US3446504A

US3446504A - Basketball replay device

Info

Publication number: US3446504A
Application number: US571826A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ronald W Pascucci
Original assignee: RONALD W PASCUCCI
Current assignee: RONALD W PASCUCCI
Priority date: 1966-08-11
Filing date: 1966-08-11
Publication date: 1969-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1986-05-27

Description

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ATTORNEYS.

R. w. PAscuccl BASKETBALL REPLAY DEVICE May 27, 1969 May 27, 1969 R. w. PAscuccl v BASKETBALL REPLAY DEVICE e of2 Sheet Filed Aug. 11, 1966 NVEN'IOR.

RONALD W. PASCUCCI ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent O ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An upright shaft is mounted in a receptacle having an open top for receiving a basketball, The shaft is revolved by a belt and pulley drive actuated by an electric motor. An ejector arm is mounted on the shaft for rocking movement about a horizontal axis. The ejector arm has a tail which carries a cam follower that engages a stationary cam. The ejector arm rotates with the shaft to spin a ball tossed into the basket, and the cam follower travels over the cam surface to rock the ejector arm as required to eject the ball from the basket.

This invention relates to a basketball replay device.

An important skill that a basketball player must develop to be proficient at the game is that of recovering the ball on the rebound and scoring after an unsuccessful attempt is made to score. Therefore, a player spends much time practicing rebounding, either by himself or as one of a group of players. If the player is practicing by himself, he shoots for the basket, and if he fails to score, he recovers the ball on the rebound and again attempts to score. If a group of players is practicing, one player shoots for the basket, and if he fails to score, the next following player recovers the ball on the rebound and attempts to score. This procedure suffers from certain inherent disadvantages. When the player scores, there is no rebound. Thus rebound practice is temporarily interrupted, and there is a loss of rebound practice time. In addition, if the coach is to judge the condition of the group of players as a whole, someone must keep score, which is inconvenient and not always practical. Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a basketball replay device which repeatedly ejects a ball tossed thereinto and thereby facilitates the practice of rebounding.

.Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which spins a .ball tossed thereinto and thereby causes the ball to be ejected each time in a different direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which automatically indicates when the the number of times a ball is tossed thereinto,

Other objects of the invention will become apparent when the following description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, mounted in position, ready for use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan View of the device, as indicated byline II-II in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section on line III- III in FIGURE 2, showing the device cocked for action;

FIGURE 4 is a section on line IV-IV in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a section on line V-V in FIGURE 3.

It will be understood that the following description is directed to the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings. It is not directed to the scope of the invention, which may be practiced in a variety of forms.

3,446,504 Patented May 27, 1969 Referring to the draw-ings, 10 is a vertically extending backboard mounting a bracket 12 which carries a hoop 14 from which there depends a net 16. Inserted through the hoop 14 and extending into the net 16 is a replay device, generally designated 18. The device comprises a receptacle 20` provided with an upper cylindrical section 22 and a lower tapered section 24. The top of the receptacle is open, and the bottom of the receptacle is closed by a cross-axially extending plate 26. The receptacle is suspended from the hoop 16 by means of three Circumferentially equally spaced hooks 28.

Circumferentially equally spaced within the lower tapered portion 24 of the receptacle 20` are three clips 30 secured to the receptacle by means of screws 32. The clips 30 carry a mounting plate 34 disposed in overlying spaced relation to the plate 26. Seated centrally upon the mounting plate 34 -is a bearing 36 provided with a radially outwardly extending ilange 40 secured to the mounting plate by means 0f a plurality of screws 42. The bearing 36 includes a bushing 44 through which there extends a reduced diameter lower end portion 46 of a revolvable member 48. At the upper end of the reduced diameter lower end portion 46 of the revolvable member 48 is .an annular shoulder 50 seated upon the upper end of the bushing 44. At the upper end of the revolvable member 48 is a ball positoning plate 51 provided with a central area 53 and a pair of up-turned wing areas 55. The plate 51 is secured to the revolvable member 48 by means of screws 57. A pulley 52 is atlxed to the lower extremity of the revolvable member 48 by means of a nut 54. A belt 56 is trained about the pulley 52 and about a drive pulley -58 mounted upon the motor shaft 60 of an electric motor 62 secured to the mounting plate 34 by means of screws 64. Extending from a suitable source of electric power to the motor 62 are a pair of wire conductors 66.

An ejector arm 68 carried by the revolvable member 48 is provided with laterally spaced branches 70 connected by a part 72 from which there extends a tail 74. The branches 70 carry a crossbar 76 upon which is seated a kicker plate 78 secured by screws 80. The branches 70 are disposed respectively on opposite sides of the revolvable member 48, and a pin 81 extends through the branches 70 and the revolvable member 48. The ejector arm may rock about the axis of the pin 81. A cam member, designated 82, is secured by a clamp 84 and screws 86 to the bearing 36. The cam is provided with a low point 88, and the cam edge gradually rises from the low point 88 to a high point 90. For an angular distance of about 90 degrees about the revolvable member 48 the cam edge is disposed substantially vertically. Thereafter, it gradually slopes upwardly and inwardly toward the axis of the revolvable member 48, as shown. The tail 74 of the ejector arm 68 carries a cam follower in the form of a roller 92 mounted on a pin 94. Extending laterally outwardly respectively from the branches 70 of the ejector arm 68 are a pair of coaxially aligned pins 96 to which are connected corresponding ends of a pair of tension coil springs 98. The free ends of the springs 98 are connected to coaxially aligned pins 100 extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from the revolvable member 48.

Wire conductors 102 from conventional score indicating means (not shown) are connected to an annular plate conductor 104 and an annular plate conductor 105 underlying the pulley 52 and separated from the plate 26 of the receptacle 20 by insulation 106. Brush elements 108 depending from the pulley 52 respectively engage

lthe conductors

104 and 105 and are separated from the pulley 52 by insulation 110. The brushes 108 are connected by a pair of wire conductors 112,

which extend through a conduit 114 housed within the hollow interior of the revolvable member 48, to an electric switch 116 mounted upon the ball positioning plate 51 by means of the screws S7. The switch 116 is provided with a button head 118 for a purpose to appear.

In the operation of the replay device, conductors 66 are connected to a suitable source of electric power, which actuates the motor 62. The belt and

pulley drive

58, 56, 52 actuates the revolvable member 48, which turns continuously in bushing 44 at the rate of approximately 17 r.p.m. The ball positioning plate 51 turns with the revolvable member 48 and spins an overlying ball B.

As shown, arm 68 is cocked for action, e.g., the cam follower roller 92 is on the high point 90 of the cam 82, holding the arm 68 in the position shown in full lines against the influence of springs 98. The arm 68 turns with the revolvable member 48 and the positioning plate 51. Referring to FIGURE 4, the direction of rotation about the axis f the revolvable member 48 is counterclockwise, as indicated by the arrows. When the cam follower 92 leaves the high point 90 of the cam 82, the springs 98 immediately and abruptly rock the arm 68 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 3, from the full line to the broken line position thereof. The inner edge of the plate 78 strikes a shock absorbing bumper 120 made of rubber and mounted upon the.

revolvable member 48, thereby stopping the roller 92 just short of the clamp 84. Thereafter, the roller 92 moves about the clamp 84 in close spaced relation thereto and finally engages a low point of the cam 82. The roller 92 then moves over the cam edge and rises to the high point 90 of the cam, gradually storing energy in the springs 98 for recocking the arm 68. When a ball is tossed into the receptacle 20, it engages the positioning plate 51 and is spun thereby about the axis of the revolvable member 48. When the arm 68 is released, the plate 78 strikes the bottom of the ball and ejects it from the receptacle 20. Since the ball is spinning, the direction in which it is discharged from the receptacle is unpredictable. A ball seated on the plate 51 presses the button 118, closing the circuit to the score indicating means. The circuit is reopened when the ball is ejected.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination comprising a receptacle with an open top for receiving a basketball, means operable for spinning a basketball tossed into said receptacle through the open top thereof, and means responsive to and drivable by said spinning means for ejecting the spinning basketball from said receptacle through the open top thereof.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for spinning the basketball includes an upright revolvable member, means affixed to said revolvable member and serving to position a basketball tossed into said receptacle, and means for actuating said revolvable member.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the revolvable member is journaled in a member carried by the receptacle, the positioning means is mounted upon the upper end portion of said revolvable member, and the means for actuating said revolvable member includes a driven member on the lower extremity of said revolvable member.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the driven member on the lower extremity of the revolvable member is a pulley, and a belt and motor driven drive pulley are provided for actuating said driven pulley,

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the ball ejecting means includes a member mounted for moving between a cocked position and a ball ejecting position, means for cocking said arm, and means for quick-releasably holding said arm in cocked position.

6. The combination comprising a receptacle with an open top for receiving a basketball, means operable for spinning a basketball tossed into said receptacle through the open top thereof, and means for ejecting the spinning basketball from said receptacle through the open top thereof, wherein the ball ejecting means includes an ar'm mounted upon the revolvable member for rocking between a cocked position and ball ejecting position, spring means biasing said arm toward ball ejecting position, and means operable for cocking said arm and quickreleasably holding the same in cocked position against the inuence of said spring means.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the means for cocking the arm includes a stationarily mounted member provided with a cam edge, and one end of said arm operatively engages said cam edge and travels thereover from the low to the high point thereof as the revolvable member turns, thus cocking said arm against the influence of the spring bias.

8. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the low point of the cam edge is on one side of the revolvable member, the cam edge rises gradually from said low point to the high point on the opposite side of the revolvable member preparatory to a sharp drop from said cam edge to effect quick-release of said arm, and means is provided for absorbing the shock induced by said sharp drop and quick-release.

9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein means is provided for automatically indicating the score.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the score indication means includes an electric switch connected in electric circuit with a counter; said switch being disposed at the upper end of the revolvable member for being actuated by a basketball tossed into the receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,494 12/1909 Venn et al. 124-41 X 2,808,264 10/1957 Scalf 273-15 3,105,683 lll/1963 Kimbrell 273-15 3,137,503 6/1964 Ballard 273-15 3,310,312 3/1967 Peeples.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 124-16; 273-179