PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15927311
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-03
Publication Date: 2018-09
Patent Classification: ["473", "460000"]

Abstract:
A ball collecting apparatus is provided that employs a human-powered ball transport system that moves balls from a collecting surface to a location above the collection surface. The ball collecting apparatus employs no motors or other artificially powered devices to retrieve and transfer balls, which makes it light and easy to maneuver. The ball collecting apparatus is primarily contemplated for use of picking up tennis balls, but other balls of various sizes may be accommodated by the apparatus, as it is scalable.

Claim (Index 1):
An apparatus for collecting at least one ball comprising:\n a left panel; a right panel spaced from the left panel; a rear panel associated with a rear end of the left panel and a rear end of the right panel; a front panel associated with a front end of the left panel and a front end of the right panel, the front panel having a lower edge spaced from a lower edge of the left and right panel to provide a lower opening, and wherein the front panel has an upper edge spaced from an upper edge of the left panel and an upper edge of the right panel; an upper axle interconnected between the left panel to the right panel adjacent to an upper portion of the apparatus; a first pulley rotatably interconnected to the upper axle; a lower axle having a first end and a second end interconnected between the left panel to the right panel adjacent to a lower portion of the apparatus; a second pulley rotatably interconnected to the lower axle; a right wheel positioned adjacent to the right panel, the right wheel interconnected to the first end of the lower axle; a left wheel positioned adjacent to the left panel, the left wheel interconnected to the second end of the lower axle; wherein rotation of at least one of the left wheel or the right wheel rotates the lower pulley; a belt having an inner surface that operatively engages an outer surface the first pulley and the second pulley, wherein rotation of the lower pulley moves the belt around the first pulley and the second pulley; at least one ball transferring member extending from an outer surface of the belt; a left arm interconnected to a lower portion of the left panel and extending away from the front panel; a right arm interconnected to a lower portion of the right panel and extending away from the front panel; a turnstile shaft rotatably interconnected to the left panel and right panel or left arm and the right arm; at least one turnstile comprising a plurality of arms interconnected to the turnstile shaft, wherein rotation of the turnstile shaft rotates the at least one turnstile; at least one first timing gear interconnected to the lower axle or the second pulley, wherein rotation of the lower axle or the second pulley rotates the at least one first timing gear; at least one second timing gear interconnected to the turnstile shaft; a timing belt interconnected to the first timing gear and the second timing gear, wherein rotation of the first timing gear rotates the at least one turnstile; and wherein the lower opening is adapted to receive at least one ball that is engaged by the at least one ball transferring member that moves the at least one ball from the lower opening to the upper opening as the apparatus is moved forward.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 2.0
- Percentile: 90.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.54386
- Patent Class: 473.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['13126168', '14204494', '13869506', '13751123', '15015883']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.6130389501353607
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4847110807828932
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.600206163200114
- Mean Citation Score: 185.79450000000003
- Max Citation Score: 218.72488
- Similarity Product: 139.55073904824735

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 0
- Claim Label 112: 0
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test