Pitching machine

Abstract

A pitching machine includes a pedestal, a hopper, a guide channel connecting the hopper with a ball rack for guiding a ball in the hopper to the ball rack, and a ball hitting mechanism which includes a striking rod pivotally coupling with the pedestal, a resilient element for applying a pulling force against the striking rod to drive a lower end thereof towards the ball rack, and a striking rod drive mechanism. The striking rod drive mechanism drives the lower end of the striking rod backward, wherein when the striking rod is pivotally and backwardly moved at an utmost limit, the lower end of the striking rod is released, such that the lower end of the striking rod rapidly swings towards the ball rack for hitting the ball thereat. Therefore, the pitching machine is safe and easy to operate and brings convenience for batters.

1 . A pitching machine, comprising:
 a pedestal,   a hopper supported by said pedestal for containing one or more balls in said hopper;   a ball rack adapted for retaining said ball thereat;   a guide channel connecting an outlet opening of said hopper with said ball rack for guiding said ball in said hopper to said ball rack through said guide channel; and   a ball hitting mechanism, which comprises:   a striking rod having an upper end pivotally coupling with said pedestal and a lower end adapted to pivotally and forwardly swing towards said ball rack;   a resilient element supported by said pedestal for applying a pulling force against said striking rod to drive said lower end thereof towards said ball rack; and   a striking rod drive mechanism operatively coupling with said striking rod to drive said lower end of said striking rod backward, wherein when said striking rod is pivotally and backwardly moved at an utmost limit, said lower end of said striking rod is released, such that said lower end of said striking rod rapidly swings towards said ball rack for hitting said ball thereat.   
   
   
       2 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said striking rod drive mechanism comprises a motor, an endless chain powered by said motor to continually move in a loop manner, and at least a drive latch outwardly protruding from said chain to engage with a protrusion of said striking rod, in such a manner that when said chain is moving in a loop manner, said drive latch engages with said protrusion to pivotally and backwardly move said lower end of said striking rod away from said ball rack, and when said chain is kept moving in a loop manner, said drive latch disengages with said protrusion such that said lower end of said striking rod rapidly swings towards said ball rack for hitting said ball thereat. 
   
   
       3 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein a lower half perimeter of said chain is deformed to have an arc shape that a curvature thereof is formed with respect to a hinge point of said striking rod as its center. 
   
   
       4 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a feeding mechanism for feeding said ball from said hopper to said guide channel, wherein said feeding mechanism comprises a geared sector driven by said motor, an ejection plate perpendicularly mounted under said outlet opening of said hopper, and two rollers supported by said pedestal to define said guide channel in a straightaway of said ejection plate, wherein when said geared sector is actuated to drive said ejection plate to reciprocatingly move up and down, an upper end of said ejection plate extends into said hopper and reciprocates up and down to free one of said balls from said hopper to flow along said guide channel. 
   
   
       5 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising a feeding mechanism for feeding said ball from said hopper to said guide channel, wherein said feeding mechanism comprises a geared sector driven by said motor, an ejection plate perpendicularly mounted under said outlet opening of said hopper, and two rollers supported by said pedestal to define said guide channel in a straightaway of said ejection plate, wherein when said geared sector is actuated to drive said ejection plate to reciprocatingly move up and down, an upper end of said ejection plate extends into said hopper and reciprocates up and down to free one of said balls from said hopper to flow along said guide channel. 
   
   
       6 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a controlling mechanism which comprises a stop plate mounted between an outlet opening of said guide channel and said ball rack, a sliding channel formed on said pedestal, and a control rod sliding in said sliding channel and connecting with said stop plate, wherein when said striking rod swings backwards, said lower end of said striking rod pushes said control rod backwards for driving said stop plate to rotate and for clearing a passage between said outlet opening of said guide channel and said ball rack so as to ensure said ball at said guide channel being rolled into said ball rack. 
   
   
       7 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising a controlling mechanism which comprises a stop plate mounted between an outlet opening of said guide channel and said ball rack, a sliding channel formed on said pedestal, and a control rod sliding in said sliding channel and connecting with said stop plate, wherein when said striking rod swings backwards, said lower end of said striking rod pushes said control rod backwards for driving said stop plate to rotate and for clearing a passage between said outlet opening of said guide channel and said ball rack so as to ensure said ball at said guide channel being rolled into said ball rack. 
   
   
       8 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an angle control device mounted on a rear end of said pedestal, wherein said angle control device comprises a top beam mounted underneath said pedestal, a bottom beam mounted with ground attachments, and a plurality of adjusting screws fastened with said bottom beam to adjust a level of said top beam with respect to said bottom beam for changing a ball pitching angle when said lower end of said striking rod hits said ball at said ball rack. 
   
   
       9 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising an angle control device mounted on a rear end of said pedestal, wherein said angle control device comprises a top beam mounted underneath said pedestal, a bottom beam mounted with ground attachments, and a plurality of adjusting screws fastened with said bottom beam to adjust a level of said top beam with respect to said bottom beam for changing a ball pitching angle when said lower end of said striking rod hits said ball at said ball rack. 
   
   
       10 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a feeding mechanism which comprises an ejection plate mounted under said outlet opening said hopper and driven by said motor to reciprocatingly move up and down through said outlet opening of said hopper so as to free one of said balls from said hopper to said guide channel. 
   
   
       11 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising a feeding mechanism which comprises an ejection plate mounted under said outlet opening said hopper and driven by said motor to reciprocatingly move up and down through said outlet opening of said hopper so as to free one of said balls from said hopper to said guide channel. 
   
   
       12 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a controlling mechanism which comprises a poke rod pivotally supported at said pedestal and adapted to be swept by said drive latch of said chain, and a star wheel being driven to rotate when said poke rod is tapped by said drive latch, wherein when said chain is moving, said drive latch impels said poke rod to drive said star wheel to rotate, such that a flute of said star wheel pushes said ball to roll from said guide channel to said ball rack while a subsequent ball is stopped by said star wheel for next rotation of said star wheel. 
   
   
       13 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 1   1 , further comprising a controlling mechanism which comprises a poke rod pivotally supported at said pedestal and adapted to be swept by said drive latch of said chain, and a star wheel being driven to rotate when said poke rod is tapped by said drive latch, wherein when said chain is moving, said drive latch impels said poke rod to drive said star wheel to rotate, such that a flute of said star wheel pushes said ball to roll from said guide channel to said ball rack while a subsequent ball is stopped by said star wheel for next rotation of said star wheel. 
   
   
       14 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said controlling mechanism further comprises an overrunning clutch coupling with said star wheel, a retracting spring coupling with said overrunning clutch and a drive wire having one end coupling with said poke rod and an opposed end coupling with said overrunning clutch, wherein when said drive latch impels said poke rod to pull at said drive wire, said star wheel is driven to rotate through said drive wire, wherein after said drive latch impels said poke rod, said drive wire is loosen such that said retracting spring pulls said star wheel to reversely rotate and return to its original position for next rotation of said star wheel. 
   
   
       15 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said controlling mechanism further comprises an overrunning clutch coupling with said star wheel, a retracting spring coupling with said overrunning clutch and a drive wire having one end coupling with said poke rod and an opposed end coupling with said overrunning clutch, wherein when said drive latch impels said poke rod to pull at said drive wire, said star wheel is driven to rotate through said drive wire, wherein after said drive latch impels said poke rod, said drive wire is loosen such that said retracting spring pulls said star wheel to reversely rotate and return to its original position for next rotation of said star wheel. 
   
   
       16 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an angle control device which comprises a base plate mounted at a rear of said pedestal, a bottom beam comprising a plurality of ground attachments, a plurality of bearing springs spacedly supported between said base plate and said bottom beam, and a plurality of adjusting nuts coupling between said base plate and said bottom beam to selectively adjust a level of said base plate with respect to said bottom beam for changing a ball pitching angle when said lower end of said striking rod hits said ball at said ball rack. 
   
   
       17 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising an angle control device which comprises a base plate mounted at a rear of said pedestal, a bottom beam comprising a plurality of ground attachments, a plurality of bearing springs spacedly supported between said base plate and said bottom beam, and a plurality of adjusting nuts coupling between said base plate and said bottom beam to selectively adjust a level of said base plate with respect to said bottom beam for changing a ball pitching angle when said lower end of said striking rod hits said ball at said ball rack. 
   
   
       18 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising an angle control device which comprises a base plate mounted at a rear of said pedestal, a bottom beam comprising a plurality of ground attachments, a plurality of bearing springs spacedly supported between said base plate and said bottom beam, and a plurality of adjusting nuts coupling between said base plate and said bottom beam to selectively adjust a level of said base plate with respect to said bottom beam for changing a ball pitching angle when said lower end of said striking rod hits said ball at said ball rack. 
   
   
       19 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said striking rod drive mechanism comprises a motor, a crank driven by said motor to rotate and having one end engaging with a protrusion of said striking rod, wherein when said crank is driven to rotate, said respective end of said crank engages with said protrusion to pivotally and backwardly move said lower end of said striking rod away from said ball rack, and when said crank is kept rotating, said respective end of said crank disengages with said protrusion such that said lower end of said striking rod rapidly swings towards said ball rack for hitting said ball thereat. 
   
   
       20 . The pitching machine, as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising a feeding mechanism which comprises an ejection rod rotatably supported by said pedestal and an ejection plate driven to rotate by said ejection rod, when said crank is driven to rotate every cycle in a circular manner, said respective end of said crank presses said ejection rod downwards and levers said ejection plate upwards, such that a top end of said ejection plate extends into said hopper to free one of said balls from said hopper to said guide channel.