectangular. When rectangular, the longer legs are transverse to the face of the cutout  21 .  
       FIGS. 1   a  is a cross-section of the silhouette  21  taken through the trunk of the body section. The two sheets of foam  27  are heat bonded on their periphery, i.e., outer edges. As alternative to heat bonding, gluing can be used. The center spine  23  is a rectangular PVC tube, with a schedule  40  wall thickness. A round or a square cross-section pipe or tube may also be used. The construction of the spine  23  is not limited to PVC. Other plastic materials, such a polyurethane, polycarbonate, fiberglass reinforced plastics and metals may be successfully substituted for PVC. The spine  23  creates an air pocket  31  inside of the foam sheets  27 .  
      The thickness of the foam can be in the range of from ⅛ inches to ½ inches, with a preferred range from ¼ inches to ⅚ inches. The lowest portion of the silhouette, being the “shoes”, are shown with the foam sheets  27  bonded together.  
      Where a square or rectangular tube  23  is used, the lateral thickness  35  which determines the maximum separation of the foam sheets  27 , is less than with a round pipe. Typically, the angle of taper  37  is from 5 to 15 degrees depending upon the size of the silhouette and the size of the spine  23  selected.  
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show the imaged silhouette of a left-handed batter and a right-handed batter, respectively. The images can be printed, painted, screened, or deposited by film on each of the front and back sides of the silhouette. Contrasts and illusions for three-dimensional depth can be created by coloring, shading and surface molding as are selected. Surface molding, as recited above, for the ionomer foam material is affected by heat forming prior to the application of an image. As shown, the image can be either female, as in  FIG. 2 , or male, as in  FIG. 3 .  
      The spine pole  23  can protrude below the bottom of each silhouette  21 ,  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3 . The spine pole  23  extends vertically to about the region of the batter&#39;s “shoulders”, or “head” portion. Above the top end of the spine  23 , the foam sheets  27  are joined.  FIGS. 4, 5 , and  6  show three different side profile shapes for the “head” of a silhouette  23  produced by different structures.  
       FIG. 4  is a side profile of the silhouette  21  in which there is a build-up  39  of additional layers of foam  23  to maintain a uniform thickness in the “head” region of the silhouette.  FIG. 4   a  is a cross-section of the “head” region of  FIG. 4  where the layers of foam  23  forming the build-up “head” region can be shaved or heat molded to maintain the angle of taper  37  to the edges of the silhouette  21 .  
       FIG. 5  is a side profile of the silhouette  21  in which the “head” region of the silhouette  21  has the foam sheets  27  bonded at their outside edges so that there is a taper to the extreme top and outer edges of the “head” portion of the silhouette from the thickness at the spine pole  23  upper terminus.  FIG. 5   a  is a cross-section of the “head” region of  FIG. 5  showing the joining of the foam sheets  27  at their outer edges to leave a taped air space  31  in the “head” portion.  
       FIG. 6  is a side profile of the silhouette  21  in which the foam sheets  27  are completely bonded together above the upper terminus of the spine pole  23  to provide a flat side profile.  FIG. 6   a  is a cross-section showing that the two sheets of foam completely bonded together.  
      The base  25  can be fabricated from a steel plate  45 ,  FIGS. 7, 7   a , to which a short piece of steel pipe  43  can be welded  45 . The pipe  43  forms a receiving socket for a pipe-shaped spine  23 . A bolt and nut  47  extending through drilled diametric holes in the pipe  43  can be used as a securement to keep the spine  23  from rotating.  
      In order to reduce a ricochet hazard created by a ball hitting the base  25 , the base may be covered with an impact deadening foam  49 , glued to the top surface of the steel plate  41 ,  FIGS. 8, 8   a . In this embodiment of the base  25 , the bolt and nut  47  is replaced by a roll pin  47   a.    
      Home plates and some pitcher&#39;s rubbers are anchored into the ground using square cross-sectioned aluminum tubes. Little league uses like tube anchors, and also buried block anchors and spiked anchors. Some running bases are similarly anchored.  
      An alternative non-anchored base  FIGS. 9, 9   a , has an aluminum plate  51 , square tube  53  projecting from the center of one face of the aluminum plate  51 , and a tapered support collar  55  about the base of the tube  53  where it is attached to the aluminum plate  51 .  
      The base of  FIGS. 9 and 9   a  is suitable for square spine poles  23 , or where a round or rectangular to square adaptor is used.  
      An in-ground anchor  57  is shown in  FIGS. 10 and 10   a . This anchor has a peg-shaped, pointed end, round shaft and socket  59 , and a flat, ring-shaped driving head  61 . This in-ground anchor  57  eliminates the need for a base. With a round socket  59 , a friction fit spine pole can be inserted. Alternatively, a cross pin, similar to those shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  can be used to keep the inserted spine pole from rotating. The in-ground anchor  57  is commercially available from Markers, Inc., Avon Lake, Ohio. Various anchor  57  sizes can be ordered for receiving various pipe sizes. Where a rectangular or a square spine  23  is used, an adaptor is needed to mate with the round anchor  57 .  
      The spine  23  can have a diametric through holes  23 a, as shown in  FIG. 11 . Or, this spine  23  can have diametrically positioned longitudinal slots  23   b , as shown in  FIG. 12 .  
       FIGS. 13, 14 , and  15  show cutaway representations of an in-tube type spine mounting, an over-the-tube spine mounting, and an in-ground anchor spine mounting, respectively. In  FIGS. 13 and 14 , a weighted base  61  is mated to an upstanding tube  63 . In  FIG. 13  the upstanding tube  63  has an inside diameter for receiving a round pipe spine  23 . In  FIG. 14 , the round pipe spine  23  is mated to a larger diameter over tube  65  at a an adaptor  67 . The over tube inside diameter is sizes to fit over the upstanding tube  63 ,  FIG. 4 . In  FIG. 15 , the round pipe spine  23  seats in the round socket of the in-ground anchor  57 . The in-ground anchor can have a diametric, cross pin similar to pins  47  and  47   a  of  FIGS. 7 and 8 , respectively. In that instance, the spine  23  is slotted  23   b  as shown in  FIG. 12 .  
      The silhouette can be cut to any size and shape. However, the baseball or softball silhouette is shown in figures herein. Typically for a youth model, the silhouette is about  53  inches high, dimension “H”,  FIG. 13 , and about 16 inches wide, dimension “W”. The spine is schedule  40 , ½ inch ID, round PVC tubing at about 50 inches long (high). The ionomer foam is two sheets of ¼ inch thick sheeting. This silhouette without a base weighs about 2 pounds.  
      A softball model is typically about 62 inches high (tall) and about 24 inches wide, with about 60 inches of schedule  40 , ½ inch ID, round PVC tubing for its spine, and two ¼ inch thick ionomer foam sheets. This silhouette without a base weighs about 2.5 pounds.  
      An adult model is typically about 66 inches tall and 24 inches wide, with about 60 inches of schedule  40 , ½ inch ID, round PVC tubing for its spine, and two ¼ inch thick ionomer foam sheets. This silhouette without a base weighs about 2.5 pounds. For any model, the introduction of an over tube will add 0.25 to 2.5 pounds, depending upon size of the tube and the material from which it is made. This over-tube is that which is often found in a “T ball” base. A T ball tube is generally about  18  inches long, with about 1 and ⅞ inch OD, and is made of durable flexible rubber with longitudinal ribs.  
       FIG. 17  shows a round pipe-type spine  23  joined to a sunken base plate  69  for holding the silhouette  21 . A practice batter&#39;s box is either of dirt or has a rubber or other synthetic turf  71 . This is typical for many modern sports practice facilities at all levels of play. A shallow hole or a cutout  73  is provided to set the base plate  69  there into. The base plate  69  can be covered with turf  71 , or a foam similar to  FIG. 8 , or the top face of the base plate  69  can be left bare. The ricochet hazard of a small sunken base  69  is minimal as the bottom of the silhouette is positioned transversely across almost the entire width of the base.  
      The base  69  has an upstanding threaded anchor bolt  75 , onto which the over tube  77  is threadedly mounted. The over tube  77  has longitudinal ribs and is made of flexible rubber. The spine  23  is fixedly joined to the over tube  77 . Any impact imparted to the silhouette by a ball striking it is partially imparted to the rubber over tube  77  which flexes against the force.  
       FIG. 18  shows the round pipe spine  23  fixedly joined to a square adaptor tube  79 , which in turn seats in a square in-ground receiving box  81 . For practice facilities, especially those of the indoor type, the ground is covered with a rubber matt or synthetic turf  71 .  
      The above-described baseball pitching practice aid is portable, easily set up, durable, and can “take a hit”. It provides a life-like batter in the batter&#39;s box. It presents a reasonably flat “face” to the pitcher, so that the force of a wild pitch which hits near the center of the silhouette is absorbed by the foam, and is taken up by the spine and anchor. The shallow taper of the “face” to the outside edges, permits a wild pitch to bounce reasonably mildly outwardly after causing the silhouette to torque. Such torque occurs through the bending of the two sheets of foam itself, while the spine is held without rotating. The foam then returns to its original shape.  
      The present invention is suitable for many other sports than baseball. As an example, it can be configured as a hockey goalie, or a soccer goalie.  
      Many changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. It is therefore intended that the above description be read in the illustrative sense and not in the limiting sense. Substitutions and changes can be made while still being within the scope and intent of the invention and of the appended claims.