US3640262A — Trajectory control mechanism for ball pitching ma…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 249 words

In a ball-throwing machine: a frame element; a shaft rotatably mounted on said element; a throwing arm rigidly mounted to the shaft; a crank rigidly secured to the shaft and extending radially therefrom, said arm and said crank being disposed for travel through parallel circular paths about the shaft; drive means for driving said arm and said crank through a first arcuate portion of their respective paths of travel; means for supplying a ball to said arm during travel of the latter through said first portion of the circular path; a pivoted elongated support structure mounted on said element; a mounting component disposed on said structure and movable through an arc; tension spring means carried by said component, one end of said spring means being coupled to said crank for exerting a force on the latter and acceleratively drive said arm through a second arcuate portion of its respective path of travel to throw a ball after said crank reaches an overcenter position on its path of travel about the axis of the shaft said spring means being movably fixed in a plurality of radial positions about said shaft for varying the position at which the throwing arm commences accelerative movement and thus varying the point at which a ball leaves the path of travel of the throwing arm, the trajectory of a ball being thrown being varied with rotation of said spring means; and means for locking said component in any one of a plurality of radial positions.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 249 words

In a ball-throwing machine: a frame element; a shaft rotatably mounted on said element; a throwing arm rigidly mounted to the shaft; a crank rigidly secured to the shaft and extending radially therefrom, said arm and said crank being disposed for travel through parallel circular paths about the shaft; drive means for driving said arm and said crank through a first arcuate portion of their respective paths of travel; means for supplying a ball to said arm during travel of the latter through said first portion of the circular path; a pivoted elongated support structure mounted on said element; a mounting component disposed on said structure and movable through an arc; tension spring means carried by said component, one end of said spring means being coupled to said crank for exerting a force on the latter and acceleratively drive said arm through a second arcuate portion of its respective path of travel to throw a ball after said crank reaches an overcenter position on its path of travel about the axis of the shaft said spring means being movably fixed in a plurality of radial positions about said shaft for varying the position at which the throwing arm commences accelerative movement and thus varying the point at which a ball leaves the path of travel of the throwing arm, the trajectory of a ball being thrown being varied with rotation of said spring means; and means for locking said component in any one of a plurality of radial positions.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 47 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a bellcrank; means pivotally mounting said bellcrank on said component intermediate said one spring end and the first-mentioned crank, said one spring end being coupled to said bellcrank; and means for coupling said bell crank to the first-mentioned crank.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting component includes an arm pivotally mounted on said shaft, said support structure being pivotally mounted on said element.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said structure is linear and said component is pivotally mounted on said structure to permit swinging thereof as necessary during movement of the component longitudinally of the structure as the latter pivots relative to said element.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said locking means includes selectively interengageable elements between said component and said structure.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 59 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said interengageable elements include a slotted portion of said structure having a plurality of projections defining spaced slots therebetween and a detent on said component disposed to be received in any one of the slots in said portion depending upon the relative location of the component with respect to the structure.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said slotted portion is normally disposed in engagement with said detent and said structure is rotatable for disengaging said detent from the slotted portion; and including first spring means biasing said structure into said normal disposition thereof, and second spring means biasing said detent into engagement with said structure.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said structure includes an arcuate surface adjacent said slotted portion, said surface acting as a cam to deflect said detent out of engagement with said slotted portion as said structure is rotated against the bias of the fIrst spring means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 22 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said structure comprises a crank rod presenting a handle for effecting manual rotation thereof.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 231 words

In a ball-throwing machine provided with a frame rotatably carrying a ball-throwing arm mounted on the frame for pivoting movement about a fixed axis, structure operably associated with the arm for rotating the latter through a first, ball pickup part of its arcuate path of travel, a spring unit pivotally mounted on the frame in spaced relationship from said axis, and a crank arm assembly operably joining the spring unit to the arm for acceleratively driving the latter through another ball-throwing part of its arcuate path when the crank of said assembly moves overcenter with respect to the line of pull thereon by said spring unit, the improvement comprising: an elongated locking member means for pivotally mounting the locking member on the frame, said frame being positioned adjacent said spring unit; and a component pivotally joined to said spring unit and said component being slidably connected to the locking member said component and said spring unit being pivoted in unison about the fixed axis, said locking member being provided with selectively operable, interengageable locking mechanism permitting shifting of the component and thereby pivoting of the spring unit and component to vary the overcenter position of the crank arm when the locking member is in a selected position on said locking member and thereby fixedly securing the component and the spring unit in a selected pivoted location relative to the fixed axis.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 231 words

In a ball-throwing machine provided with a frame rotatably carrying a ball-throwing arm mounted on the frame for pivoting movement about a fixed axis, structure operably associated with the arm for rotating the latter through a first, ball pickup part of its arcuate path of travel, a spring unit pivotally mounted on the frame in spaced relationship from said axis, and a crank arm assembly operably joining the spring unit to the arm for acceleratively driving the latter through another ball-throwing part of its arcuate path when the crank of said assembly moves overcenter with respect to the line of pull thereon by said spring unit, the improvement comprising: an elongated locking member means for pivotally mounting the locking member on the frame, said frame being positioned adjacent said spring unit; and a component pivotally joined to said spring unit and said component being slidably connected to the locking member said component and said spring unit being pivoted in unison about the fixed axis, said locking member being provided with selectively operable, interengageable locking mechanism permitting shifting of the component and thereby pivoting of the spring unit and component to vary the overcenter position of the crank arm when the locking member is in a selected position on said locking member and thereby fixedly securing the component and the spring unit in a selected pivoted location relative to the fixed axis.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-02-07	1975-08-09	1976-02-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-02-07	1979-08-09	1980-02-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-02-07	1983-08-09	1984-02-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Trajectory control mechanism for ball pitching machine

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