Apparatus for providing a controlled propulsion of elements toward a receiving member

Abstract

A manually operated switch on a member (e.g. baseball bat) provides, when closed, for a signal transmission by a transmitter in the member to propulsion apparatus. The propulsion apparatus includes a receiver and a housing which has a hollow passage and supports a ramp. The ramp holds elements (e.g. balls) which are sequentially released into the passage when a detainer is rotated by a release mechanism. The release mechanism is actuated when a receiver in the housing receives signals from the transmitter. When released, the element then moves downwardly in the passage to a propulsion mechanism which may include a pair of rollers for gripping the opposite ends of the element. The rollers are actuated by motors connected in circuits with an energy source (e.g. battery) and variable impedances (e.g. rheostats). The impedance values change in accordance with the manual operation of a knob in the housing exterior. Changes in the impedance values cause the motor speeds to change thereby, varying the speed at which the elements are propelled by the propulsion mechanism toward the batter. The motors are energized only when the element is released into the passage, thereby prolonging the battery life.

1 . In combination for propelling an element, 
 a propulsion member having an outer periphery constructed to receive the propelled element and manually operable to impose a force by the member against the element for propelling the element, and    an apparatus for propelling the element toward the propulsion member for the manual operation of the propulsion member to impose the force on the element, the apparatus being separated from the member,    the propulsion member including a switch actuatable from the outer periphery of the member and a signal transmitter disposed in the member and normally not energized and energizable in response to an actuation of the switch, before a propulsion of the element from the apparatus and before any movement of the member to strike the element, to send signals on a wireless basis to the apparatus for obtaining the propulsion of the element from the apparatus,    the apparatus including a receiver, normally inoperative, disposed in the apparatus for receiving the signals on the wireless basis from the member, the apparatus being constructed to hold the element and being inoperative until the reception of the signals on the wireless basis by the receiver from the member and being operative upon the reception of the signals on the wireless basis by the receiver from the member to release the element for propulsion by the propulsion member, the apparatus including motors, normally inoperative, responsive to the release of the element to become energized for grasping the element and propelling the element toward the member and including control members operatively coupled to the motors for controlling the speed of the motors in propelling the element toward the propulsion members, the apparatus further including a movable member supported by the apparatus externally of the apparatus for manual operation to control the speed of the motors, in accordance with the movement of the movable member, in propelling the element toward the member.    
     
     
         2 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 1 , 
 the apparatus including a housing,    the movable member being disposed externally on the housing for manual operation and extending through the housing,    the control members being disposed in the housing and being operatively coupled to the movable member for providing variable impedance values in accordance with the manual operation of the movable member,    the control members being connected in electrical circuitry with the motors for energizing the motors in accordance with the variable impedance values of the control members.    
     
     
         3 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 1 , 
 the apparatus including a hollow passage for holding the element and including a propulsion mechanism for propelling the element from the hollow passage and including a releasable detainer for holding the element within the hollow passage in decoupled relationship to the propulsion mechanism,    the detainer being responsive to the signals received by the receiver from the propulsion member for releasing the element to the propulsion mechanism for propulsion by the propulsion mechanism through the hollow passage toward the propulsion member.    
     
     
         4 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 2 , 
 the apparatus including a hollow passage for holding the element and including a propulsion mechanism for propelling the element from the hollow passage and including a releasable detainer for holding the element within the hollow passage in decoupled relationship to the propulsion mechanism,    the detainer being responsive to the signals received by the receiver from the propulsion member for releasing the element to the propulsion mechanism for propulsion by the propulsion mechanism through the hollow passage toward the propulsion member,    the propulsion apparatus including rollers for gripping the element at opposite ends of the element after the release of the element by the detainers and for rotating the element to propel the element from the propulsion mechanism toward the member, the rollers being operatively coupled to the motors to be rotated by the rollers.    
     
     
         5 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 4  wherein 
 a switch having open and closed states is disposed in the housing and is normally in the open state and is operatively coupled to the detainer to become operative in the closed state when the element is disposed in the passage, the switch being included in the electrical circuitry with the motors and the impedances to provide for an operation of the motors only when the element is in the passage.  
 
     
     
         6 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 5 , 
 a base member pivotably coupled to the housing for providing a pivotable adjustment in the position of the housing relative to the base member for providing an adjustment in the trajectory of the element in accordance with the pivotal adjustment in the position of the housing relative to the base member, and    an energy storage member disposed in the base member and connected in the electrical circuitry with the motors and the variable impedance for energizing the motors when the switch is closed.    
     
     
         7 . In combination for propelling an element, 
 a member having an external periphery and manually operable to impose a force against the element, the member including a switch manually operable from the external periphery of the member and having first and second states of operation and normally disposed in the first state of operation and manually operable at the external periphery of the member to the second state of operation before any movement of the member to impose a force against the element, and the member including a transmitter disposed in the member and inoperable with the switch in the first state of operation and responsive to the manual operation of the switch to the second state of operation to transmit signals on a wireless basis, and    apparatus spaced from the member and including a receiver, normally inoperative, disposed in the apparatus and operative to receive the signals on the wireless basis from the transmitter and including a propulsion mechanism normally inoperative and responsive to the signals received on the wireless basis by the receiver from the transmitter for propelling the element toward the manually operable member to obtain an imposition by the member of the force against the element,    the apparatus including a housing for the propulsion mechanism and including electrical impedances in the housing and including a knob disposed externally on the housing and coupled to the electrical impedances and manually operative from the position external to the housing for varying the value of the electrical impedances in accordance with the manual operation of the knob, the motors being connected in electrical circuitry with the electrical impedances to receive an excitation which is variable in accordance with the variations in the values of the impedances.    
     
     
         8 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 7 , 
 the apparatus including a hollow passage for receiving the element and including a detainer disposed in the hollow passage for detaining the element within the hollow passage and including a release mechanism responsive to the signals received by the receiver from the member for operating upon the detainer to provide for a release of the element by the detainer from the hollow passage and for a propulsion of the element by the propulsion mechanism from the hollow passage toward the member, and    a switch disposed in the apparatus and having first and second states and normally operative in the first state and responsive to the disposition of the element in the passage to become operative in the second state,    the switch being included in the electrical circuitry with the motors and the variable electrical impedances to obtain an energizing of the motors in the second state of the switch in accordance with the variations in the values of the electrical impedances.    
     
     
         9 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 8 , 
 an energy storage member disposed in the housing and connected in the electrical circuitry with the switch and the motors and the variable electrical impedances for energizing the motors when the switch becomes operative in the second state.    
     
     
         10 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 9  wherein, 
 the detainer has first and second positions and wherein the detainer is disposed in the first position to prevent the element from being propelled from the hollow passage and wherein the detainer is disposed in the second position to provide for the propulsion of the element from the hollow passage and wherein the propulsion mechanism is electrically decoupled from the energy storage member with the detainer in the first position and is electrically coupled to the energy storage member with the detainer in the second position to provide for a propulsion of the element by the propulsion mechanism from the hollow passage and wherein 
 an inclined ramp is constructed to hold a plurality of the elements in an inclined and stacked relationship and is disposed relative to the hollow passage for sequentially introducing the elements on the ramp into the hollow passage in accordance with the sequential propulsion of the elements from the hollow passage.  
 
 
     
     
         11 . In combination, 
 a member manually operable to transmit signals on a wireless basis for obtaining a propulsion of an element toward the member and to impose a force against the element for propelling the element,    a housing,    a receiver disposed in the housing for receiving the signals transmitted on the wireless basis from the manually operable member,    there being a hollow passage in the housing for receiving the element,    a detainer disposed in the housing and movable between first and second positions in accordance with the disposition of the element in the hollow passage and normally operable in the first position to retain the element in the hollow passage and actuatable to the second position to provide for a release of the element by the detainer for a movement of the element through the hollow passage,    a release mechanism disposed in the housing and responsive to the signals received on the wireless basis by the receiver from the manually operable member to actuate the detainer from the first position to the second position,    a propulsion mechanism disposed in the housing for propelling the element from the hollow passage toward the manually operable member when the element is released by the detainer upon the actuation of the detainer from the first position to the second position,    a variable control member disposed in the housing for providing variations in the force imposed by the propulsion mechanism against the element in accordance with the variations in the control member, and    a manually operable knob disposed on the housing and operably coupled to the variable control member for providing variations in the control member in accordance with the manual operation of the knob.    
     
     
         12 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 11 , 
 the propulsion mechanism including a motor and the variable control member connected in electrical circuitry to provide for variations in the energizing of the motor in accordance with variations in the control member.    
     
     
         13 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 11 , 
 the propulsion mechanism including an energy storage member and a pair of motors and a pair of the control members each variable in accordance with the manual operation of the knob and each connected in electrical circuitry with the energy storage member and an individual one of the motors to provide an energizing of the individual one of the motors in accordance with the variations in the control member.    
     
     
         14 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 13 , 
 a base member,    the energy storage member being releasably disposed in the base member for activating the propulsion mechanism when a signal is received by the receiver from the manually operable member,    the housing being pivotably coupled to the base member to adjust the trajectory of the element propelled by the propulsion mechanism from the housing.    
     
     
         15 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 11 , 
 the propulsion mechanism including motors providing driving forces in accordance with excitations imparted to the motors and including the control members connected in electrical circuitry with the motors and having impedance values variable in response to the manual operation of the knob for varying the excitations imparted to the motors in accordance with variations in the impedance values.    
     
     
         16 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 15 , 
 a ramp disposed on the housing in a cooperative relationship with the detainer for holding a plurality of the elements for a sequential passage of each of the elements into the housing to a position for a retention of the element by the detainer against movement toward the manually operable member until the element previously in the housing has been propelled by the propulsion mechanism toward the manually operable member.    
     
     
         17 . In combination, 
 a member including a transmitter and including a switch manually operable to activate the transmitter for providing signals on a wireless basis for obtaining a propulsion of an element toward the member, the member being manually operable to impose a force against the element for propelling the element when the element is propelled toward the member,    a housing,    a receiver disposed in the housing for receiving the signals transmitted on the wireless basis by the transmitter in the member,    a detainer disposed in the housing for retaining the element against movement from the housing and responsive to the signals received by the receiver on the wireless basis for releasing the element for movement from the housing,    a propulsion mechanism disposed in the housing and responsive to the release of the element for propelling the element toward the manually operable member, and    a control member disposed externally of the housing and operatively coupled to the propulsion mechanism and manually operable to adjust the propulsion by the propulsion mechanism of the element toward the manually operable member.    
     
     
         18 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 17 , 
 motors included in the propulsion mechanism for propelling the element from the housing, and    electrical components included in the propulsion mechanism and having characteristics adjustable in accordance with the manual operation of the control member, the electrical components being operatively coupled to the motors for adjusting the propulsion provided by the motors on the element in accordance with the adjustment in the characteristics of the electrical components.    
     
     
         19 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 18 , 
 an energy storage member disposed in the housing for providing energy to the motors to propel the element from the housing toward the manually operable member.    
     
     
         20 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 18 , 
 a switch disposed in the housing and having first and second states and normally operative in the first state and responsive to the release of the element upon the receipt of the signals by the receiver for becoming operative to the second state, the switch being electrically associated with the motors for preventing the motors from being operated in the first state of operation of the switch and for providing for the operation of the motors in the second state of operation of the switch.    
     
     
         21 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 20 , 
 an energy storage member disposed in the housing for providing energy to the motors to propel the element from the housing toward the manually operable member,    the energy storage member, the motors, the switch in the housing and the electrical components being included in electrical circuitry for providing a controlled operation of the motors in accordance with the operation of the switch in the second state.    
     
     
         22 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 20  wherein 
 the propulsion mechanism includes rollers for gripping the element at opposite ends of the element and for rotating the element to propel the element from the housing and wherein 
 the rollers are activated by the motors when the motors are operated.  
 
 
     
     
         23 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 17 , 
 a ramp disposed above the housing for holding a plurality of the elements in a stacked relationship and constructed to provide a movement of each of the stacked elements in a sequence into the housing to a position for the release of the element by the detainer when the element previously in the position for retention by the detainer has been released by the detainer.    
     
     
         24 . In a combination as set forth in  claim 17 , 
 a base member, and    a source of energy disposed in the base member for providing for the propulsion of the element by the propulsion mechanism toward the propulsion member,    the housing being pivotably coupled to the base member to adjust vertically the trajectory of the element toward the manually operable member of the element for the propulsion of the element by the member.