US2616692A - Adjustable batting tee - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 4, 1952 R. c. BIRD 2, ,6

ADJUSTABLE BATTING TEE Filed Feb. 15, 1950 2 20 G-Bird INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 1952 2,616,692 ADJUSTABLE BATTING TEE Roy 0. Bird, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Application February 13, 1950, Serial No. 143,929

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an adjustable batting tee designed for use in supporting baseballs, softballs or the like during training of young ball players to acquire timing, wrist action, stance and swing.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tee of this character which may be adjusted for height so that the ball placed on the tee. will be held in the proper position to be struck by the bat of a person during normal swinging of the bat to knock the ball from the tee.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tee of this character which may be adjusted laterally with respect to the base on which the tee is supported, so that the bat will contact the ball at the proper place on the bat.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tee wherein the uppermost section thereof is constructed of rubber to cushion the bat, should the person swinging the bat contact the ball positioned on the tee, at the under side thereof, thereby insuring against damaging the tee, or bat.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a tee constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the tee comprises the base 5 which is identical in dimensions with the baseball home plate. Secured to the upper surface of the base, is the metal plate 6 which is of a size and shape identical with the base, as clearly shown by the drawing. This metal plate 6 is secured to the base, by means of the screws 1 that extend therethrough as clearly shown by the drawing.

Secured to the metal plate 6 at a point centrally thereof, is the bracket 8 which has an upstanding ear 9 formed with an opening through which the wing bolt l0 passes, the wing bolt also passing through a threaded opening in one end of the arm section II to the end that by rotating the wing bolt [0, the arm section II may be held in an adjusted position with respect to the wing bolt.

The tee also embodies pivotally connected sections 12 and I3 which are secured in adjusted positions with respect to each other, by means of the wing bolt I4 that passes through a threaded opening in one of said sections, drawing the sections together.

The section 12 is pivotally connected to the arm section II, by means of the wing bolt l5 that passes through the section II and moves into a threaded opening formed in the section 12.

Pivotally connected with the section 13, is the section 16 which is held in its adjusted positions with respect to the section l3, by means of the wing bolt I! that passes through an opening in the section 13 and moves into the threaded opening at one end of the section IS.

The opposite end of the section I6 is twisted so that the side faces of the twisted portion, extend at right angles to the main portion of the section l6, as shown at I8. To this section l8, the uppermost tee section I9 is pivotally connected, as by means of the wing bolt 20 which passes through an opening in the section l9 and has its threaded end disposed in a threaded opening of the section l8.

The free end of the uppermost section I9 is cup-shaped providing a supporting surface 2| in which the ball to be struck from the tee, is positioned.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided a tee for supporting baseballs or softballs while they are being struck during practice and while training ball players to acquire the proper timing, wrist action, stance and swing.

Because of the adjustable feature of the various sections of the tee, it is obvious that the tee may be adjusted to various heights and to various angular positions, adapting the tee for use in properly supporting the ball while training ball players of various heights, so that the ball will be supported in the proper position for the natural swinging of the bat by the ball player.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a baseball tee for batting practice, a base simulating a home plate, having a straight front edge, a bracket rising from the base having an upstanding ear, the front and rear faces of which are disposed in planes parallel to the front edge of the base, a tee embodying a plurality of sections pivotally connected at their ends including a bottom section, an upper yieldable section, said bottom section being pivotally connected with the bracket for movement in a plane parallel to the front edge of the base, one end of the section to which the upper section is connected being twisted a one-half turn, whereby the upper section pivots in a plane at right angles to the front edge of the base, means for securing the sections in their positions of adjustment with respect to each other, and one end of the upper section being cup-shaped providing a supporting surface in which a ball to be struck, is positioned.

ROY C. BIRD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTEZ 0 Number Name Date Konigstein Apr. 21, 1903 Dekle Mar. 14, 1911 Ellsworth Nov. 24, 1914 Beeson et al Feb. 10, 1942 Bennett et al. Oct. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 8, 1925

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