US3319824A

US3319824A - Ball feeding device

Info

Publication number: US3319824A
Application number: US494979A
Authority: US
Inventors: James G Haworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-10-11
Filing date: 1965-10-11
Publication date: 1967-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-16

Description

y 67 J. G. HAWORTH 3,319,824

BALL FEEDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 11, 1965 INVENTOR JAMES G. HAWORTH MMM ATTOREYS United States Patent 3,319,824 BALL FEEDING DEVICE James G. Haworth, 100 Green Lane, Eugene, Oreg. 97402 Filed Oct. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 494,979 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-184) This invention relates to a feeding device wherein a spherical article is fed into a chute one at a time from a jumbled mass of such articles. The particular device illustrated is designed to feed tennis balls from a hopper into a ball-throwing machine, but it should be understood that this is only one application of the device, and that the device is applicable to any situation wherein it is desired to feed spherical articles one at a time into some other device.

Heretofore, ball throwing machines for practicing tenhis have been well-known, but the feeding of such machines has presented a problem. In order for the ball throwing machine to operate properly, it is necessary that the balls be fed through some form of chute, one at a time, into the ball throwing machine. If one attempts to use an ordinary hopper, such as a vessel with a conical bottom, the balls tend to bridge over and jam so that such a feeding device is completely unsatisfactory. Thus, it has been necessary to manually feed the balls into the chute so that they will not jam.

In accordance with the present invention, a simple feeding device is provided having a large hopper thereon with an agitator in the bottom, wherein it is only necessary to throw the balls into the hopper and the device will feed the balls in an orderly manner, one at a time, into a chute.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of FIG- URE 1 showing an alternate form of structure.

Referring now to the drawings by reference characters, the feeding device of the present invention is adapted to feed a ball throwing machine generally designated 5, the ball throwing machine forming no part of the present invention, and therefore, being represented only in block form. A chute 7 of a suitable size so that the articles in question will roll in single file, leads from the feeding device of the present invention, generally designated as 9, to the ball throwing machine 5.

The feeding device includes a hopper 11 of generally cylindrical configuration having a disk 13 forming a bottom for the cylinder, the disk 13 being mounted on a bearing 15 for rotation within the hopper. A suitable drive means is provided for rotating the disk 13, and this can be in the form of a disk 17 mounted on a common shaft 19 with the disk 13, the shaft passing through bearing 15. A friction wheel 21 mounted on a shaft 23 serves to rotate the disk 17 and thus the disk 13. It will be un derstood that the friction wheel 21 can be moved radially with respect to the disk 17, to vary the speed and that the shaft 23 is turned by a suitable prime mover, such as a power pick up from the ball throwing machine, so that the disk 13 can be driven at any desired speed. This particular form of device is for illustrative purposes only.

Mounted upon a disk 13 are two bars, namely a ball break-up bar 25 and a deflector bar 27. It will be seen that the break-up bar is set in further from the periphery of the disk 13 than is the deflector bar 27, the deflector bar 27 being set almost at the periphery of the disk. Further, it will be seen that the bar 27 makes a greater angle Ice than the bar 25, so that when balls are contracted by the bar 27, they will be deflected outwardly and into the chute 7. The chute 7 is provided with a deflector 29 which extends over the disk, but is set sufficiently high over the disk to provide clearance for the bars, as at 31. A cover 32 prevents balls from entering the top of the deflector, preventing jamming. Bar 25 is preferably set so that its outer end rides under 29 with its tip about the width of a ball from the wall of the hopper. Bar 27 also passes under 29 with its tip much less than a balls width from the edge of the hopper.

The action of the device is such that as the bar 25 moves under the balls, it agitates the balls and prevents the balls from jamming and bridging. As the disk continues rotation in a counterclockwise direction, as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 1, the bar 27 moves against the balls, urging them forward and outwardly and into the chute 7. The deflector 29 helps pus-h the balls into the chute 7.

In FIGURE 3, an alternate form of structure is shown, wherein the deflector bar, herein designated 27A, is provided with a hook-like extension 33 at its inner end. This tends to make the action more positive and increases the effectiveness of the device, particularly when the hopper is fully loaded. Thus an improperly placed ball 35 may prevent the ball 37 from entering the chute. The function of extension 33 is to move ball 35 out of the way and to permit ball 37 and successive balls to enter the chute.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a simple yet effective feeding device for a ball throwing machine or the like.

I claim:

1. A feeding device for a ball throwing machine or the like comprising in combination:

(a) a cylindrical, vertical hopper,

(b) a disk forming the bottom of said hopper, said disk being mounted for rotation therein,

(c) means for rotating said disk,

(d) a ball break-up bar on said disk, said break-up bar forming a slight angle to a radius of the disk and tending to propel balls outwardly,

(e) a ball deflector bar on said disk, said deflector bar making a greater angle to a radius than said break-up bar, and

(f) a chute leading from said hopper and substantially forming a tangent thereto,

(g) a deflector adjacent the end of said chute extending outwardly over said disk and having sufficient clearance with said disk so said bars can pass thereunder, and

(h) a deflector cover covering the space above the deflector whereby balls cannot enter from the top of said deflector.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the ball break-up bar terminates in an inwardly extending hook.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 816,776 4/1906 Baruer 222-410 1,095,621 5/1914 Blue 222-24 1,240,202 9/1917 Hastings 221183 1,393,744 10/ 1921 Blue 222-242 2,704,144 3/1955 Rety et al. 22 1182 2,853,176 9/1958 Kay et a1 221-482 2,959,324 11/1960 Hendrickson et al. 221-168 3,2443 19 4/ 1966 Fessman 221203 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A FEEDING DEVICE FOR A BALL THROWING MACHINE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A CYLINDRICAL, VERTICAL HOPPER, (B) A DISK FORMING THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOPPER, SAID DISK BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION THEREIN, (C) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISK, (D) A BALL BREAK-UP BAR ON SAID DISK, SAID BREAK-UP BAR FORMING A SLIGHT ANGLE TO A RADIUS OF THE DISK AND TENDING TO PROPEL BALLS OUTWARDLY, (E) A BALL DEFLECTOR BAR ON SAID DISK, SAID DEFLECTOR BAR MAKING A GREATER ANGLE TO A RADIUS THAN SAID BREAK-UP BAR, AND (F) A CHUTE LEADING FROM SAID HOPPER AND SUBSTANTIALLY FORMING A TANGENT THERETO, (G) A DEFLECTOR ADJACENT THE END OF SAID CHUTE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OVER SAID DISK AND HAVING SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE WITH SAID DISK SO SAID BARS CAN PASS THEREUNDER, AND (H) A DEFLECTOR COVER COVERING THE SPACE ABOVE THE DEFLECTOR WHEREBY BALLS CANNOT ENTER FROM THE TOP OF SAID DEFLECTOR.