US3599978A

US3599978A - Unpredictable-return ball-feeding device

Info

Publication number: US3599978A
Application number: US790556A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jorgen R Sondergaard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-01-13
Filing date: 1969-01-13
Publication date: 1971-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-17
Also published as: GB1364290A

Abstract

A device for feeding one or more balls out of the device in an unpredictable manner so that one or more persons may attempt to catch or strike with the palm of the hand, a racket, a bat, or the like, the ball as it flies through the air in a manner which the player could not have predicted. In other words, the device develops a great deal of speed, coordination, and timing on the part of the person using it because of the unpredictable return nature of the ball-feeding device. The device may be used by a single person for improving his speed, timing, and coordination or may be used by two or more persons as a game with appropriate scoring of various types being provided, based upon a successful or unsuccessful return of the ball emitted by the device in an unpredictable manner. The device has a common receptacle communicating with a plurality of differently positioned and, in certain cases, differently directed ball-emitting egress holedefining means and, in certain forms of the invention the ballemitting egress hole-defining means may direct the ball onto direction-changing bounce-producing impact means, causing a different type of bounce return of a ball in each case.

Description

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind ABSTRACT: A device for feeding one or more balls out of the device in an unpredictable manner so that one or more persons may attempt to catch or strike with the palm of the hand, a racket, a bat, or the like, the ball as it flies through the air in a manner which the player could not have predicted. In other words, the device develops a great deal of speed, coordination, and timing on the part of the person using it because of the unpredictable return nature of the ball-feeding device. The device may be used by a single person for improving his speed, timing, and coordination or may be used by two or more persons as a game with appropriate scoring of various types being provided, based upon a successful or unsuccessful return of the ball emitted by the device in an unpredictable manner. The device has a common receptacle communicating with a plurality of differently positioned and, in certain cases, differently directed ball-emitting egress hole-defining means and, in certain forms of the invention the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means may direct the ball onto direction-changing bounce-producing impact means, causing a different type of bounce return of a ball in each case.

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m/vE/vme. Joeaeu 2. SONDERGANZD UNPREDICTABLE-RETURN BALL-FEEDING DEVICE Generally speaking, the present invention may be said to comprise an unpredictable-retum ball-feeding device which has a common ball-receiving receptacle (which is usually upwardly concave and upwardly open, although not specifically so limited, and which, in one preferred form, is of bowl-shaped configuration substantially symmetrical around a vertical central axis thereof, although not specifically so limited). The receptacle has an exterior ball-emitting portion (usually at or adjacent to the bottom thereof) and a hollow interior portion, and is provided with a plurality of differently positioned (and, in certain forms, difi'erently directed) ball-emitting egress hole defining means communicating the hollow interior portion of the receptacle means with the exteriorball-emitting portion thereof along differently positioned (and, in certain forms of the invention, differently directed) ball-emitting paths. In certain forms of the invention, particularly in those forms where the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means are not substantially differently directed (although not specifically so limited), additional direction-changing bounceproducing impact means is positioned in the path of travel of a ball emitted from any corresponding one of the plurality of ball'emitting egress hole-defining means and, therefore, is adapted to forcibly receive the impact of a ball thereon and to cause the elastic bouncing of such a ball off of said impact means and in a different direction than the reception direction of the ball with respect to the impact means. In one exemplary form, the impact means comprises a plurality of differently positioned and differently angularly oriented and directed impact surfaces, with each such impact surface being positioned in the path of travel of a ball emitted from a corresponding different one of said plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means whereby to cause the ball emitted from each different one of said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means to be directed onto its own corresponding impact surface andto then be bounced off of said impact surfacein a direction different from that produced by any of the other such impact surfaces. In one preferred exemplary form of the invention, supportmeans (usually upright support pole means, although not specifically so limited) is arranged to carry the receptacle meansat a convenient playing position in a playing region (usually at an elevation higher than the one or more persons intending to use the device).

In one preferred form of the invention, the differently positioned and differently oriented plurality of impact surfaces referred to above are differently angularly positioned around an imaginary vertical central axis in a manner such as to have a maximum arcuate extent of approximately 180 therearound, or less if desired, so that one can reasonably expect a ball emitted by the device to be positioned somewhere within a 180 are, thus permitting the player to stand in front of the device at substantially the center of the 180 arc so that he will be prepared to quickly attempt to catch or strike the ball when emitted anywhere into said 180 are.

In another exemplary form of the invention, the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means (or at least the bottom portions thereof) are differently arcuately angularly positioned around an imaginary vertical central axis in a manner such as to have a maximum arcuate extent of approximately 180 therearound, or less if desired, so that one can. reasonably expect a ball emitted by the device to be positioned somewhere within a 180 arc for'the purpose briefly outlined in the preceding paragraph with respect to the form of the invention having differently positioned and differently oriented impact surfaces.

Of course, it should be understood that the unpredictablereturn ball-feeding device of the present invention may form a game and be associated with a gameboard or playing surface for one or more players, may be mounted on a table for ball return by different players positioned at different positions around'the table, and it should further be understood that more than one such device may comprise a part of a game. All such modifications lie within the broad scope of the present invention.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, unpredictable-return ball-feeding device of the character referred to herein generically and/or specifically, and which may include any or all of the features referred to herein, either individually or in combination, and which is of relatively simple, inexpensive construction suitable for ready mass manufacture with a minimum of initial equipment and tooling and, therefore, of initialcapital costs, and which is alsoadapted for production at a minumum cost per unit, thereby to be conducive to widespread production, distribution, sale, and use of the invention for the purposes outlined herein or for any other substantially functionally equivalent purposes.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter, and all such implicit objects are intended to be included and comprehended, herein as fully as if particularly defined and pointed out herein.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, several exemplary embodiments of the invention are specifically illustrated, for exemplary purposes only, in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying drawings and are described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view (partly broken away) of one exemplary form of the invention with the direction of ball emission by different ones of the ball-emitting egress holedefining means being shown by directional arrows.

FIG. 2' is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially-broken away, sectional view, taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1, and clearly shows in solid lines a ball in the act of entering the upper end of one of the ball-emitting egress hole'defining means, and similarly shows in phantom lines at the bottom end of the appearance of the ballwhen emitted from the lower or outlet end of the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means-it being understood that this is different in the case of each such ballemitting egress hole-defining means.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the exemplary bowl-shaped type of receptacle means of the exemplary first form of the invention.

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrates a very slight variation of the first form of the invention with respect to the location of the upper or inlet holes into each of the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, partially broken away, perspective view similar in many respects to FIG. 1 of the first from of the invention, but illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention. In this view, one ball is shown after it has been emitted by a corresponding one of the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means and has impacted the lower-positioned directionchanging bounce-producing impact means for causing an immediate change of direction of the path of travel of the ball. Each of the other different surface portions of the impact means is of a type such as to cause a'ball directed thereonto by its own corresponding ball-emitting egress hole-defining means to bounce in a different direction, such as is indicated by the directional bounce return arrows shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a large, fragmentary, sectional view, taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view, taken substantially along a plane perpendicular to one .of the differently positioned and differently angularly oriented impact surfaces of the direction-changing bounce-producing impact means generally in the direction indicated by the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 4, and taken along a similar plane through the upper portion of the device, and illustrates in solid lines a ball impacting the portion of the impact surface shown in cross section and shows in phantom line the same ball after it has been bounced off of said impact surface.

FIG. 7 is a view taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7A is a top plan view, but illustrates a very slight variation of the second from of the invention with respect to the location of the upper or inlet holes into each of the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means.

FIG. 8 is a small-scale, perspective view illustrating a modified form of the invention wherein the arcuate extent of the location of the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means with respect to an imaginary vertical central axis is increased and is illustrated as comprising a full 360 arcuate extent which will enable two or more persons to be positioned on opposite sides, or on more than one side, of the device for the purpose of attempting to catch or strike emitted balls, either with the hand or a racket or otherwise. This view shows the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means as being of the first type illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. However, it is to be considered as representing the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4-7 when modified to extend around an arcuate extent of substantially 360 Generally speaking, the unpredictable-return ball-feeding device of the present invention may be said to comprise a common ball-receiving receptacle, which, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, takes the form of an upwardly open, upwardly concave bowl, indicated generally at 20, which is substantially symmetrical around an imaginary vertical central axis, such as is indicated in broken lines at 22, and which has an exterior ball-emitting portion, indicated generally at 24, and a hollow interior portion, such as is indicated generally at 26, and which is provided with a plurality of differently positioned and, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, differently directed ball-emitting egress hole-defining means, each of which is indicated by the reference numeral 28, and which communicates the hollow interior portion 26 with the exterior ball-emitting portion 24 thereof along a plurality of differently positioned and differently directed ball-emitting paths.

In the example illustrated, the difierently positioned and differently directed ball-emitting paths referred to above comprise curved tubes, each of which is indicated specifically by the reference numeral 30, and each of which has an inlet hole 32 at the upper end and an outlet hole 34 at the lower end and which has its intermediate portion extending downwardly and outwardly in a different manner so that a ball, such as that shown at 36 in FIG. 2, may enter any one of the inlet holes 32, which is a random selection procedure as will be more clearly explained hereinafter, and will then pass down the length of the tube 30 effectively comprising a part of the corresponding ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 and will be emitted outwardly through the corresponding outlet hole 34 with considerable force and in a direction different from the direction of emission from any of the other outlet holes 34 of the other tubes 30 of the other ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24. It should be noted in connection with the above that it may, in effect, be said that the curved tubes 30 comprise the so-called differently positioned and differently directed ball-emitting paths referred to above and are a part of the corresponding overall complete ball-emitting egress holedefining means indicated generally at 24.

It should be noted that when a ball is thrown, hit with a hand, a racket, or a bat, or is otherwise propelled into the up wardly open bowl-shaped receptacle 20, it will normally strike the upwardly concave sidewall 33 thereof, which will have the effect of converting the momentum of the ball into rotary movement around the inside surface of the sidewall 38 of the bowl-shaped receptacle 20, and frictional losses will cause a gradual loss of velocity of the ball as it rolls along the inside surface of the wall 38 and will cause it to gradually move downwardly in a spiral path of decreasing radius until it strikes the bottom wall 40 of the bowl-shaped receptacle and finally loses sufficient energy adjacent to any one of the inlet holes 32 of the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 to drop thereinto, which is entirely an unpredictable, random choice or random selection matter, which will then cause the emission of the ball 36 from the corresponding outlet end 34 of the corresponding tube 30 of the corresponding ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 in a completely unpredictable direction insofar as one or more players standing adjacent to the device is or are concerned.

In other words, the bowl shape of the receptacle 20 provides a random selection means for causing the ball 36 to select, in a random-choice manner, any one of the plurality of ballemitting egress hole-defining means 24 so that one or more players using the device will find it impossible to predict the direction of return of a ball 36 when thrown into or otherwise propelled into the open top of the receptacle 20, and thus, such a player or such players will find it necessary to be extremely alert in order to quickly see which outlet opening 34 emits the ball 36 and which direction it is traveling so that the player can either catch the ball or strike the ball with his hand, or with a racket, club, or the like depending upon the rules of the game or the player's choice if that is permitted, before the ball drops to the ground or reaches a predetermined region or distance from the outlet opening 34. In some uses of the device, it may be permitted for the ball to strike a ground surface or table surface or other rebound surface and to be caught or struck by the player after one or more such rebounds. Such matters as this depend upon the selected rules which will govern the use of the device and do not in any way affect the device itself.

It will readily be understood that the device lends itself very well to use by an individual for improving his speed, timing, and coordination, or to use by two or more individuals as a game wherein success or lack ofsuccess in catching or striking the ball after emission from an unpredictable one of the outlet holes 34 will cause corresponding scoring, either plus or minus, for that particular player, until the predetermined game score is reached, although it should be clearly noted that the mode ofplay ofsuch a game is not to be construed as comprising any limitation whatsoever upon the device itself.

It should also be noted that, in the exemplary first from of the invention illustrated, at least the outlet ends, comprising the holes 34, of different ones of the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 are differently arcuately angularly positioned around the imaginary vertical central axis 22 so as to have a maximum arcuate extent of approximately or less so that a single person using the device or two or more persons using the device in either coordination-improving or game from will be positioned on one side of the device usually substantially centrally located within the 180 arcuate extent of the positioning of the plurality of outlet holes 34 so as to have the maximum possibility of catching or striking an emitted ball. However, it should be clearly noted that the invention is not specifically so limited in all forms thereof and may have a maximum arcuate extent of outlet holes 34 either less than or greater than the 180 illustrated in the exemplary first form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3 inclusive.

Also, it should be noted that, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, it is only the outlet holes 34 which have a maximum arcuate extent with respect to the imaginary central vertical axis 22 of approximately 180 therearoundthe upper or inlet ends thereof having a maximum arcuate extent of substantially 360. However, this is not to be construed as a limitation of the invention, and, indeed, the upper inlet holes 32 of the plurality of tubes 30 may be arranged in a manner similar to the lower outlet ends 34 thereof so as to have a maximum arcuate extent of approximately 180 or any other maximum arcuate extent corresponding to that of the outlet holes 34, and such a very slight modification is illustrated in FIG. 3A, comprising a top plan view of said inlet ends 32 only, primarily illustrating such a 180 arcuate extend positioning of said inlet holes 32.

The receptacle and the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 are integrally connected and are provided with support means for mounting same at a convenient playing position, usually at an elevation higher than any player who intends to use the device, although not specifically so limited in all forms of the invention. In the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, an upright support means is indicated generally at 42 and takes the form of an upright support pole means suitably attached at-the bottom as indicated at 44 (although it may be attached above the receptacle 20 or attached in any other suitable manner with respect to an auxiliary floor or ground, ceiling, wall surface or the like) and carries at the top thereof the receptacle 20 and the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 which, in the example illustrated in the firstform of the invention, is at a height roughly comparable to the positioning of a conventional basketball hoop, although not specifically so limited.

FIG. 4-7 illustrate a slight modification of the invention and, therefore, parts which are functionally or structurally substantially the same or similar to corresponding parts of the first form of the invention are designated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter a," however.

In the FIGS. 47 modification of the invention, each of the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means, indicated generally at 24a, is differently positioned but is substantially parallel and not differently directed in a major sense in a manner similar to that of the first form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. In other words, in the FIGS. 4-7 modification, the inlet and

outlet holes

32a and 34a of each different ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24a are roughly vertically superimposed and downwardly directed in a manner substantially parallel to the similar disposition of the upper and lower holes 320 and 34a of all of the other differently positioned but similarly directed ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 240 so that a ball, such as that shown at 36a, emitted by any one of said ballemitting egress hole-defining means 24a, will be downwardly directed and will strike a lower-positioned, direction-changing, bounce-producing impact means, one form of which is generally designated by the reference numeral 46. The important point to note is that because each of the ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 2 3a is differently positioned around a vertical central axis of symmetry, such as is shown in broken lines at 22a, a ball, such as that shown at 360, emitted from any one of the plurality of ball-emitting egress holedefining means 24a, will strike a corresponding different portion or surface 48 of the complete impact means, indicated generally at 46, and since each of said different surface portions 48 is effectively differently positioned and also differently angularly oriented or angularly positioned around the imaginary vertical central axis 22a, an elastic ball, such as the one shown at 36a, striking same, will be elastically bounced off of said corresponding different surface portion 48 in a different direction than the reception direction thereof and also in a direction different than the bounce return of such a ball after striking any other surface portion 48 of the impact means 46 as a consequence of being directed thereonto from any other one of the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24:). I

The foregoing unpredictable bounce return of the ball 36a as a result of impacting different surface portions 48 of the impact means 46 will have the same general effect as the differently directed .emissionofthe ball 36 from any different one of the outlet holes 34 of any different corresponding one of the plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means 24 of the first form of the invention as previously described, and thus will achieve substantially the same purpose.

In connection with the above, it should be noted that the directions of the modified type of ball-emitting egress holedefining means 2da illustrated in the exemplary second from of the invention are not to be construed in a limiting sense. That is, it is not necessary that they all be substantially downwardly directed and all substantially parallel. They may be differently directed,'and the corresponding different sur face portions 48 of the impact means 46 may be correspondingly located so as to be impacted by the correspondingly emitted ball. Also, it should be noted that it is not necessary in all forms of the invention that the plurality of impact surfaces 48 actually comprise different angular facets carried by the complete impact means 46. In certain forms of the invention, the outer surface of the impact means 46 may be smoothly curved, and the mere fact that a ball strikes a different portion of said smooth curve will cause it to be differently bounced or rebounded because each portion of a smooth curve effectively has a different surface non'nal thereto at the point of impact of a ball therewith and thus may be said to, in effect, comprise the equivalent of a multifaceted surface, and the reference made herein to such a plurality of impact surfaces is to be broadly construed in the light ofthis statement.

It should be noted that, in the example illustrated in FIGS. 4l-7, the upper or inlet ends 32a of the plurality of ballemitting egress hole-defining means 24a have a maximum arcuate extent of substantially and thus the outlet holes 34a thereof have a similar maximum arcuate extent, and this is also true of the differently positioned impact surfaces 48 of the complete impact means 46. In other words, the FIGS. 4-7 modification is similar in this respect to the FIG. 3A version of the first form of the invention. However, it should be clearly understood that this is not to be construed in a limiting manner with respect to the impact means 46, which may have an arcuate extent of either less than or more than 180, nor is it to be construed in a limiting manner with respect to the ball emitting egress hole-defining means 240, which similarly may have a maximum arcuate extent of less than or more than 180, and in the form where the maximum arcuate extent of the lower outlet holes 34a is intended to be of approximately 180 in the manner illustrated in the FIGS. 4-7 formof the invention, it is not necessary that the inlet holes 32a have such a maximum arcuate extent of only 180". They may have a greater or lesser arcuate extent, and this is'illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 7A, which shows said plurality of inlet holes 32a as having an arcuate extent of 360--it being understood, of course, that at least certain of said ball-emitting egress holedefining means 24:: then converge or are angularly directed as they extend downwardly so that all of the outlet holes 34a lie in one semicircular configuration such as to have a maximum arcuate extent of approximately 180. In other words, the FIG. 7A modification of the invention is functionallysimilar in this respect to the first form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. I-3 inclusive. 1

' FIG. 8 illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention, and therefore parts which are structurally or functionally equivalent to or similar to those of earlier forms of the invention are designated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter b," however. In this modification, it will be noted that the support pole 42b is centrally located with respect to a ground surface or playing surface, such as is indicated fragmentarily at 50, and the outlet holes 34b of the plurality of ball-emitting egress holes-defining means 24b have an arcuate extent around an imaginary vertical central axis of 360, although this may be partially eliminated on opposite lateral sides, such as at the locations generally designated by the reference numeral 52, for example, if desired, and thus one or more balls may be emitted in an unpredictable manner toward either end of the playing surface 50, and one or more players positioned adjacent to either end of the playing surface may either catch and return or strike and return (with a racket, hat, or other implement) one or more balls emitted in his direction, thusmaking a multiperson game through the use of this form of the device.

It should be noted that while FIG. 8 illustrates the first form of the invention modified for greater and oppositely directed arcuate extent of the plurality of ball-emitting egress holedefining means 24b, as being of the type illustrated in the first form of the invention shown in FIGS. l--3, it should be clearly understood that this is not to be construed as a limitation-actually, an arrangement of the type illustrated in the second form of the invention shown in FIGS. 47 or in either of the slight variations of the first and second forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 3A and 7A, respectively, may be modified in the FIG. 8 manner to provide oppositely directed emission of balls or a direction of balls generally into more than one region of a predetermined arcuate extent so that two or more persons may play a game in a manner such as is exemplified by the showing of FIG. 8, which, of course, is not to be construed as limiting such a game to the precise arrangement illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 8.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. An unpredictable-return ball-feeding device comprising: a common ball-receiving receptacle means taking the form of a bowl symmetrical around a vertical central axis thereof and having a hollow interior, said ball-receiving other portions means having an exterior ball-emitting portion and a hollow interior portion provided with a plurality of differently positioned ball-emitting egress hole-defining means communicating said hollow interior portion of said receptacle means with said exterior ball-emitting portion thereof along a plurality of differently positioned ball-emitting paths, said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means and said plurality of differently positioned ball-emitting paths defined thereby being effectively provided with a ball-directing means efiectively cooperable with a ball emitted by a corresponding part of said ballemitting egress hole-defining means for correspondingly directing such a ball emitted thereby in a direction different from that produced by other portions of said ball-directing means cooperating with other parts of said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means, said ball-directing means comprising direction-changing bounce-producing impact means positioned in the path of travel of a ball emitted from a corresponding one of said plurality of ball-emitting egress holedefining means for the forcible reception and impacting thereon of a ball and the elastic bouncing of such a ball off of said impact means in a different direction than the reception direction thereof, said impact means having at least one impact surface angularly disposed from the horizontal,-wherein said impact surface is of an effectively unitary, one-piece construction.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said impact means comprises a plurality of differently positioned and effectively differently angularly oriented and directed ones of said impact surfaces, with each such impact surface being positioned in the path of travel of a .ball emitted from a corresponding different one of said plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means whereby to cause a ball emitted from each different one of said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means to be directed onto its own corresponding impact surface and to be bounced off of said impact surface in a direction different from that produced by other such impact surfaces.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said differently positioned and differently oriented plurality of impact surfaces are differently arcuately angularly positioned around a vertical central axis.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said differently positioned and differently oriented plurality of impact surfaces are differently arcuately angularly positioned around a vertical central axis and have a maximum arcuate extent of not more than 180 therearound.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein said differently positioned and differently oriented plurality of impact suraces are differently arcuately angularly positioned around a vertical central axis and have an arcuate extent of substantially 360 therearound.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, including supportmeans cooperable for carrying said receptacle means at a convenient playing position in a playing region.

7. A device as defined in claim 1 including upright support pole means carrying said receptacle means at the top thereof at an elevation higher than one or more users of the receptacle means of the ball-feeding device.

Claims

1. An unpredictable-return ball-feeding device comprising: a common ball-receiving receptacle means taking the form of a bowl symmetrical around a vertical central axis thereof and having a hollow interior, said ball-receiving other portions means having an exterior ball-emitting portion and a hollow interior portion provided with a plurality of differently positioned ball-emitting egress hole-defining means communicating said hollow interior portion of said receptacle means with said exterior ball-emitting portion thereof along a plurality of differently positioned ballemitting paths, said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means and said plurality of differently positioned ball-emitting paths defined thereby being effectively provided with a ball-directing means effectively cooperable with a ball emitted by a corresponding part of said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means for correspondingly directing such a ball emitted thereby in a direction different from that produced by other portions of said ball-directing means cooperating with other parts of said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means, said ball-directing means comprising direction-changing bounce-producing impact means positioned in the path of travel of a ball emitted from a corresponding one of said plurality of ball-emitting egress holedefining means for the forcible reception and impacting thereon of a ball and the elastic bouncing of such a ball off of said impact means in a different direction than the reception direction thereof, said impact means having at least one impact surface angularly disposed from the horizontal, wherein said impact surface is of an effectively unitary, one-piece construction.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said impact means comprises a plurality of differently positioned and effectively differently angularly oriented and directed ones of said impact surfaces, with each such impact surface being positioned in the path of travel of a ball emitted from a corresponding different one of said plurality of ball-emitting egress hole-defining means whereby to cause a ball emitted from each different one of said ball-emitting egress hole-defining means to be directed onto its own corresponding impact surface and to be bounced off of said impact surface in a direction different from that produced by other such impact surfaces.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said differently positioned and differently oriented plurality of impact surfaces are differently arcuately angularly positioned around a vertical central axis and have a maximum arcuate extent of not more than 180* therearound.

5. A device As defined in claim 4, wherein said differently positioned and differently oriented plurality of impact surfaces are differently arcuately angularly positioned around a vertical central axis and have an arcuate extent of substantially 360* therearound.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, including support means cooperable for carrying said receptacle means at a convenient playing position in a playing region.