US 4,995,371 A · Ball throwing machine

Abstract

A ball throwing machine for tossing a plurality of balls in succession, one at a time. The machine has a frame adapted to rest on a supporting surface, a spring-loaded pivotally mounted catapult arm that receives, holds, and tosses the balls, and a cam wheel and cam wheel shaft turnably mounting the cam wheel on the frame. The shaft has an axis which is laterally offset from the pivot axis of the catapult arm. The cam wheel has peripheral teeth, and a power driven pinion engages the teeth to impart turning movement to the wheel. There are cam rollers on the wheel which engage, one at a time, a cam plate on the catapult arm. The arrangement is such that the catapult arm is periodically shifted toward a ball-receiving position, picks up a ball, and as the cam wheel turns further, one cam roller by-passes the cam plate enabling the catapult arm to snap under the action of the spring and toss the ball. A cushion is disposed between the cam wheel shaft and catapult arm, operable after the catapult arm is released, to abruptly cushion the halting of the catapult arm when it arrives at the ball-tossing position, to thereby minimize noise and undesireable stress and/or jarring of the arm and the cam wheel shaft.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A ball throwing machine, comprising in combination:

(a) a frame adapted to rest on a supporting surface,
(b) a catapult arm having means for receiving and holding a ball,
(c) pivot means on said frame, mounting said catapult arm for arcuate movement between a ball-receiving position and a ball-tossing position,
(d) spring means biasing said catapult arm toward said ball-tossing position,
(e) a cam wheel and a cam wheel shaft turnably mounting the cam wheel on the frame, said shaft having an axis which is laterally offset from the axis of the pivot means of the catapult arm,
(f) powered means for turnably driving said cam wheel,
(g) cooperable cam means on said cam wheel and catapult arm, acting against said spring biasing means, for periodically shifting said catapult arm toward said ball-receiving position as the cam wheel turns, and for releasing said catapult arm at a predetermined position of rotation of said cam wheel, thereby to enable the catapult arm to be snapped under the action of the spring biasing means, and
(h) cushion means disposed between said cam wheel shaft and catapult arm, operable after the catapult arm is released, to cushion the halting of the catapult arm when it arrives at the said ball-tossing position, thereby to reduce the stress experienced by the catapult arm.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ball throwing machine

Life of this patent

Ball throwing machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16