US2267162A - Ball-throwing machine - Google Patents

Description

B. w. MOSER BALL-THROWING MACHINE Dec. 23, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed, NOV. 21, 1938 INVENTOR MOSE'R BYRON W.

ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1941. O E 2,267,162

BALLQTHROWINGV MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYRON W. MOSER B jm ATTORNEY Dec.23',1941. fB.- W.MQSER 2,261,162

BALL-THROWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1958 3 Sheebs-Shee't 3 FIG IO,

BYRON W. MOSER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UlTED STATES ere T FFEE tion of Missouri Application November 21, 1938, Serial No. 241,533 2 Claims. (Cl. 124,-17)

My invention relates to a ball-throwing machine, and has for its principal object to produce a mechanism that will throw a ball atfa predetermined speed, which speed can be regulated by the operation of the apparatus, and at such height and in such horizontal direction as may be desired and operable-to accomplish such results at the will of the operator, who only has to make certain simple manipulations to accomplish the desired adjustment. Another object is to provide elastic means which are subject-to a straight pulling strain, without any bending strain incident to the throwin action; that is to say, the pull upon the elastic means in order to store up the propulsive power and the rapid contracting of such means is in a substantially straight, horizontal line, without any curves or bending distortions. By this means I increase very considerably the life andactivity of my elastic means. Another object is to provide a device in which the ball magazine remains in the same plane, even when the device is tilted toelevate the forward end to an acut angle. 'I .he balls are always fed from amagazine which utilizes gravity to cause said balls'to dischargefrom said magazine down the ball-receiving member tothe throwing mechanismof my device. Another object is to cushion the impact; of the throwin mechanism,b11t not until, the ball has been projected forwardly by the throwing mechanism at the maximum rate of speed attained by such throwing mechanism; that is to say, almost instantaneously with the discharge of the ball from the throwing mechanism, I cushion the shock of the forwardly moving throwing mechanism so as to avoid possibleharmto the device. Still another object is to provide shiftable means for contact with the propelled ballat one .side or the other, or at the bottom .ofthelball as it is ejected from my deviceinorder to impart a right or left curve to said ball, or a drop, which is induced by a .spin given such ball as it is forcefully propelled from my device. By my. arrangementI mechanically impart to the forwardly moving ball substantially the same kind of twist, or spin, imparted toit by a human being pitching such a ball and throwing an ins'hoot, an outshoot, or a drop. This is highly advantageous in a ball-throwing machine, as it makes it much more difiicult for a batterto strike the pitched ball. A still further object'is toprovide for the accurate delivery of only one ball at the time to the throwing mechanism. A stillfurther object is to provide an electric motor for operatfunctioning of the throwing mechanism and the ball delivery mechanism, so that-only a single ball is delivered to said throwing mechanism from the ball magazine. A final object is to secure a delivery rack for the balls with a spiral, elastic guard surrounding said rack and said balls to prevent the balls from being displaced from said rack except at the point where said balls enter the throwing mechanism, said spiral guard being subject to contractingand expanding'when the device'is tilted upwardly or downwardly.

By my construction I have produced a rugged piece of mechanism, which is relatively simple and highly, efficient in operation, and which is substantial and durable. Fig- 1 is a side elevation of my improved ballthrowing device. Fig. 2 is aplan .view of the ball magazine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section-taken on line 3+3, Fig.1. j Y

Fig.4 is an end elevation of my improved ballthrowing device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, longitudinal section taken on line 5'-'5,,Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 66, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 1-1, Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the securing means for the elastic throwing elements.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the ball delivery means, showing parts in ball-feeding position.

Fig. 10 is a plan view, partly in section, of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the ball-delivery means showin parts returned to normal.

Fig.12 is a plan view of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 isa partial side elevation of the releasing mechanism.

Fig. 14 is a cross-section taken on line I l-44, Fig. 9.

Fig. 15 is a cross-section taken on line l5-l5, Fig. 5.

' As illustrated. in the drawings, I provide a base preferably a tripod, which 'may be secured to the ground or any other support 2| by bolts 22. At the top of the tripod 20 is a circular member 23, which extends downwardly as at .23, between the three legs of the tripod. A look ing latch 24 is carriedby said tripod 20. A screw wheel 25 is rotatably mounted on the member 23. The wheel 25ha's a downwardly projecting ciring the device and to effectuate automatically the 'cular sleeve 26, internally threaded, and with an out-turned flange 21 at the lower portion of said sleeve 26, by which it is rotatably secured to the circular member 23 by the disk 28. A threaded post 29 is vertically movable in the circular member 23 and its downwardly projecting extension 23. By this means I can elevate or lower the throwing mechanism, as well as rotate said mechanism horizontally. The latch 24 is coneshaped, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to impinge against the post 29 and lock it against undesirable movement. At the upper end of the post 29 I provide a disk-shaped cap 30 for the support of the principal operating portions of my ballthrowing mechanism.

A housing 3| is supported upon the cap 36, and appropriately secured thereto, and a rotatable rod 32 is journaled in said housing 3|, a handle 33 being secured to the free end of said rod 32 for rotating said rod. Near the inner end of the rod 32 is a worm 34 on said rod, which meshes with a gear sector 35 carried by a plate 36. The walls of the housing 3| are bound together by a bolt or rivet 3| passing through the upper corner section of the same. The purpose of the worm 34 and the gear sector 35 is to change the vertical inclination of the forward end of my ball-throwing mechanism.

A larger housing 31 is mounted upon the plate 36 and secured thereto in any appropriate manner. On the lower wall 31' of the housing 31 are two fiat bars 38, which preferably are seated in a recess 39 in said wall 31. The bars 38 project forwardly beyond the end of the housing 31 to serve as a support for elements hereinafter to be described. A motor 36 is mounted upon a plate 4| by bolts 42. A gear reduction drive is in the housing 43. The motor and gear reduction drive are standard devices and no further description of them is deemed necessary. The plate 4| is mounted upon the plate 36 and is appropriately secured thereto. The housing 31 is carried upon and appropriately secured to said plate 4|.

A sprocket wheel 44 is mounted on a shaft 45 extending from the gear reduction drive 43, the outer end of said shaft 45 being .journaled at 46 on one of the side Walls of the housing 31. Another sprocket wheel 41 is mounted loosely near the forward end of the housing 31 on the shaft 48, which shaft is appropriately journaled within said housing. A link chain belt 49 passes over the sprocket wheels 44 and 41, being driven by the sprocket wheel 44. To the belt 49 is secured a bar 56 which is longer than the width of the chain 49 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Ther may be more than one bar 56 secured at appropriate intervals to the chain 43, depending on the number of throwing operations desired during the movement of said chain.

Secured to the base of the housing 3! is a standard which supports at its upper end a ball magazine 52 provided with a lower section 53 adapted to receive the end of a chute 54.' The said chute 54 is semi-circular in cross-section, with the end 55 tapered as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The chute 54 receives the balls from the ball reservoir 52. A member 56 extends forwardly and downwardly from the lower section 63 and serves to support the chute 54 and an encircling elastic wire guard 51, which guard prevents the balls from being displaced from the chute 54. As will be noted in Fig. 1, the ends of the wire guard 51 abut against the inner edge of the section 53 and a shoulder 58 on the forward, lower end of the chute 54, which lower end is circular in cross-section as shown at 59 in Figs. 1 and 5, the diameter of the enclosed end being suflicient to allow the balls 60 to pass freely therethrough. When the machine is tilted upwardly or downwardly by means of the handle 33, worm 34, and gear section 35, the chute 54 slides upwardly or downwardly as the case may be, the end 55 moving in the section 53, and the wire guard 51 expands or contracts at the same time. The forward end 59 of the chute 54 is held by the housing 31.

In the housing 31 is mounted a bar 5| which is supported at its forward end by a split bearing 62 held together by a bolt 63. The bearing 62 is a part of a member 64 which is clamped onto the bars 38 near the forward ends by means of the bolts 65. This permits longitudinal adjustment of said member 64 when necessary. Slidable on the bar 6| is a carriage 65 which is preferably sectional and secured together by bolts or rivets 61 and 68, carrying rollers 61' and 68', near one end thereof, one of said rivets 68 serving as a pivot pin for a trigger 69, which is inclined toward the end 16, the other end 1| serving as an abutment against which the bar 56, carried by the chain or belt 49, is adapted to contact for the purpose of moving said carriage 66 rearwardly. A coil spring 12 is fastened in the larger end of the trigger 69, the upper end of said spring 12 resting against the bottom surface of the carriage 66 (Fig. 5) The purpose of the spring 12 is to tend to restore the trigger 69. after it has been tripped as hereinafter described, so that said trigger may be again engaged by the bar 56. Openings 13 are formed in each side wall of the carriage 66 (only one being shown in the drawings), through which opening passes a rod 14 which limits the downward movement of the inner end of the trigger 69. There are two triggers 69 exactly alike, one on each side of the carriage 66, and these two triggers are connected together by the rod 14. At the forward end of the carriage 66 are removably secured strong, rubber members 15 of oval shape, as shown inFig. 6, one on each side of the carriage 66. The ends of these rubber members 15 arepreferaoly thickened, as shown at 15, and said ends are preferably reinforced with some stiffening and strengthening material, such as fabric. The ends fastened to the carriage 66 are secured in recesses 16 by the rounded ends 11 on the rubber members 15 slipped into the enlarged ends 18 on the carriage 66 (see Fig. 8). These ends of the rubber members 15 are then secured in place by caps 19 fastened onto ends 18 by screws 86. The forward ends of the rubber members 15 are shaped similarly to the opposite ends of said members secured to the carriage 66, and such forward ends caught by the hookshaped portion 8|, into which said forward ends are slipped and fastened in place by the caps 62 held byscrews 83 passing into the portion 8|, which portion is preferably an integral part of the member 6 Thus the rubber members 15 are securely held in place and are readily removable and replaceable. Also at the upper, forward portion of the carriage 66 is mounted a ball-receiving member 84 into which a ball 66 is adapted to drop from the end 59 of the ball chute 54. This member 84 has a forwardly extending, semi-circular trough 85 and a rear hood 86 appropriately curved as shown, into which the ball 66 may move when the carriage 66 is rapidly projected forwardly by the rubber member 15 when such carriage has been carried rearwardly by the bar 59 on the belt 49 and the trigger 69 tripped by the tripping block 81, adjust-- ably positioned on the bar 6! by the bolt '88, when the inclined end I9 of the trigger 69 passes beneath the roller 89 positioned near the bottom of the block 87. The power stored up in the rubber members I is very considerable when they are stretched, and the sudden releasing of the carriage when the trigger 69 is tripped by the roller 88 on the block 81 propels said carriage forwardly with considerable speed, the ball 60 resting against the inner curved hood 86 until the carriage 66 reaches its extreme forward position when said carriage is suddenly checked, sending the ball'rapidly forward under the speed imparted to it through the contracting of the stretched rubber members 75. In order to impart a curve tothe outwardly projected ball 69 I provide a frictional device 99 which may be positioned at some appropriate point in the trough 85, as shown in Fig. 15. This frictional device 89 is placed in the bottom of the trough 85, and tends, as the ball 69 passes over said device 89, to impart a rolling spin or twist to said ball in order to cause said ball to dropabout the time it reaches the batter. In Fig. I have shown two other recesses 99 and 9! with perforations 99 and SI extending through the wall of the trough 85 through which passes the bolt 92 attached to the frictional device 89 and secured by a nut 93 on the outer end of the bolt 92. Thus, when the frictional device 89 is to be moved from the bottom of the trough 85 to either side thereof in order to supply the requisite right or left hand twist or spin to the ball 99 .to cause it to make an inshoot or an outshoot before reaching the batter when projected toward him, I remove the nut 93 from the bolt 92 and slip said bolt through either perforation 99 or 9I', as the case may be, and secure the frictional device 89 in the recess 99 or 9!, as the case may be. It will be understood that I only employ one frictional device 89 to impart only one definite twist or spin to the ball 69. I may provide an opening 64 in the rear wall of the hood 86 to permit the free escape of air which might be entrapped when the ball 69 enters said hood 86.

I will now describe the mechanism by which the balls 69 are delivered to the trough 95 and hood 96 of the ball-receiving member 89 from the chute 54. The balls 69 slide down the chute 54 into the enclosed, circular, lower end 59 where the lowermost ball rests against a trap-door 94, which is normally closed as shown in Fig. 11. The carriage 66 moves rearwardly by reason of the bar 59 on the chain belt 49 striking the trigger 69 on the lower rear corner of the said carriage 66 (when the belt 59 is operated by the motor 49), and the carriage and bar move rearwardly together. The extension 59' on the bar 59, when it travels rearwardly a sufiicient distance. strikes against a bar 95 at the downward end thereof, and moves the lower end of said bar 95 rearwardly. The bar 95 is pivoted at 96 to the housing 31. This causes the upper end of the bar 95 to move forwardly. A link 91' is pivoted at 98 to the bar 95 and to a second link 99, which link 99 is pivoted at I99 to the housing 37. The trap-door 94 is loosely mounted on the pivot pin I99 and rotates with the hub I9I, of which the trap-door 94 may be an integral part. As the link 91 moves forwardly when propelled by the bar 95, it rocks the link 99 about its pivot I98, thus moving the lower end of said link 99 forwardly and rotating the hub IIII about said pivotIIIIland causing the trap-door 94 to 54 into the trough on the carriage 66, as

illustrated in Fig. 9. The carriage 66 has'been carried rearwardly bythe bar 59, on the belt 49, contacting with th trigger 69 on said carriage 66, a sufficient distance so that the ball 69 dropping through the open trap-door 94 'does not strike the rear hood 86 of the ball-receiving member 84, but just clears the same, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. It will be understood that the'speed of travel of the belt 49 is relatively slow. When the bar 59 has reached the position shown in Fig. 91 in its rearward travel, the said bar passes beneath the-end of the bar 95. The bar remains in-the position shown in Fig. 9 until the bar 59 on the 'belt 49 has traveled rearwardly s'ufiicien'tlyto contact with the lower end of another bar I92, which is pivoted at I93 to the housing 31. The upper end of the bar I92 is pivoted at I94 to a curved link I95, the forward end'of which link is pivoted at I95 to the upper end 'of the link 99. As the bar 56 con tinues its travel rearwardly with the moving belt 49, it propels the lower end of the bar I92 rearwardly and moves the upper end of said bar forwardly, as'shown in Fig. 11, thus moving forwardly the'curved link I95 and the upper end of link 99, and thereby restoring the trap-door 94 to its closedposition, as shown in Fig. 11. A member I96 is slotted as at I9! so as to permit a rod I98 to pass through such slot, said rod I96 being mounted in the housing 37. The forward end of the member I 96 is pivoted as at I99 to the links 91 and 99, the pivot I99 serving to secure the links 91, 99, and the member I66 together. On the inner, slotted end of the member I96 is a cam portion H9. A circular cam member I is loosely mounted on the rod I 99 and pressed outwardly by a coil spring I I2, surrounding said rod I98 and abutting against one face'of the cam member III and one side of the portion 59 of the chute 54. Thus the cam member III is normallypressed outwardly against the member I96, as shown in Fig.-l2. When the member I96 is moved forwardly, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the cam member III is caused to ride up on the inclined face of the cam portion III! of the member I96 (see Fig. 10). A series of pins H3 are secured to one surface of the cam member III for th purpose, when the cam member III rides upon the cam portion III! of the member I96 (as shown in Fig. 10), of causing said pins I I3 to pass between the ball 69 which is being delivered through the trap-door 94, from the end 59 of the chute 54, and the next succeeding ball, thus restraining the row of balls still remaining in the chute 54 from dropping down and clogging the mechanism. When the trap-door 94 is returned to closed position, as shown in Fig. 12, th mechanism just described causes the cam member III to be released from the cam portion II 9 of the member I96, and by virtue of the expansion of the coil spring H2 said cam member III is caused to return to normal position and the pins II3 removed from the path of downward travel of the balls 69.

As shown in Fig. 13, the trigger 69 is being tripped by passing under the roller 69 on the block 81. This permits the forward movement at relatively high velocity of the carriage 66, under the influence of the stretched rubber members 15, carrying a ball 69 in the ball-receiving member 84. The carriage 66 moves at relatively high velocity toward the forward or delivery end of the mechanism until the forward end of said carriage 66 strikes against a member H4, which is slidably mounted on the bar BI, and which member has a rubber cushion H at the inner end thereof against which the carriage 66 is adapted to strike. This causes an instantaneous stopping of the carriage 66, but permits the ball 60 carried in the ball-receiving member 84 to be projected forwardly at the speed imparted to it by the forwardly projected carriage 66. When the carriage 65 is momentarily halted by the member I I4, said member may, after the impact of the carriage 66, travel forwardly along the bar 6I against the action of plunger IIB, contained in an air cylinder II'I pivoted at IIB to the housing 31. The plunger I16 is pivoted at II9 to a link I20, which in turn is pivoted at one end, as at I2I, to the member IM and at the other end, as at I22, to another link I23, which is pivoted as at I24 to the housing 31 (see Fig. 5). To assist the cushion IN to absorb the impact of the carriage 65 against the member H4, I provide a coil spring I25 surrounding a pin I26, which is loosely journaled as at I21 in the housing 3?. The inner end of the pin I26 is pivoted to the cushion member III as at I28. Thus, when the carriage 66 strikes against the member I I4, it is momentarily halted, and then the member H4 and carriage 63 may continue to move along the bar Bl until the air cushion H1 and spring I25 stop the forward movement of said parts 66 and H4, thus cushioning the impact blow of the carriage 66 against the member H4.

The tripping block 81 is longitudinally adjustable along the rod GI. When it is desired to increase the tension in the rubber members I5 when the carriage 66, to which one end of said members are fastened, is moved rearwardly by the belt 69, the bolt 88 is loosened and the block 81 is moved rearwardly along the bar BI, thus increasing the stretching of the rubber members I5. If desired, indicia may be supplied to bar BI to indicate the speed of travel of the projected ball 60, when thrown from the machine. As already noted, the machine is capable of vertical d i o tal ad s ment s wel t e rtical adjustment of the delivery end of said machine.

I claim:

1. A ball-throwing machine comprising a support a motor, a belt operable by said motor, a slidable carriage mounted on said Su port and normally in a forward position, an abutment on said carriage, a member on said belt for engagement with said abutment at periodical intervals to cause said belt and said carriage to travel toer to a p ede ermin d p n a t p ng m mber for engagement with the abutment releasing said carriage from said belt, means associated with said carriage for returning Said carriage at relatively high velocity to its normal forward position when released from. said belt, a ballreceiving member on said carriage, and means for cushioning the impact of said carriage when returned to its normal forward position without materially lessening the velocity of the ball as it is projected from said machine.

2. A ball-throwing machine comprising a support, a motor, a link belt operable by said motor, a bar transversely projecting from said belt, a slidable carriage mounted on said support and normally in a forward position, a trippable member on said carriage projecting into the path of travel of said bar on said belt for periodical engagement between said belt and said carriage to cause said belt and said carriage to travel together to a predetermined point, a slidably adjustable tripping member for tripping said trippable member to disengage said carriage from said belt, means associated with said carriage for returning said carriage at relatively high velocity to its normal forward position when disengaged from said belt, a ball-receiving member on said carriage, and means for cushioning the impact of said carriage when returned to its normal forward position without materially lessening the velocity of the ball as it is projected from said machine, said cushioning means being mounted in front of and on the same support as the slidable carriage.

BYRON W. MOSER.

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