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US 5,490,493 AGranted
Machine for delivering balls, especially tennis balls
OwnerWerner Salanskyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for delivering balls, especially tennis balls, has a ball feeder (6) to feed individual balls (5) from a ball magazine (2) to a ball ejector (3) and a machine intrinsic feed controller (30) for sending internal control signals, controlling the ball feed and thus the ejection time, to the ball feeder (6). To enable external synchronization of the ball ejection time of several machines that the machine for delivering balls has a device (33, 35) to deactivate the machine's own feed controller (30) and a control input (34) connected electrically to the ball feeder (6) in order to attach an external control cable (39), by way of which, instead of the internal control signals external control signals, controlling the ball feed, and thus the ejection time, can be fed to the ball feeder (6).
Claims22
A machine, comprising:
- a ball feeder for feeding balls from a ball magazine;
- a ball ejector for receiving the balls fed by said ball feeder;
- a machine feed controller for sending internal control signals to said ball feeder to control an ejection time of the balls ejected by said ball ejector;
- a deactivation device for deactivating said machine feed controller;
- and
- a control input electrically connected with said ball feeder that is capable of having an external control cable detachably attached thereto such that external control signals can be fed to said ball feeder controlling the ejection time of the balls ejected by said ball ejector as an alternative to the internal control signals.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a first ball feeder for feeding balls from a first ball magazine;
- a first ball ejector for receiving the balls fed by said first ball feeder;
- a first machine feed controller for sending internal control signals to said first ball feeder to control an ejection time of the balls ejected by said first ball ejector;
- a deactivation device for deactivating said first machine feed controller;
- and
- a control input electrically connected with said first ball feeder that is capable of receiving external control signals to be fed to said first ball feeder for controlling the ejection time of the balls ejected by said first ball ejector as an alternative to the internal control signals;
- a second ball feeder for feeding balls from a second ball magazine;
- a second ball ejector for receiving the balls fed by said second ball feeder;
- a second machine feed controller for sending internal control signals to said second ball feeder to control the ejection time of the balls ejected by said second ball ejector;
- and
- an external control cable connected with said second machine controller at one end thereof and connected to said control input electrically connected with the first ball feeder so as to be capable of transmitting control signals from said second machine feed controller to the first ball feeder controlling the ejection time of the balls ejected by the first ball ejector.
8 more elements
A machine for delivering balls, comprising:
- a ball magazine;
- a ball ejector;
- a ball feeder for feeding balls from said ball magazine to said ball ejector;
- a machine controller for providing internal control signals to said ball ejector and said ball feeder;
- at least one external control input for providing external control signals to at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder as an alternative to the internal control signals;
- and
- a change-over switch between said machine controller, said at least one external control input and said ball feeder for selectively switching said ball feeder between being connected with said machine controller and said external control input.
4 more elements
A machine for delivering balls, comprising:
- a ball magazine;
- a ball ejector;
- a ball feeder for feeding balls from said ball magazine to said ball ejector;
- a machine controller for providing internal control signals to said ball ejector and said ball feeder;
- at least one external control input for providing external control signals to at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder as an alternative to the internal control signals;
- and
- a change-over switch between said machine controller, said at least one external control input and said ball ejector for selectively switching said ball ejector between being connected with said machine controller and said external control input.
4 more elements
A machine for delivering balls, comprising:
- a ball magazine;
- a ball ejector;
- a ball feeder for feeding balls from said ball magazine to said ball ejector;
- a machine controller for providing internal control signals to said ball ejector and said ball feeder;
- and
- at least one external control input for providing external control signals to at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder as an alternative to the internal control signals;
- wherein said machine controller comprises an adjusting element having one position at which said at least one external control input is connected with said at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder to provide the external control signals thereto and having other positions at which said machine controller is connected with said at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder to provide respective different internal control signals thereto.
4 more elements
A machine for delivering balls, comprising:
- a ball magazine;
- a ball ejector;
- a ball feeder for feeding balls from said ball magazine to said ball ejector;
- a machine controller for providing internal control signals to said ball ejector and said ball feeder;
- at least one external control input for providing external control signals to at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder as an alternative to the internal control signals;
- and
- at least one main power supply connection electrically connected with at least one of said ball ejector and said ball feeder for supplying main power thereto, wherein said at least one main power supply connection forms said at least one external control input, whereby the external control signals can be superposed on main voltage supplied to said at least one main power supply connection.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.