Bob stick

Abstract

The present invention is a batting aid, and methods of making and using the batting aid. The invention is a highly shock absorbent, lightweight, portable batting aid, which is inexpensive to make, and provides an easy, fatigue-resistant use. The invention comprises a composite apparatus consisting of all shock-absorbent lightweight components, comprising a handle at one end and a golf-size ball at the other. The result of the shock absorbency properties, negligible weight, and arrangement of the parts of the invention is that, while grasping the invention by the handle, while the ball is being repeatedly hit with the bat, the user will not experience fatigue from the weight of the apparatus or repeated impacts of the bat. The invention is small and lightweight enough to fit inside the typical batting bag. Another advantage is that to use this invention, the user merely grasps the apparatus by the handle, holding the apparatus in one position, thereby reducing fatigue of the user which would result from having to swing the apparatus.

1 . A batting aid, comprising: 
 a. a hollow handle, comprising: 
 i. a first and second end;  
 ii. made of a shock absorbent material,  
 iii. a diameter and length of the handle being small enough so that the hand of an average adult could wrap around the handle;  
   b. a hollow hose, comprising: 
 i. a first and second end;  
 ii. made of a shock absorbent material;  
 iii. an outside diameter being smaller than the inside diameter of the handle;  
 iv. a length being approximately equal to the length of the handle;  
   c. a hollow plastic pipe, comprising: 
 i. a first and second end;  
 ii. made of a shock absorbent material;  
 iii. an outside diameter being smaller than the inside diameter of the hose;  
 iv. a length being around 2 to 3 feet;  
   d. a spring, comprising: 
 i. a first and second end;  
 ii. an outside diameter being smaller than the inside diameter of the pipe;  
 iii. a length being anywhere from around 3 to 5 inches;  
   e. a flexible plastic tube, comprising: 
 i. a first and second end;  
 ii. made of a shock absorbent material;  
 iii. an outside diameter being smaller than the inside diameter of the spring;  
 iv. a length being between approximately 12 to 18 inches;  
   f. a rope, comprising: 
 i. a first and second end;  
 ii. made of a shock absorbent material;  
 iii. a diameter being smaller than the inside diameter of the plastic tube;  
 iv. a first knot at the first rope end;  
 v. a second knot at the second rope end;  
 vi. a length being longer than the plastic tube length by no more than a couple to a few inches;  
   g. a light weight ball, selected from the group (yellow foam, holed wiffle, or solid dimpled), comprising; 
 i. a hole bored through the ball's center; wherein: 
 (1) the hole being larger than the diameter of the rope but smaller than the knot at the rope ends;  
 
   h. a bead, comprising: 
 i. a diameter being larger than the inside diameter of the spring;  
 ii. a hole bored through the bead's center, wherein, 
 (1) the hole being larger than the rope diameter but smaller than the knots at the rope ends;  
 
   i. two pieces of tape;    j. two pieces of shrink tube; the hose being completely inserted into the handle, the first end of the pipe being inserted into the hose approximately flush with the hose first end, the first spring end being partially inserted into the second pipe end, the first plastic tube end being inserted partially into the second spring end, the first rope end being inserted into the second plastic tube end through the plastic tube and spring, protruding out of the first spring end, the bead being inserted into the rope between the first rope knot and the first spring end, the ball being inserted into the rope between the second tube end and the second knot end, a piece of tape being wrapped around the spring and plastic tube overlap, and another piece of tape being wrapped around the spring and pipe overlap, a piece of shrink tube being wrapped around each piece of tape.    
   
   
       2 . a batting aid as described in  claim 1 , comprising: glue inserted between the hose and handle, between the hose and pipe, between the pipe and spring, and between the spring and tube; the purpose of the glue being to prevent the separation of components.  
   
   
       3 . a lightweight, portable batting aid, small enough to fit into the typical baseball batting carrying bag, the batting aid comprising: 
 a. a hollow rubberized molded handle, comprising: 
 i. a length of 4½ inches;  
 ii. an inside diameter of ⅞ of an inch;  
 iii. a circular cap at one handle end, the handle cap comprising: 
 (1) a thickness of ¾ of an inch;  
 
 iv. a flange at the other handle end;  
 v. and a handle grip, including; 
 (1) raised ribs designed to absorb shock transferred to the handle;  
 
   b. a black hollow hose, the hose comprising: 
 i. a length of 4 inches,  
 ii. an outside diameter of 6/8 of an inch,  
 iii. made of a rubberized material capable of absorbing shock transferred to the hose; the hose inserted into the handle through the flanged handle end until the hose contacts the handle cap;  
   c. a, CPVC pipe comprising: 
 i. an outside diameter of ⅝ of an inch;  
 ii. an inside diameter of ½ of an inch;  
 iii. a length of 2 feet and 7 inches; the pipe inserted into the handle through the flanged handle end inside the hose until the pipe contacts the handle cap,  
   d. a joggled spring, comprising: 
 i. a length of 3⅜ inches;  
 ii. a joggled end, comprising: 
 (1) a length of 1 inch;  
 (2) an outside diameter of 7/16 of an inch;  
 (3) an inside diameter of 5/16 of an inch;  
 
 iii. a non-joggled end, comprising: 
 (1) a length of 2⅜ inches;  
 (2) an outside diameter of ½ inch;  
 (3) an inside diameter of ⅜ of an inch; with the joggled end of the spring inserted into the pipe end not inserted into the handle, until the pipe contacts the non-joggled portion of the spring;  
 
   e. a flexible polyethylene tube, comprising: 
 i. 14 inches in length;  
 ii. an outside diameter of ⅜ of an inch;  
 iii. an inside diameter of ¼ of an inch;  
 iv. a working pressure of 120 psi at 70 degrees Fahrenheit; one end of the polyethylene tube inserted into the non-joggled spring end until the polyethylene tube contacts the joggled portion of the spring;  
   f. a nylon braided rope, comprising: 
 i. 18 inches in length;  
 ii. a slip knot at each end, comprising: 
 (1) a diameter of 7/16 of an inch;  
 
 iii. a diameter of ⅛ of an inch; with one end of the rope inserted in and through the polyethylene tube, in and through the spring, where one of the slip knots protrudes out of the joggled spring end;  
   being that the length of the rope is longer than the polyethylene tube, the other end of the rope protrudes out of the polyethylene tube end not inserted into the spring;    g. a bead, comprising: 
 i. a diameter of 7/16 of an inch;  
 ii. a ⅜ of an inch hole through the bead center; with the bead inserted through the rope between the joggled spring end and the slip knot protruding out of the joggled spring end;  
   h. a golf size, light weight ball, selected from the group (yellow foam, holed wiffle, or solid dimpled), the ball comprising: 
 i. a ⅜ inch hole through the center of the ball;  
   i. two flanged bearings, sized to fit inside the hole through the ball at both ends of the ball; the ball with the two bearings inserted therewith is inserted at the end of the rope protruding out of the polyethylene tube, the ball inserted between the polyethylene tube and the knot at the end of the rope protruding out of the polyethylene tube;    j. a nylon washer sized to fit around the rope; with the washer inserted through the rope end, with the knot tied around the washer at the rope end inserted through the ball;    k. two rubberized, seal wrap, repair tapes; each comprising: 
 i. a length of 2 inches;  
 ii. a width of 1 inch, with the first tape wrapped lengthwise around the non-joggled portion of the spring and the polyethylene tube, with the center of the short side of the first tape at the point of overlap between the polyethylene tube and the non-joggled portion of the spring; with the second tape wrapped lengthwise around the non-joggled portion of the spring and pipe, with the middle of the short side of the second tape at the point of contact between the non-joggled spring and the pipe;  
   l. two electrical shrink tubes, each comprising: 
 i. a length of 1 inch;  
 ii. a width of ¾ of an inch; with the first electrical shrink tube lengthwise wrapped around the first repair tape; with the second electrical shrink tube wrapped lengthwise around the second repair tape.  
   
   
   
       4 . a method of using the batting aid described in  claim 1 , comprising: 
 a. the step of a user gripping the batting aid by the handle;    b. the step of the user pointing the batting aid away from the user toward a nearby batter, with the ball of the batting aid hanging within the strike zone of the batter, while the batter is poised to swing a bat at the ball;    c. the step of, while the user is performing the previous step, the user standing outside the path of the bat of the batter;    d. the step of the batter swinging the bat at the ball; since the user is not in the path of the bat the user is not struck by the bat by virtue of the user being in the path of the bat.    
   
   
       5 . a method of using the batting aid described in  claim 1 , comprising: 
 a. the step of a batter connecting the handle to a piece of furniture, the furniture situated several feet away from any other furniture, walls, and obstructions;    b. the step of the batter arranging the batting aid connected to the piece of furniture, so that the batting aid cantilevers somewhat horizontally, with the ball hanging several feet above the floor, with the batting aid pointing away from the piece of furniture to which the batting aid is connected;    c. the step of the batter positioning himself to swing at the ball, the batter standing a distance from the ball, where the position of the ball is in the strike zone of the batter, and where the path of the batter's bat, upon the batter swinging at the ball, the path of the ball not coming into contact with any furniture, walls, and obstructions;    d. the step of the batter swinging at the ball.    
   
   
       6 . a method of making the batting aid described in  claim 1 , comprising: 
 a. the step of inserting the pipe into the hose, until the hose is flush with the pipe end;    b. the step of inserting the hose into the handle with the pipe in the hose;    c. the step of the inserting the polyethylene tube into the non-joggled portion of the spring to where the polyethylene tube contacts the joggled portion of the spring;    d. the step of inserting the rope into the polyethylene tube and through and out the joggled end of the spring;    e. the step of inserting the end of the rope protruding out of the joggled end of the spring through the hole in the bead;    f. the step of tying a slip knot into the rope end protruding out of the bead;    g. the step of inserting the joggled end of the spring into the pipe to where the pipe contacts the non-joggled portion of the spring;    h. the step of inserting the flange bearings into hole in the ball at both ends of the ball;    i. the step of inserting the other end of the rope hanging out of the plastic tube through the hole in the ball inserted with the bearings;    j. the step of tying a slip knot into the end of the rope protruding out of the ball;    k. the step of lengthwise wrapping a piece of tape around the spring and polyethylene tube overlap;    l. the step of lengthwise wrapping a piece of tape around the spring and pipe overlap;    m. the step of lengthwise wrapping a piece of shrink tube around each piece of tape.