Ball projecting device

Claim 1

IN A BALL PROJECTING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A BALIL STRIKING ARM PIVOTED AT ONE END ABOUT A PIVOT; A BALL STRIKING SURFACE ON SAID STRIKING ARM, SAID BALL STRIKING SURFACE MOVING THROUGH AN ARC BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND LIMITS AS SAID ARM IS ROTATED ABOUT SAID PIVOT; A BALL FEED AND FIRING TRACK COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS SPACED APART BY A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF A BALL AND DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ARC FOR AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID LIMITS WHEREBY SAID STRIKING SURFACE MAY MOVE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS; A BALL FIRING STATION INCLUDING MEANS FOR HOLDING A BALL ON SAID TRACK AT A POSITION WHICH LIES ON SAID ARC; CYCLICALLY OPERABLE DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID BALL STRIKING ARM ABOUT SAID PIVOT TO MOVE SAID BALL STRIKING SURFACE TO SAID FIRST LIMIT; SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS RELEASING SAID STRIKING ARM WHEN SAID SURFACE REACHES SAID FIRST LIMIT; SPRING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID STRIKING ARM FOR STORING ENERGY AS SAID BALL STRIKING SURFACE IS MOVED TO SAID FIRST LIMIT, SAID SPRING MEANS ACTING AGAINST SAID STRIKING ARM TO RELEASE SAID ENERGY STORED BY SAID SPRING AND MOVE SAID BALL STRIKING SURFACE TOWARD SAID SECOND LIMIT WHEN SAID STRIKING ARM IS RELEASED; AND FEED MEANS OPERATIVELY RESPONSIVE TO SAID DRIVE MEANS FOR FEEDING A BALL INTO SAID FIRING STATION DURING THE INTERVAL SAID BALL STRIKING SURFACE IS MOVING BETWEEN SAID BALL FIRING STATION AND SAID FIRST LIMIT; AND MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID STRIKING ARM WHEN SAID BALL STRIKING SURFACES REACHES SAID SECOND LIMIT.