Abstract:
An apparatus for assisting in learning the art of juggling comprises a sloping net which is supported by a structure or worn by the juggler himself, whereby any errantly thrown or dropped balls are caught by the net and returned to close proximity of the juggler so that he can easily pick them up and begin to juggle again. Thus the juggler is relieved of and no longer required to waste time and energy chasing lost balls and more importantly having to bend over or squat down to the floor surface to retrieve them.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This non-provisional patent application claims a priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61,243,523 entitled “Juggling aid and training apparatus” filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Sep. 17, 2009 by a common Inventor to this instant application, James D. Corridon. Further the above named Provisional Application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This invention relates to devices for capturing projectiles and returning them to a predetermined location. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention is a lightweight portable net configured to assist a juggler in training exercises by capturing dropped balls or other juggling objects onto a sloping surface designed to return the balls to a terminating lip edge for easy retrieval by the juggler. The invention has several embodiments comprising a stand-alone unit, a tabletop unit and a personal accessory unit. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Juggling has been around since the beginning of man, and probably began not long after man found his second stone. 
         [0007]    The earliest known record of juggling is a wall painting from the 15 th  century BC Beni Hassan tomb of an unknown prince depicting female dancers and acrobats throwing balls in Egypt rendered about 4000 years ago. These women jugglers were found amongst acrobats and dancers in one of the crypt&#39;s wall paintings. Therefore we know juggling has long been a popular activity. 
         [0008]    Learning to juggle takes time and patience. It also takes a great deal of energy to chase down and retrieve errant throws or failed catches. Aids to assist in learning the art, either methods or apparatus are few and far between. 
         [0009]    Earlier aids to assist in learning juggling consist of books, magazine articles, and videotapes. These aids either describe how to juggle or show how juggling is done, but do not directly support the active participation of the student. Since much of learning to juggle is a process of developing the muscle memory of the participant, these “passive” learning aids are necessarily of a limited value. 
         [0010]    The training aid and method described herein provides the user with an enhanced environment of an efficient “hands-on” experience with juggling balls from the beginning of and throughout the learning process, thus developing the requisite muscle memory. The adjustability of the training aid as described below further enhances its value to the user. 
         [0011]    Thus there is a need for a device that will assist a student of the art, no matter how young or old, in learning to juggle in an environment that allows them to focus on the important skills; throwing and catching. Such a device or convenience is heretofore unknown to the inventor. In general this apparatus has the potential for entertaining and improving the quality of life for school children, college students, professional jugglers, and senior citizens in need of mild exercise or occupational therapy. It removes one of the major impediments to learning the art of juggling; the time and energy it takes to chase down and retrieve inaccurately thrown or uncaught juggling pieces. 
       OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
       [0012]    The primary purpose of this invention is to promote juggling and the teaching thereof, as a form of mental and physical exercise/therapy from the very young to the very old.” 
         [0013]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are: 
         [0014]    (a) to provide a participating (rather than passive) training aid for the user which eliminates the time and energy of chasing and or retrieving dropped balls or juggling pieces; 
         [0015]    (b) to provide a user friendly juggling environment, allowing the user to increase or decrease the number of balls being manipulated without multiplying the chase and retrieve factor, thus allows the user to advance his or her juggling skills at his or her own pace; 
         [0016]    (c) to provide a three-dimensional juggling accessory for learning to juggle, whereby the accessory catches, gathers, retrieves, and returns dropped balls to the juggling artist with a minimum of effort on his part, and this apparatus allows the juggler to focus attention more completely on the learning process rather than worrying about erratic tosses; 
         [0017]    (d) to make the learning process of juggling easier and friendlier so as to encourage a broader range of people to participate by lowering the athletic or mobility requirements to participate in the learning process. All the balls are kept in nearby proximity allowing the student an easy retrieval process which further enhances his enjoyment and thus the probability that he will continue with the sport and reap the benefits of the activity, whether for entertainment, exercise or therapeutic value; and 
         [0018]    (e) to provide more practice time spent in active juggling and less time chasing after erratically tossed balls. 
         [0019]    Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the invention in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the invention in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a front three-quarter perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  It is a side elevation view of the invention in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6A  is a front elevation view of a third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6B  is a side elevation view of the invention in  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of a modification of the invention in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0029]      FIGS. 9A-9E  are views of various components of a tabletop embodiment of the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  are detailed notes that accompany  FIGS. 9A to 9E ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  is front perspective view of the invention in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  is a side elevation view of the invention in  FIG. 11  showing the Velcro attachment to the front bar; 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  is a side elevation view of the invention as shown in  FIG. 12  with the Velcro seam partially opened up; 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  is a side elevation view of the invention as shown in  FIG. 11 ; and 
           [0035]      FIG. 15  is a close up view of the webbed netting and rear bar of the invention of  FIG. 11 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0036]    Now referring to  FIG. 1  a first embodiment of the juggling trainer  2  is shown. In this embodiment a net  4  is supported by a tubular frame  6 . The frame  6  consists of a pair of adjustable front legs  8  and a pair of adjustable rear legs  10 . The adjustable front legs  8  are further connected by a V-shaped front bar  12  which also serves as the attachment surface for the front edge  14  of the net  4 . The adjustable rear legs  10  are further connected by a straight horizontal rear bar  16  which also serves as the attachment surface for the rear edge  18  of the net  4 . It should be noted that in the optimum configuration the rear bar  16  is set at a height higher than the front bar  12 . This gives the net  4  a slope such that when a dropped juggling ball falls onto the net  4 , it will roll towards the front edge  14 . 
         [0037]    Although many different materials may be used to fabricate the frame  6 , a strong and lightweight material such as aluminum is preferred. Minimizing weight of the device is an important goal for transportation considerations such as shipping costs and ease of personal transportation to and from events by a juggler. Plastic may also be used in some applications as it is usually less expensive than aluminum. The choice of the frame material will be driven by transportation costs and handling objectives. 
         [0038]    For similar reasons the flexible net  4  is preferably constructed from a light weight nylon mesh. Nylon is know for its strength and light weight, although other materials with like qualities may be used. 
         [0039]    In general the juggling artist will stand in the footprints  20 A &amp;  20 B so that he faces the front edge  14  of the net  4  as he begins his training routine. Normally when a juggler is practicing he will often drop balls and they will fall to the floor. He then must chase the balls as they roll across the floor and finally bend over or squat down to pick them up. Especially for beginners the retrieval and chasing of dropped balls is very time and energy consuming. Thus instead of learning how to throw and catch balls, the juggler spends most of his time chasing and retrieving balls. This leads to a very dissatisfying experience and ultimately does very little to encourage and keep new juggling artists in the art. 
         [0040]    Similarly for older folks the requirement of bending over to retrieve dropped balls essentially eliminates juggling as an activity as bending over can be impossible, dangerous, very uncomfortable, or just plain impossible. 
         [0041]    The height of the net  4  in  FIG. 1  can easily be adjusted to accommodate a juggler&#39;s preference, sitting jugglers, wheel chair jugglers, and or jugglers of different ages and sizes. Both the front legs  8  and their respective rear legs  10  are assembled with telescoping portions and secured by pins  22  as is well known in the art. A series of through holes (not shown) in the upper portions of both the front legs  8  and the rear legs  10  is used to adjust independently the height of the front bar  12  and the rear bar  16 . 
         [0042]    In a preferred embodiment the outer frame member has a single through hole while the inner tubular member has a series of through holes. Thus the inner member is slid relative to the outer member until the desired frame height is achieved and then the pin is inserted to lock the nearest inner hole with the fixed outer hole. It is well known that the hole arrangement just mentioned can be reversed such that the outer member has a series of through holes while the inner member has the singular through hole. The plurality of holes are preferably spaced  1 ″ apart but this can be changed to accommodate other design parameters as well. 
         [0043]    Another method well known in the art are spring loaded buttons which are mounted and protrude from the inner tube member into locking holes in the outer tube member. The outer tube is slide along the inner tube until the spring loaded button locks into the desired hole in the outer tube. Either method may be used depending upon manufacturing and cost considerations. 
         [0044]    Although a tubular frame  6  is disclosed, the frame  6  may be constructed of rectangular or triangular stock. The object of the invention remains however, that regardless of the frame cross-sectional geometry, the legs  8  &amp;  10  must slide adjustably into their respective counterparts, the front bar  12  and rear bar  16 . 
         [0045]    The front legs  8  may also be adjusted in height to accommodate wheelchair bound jugglers. The height is adjusted so that the wheelchair arms (not shown) may slide under the front edge  14  of the net  4 . This is a particularly useful feature for assisted-care facilities and nursing homes where wheelchair patients are fairly common. 
         [0046]    The V-shaped front bar  12  causes two converging slopes  24 A,  24 B in the net  4  such that the convergence meets in the middle of the net  4  and becomes more pronounced as the slopes  24 A,  24 B approach the front edge  14  of the net  4 . This double slope  24 A,  24 B causes any balls which are captured by the net  4  to roll not only towards the front edge  14  of the net  4 , but also towards the middle. In essence in a few short seconds, any dropped balls will immediately be presented to the juggler in front of him and at a height which makes it extremely easy to pick the ball up and begin juggling again. Thus the whole experience of chasing and retrieving dropped balls and the attendant waste of time is eliminated from the juggling experience. 
         [0047]    Furthermore the juggling trainer  2  as shown in  FIG. 1  has four rubber anti-skid pads  26  attached to the bottom horizontal tubes  28  to prevent the trainer  2  from sliding unwantedly across the floor. It should be noted that in a further embodiment these pads  26  may be replaced with roller wheels  30  (not shown) so that the trainer  2  may be easily moved about. In the embodiment with roller wheels  30 , the juggler may also wear a small harness  32  (not shown) which attaches the V-shaped front bar  12  semi-rigidly in close proximity to his body so that as he moves about the room, the trainer  2  moves with him. This embodiment would most likely be used by an experienced juggler. 
         [0048]    Referring now to  FIG. 2  a side perspective view of the juggling trainer  2  is shown. This is the same embodiment as in  FIG. 1 . In this view one can easily see the higher elevation of the rear bar  16  in comparison to the V-shaped front bar  12 . The two converging slopes  24 A,  24 B of the net  4  are also more pronounced in this view. It should be noted that the front edge  14  of the net  4  is attached to the underside of the V-shaped front bar  12 . This is important because the V-shaped front bar  12  also serves as a barrier to stop the rolling balls and keep them on the net  4 . Without this barrier, though balls would continue to roll right off the net  4  and back onto the floor. The net  4  is also designed to have some slack so that it droops slightly right before it reaches the V-shaped front bar  12 . This drooping assists in keeping the rolling balls from jumping over the V-shaped front bar  12 . If the missed juggling balls which are then caught by the net  4  roll off the net  4  by rolling over the front edge  14 , the juggler can easily raise the height of the front edge  14  of the net  4  to prevent this. Thus the slope of the net  4  is set or adjusted by the juggler when he sets the respective front and rear heights of the frame  6 . 
         [0049]    Each edge of the net  4  that attaches to the frame  6 , that is to say, the front edge  14  and the rear edge  18  are quickly and simply attached to their respective frame members, the front bar  12 , and the rear bar  16 , by a pair of parallel Velcro hook and loop strips sewn into the net  4 , spaced apart, along these respective front and rear edges. Each strip is about 0.5″ wide and extends along the entire length of the net  4  being secured. The front edge  14  of the net  4  is simply wrapped around the frame so that a Velcro hook end strip mates onto its companion Velcro loop mating strip. The end strip is on the very edge of the net  4  and the companion mating strip is sewn about 2 inches from the edge so as to leave enough space for the net edge to wrap around the frame. Each attaching edge of the net, when mated, thus creates a sleeve that wraps around its respective frame member, securing and holding the net in place, but also allowing for any necessary sliding motion along the frame member for positioning the net. This anchoring technology is well known in the art. 
         [0050]    Referring now to  FIG. 3  a top plan view of the juggling trainer  2  is shown. The position of the juggling artist is shown by the footprints  20 A,  20 B. In this figure, three dropped balls  32 A,  34 A,  36 A have landed on the net  4  having two slopes  24 A,  24 B as previously described. The first ball  32 A will roll down the first slope  24 B and be directed towards the middle of the V-shaped front bar  12  to its final resting location  32 B. The second ball  34 A will roll straight down the middle of the net  4  and be directed towards the middle of the V-shaped front bar to its final resting location  34 B. The third dropped ball  36 A will roll down the second slope  24 A and be directed towards the middle of the V-shaped front bar  12  to its final resting location  36 B. It is obvious that any ball which lands on the net  4  will be directed towards the middle of the V-shaped front bar  12  so that a juggler standing in the footprints  20 A,  20 B will be able to easily and quickly retrieve the dropped balls. The juggler is therefore spending most of his time actually throwing and catching the balls. The trainer  2  therefore enhances his pleasure and experience which will encourage him to continue in the art. 
         [0051]    Referring now to  FIG. 4  a second embodiment is shown. This is the tabletop trainer  42 . A net  4  is supported on a table  44  by two front posts  46  and two rear posts  48 . The front posts  46  are designed to be shorter in height than the rear posts  48  so that the net  4  slopes downhill from the rear edge  46  to the front edge  48 . All four edges of the net  4  as a bungee cord sewn along the perimeter of the net  4 . The bungee cord is sized and tensioned to give the net  4  the same sloping characteristics as in the first embodiment. The front posts  46  and the rear posts  48  all have a clamping mechanism (not shown) as their base so as to easily attach to any common tabletop. Once again the juggler stands in the footprints  20 A,  20 B so as to be in close proximity to the front edge  48  of the net  4 . As in the first embodiment, dropped balls will land on the net and roll down towards the juggler. The net  4  is tensioned so as to contain a similar droop at the front edge  48  which creates a barrier to keep the balls from rolling off the net  4  and onto the floor. 
         [0052]    Referring now to  FIG. 5  a side elevation view of the tabletop trainer  2  is shown. In this view the rear posts  48  being longer than the front posts  46  raise up the back of the net  4  and create the necessary slope so that a falling ball  50 A lands on the net  4  at location  50 B, and then rolls down the net  4  to location  50 C which is in immediate proximity to the front edge of the net  4 . A juggler standing in the footprints  20 A,  20 B will retrieve the dropped balls in a quick and effortless manner. This embodiment is highly portable as the only components are the posts  46 ,  48  and the net  4 . 
         [0053]    Referring now to  FIG. 6A  a third embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment the juggling trainer  2  is attached to the juggler by means of a belt  60  which has multiple supporting rods  62  which support the net  4  in front of the juggler and maintain the desired slope so that any dropped balls roll down the net  4  towards the jugglers belt  60 . This embodiment allows the juggler to move about the room with us giving him greater freedom to try more complicated juggling patterns. 
         [0054]    Referring now to  FIG. 6B  a side view of the embodiment in  FIG. 6A  is shown. The slope of the net  4  will cause any dropped balls to return to the jugglers waist. This device is made of very light weight materials and easily folds up and fits into a backpack for easy transportation. 
         [0055]    Referring now to  FIG. 7  a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. A circular shaped net  4  has an outer perimeter  70  and an inner perimeter  72  with adjustable supporting legs  74  so that the outer perimeter  70  as a higher elevation than the inner perimeter  72 . Similar to the other embodiments the net  4  is sloped towards the juggler so that any dropped balls will travel along the slope of the net  4  to close proximity of the juggler. In this embodiment the juggler is free to rotate  360  degrees as he juggles. 
         [0056]    Referring now to  FIG. 8  a modification of the embodiment in  FIG. 7  is shown. A hingible flap  74  in the net  4  folds open to create a pathway for a juggler to walk into the center of the net  4 . Once the juggler has entered to the center of the net  4  he may close the flap  74  and the Velcro hook strip  76  will mate with the Velcro loop strip  78  to create a firm and secure joint. The juggler is then completely encircled by a 360 degree net  4 . Once again the outer perimeter  70  of the net  4  is at a higher elevation than the inner perimeter  72  so that any dropped balls will roll towards the juggler and stop at the edge of the inner perimeter  72  for easy retrieval. 
         [0057]    Referring now to  FIG. 9A  a table clamp for use in the tabletop embodiment is shown. A clamp is attached to each corner of the table as shown in  FIG. 9B . In  FIG. 9C  an  18 ″ rod projects from the clamp at approximately a 45 degree angle. The netting as shown in  FIG. 9E  will attach to the rods with one clamp for each corner of the mesh netting. 
         [0058]    Referring now to  FIG. 11 , a front perspective view of the invention is shown. The telescoping features of the front legs and the rear legs can be seen as the front bar is bent at 90° on each end so that the vertical portion slides telescopically into the U-shaped base leg. There is a U-shaped base leg on each side of the invention. The front portion of the U-shaped base leg receives one end of the front bar into each side. 
         [0059]    Referring now to  FIG. 12 , a side elevation view of the invention in  FIG. 11  is shown. The Velcro seam comprising Velcro hooks  64  and Velcro loops  66  demonstrates how the simple sleeve pocket is formed that wraps around the front V-shaped bar to attach the net. 
         [0060]    Referring now to  FIG. 13 , the same view of the invention is shown as in  FIG. 12 , however the Velcro joint has been peeled open to reveal the strips of Velcro as attached to the net. As is known in the art, one of the Velcro strips comprises hooks, while the other strip is known as loops or pile. Further the telescoping joint is shown where the front V-bar slides into the upper right leg of the lower U-shaped base bar. 
         [0061]    Referring now to  FIG. 14 , a side elevation view of the invention is shown with three juggling balls which have all returned to the front edge of the invention due to gravity and the sloping aspect of the net. Notice the close proximity of the balls to the front perimeter of the apparatus. This makes retrieval by juggler effortless. 
         [0062]    Referring now to  FIG. 15 , a close-up view of the upper left-hand corner of the invention is shown. The net is made of a nylon webbing material which has the characteristics of lightweight and flexibility. The net can easily be folded into a very small volume when detached from the frame. The net has a solid perimeter made from a nylon strap of approximately 2 inches in width. The main webbing of the net is captured all around its perimeter by the nylon strap. 
         [0063]    Note also how the rear bar is bent 90° on the left side and because it is of smaller diameter than the U-shaped base bar, it slides telescopically into the U-shaped base bar. 
         [0064]    While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, various modifications will be apparent to and might readily be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the description as set forth herein, but, rather, that the claims be broadly construed.