Tethered ball baseball practice device

Claim 2

A batting practice device for baseball batters comprising: a. support frame means; b. a generally horizontally disposed laterally extended cantilevered boom having one of its ends threadedly engaging said support frame means; c. a flexible cord having a portion mounted to slidably extend along said boom, one of its ends freely depending from the free end of said boom and its other end connected to reciprocating means; d. a hollow ball including means connecting same to said freely depending end of said cord; and e. said reciprocating means being affixed to said support frame means for imparting continuous reciprocal movement to said cord longitudinally of said boom to continuously vary the length of cord depending from said boom as said ball moves through an arcuate path of travel after being struck by a batter.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 in further combination with a backstop sheet of flexible material carried by said support frame means and boom to limit the movement of said ball as it travels along said arcuate path of travel in a given direction.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1 in which said boom is tubular and in which said flexible cord is threaded through said boom longitudinally thereof.

Claim 5

A batting practice device for baseball batters comprising: a. support frame means; b. a generally horizontally disposed laterally extended cantilevered boom carried by said support frame means; c. a flexible cord having a portion mounted to slidably extend along said boom having one of its ends freely depending from the free end of said boom and its other end attached to reciprocating means. d. a ball including means connecting same to said freely depending end of said cord; and e. said reciprocating means being affixed to said support frame means for imparting continuous reciprocal movement to said cord longitudinally of said boom to continuously vary the length of said cord depending from said boom as the ball moves through an arcuate path of travel after being struck by a batter comprising: i. an electrically operated motor fixedly mounted on said support means and having a rotary output shaft; ii. an arm extending radially from said shaft and having one of its ends mounted thereon for common rotation therewith and its other end being free; iii. a first stretchable resilient member having one end operatively connected to engage the free end of said arm and the other end thereof connected to said other end of said cord whereby rotation of said electrical motor imparts movement to said cord in at least one direction longitudinally thereof and said first stretchable resilient member absorbs the shock of impact against said ball caused by the batter striking same; and iv. a second stretchable resilient member having one end connected to said other end of said first stretchable resilient member and its other end thereof connected to said frame means whereby to impart movement of said cord in the opposite direction longitudinally thereof.

Claim 6

A batting practice device for baseball batters comprising: a. support frame means; b. a generally horizontally disposed laterally extended cantilevered boom carried by said support frame means; c. a flexible cord having a portion mounted to slidably extend along said boom having one of its ends freely depending from the free end of said boom and its other end attached to reciprocating means. d. a ball including means connecting same to said freely depending end of said cord; and e. said reciprocating means being affixed to said support frame means for imparting continuous reciprocal movement to said cord longitudinally of said boom to continuously vary the length of said cord depending from said boom as the ball moves through an arcuate path of travel after being struck by a batter comprising: i. an electrically operated motor fixedly mounted on said support means and having a rotary output shaft; ii. an arm extending radially from said shaft and having one of its ends mounted thereon for common rotation therewith and its other end being free; iii. a first stretchable resilient member having one end operatively connected to engage the free end of said arm and the other end thereof connected to said other end of said cord whereby rotation of said electrical motor imparts movement to said cord in at least one direction longitudinally thereof and said first stretchable resilient member absorbs the shock of impact against said ball caused by the batter striking same; and iv. a second stretchable resilient member having one end connected to said other end of said first stretchable resilient member and its other end thereof connected to said frame means whereby to impart movement of said cord in the opposite direction longitudinally thereof.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 4 in which said arm is mounted on said rotary output shaft for adjustment longitudinally of said arm to vary the amount of movement imparted longitudinally to said cord by said electrically operated motor.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 4 in which said first stretchable resilient member requires a substantially greater force to stretch same than said second stretchable resilient member.

Claim 9

A batting practice device for baseball batters comprising: a. support frame means; b. a generally horizontally disposed laterally extended cantilevered boom carried by said support frame means; c. a flexible cord having a portion mounted to slidably extend along said boom, one of its ends freely depending from the free end of said boom and its other end attached to reciprocating means; d. a ball including means connecting same to said freely depending end of said cord; e. said reciprocating means being affixed to said support frame means for imparting continuous reciprocal movement to said cord longitudinally thereof to continuously vary the length of cord depending from said boom as the ball moves through an arcuate path of travel after being struck by a batter; and f. backstop means carried by said support frame means and boom to limit the movement of said ball as it travels along said arcuate path of travel in a given direction, including: i. a pair of support elements extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said boom; ii. a generally rectangular, flexible piece of sheet material loosely suspended between said pair of support elements; and iii. bracket means adjustably mounting each of said pair of support elements one each to said support frame means and boom whereby movement of said ball in said given direction under the impetus of a batter striking same is limited by said piece of sheet material.

Claim 10

A batting practice device for baseball batters comprising: a. support frame means; b. a generally horizontally disposed laterally extended cantilevered boom carried by said support frame means; c. a flexible cord having a portion mounted to slidably extend along said boom, one of its ends freely depending from the free end of said boom and its other end attached to reciprocating means; d. a ball including means connecting same to said freely depending end of said cord; e. said reciprocating means being affixed to said support frame means for imparting continuous reciprocal movement to said cord longitudinally thereof to continuously vary the length of cord depending from said boom as the ball moves through an arcuate path of travel after being struck by a batter; and f. backstop means carried by said support frame means and boom to limit the movement of said ball as it travels along said arcuate path of travel in a given direction, including: i. a pair of support elements extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said boom; ii. a generally rectangular, flexible piece of sheet material loosely suspended between said pair of support elements; and iii. bracket means adjustably mounting each of said pair of support elements one each to said support frame means and boom whereby movement of said ball in said given direction under the impetus of a batter striking same is limited by said piece of sheet material.