Ball-hitting practice device

Claim 1

A device for practicing the art of hitting balls, consisting essentially of i. a stiff mounting bracket member characterized by having an elongated rod projecting from the base mounting portion thereof with a spur shaft of lesser diameter than said rod extending from the end thereof and a collar at the terminus of said spur shaft, ii. a single flexible monolithic hollow strand of organic thermoplastic material, one end of which is identified as the mounted end and the other end of which is identified as the freely depending end, said strand being characterized (a) by being essentially uniform in cross section throughout its length, with the mass area of the material thereof in cross section being within the range of about one-eightieth square inch up to about one-tenth square inch, and (b) by exhibiting a Radius Bend Factor, as described herein, not less than oneeighth inch and not in excess of 6 inches, iii. a hollow ball of organic plastic material, said ball being attached to the freely depending end of said strand against hitting dislodgement therefrom, and iv. an organic plastic ear member united to the mounted end of said strand, said ear member being equipped with an eyelet therethrough of a size sufficient to accommodate said spur shaft but smaller than the size of said collar at the terminus of said spur shaft, said ear member being carried on said spur shaft with said spur shaft extending through the eyelet thereof and with said collar serving as a guard against dislodgement of said ear member from said spur shaft, whereby said ear member and said strand and ball are capable of swivel Erratic and rotational movement as a unit about said spur shaft without tangling or knotting of said strand when said ball is hit.

Claim 2

A device for practicing the art of hitting balls, consisting essentially of i. a stiff mounting bracket member characterized by having an elongated rod projecting from the base mounting portion thereof with a spur shaft of lesser diameter than said rod extending from the end thereof and a collar at the terminus of said spur shaft, ii. a single flexible monolithic hollow strand of organic thermoplastic material, one end of which is identified as the mounted end and the other end of which is identified as the freely depending end, said strand being characterized (a) by being essentially uniform in cross section throughout its length, with the mass area of the material thereof in cross section being within the range of about one-eightieth square inch up to about one-tenth square inch, and (b) by exhibiting a Radius Bend Factor, as described herein, not less than oneeighth inch and not in excess of 6 inches, iii. a hollow ball of organic plastic material, said ball being attached to the freely depending end of said strand against hitting dislodgement therefrom, and iv. an organic plastic ear member united to the mounted end of said strand, said ear member being equipped with an eyelet therethrough of a size sufficient to accommodate said spur shaft but smaller than the size of said collar at the terminus of said spur shaft, said ear member being carried on said spur shaft with said spur shaft extending through the eyelet thereof and with said collar serving as a guard against dislodgement of said ear member from said spur shaft, whereby said ear member and said strand and ball are capable of swivel Erratic and rotational movement as a unit about said spur shaft without tangling or knotting of said strand when said ball is hit.