US3322426A

US3322426A - Ball catcher with shock absorbing bumpers

Info

Publication number: US3322426A
Application number: US376330A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruno P Zulkoski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-06-19
Filing date: 1964-06-19
Publication date: 1967-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-30

Description

May 30, 1967 y B. P. zuLKos'Kl i 3,322,425 V BALL CATCHEB WITH SHOCK ABSORBING BUMPERS Filed June 19, 1964 Y INVENTOR.

50a/VO P2M/05W United States Patent O Extension,

The present invention relates to an amusement apparatus designed for playing and catching balls, and more particularly relates to an improved ball-catching apparatus adapted to receive balls thrown at high impact velocities without damage or disadvantageous effects on a wall or other apparatus, and for transmitting or directing the ball through a chute back toward the ball-thrower after the ball has given up all its impact energy. In this way, a ball is not bounced off of the wall-receiving means since it may bounce off into undesired areas. Replaceable target assemblies may be detachably secured upon the ballreceiving means. Also, the invention contemplates that the chute for dispensing the ball back toward the ballthrower may be temporarily blocked by a wad of paper or similar means for retaining the balls within the ball catcher.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a ball-catcher apparatus for absorbing the impact and shock of a thrown ball that has been thrown from a short distance to the ball-receiving apparatus. The ballcatcher apparatus receives and absorbs the impact of the shock, allows the ball to drop to the bottom of the ballcatcher apparatus where it c-an either be retained or passed through a chute and directed for return to the ball-thrower. The invention contemplates the use of baseballs, softballs, rubber balls, and the like, that can be thrown from a short distance toward a target area of the ball-catchin-g apparatus.

The apparatus of the invention has the advantage that it is useful to anyone who desires to practice throwing or pitching a ball to test his capabilities with a given target, but has no one available to catch the ball for him.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ballcatching apparatus for use as a game of skill between various players or ball-throwers so as to test and indicate the accuracy of such ball-throwers.

A further 4object of the invention is to provide means on the ball-receiving and catching apparatus for removably mounting various targets, such targets capable of depicting a series of stacked milk bottles or other similar targets.

A further feature of the invention is that the ballcatcher apparatus of the invention may be mounted either indoors or outdoors, and may be left up in its mounted position either permanently or taken down when not 1n use.

A very important object of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus which is exceedingly simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong and durable, thoroughly efficient and reliable in use, cornpact and convenient, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is intended.

Certain novel features of construction and the combination of arrangement of parts will be hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a ball-catcher apparatus constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken in crosssection along lines 3 3 and shown `on a slightly larger scale.

Referring now to the drawings, a ball-catcher apparatus 10 is shown mounted from a U-shaped supporting rod 12 in which the free end thereof is shown bent downwardly in FIG. 3 to be received in supporting brackets 16. The U-shaped rod may be constructed of either a strong, hollow metal tubing or it may be made of a cylindrically disposed solid metal rod. The supporting brackets 16 are shown secured to a wall 1S by bolts appropriately disposed about the supporting bracket and engaging the wall 18.

The ball-receiving apparatus 10 is shown to comprise a -generally rectangularly disposed ball-receiving apparatus 20 that has a generally and substantially resiliently stiff material 22 extending around the periphery of the rectangularly disposed ball receiving apparatus. The resiliently sti material 22 may be material such as wood or plastic, and the material 22 in the upper periphery of the ball receiving apparatus 20 is provided with

hooks

24, 24 for engaging

S hooks

26, 26. The upper branch of the

S hooks

26, 26 is adapted to be received in respective recessed

portions

28, 28 of the U-shaped rod 12. In this fashion, the mounting of the ball-receiving apparatus is generally securely and permanently positioned in a stationary fashion upon the U-shaped rod 12, and the ballreceiving apparatus 20 hangs substantially vertically therefrom in spatial relation to the wall 18.

From the lower and rear portion of the ball-receiving means 20 there is mounted at least a pair of shock dispensing rods 30, each of which is securely mounted for extending generally perpendicularly from the rear surface of the ball-receiving means and having the free ends of the shock dispensing rods providing a small gap of generally one inch from the wall 18. The free ends of the shock dispensing rods may be mounted with rubber-tips -or cups 34 in order to provide a non-damaging contact as well as a noiseless contact of the shock dispensing rods 30 as they are caused to impact against the wall 18.

The bottom of the ball-receiving means 20 is generally configured for sloping toward a central point or area 36, and extending below the area 36 is a chute 38 having a diameter that is sufficiently large for passing at least most balls that the ball-receiver means may encounter. The central and rear rectangular portion of the ball-receiving means is constructed of a rectangularly disposed sheet of pliable material 40 which may be in laminar form and constructed of such materials as plastic, canvas, rubber, Fiberglas, and the like, for receiving the impact of balls that are thrown into and upon material 40. Along marginal portions of each side of the material 40 there are positioned and secured snap elements 42, 42 for receiving complementary snap elements (not shown) to which is attached a target or `a bulls-eye of any desired material in sheet form (not shown). Thus a different target may be mounted upon the material 40 by snapping another one on top thereof, but the material 40 may contain thereon a bulls-eye that is painted or otherwise illustrated thereon. It is also noted that the chute 38 may have a turned portion or reduced diameter section 44, as shown in FIG. 3, for receiving a blocking means such as a wad of paper for retaining and impeding the passage of balls from the bottom of the ball-receiving means.

The use of the ball-catching apparatus is demonstrated by throwing a ball of any degree of impact velocity upon the ball-receiving means 20, generally aimed toward the target area of material 40, and the impact of the ball upon the material 40 is such to cause the entire ballreceiving means to pivot slightly upon the U-shaped rod 12 in -a generally rearward action as shown in dotted line in FIG. 3. Thus `the ball-receiving means 20 moves slightly and definitely toward the wall. The shock dispensing rods which are constructed of metal are displaced sufficiently so that the gap area between the free end of the shock dispensing rods and the wall 18 is eliminated and the rubber tips or cups 34 are caused to come into contact with the wall. The shock dispensing rods thus prevent the ball-receiving means 20 from further swinging toward the wall, and thus the motion of the ball is brought to a zero component in the horizontal direction, and the ball drops due to the force of gravity toward the sloped area 36 of the ball-receiving means. Thus the bending and displacement of the pliable material 40 absorbs and dispenses as well as transfers the impact from the ball to the ball-receiving means through the shock dispensing rods 30 to the wall 18. Thus the invention provides a game apparatus that provides the advantages of protecting a ball from heavy and hard impact upon a wall in the absence of the use of such apparatus, and the apparatus of the invention protects the wall from being hit with solid objects.

By the use and teaching of the present invention, there is provided an exceedingly simple device for the use and exercise in improvement of baseball and other ball players who are enabled to practice and play without the assistance of other persons. Also the device of the invention provides a game apparatus for use by groups for providing an accurate analysis and demonstration of ball playing qualities.

It should be understood that the specic apparatus herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only as many changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. Ball-catching apparatus comprising a U-shaped supporting rod, a pair of supporting brackets for mounting the ends of the supporting rod on a wall, rectangularly disposed ball-receiving means having resiliently stiff material formed about a ball impact area thereof, said ballreceiving means being mounted upon and from said U- shaped rod by S-shaped hooks, means supporting pliable material from the resiliently stii material of said ballreceiving means, said pliable material being disposed about the ball impact area and for receiving the impact of a thrown ball, the resiliently stiff material forming the bottom thereof being sloped to form a chute for allowing the ball to roll therefrom after it has lost its impact velocity, shock dispensing rods mounted from the rear of the ball-receiving means and extending toward said wall having its free ends thereof forming a gap of small dimension from said wall but not contacting said wall except upon impact of the ball on the ball-receiving means for then closing said gap for transferring and absorbing said impact from the ball to said wall, rubber cups being provided and mounted upon the free ends of said shock dispensing rods, and snap means marginally disposed about the pliable material for securing thereon by said snaps other complementary snaps for supporting target means.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the chute is tapered from a large ball-receiving opening to a smaller ball-passing outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 715,249 12/1902 Dunbar 273--105 794,601 7/1905 Ford et al 273-102.4 X 822,558 6/1906 Smith 273-103 2,819,921 1/1958 Solari 16-86 `RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, M. R. PAGE,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims

1. BALL-CATCHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A U-SHAPED SUPPORTING ROD, A PAIR OF SUPPORTING BRACKETS FOR MOUNTING THE ENDS OF THE SUPPORTING ROD ON A WALL, RECTANGULARLY DISPOSED BALL-RECEIVING MEANS HAVING RESILIENTLY STIFF MATERIAL FORMED ABOUT A BALL IMPACT ARE THEREOF, SAID BALLRECEIVING MEANS BEING MOUNTED UPON AND FROM SAID USHAPED ROD BY S-SHAPED HOOKS, MEANS SUPPORTING PLIABLE MATERIAL FROM THE RESILIENTLY STIFF MATERIAL OF SAID BALLRECEIVING MEANS, SAID PLIABLE MATERIAL BEING DISPOSED ABOUT THE BALL IMPACT AREA AND FOR RECEIVING THE IMPACT OF A THROWN BALL, THE RESILIENTLY STIFF MATERIAL FORMING THE BOTTOM THEREOF BEING SLOPED TO FORM A CHUTE FOR ALLOWING THE BALL TO ROLL THEREFROM AFTER IT HAS LOST ITS IMPACT VELOCITY, SHOCK DISPENSING RODS MOUNTED FROM THE REAR