Ball propelling machine

A method of propelling a ball having a seam, the method including:

• engaging and rotating the ball by a ball positioner having opposed ball supports, the ball thereby moving relative to the ball supports until positioned relative thereto in a predetermined alignment;
• engaging and spinning the ball engaged thereby in the predetermined alignment by a ball spinner having opposed ball supports, and
• propelling the spinning ball from the assembly along an axis of propulsion by a ball propeller.

An assembly for aligning a baseball in a baseball propelling machine, the assembly comprising at least one pair of opposing ball supports, wherein rotation of the ball supports causes a loaded baseball to rotate about a predetermined axis, wherein the pressure exerted by the ball supports on the baseball is insufficient to prevent the axis of rotation of the baseball changing whilst being rotated and the baseball adopting the predetermined axis of rotation and wherein a first pair of opposed ball supports firstly causes the baseball to rotate about a predetermined axis and thereafter a second pair of opposed ball supports apply a predetermined amount of spin to the baseball so as to be propelled in the four seam position.

An assembly for aligning a baseball in a baseball propelling machine, the assembly comprising at least one pair of opposing ball supports, wherein rotation of the ball supports causes a loaded baseball to rotate about a predetermined axis, wherein the pressure exerted by the ball supports on the baseball is insufficient to prevent the axis of rotation of the baseball changing whilst being rotated and the baseball adopting the predetermined axis of rotation and wherein a single pair of opposed ball supports firstly causes the baseball to rotate about a predetermined axis and thereafter apply a predetermined amount of spin to the baseball so as to be propelled in the two seam position and wherein the opposing pair of supports contact the baseball with twelve to eighteen kilograms of pressure when spinning the baseball in the two or four seam position and wherein the ball supports each have a concave face which have a plurality of adjacent scallops or grooves which meet at peaks on the rim of the faces of the ball supports.

A method of aligning a baseball in a baseball propelling machine comprising bringing a pair of opposing ball supports into contact with a baseball and rotating the ball supports until the baseball rotates about a predetermined axis, wherein the pressure exerted by the ball supports on the baseball is insufficient to prevent the axis of rotation of the baseball changing whilst being rotated and the baseball adopting the predetermined axis of rotation.