Patent Publication Number: US-7708003-B1

Title: Football throwing system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to football throwing machines and more particularly pertains to a new football throwing machine for propelling a football down field to be caught and also for receiving the football when the football is thrown back. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of football throwing machines is known in the prior art. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a system that has certain improved features that allow for a person to practice receiving a football propelled down field as well as practice throwing a football at a target. Additionally, the system should receive the football thrown by the person and recycle the football into the system to be propelled down field again. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention meets the needs presented above by generally comprising at least one receiver assembly being positioned on a support surface. The receiver assembly receives footballs. A housing is positioned on the support surface. The housing is coupled to the at least one receiver assembly to receive the footballs from the at least one receiver assembly. A pair of conveyor drives is positioned in the housing. Each of the conveyor drives is orientated along a height of the housing. Each of the conveyor drives engages one of the footballs in the housing and lifts the football towards a top end of the housing. A plurality of wheel assemblies is mounted to the housing. The wheel assemblies receive one of the footballs from the conveyor drives and propel the football down field to be caught. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a football throwing system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged front view of the housing of the present invention with a portion of a front wall of the housing removed. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a portion of one of the conveyor drives of the present invention as taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged top view of the housing of the present invention with a portion of the housing removed. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the present invention showing an embodiment of one of the receiver assemblies. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the present invention of one of the receiver assemblies. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the present invention of one of the receiver assemblies. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new football throwing machine embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the football throwing system  10  generally comprises at least one receiver assembly  12  being positioned on a support surface, such as a playing field surface. The receiver assembly  12  receives footballs  1 . The at least one receiver assembly  12  includes a base  14  positioned on the support surface. The at least one receiver includes a bowl  16  pivotally coupled to and upwardly extending from the base  14 . An angle of a front face  17  of the bowl  16  is adjustable with respect to the base  14  to change an angle at which said at least one receiver assembly  12  receives the foot balls  1 . The base  14  has a receiving aperture  18  therein. The bowl  16  receives one of the footballs  1  thrown at it and directs the football  1  to the receiving aperture  18 . The at least one receiver assembly  12  includes a chute  20  pivotally coupled to the base  14  and in communication with the receiving aperture  18 . The base  14  is pivotally adjustable with respect to the chute  20  to permit horizontal adjustment of the at least one receiving assembly  12 . The chute  20  receives the footballs  1  passing through the receiving aperture  18  from the bowl  16 . A housing  22  is positioned on the support surface. The housing  22  is coupled to the chute  20  of the at least one receiver assembly  12  to allow the footballs  1  to enter the housing  22 . 
     A pair of conveyor drives  24  is positioned in the housing  22 . Each of the conveyor drives  24  is orientated along a height of the housing  22 . Each of the conveyor drives  24  engages one of the footballs  1  in the housing  22  and lifts the football  1  towards a top end  26  of the housing  22 . Each of the conveyor drives  24  includes a drive mechanism  28  positioned in the housing  22 . The drive mechanism  28  includes a pair of drive chains  32 . Each of the drive chains  32  includes a chain  32  extending in an endless loop around a pair of gears  34  rotatably mounted in the housing  22  and vertically spaced from each other. The drive chains  32  are spaced apart to permit the footballs  1  to pass between the drive chains  32 . A transfer rod  36  is coupled an uppermost one of the gears  34  of each of the drive chains  32 . 
     Each of the conveyor drives  24  also includes a conveyor motor  38  coupled to one of the gears  34  of one of the drive chains  32  to rotate the associated one of the gears  34  and thereby the chain  32 . The transfer rod  36  transfers rotation of one of the drive chains  32  to the other one of the drive chains  32 . Each of a plurality of lift brackets  40  is coupled to the drive mechanism  28 . One of the lifting brackets from each of the conveyor drives  24  cradles one of the footballs  1  and lifts the football  1  towards the top end  26  of the housing  22  when the conveyor drives  24  are actuated. Each of the lift brackets  40  is coupled to and extends between the chains  32 . Each of the lift brackets  40  includes a plurality of lift rollers  42  to minimize resistance to the football  1  being pushed off of the lift brackets  40 . 
     Each of a plurality of wheel assemblies  44  is mounted to the housing  22 . The wheel assemblies  44  receive one of the footballs  1  from the conveyor drives  24  and propel the football  1  down field to be caught. Each of the wheel assemblies  44  includes a drive motor  46  mounted to the housing  22 . The drive motor  46  is positioned adjacent the top end  26  of the housing  22 . A wheel  48  is coupled to the drive motor  46 . The wheel  48  is rotated by the motor when the drive motor  46  is actuated. The wheel  48  of each of the wheel assemblies  44  frictionally contacts one of the footballs  1  conveyed to the top end  26  of the housing  22  and propels the football  1  downfield. 
     The wheel  48  of one of the wheel assemblies  44  rotates in an approximately horizontal plane, wherein the horizontal plane includes a longitudinal axis of the football  1  to be propelled. The wheel  48  of one of the other wheel assemblies  44  extends at a downward angle from the horizontal. The wheel  48  of one of the other wheel assemblies  44  extends at an upward angle from the horizontal. The wheels  48  extending at the downward angle and at the upward angle from the horizontal engage the football  1  off center to provide a rotational spin around the longitudinal axis of the football  1  when the football  1  is propelled. The wheels  48  extending at the downward angle and the upward angle from horizontal are each positioned at angle between approximately 35 degrees and approximately 60 degrees from horizontal. 
     A ram  50  is coupled to a rear wall  52  of the housing  22 . The ram  50  is extendable across the top end  26  of the housing  22  when the ram  50  is actuated. The ram  50  pushes each of the footballs  1  conveyed to the top end  26  by the conveyor drives  24  into the wheel assemblies  44  to be propelled downfield when each of the footballs  1  is positioned adjacent the top end  26 . 
     A cradle  54  is coupled to a front wall  56  of the housing  22  and positioned adjacent the top end  26 . The cradle  54  is positioned between the ram  50  and the wheel assemblies  44 . The cradle  54  receives the football  1  pushed by the ram  50  to stabilize the football  1  for proper alignment with the wheel assemblies  44 . The cradle  54  includes a plurality of cradle rollers  58  to minimize resistance to the football  1  moving across the cradle  54 . 
     The at least one receiver assembly  12  includes a plurality of panels  60  being rotatably coupled to the bowl  16 . Each of the panels  60  is aligned with the front face  17  of the bowl. As the football  1  passes into the bowl  16  the panels  60  adjacent the football  1  pivot and frictionally contact the football  1  to slow the football  1  as it passes through the panels  60 . Each of the panels  60  is biased to return to a position aligned with the front face  17  of the bowl  16 . The panels  60  may be printed with a design to entice a thrower of a football  1  to aim for the center of the bowl  16 . In an embodiment of the at least one receiver assembly  12 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , a hopper  62  extends upwardly from the base to receive a football  1  dropped into the hopper  62 . The hopper  62  is comprised of a mesh material. 
     In use, the at least one receiver assembly  12  is positioned on the support surface. The chute  20  of the at least one receiver assembly  12  is mounted to the housing  22  so that the footballs  1  received by the at least one receiver assembly  12  are delivered to the housing  22 . The conveyor drives  24  are actuated and lift one of the footballs  1  to the top end  26  of the housing  22 . As the football  1  reaches the top end  26  of the housing  22  the ram  50  pushes the football  1  onto the cradle  54  and into the wheel assemblies  44 . The wheel assemblies  44  frictionally contact the football  1  and propel the football  1  down field to simulate a spiral pass being thrown. Once the football  1  has been caught or retrieved, the football  1  is thrown into the bowl  16  of the at least one receiver assembly  12  to allow the football  1  to be propelled down field again. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.