Return machine for spherical gameballs and transport apparatus incorporating the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a basketball return machine which may be utilized with either a goal unit or a stand-alone basketball goal. Either or both of the basketball return machine and goal unit may be fixed in location or transportable. The machine collects basketballs that are shot in the direction of a basketball goal and returns them to the user at one or more locations around the return machine's perimeter. The present disclosure eliminates the need for persons or other means being deployed to capture and return balls to persons practicing or playing a game of basketball. The present disclosure also contemplates features that permit its use in low level light or even unlighted environments. Lastly, the present disclosure contemplates a fully functional basketball system that is adaptable to varying user skill levels.

1 . A transportable apparatus for use with spherical game balls, comprising:
 a. a target;   b. a collection and delivery assembly adapted to be positioned near said target to receive game balls shot toward said target and project the game balls toward at least one location on a playing surface; and   c. a transport device supporting said target and said collections and delivery assembly to permit transport of said apparatus along the playing surface.   
     
     
         2 . A transportable apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said apparatus is manually transportable along the playing surface. 
     
     
         3 . A transportable apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein said transport device includes at least one wheeled base platform to permit rolling transport of said apparatus along the playing surface. 
     
     
         4 . A transportable apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein said transport device includes a pair of base platforms, a first one of said platforms supporting said target, and a second one of said platforms supporting said collection and delivery assembly. 
     
     
         5 . A transportable apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein said base platforms are removably attachable one another. 
     
     
         6 . A transportable apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein each of said base platforms includes a plurality of wheels to permit rolling transport of said apparatus along the playing surface. 
     
     
         7 . A transportable apparatus according to  claim 3  including a handle associated with said at least one wheeled base platform to facilitate manual transport of said apparatus along the playing surface. 
     
     
         8 . A basketball return machine, comprising:
 a. a basketball collector positionable beneath a basketball goal to receive basketballs shot toward the basketball goal;   b. a projecting device positioned to receive basketballs from said collector and deliver them toward at least one delivery location on a playing surface, thereby enabling practice shots from such location without requiring a shooter to retrieve shot basketballs; and   c. an escapement positioned beneath said basketball collector for dispensing received basketballs into said projecting device.   
     
     
         9 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 8  wherein said escapement is operative to accommodate basketballs retrieved by said basketball collector by retaining at least one of said basketballs in a waiting state while another of said basketballs is supported by the projecting device in a ready state prior to delivery toward said delivery location. 
     
     
         10 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 8  including a yoke coupling a lower end of said basketball collector to said escapement to permit the received basketballs to be fed into said escapement wherein said escapement is suspended from said yoke. 
     
     
         11 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 8  wherein said basketball collector includes a netted framework which spans beneath said basketball goal and tapers downwardly toward said escapement, and including downwardly sloped chute interfaced between said netted framework and said escapement for funneling received basketballs into said escapement. 
     
     
         12 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 8  wherein said basketball collector includes a netted framework which spans beneath the basketball goal and tapers downwardly toward said escapement, said netted framework including an upper portion having a rectangular geometry, and a lower portion having an upside down, truncated pyramidal geometry. 
     
     
         13 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 8  wherein said escapement is constructed as a cylindrical shell having an interior channel through which the collected basketballs are received, said escapement including a plurality of armatures operative to engagedly retain basketballs within the escapement. 
     
     
         14 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 13  including a set of upper armatures and a set of lower armatures electromechanically coupled to one another such that a plurality of said basketballs can be retained within said above, each in a respective waiting state, prior to being dropped into said projecting device. 
     
     
         15 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 14  wherein said upper and lower sets of armatures are operative to move from a basketball engage position, to retain an associated upper or lower basketball in the waiting state, to a basketball disengaged state to permit the associated upper or lower basketball to move downwardly toward said projecting device. 
     
     
         16 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 14  wherein the armatures within said upper set are equiangularly spaced about a central longitudinal axis of said escapement, and wherein the armatures within said the lower are equiangularly spaced about the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 8  wherein said collector includes a netted framework for spanning beneath the basketball goal, said return machine adapted to move from a collapsed configuration, wherein said netted framework is in a folded state, to an expanded configuration, wherein said netted framework is in a deployed state. 
     
     
         18 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 17  wherein said netted framework tapers downwardly toward said escapement, and includes an upper portion having a rectangular geometry, and a lower portion having an upside down, truncated pyramidal geometry. 
     
     
         19 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 18  wherein said netted framework includes a plurality of extension arms each formed as a respective sub-assembly and adapted to move from a retracted state to an extended state as said framework moves from the folded state to the deployed state. 
     
     
         20 . The basketball return machine according to  claim 19  wherein each arm sub-assembly includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a plurality of arm segments therebetween, a wherein each terminal arm segment forms an upright corner support for said netted framework's upper portion in the deployed state, and wherein proximal ones of said arm segments form side edges for the netted framework's lower portion in the deployed state.