Oscillating mechanism for tennis ball throwing machine

Claim 2

In a ball throwing machine, an upright support member, a throwing mechanism on the upper portion of the support member, said support member having first and second vertically aligned spaced-apart sections, a swivel connection inserted between and connecting said first and second sections, said first section being fixed and said second section being rotatable, a cam assembly fixed to said first section, a cam follower assembly fixed to said second section, and means for moving said cam follower assembly with respect to the cam assembly so that the latter will react with the cam follower assembly and cause relative horizontal movement between the first and second sections of said support and a horizontal movement of the throwing mechanism.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein the swivel connection comprises a tube inserted in the first and second sections of said support member in telescoping relationship therewith and being fixed to said second section and an antifriction device positioned at the end of the tube between the tube and the bottommost end of the first section.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein the cam assembly comprises an elongated support plate fixed at a point intermediate ends to said first section of said support member between the ends thereof and a wheel journaled for rotation on one end of said support plate.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 wherein said cam follower assembly includes an axial disc cam follower journaled for rotation on said second section of said support so that the surface thereof adjacent the circumference will engage the cam assembly wheel.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 having means acting between said sections to bias the follower disc into engagement with tHe cam wheel surface.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5 wherein said means acting between said sections is a spring acting between the other end of the elongated support plate and an abutment on said second section of said support.

Claim 8

The device of claim 6 wherein further means act between said elongated support plate and said second section of said support to limit the biased movement between said cam assembly and cam follower assembly.

Claim 9

In combination, a ball throwing machine having a base, an upright support fixed thereto, a throwing mechanism supported on the upper portion of said support in spaced relation above the base the support including a first section fixed to the base and a second upper vertically aligned section fixed to the throwing mechanism, a swivel joint between and connecting said first and second sections for allowing movement of the second section relative to the first section, a cam follower assembly affixed to one of said sections and a cam assembly fixed to the other of said sections whereby the reaction between the cam assembly and cam follower assembly will move the second section relative to the first section thereby angularly displacing the trajectory of a ball thrown by the mechanism.

Claim 10

In combination, a ball throwing machine having a base, an upright support fixed thereto, a throwing mechanism supported on the upper portion of said support in spaced relation above the base the support including a first section fixed to the base and a second upper vertically aligned section fixed to the throwing mechanism, a swivel joint between and connecting said first and second sections for allowing movement of the second section relative to the first section, a cam follower assembly affixed to one of said sections and a cam assembly fixed to the other of said sections whereby the reaction between the cam assembly and cam follower assembly will move the second section relative to the first section thereby angularly displacing the trajectory of a ball thrown by the mechanism.

Claim 11

The device of claim 8 wherein said support is tubular and the swivel joint comprises a tube inserted in the tubular support in telescoping relationship therewith and being fixed to said second section and an antifriction device positioned at the end of the tube between the tube and the bottommost end of the first section.

Claim 12

The device of claim 8 wherein the cam assembly comprises an elongated support plate fixed at a point between its ends to said first section of said support and a wheel journaled for rotation on one end of said support plate.

Claim 13

The device of claim 9 wherein said cam follower assembly includes an axial disc cam follower journaled for rotation on said second section of said support so that the surface of said disc adjacent the circumference thereof will engage the wheel.

Claim 14

The device of claim 11 having means acting between said first and second sections to bias the cam follower disc into engagement with the cam wheel.

Claim 15

The device of claim 12 wherein said disc surface has one projection thereon to be engaged by said cam wheel.

Claim 16

The device of claim 13 wherein further means act between said elongated support plate and said second section of said support to limit the biased movement between said cam assembly and cam follower assembly.

Claim 17

The device of claim 14 including a drive means to rotate one of said assemblies.

Claim 18

The device of claim 15 wherein said drive means includes a motor fixed to said second section in spaced relation to said cam follower assembly and means interconnecting said motor and said cam follower assembly to rotate said cam follower assembly.

Claim 19

The device of claim 16 wherein the means interconnecting the motor and cam follower assembly includes a chain received around teeth on the circumference of said cam follower assembly and a sprocket driven by said motor.