Patent Publication Number: US-8540593-B1

Title: Baseball training device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pitching coaches, and for that matter any coach who is instructing baseball players in throwing and throwing accuracy have been limited by retrieval, or by having to have someone to catch thrown balls. Further, the coaches and the thrower need to be able to discern accuracy quickly and easily as well as tailor any drill for accuracy within a given set of dimensions, that is, height and width. The present device provides an adjustable target, in both size and height, and a frame with net for trapping thrown balls. Hitting coaches can use the device to teach disciplined (zone) hitting depending on the count. If the count is in the hitters favor, he should not be swinging at thrown balls that do not go in his adjustable strike zone (target box). As the count favors the pitcher, the hitter&#39;s strike zone increases. The zone will be determined by the players age and ability level. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The baseball training device relates to baseball and other throwing ball sports and more especially to a training device that provides a net for trapping a ball and an adjustable target box. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the baseball training device, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a baseball training device which has many novel features that result in an improved baseball training device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the baseball training device provides a framed net for capturing thrown balls, especially baseballs. The frame is sturdily supported by stanchions. The stanchions may include upwardly extended sections for additional support, and may also include a pair of fasteners for each stanchion, the fasteners fastened to the frame sides. The device may include a substantially centrally disposed target box. The target box may be supported by spaced apart uprights. The uprights may feature orifices and the target box, ears, whereby keepers may be passed from the ears into a given set of upright orifices to thereby adjust the vertical positioning of the target box. The device may also provide padded horizontal members that are fitted as desired, one atop another, in order to shorten the box height and thereby establish a smaller target for a thrower. The horizontal members may be stacked in a number of ways. The ideal stacking capability may include spaced apart downwardly projected inserts on each horizontal member and u-brackets on each horizontal member. The horizontal members may be fitted between the uprights. When provided, the padded receiver member and padded horizontal members aid in preventing thrown ball ricochet. 
     The device provides sturdy rigidity in the frame and stanchions, as well as ease of adjustability for target box height and the size of the target box 
     Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the improved baseball training device so 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. 
     An object of the baseball training device is to capture thrown balls. 
     Another object of the baseball training device is to provide a target for thrown balls. 
     A further object of the baseball training device is to provide an adjustable sized target for thrown balls. 
     An added object of the baseball training device is to provide a target box that is selectively vertically positioned. 
     And, an object of the baseball training device is to be especially useful for thrown baseballs. 
     These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the improved baseball training device will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the improved baseball training device when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view. 
         FIG. 2  is a back elevation view. 
         FIG. 3  is a lateral elevation view. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view. 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view. 
         FIG. 7  is a back elevation view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, the principles and concepts of the baseball training device generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  partially comprises the frame  20 . The frame  20  has a front  21 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the frame  20  front  21  is spaced apart from the back  22 . The top  23  is spaced apart from the bottom  24 . The first side  25  is spaced apart from the second side  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the net  27  is loosely suspended across the back  22  of the frame  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the pair of spaced apart uprights is disposed centrally within the frame  20 . The uprights comprise the first upright  28  and the second upright  29 . The uprights are attached to the frame  20  top  23  and the frame  20  bottom  24 . A plurality of spaced apart orifices  30  is evenly disposed within each upright. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , a stanchion  32  supports each frame  20  side. Each stanchion  32  further comprises an upwardly extended section  33 . One of each stanchion  32  is affixed to one of each of the sides via two spaced apart fasteners  34  to ensure rigidity. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the target box  40  has a box height  41 ; 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 , a pair of box ears  43  is provided. One of each box ear  43  is projected rearwardly from an opposite side of the target box  40 . The box ears  43  are fitted adjacent to and within the uprights. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7  and again to  FIG. 6 , more than one keeper  44  is provided. Each keeper  44  selectively and removably vertically locates the target box  40  within the uprights via the orifices  30 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 7 , the padded receiver member  51  is disposed downwardly and rearwardly on the target box  40 . A pair of spaced apart vertically disposed u-brackets  53  is disposed on the receiver member  51 . A plurality of padded horizontal members  50  is provided. Each padded horizontal member  50  further comprises a pair of spaced apart vertically disposed u-brackets  53 . The horizontal member u-brackets  53  are disposed in alignment with the receiver member  51  u-brackets  53 . A pair of spaced apart inserts  52  is provided for each horizontal member  50 . The inserts  52  are disposed in alignment with the u-brackets  53 . Each pair of inserts  52  removably inserts with one of the pairs of u-brackets  53  of the receiver member  51 . Each pair of inserts  52  of the padded horizontal members  50  further is removably inserted into the u-brackets  53  of one of the padded horizontal members  50 . The target box height  41  is thereby effectively reduced. 
     Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the drawings and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the baseball training device may be used.