Patent US3877697A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3877697A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Self-uprighting baseball batting practice tee
Assignee: A EVANS LERSCH CORP
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Filing: 1974-02-01
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Granted: 1975-04-15
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Expires: 1994-02-01
Abstract
Abstract The tee includes a mat of resilient material. The mat sits freely on a horizontal surface. An upright member carries at the top a seat for the ball and is supported from a stem extending centrally from the mat. The upright member includes tubular parts which are vertically adjustable on a rod or inner tube. The rod or tube is a friction fit in the tubular parts and the tubular parts may be set at different heights to accommodate the person practicing the batting. When the upright member or seat, rather than the ball, is struck, the upright member is thrust towards the surface and the mat is deformed and compressed and, in relaxing and returning to the flat position on the surface, returns the upright member to the upright position. To aid in restoring the mat and upright member to the upright position, the mat is sandwiched between an outer plate and an inner plate.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred E Lersch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:13
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B69/00; A63B69/0073; A63B69/0075; A63B57/00; A63B57/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
A tee for baseball batting practice including a resilient mat to be disposed freely on a generally horizontal surface, and a vertical member supported by said mat and extending vertically therefrom when said mat is on said horizontal surface, said member including, at the top thereof, means for holding a baseball in a position where it may be struck during batting practice, said mat being of such thickness and engaging said surface over such large area that when said member is undesirably struck and displaced from its vertical position, said mat is deformed and by its resilience exerts a restoring force to restore said member to its vertical position, the said tee also including a first plate and a second plate, said first plate being disposed on the mat at the junction of the vertical member and the mat about the region from which the member extends from said mat and being penetrated by the vertical member, said second plate being interposed, about the region from which the member extends, between the under side of the mat and the surface, generally parallel to the first plate, the said first and second plates cooperating with said mat and with each other to restore said member to the vertical position on undesirable displacement of said member from said vertical position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
218 words
A tee for baseball batting practice including a resilient mat to be disposed freely on a generally horizontal surface, and a vertical member supported by said mat and extending vertically therefrom when said mat is on said horizontal surface, said member including, at the top thereof, means for holding a baseball in a position where it may be struck during batting practice, said mat being of such thickness and engaging said surface over such large area that when said member is undesirably struck and displaced from its vertical position, said mat is deformed and by its resilience exerts a restoring force to restore said member to its vertical position, the said tee also including a first plate and a second plate, said first plate being disposed on the mat at the junction of the vertical member and the mat about the region from which the member extends from said mat and being penetrated by the vertical member, said second plate being interposed, about the region from which the member extends, between the under side of the mat and the surface, generally parallel to the first plate, the said first and second plates cooperating with said mat and with each other to restore said member to the vertical position on undesirable displacement of said member from said vertical position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The baseball tee of claim 1 wherein the junction of the vertical member and the mat, in the region where the vertical member extends from The mat, is a snug fit so that the mat effectively reacts on the member to restore the member to the vertical position when the member is undesirably displaced from the vertical position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
199 words
A tee for baseball batting practice including a resilient mat to be disposed freely on a generally horizontal surface and a vertical member supported by said mat and extending vertically therefrom when said mat is on said horizontal surface, said member including, at the top thereof, means for holding a baseball, and said member extending to a height above said mat such as to accommodate the person practicing the batting whereby the holding means positions a baseball in a position where it may be struck during baseball batting practice, said mat being of such thickness and engaging said surface over such large area that when said member is undesirably struck and displaced from its vertical position, said mat is deformed and by its resilience exerts a restoring force to restore said member to its vertical position, the said tee also including a plate disposed on said mat at the junction of said vertical member and said mat about the region from which said member extends from said mat and being penetrated by said vertical member, said plate cooperating with said mat to restore said member to the vertical position on undesirable displacement of said member from the vertical position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
199 words
A tee for baseball batting practice including a resilient mat to be disposed freely on a generally horizontal surface and a vertical member supported by said mat and extending vertically therefrom when said mat is on said horizontal surface, said member including, at the top thereof, means for holding a baseball, and said member extending to a height above said mat such as to accommodate the person practicing the batting whereby the holding means positions a baseball in a position where it may be struck during baseball batting practice, said mat being of such thickness and engaging said surface over such large area that when said member is undesirably struck and displaced from its vertical position, said mat is deformed and by its resilience exerts a restoring force to restore said member to its vertical position, the said tee also including a plate disposed on said mat at the junction of said vertical member and said mat about the region from which said member extends from said mat and being penetrated by said vertical member, said plate cooperating with said mat to restore said member to the vertical position on undesirable displacement of said member from the vertical position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The baseball tee of claim 3 wherein the junction of the vertical member and the mat in the region where the vertical member extends from the mat is a snug fit so that the mat effectively reacts on the member to restore the member to the vertical position when the member is undesirably displaced from the vertical position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-14 | 1978-10-14 | 1979-04-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-14 | 1982-10-14 | 1983-04-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-14 | 1986-10-14 | 1987-04-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |