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US3999754A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Table tennis trainer

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-02-21
•
Granted: 1976-12-28
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Expires: 1995-02-21
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Abstract

Abstract A table tennis trainer having a net trap erected for positioning at one end of a tennis table and associated therewith a ball collecting and return assembly having a ball collecting tube with negative pressure gradients to move the ball to a supply box where balls are delivered by gravity into a ball feed mechanism which selectively delivers balls into a delivery tube having positive pressure gradients to propel said ball onto the table tennis surface towards a practicing player. A valve is provided to control the positive pressure gradients, to vary the propelled force to the table tennis balls, and an oscillating mechanism is provided to swing the delivery tube from side to side at a selected speed controlled remotely by the player.

Inventors

  • 👤 Richard A. Krzysztofiak
  • 👤 George Kalucik

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 19:55
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B69/00; A63B69/40; A63B69/409; A63B2102/00; A63B2102/16; A63B47/00; A63B47/02; A63B47/025

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 248 words
A table tennis return assembly including a base member, an erectable ball trap net on said base member, said net dimensioned to extend at least to the opposite sides of one end of a tennis table support surface, a bottom support associated with said net and base member, a low point on said bottom support below the table support surface; a ball collecting tube, a mouth of said ball collecting tube positioned at said low point of the bottom support, a supply box mounted to said base member, said box receiving table tennis balls from said ball collecting tube, said supply box having a downward ball path and an air opening, an ejector tube for propelling table tennis balls, said ejector tube being joined to said supply box, an electrically powered vacuum motor to establish opposite pressure gradients so that a negative pressure is established in said ball collecting tube, and a positive pressure is established in said ejector tube, said negative pressure conveying the balls directly from the mouth of the tube to the supply box and said positive pressure propelling the balls onto the table support surface, and a transfer chamber with an enlarged volume relative to a table tennis ball, said chamber being between the supply box and the ejector tube, to receive a ball in an upper volume portion and to selectively release the table tennis ball to drop into a lower volume portion and into the positive pressure path of said ejector tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 248 words
A table tennis return assembly including a base member, an erectable ball trap net on said base member, said net dimensioned to extend at least to the opposite sides of one end of a tennis table support surface, a bottom support associated with said net and base member, a low point on said bottom support below the table support surface; a ball collecting tube, a mouth of said ball collecting tube positioned at said low point of the bottom support, a supply box mounted to said base member, said box receiving table tennis balls from said ball collecting tube, said supply box having a downward ball path and an air opening, an ejector tube for propelling table tennis balls, said ejector tube being joined to said supply box, an electrically powered vacuum motor to establish opposite pressure gradients so that a negative pressure is established in said ball collecting tube, and a positive pressure is established in said ejector tube, said negative pressure conveying the balls directly from the mouth of the tube to the supply box and said positive pressure propelling the balls onto the table support surface, and a transfer chamber with an enlarged volume relative to a table tennis ball, said chamber being between the supply box and the ejector tube, to receive a ball in an upper volume portion and to selectively release the table tennis ball to drop into a lower volume portion and into the positive pressure path of said ejector tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 75 words
A table tennis return assembly which includes the features of claim 1 above, wherein said ejector tube is mounted to said supply box so that said ejector tube is positioned above the table tennis surface, and wherein said ball collecting tube is an angular member having a vertical branch which is substantially normal to the ejector tube, and a collecting branch being substantially normal to said vertical branch and positioned below the table tennis surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 69 words
A table tennis return assembly which includes the features of claim 2 above wherein said transfer chamber includes a selectively operating stop means which holds a ball at a raised position in an upper volume above the positive pressure paths of the ejector tube, said stop means being selectively withdrawn to drop said ball into a lower volume and into the positive pressure path communicating with said ejector tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 72 words
A table tennis return assembly which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein said supply box has a downwardly reversing path for said table tennis balls delivered to the supply box from said delivery tube, said negative pressure conduit communicating with said reversing path to urge the table tennis balls to enter said path, and further including a transfer tube connecting the bottom of said reversing path to said feed means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 47 words
A table tennis return assembly which includes the features of claim 4 above which further includes a swing mechanism connected to said delivery tube, said swing mechanism having oscillating movement so that said delivery tube swings back and forth in a plane over the table tennis surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
A table tennis return assembly and combination as in claim 5 which further includes remote control means operated by the table tennis player to selectively impart oscillating movement to said delivery tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 37 words
A table tennis return assembly which includes the features of claim 4 above wherein said delivery tube includes a valve member to vary communication with atmospheric air to selectively change positive pressure gradients in said ejector tube.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 30 words
A table tennis return assembly and combination as in claim 1 wherein said base member is a mobile base on which is mounted said return assembly and said net trap.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 39 words
A table tennis return assembly and combination as in claim 8 which further includes tilting means mounting said delivery tube to said mobile base to allow said ejector tube to be angularly positioned relative to the table tennis surface.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2087575A Cited
US3037776A Cited
US3089476A Cited
US3272194A Cited
US3640263A Cited
US3761085A Cited
US3777732A Cited
US3855988A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-12-28 1980-06-28 1980-12-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-12-28 1984-06-28 1984-12-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-12-28 1988-06-28 1988-12-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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