Football Receiving and Throwing Machine

Abstract

A machine and method for receiving and launching an oval football. The machine includes a football catch area, a motorized belt to orient the football and motorized wheels to launch the football. The user catching the football throws it back to the machine. The machine automatically orients the football and launches it back to the user catching the football. The machine provides the user a consistent timing pause between receiving the football and launching of the football.

1 . A football catch and return apparatus, comprising:
 a frame;   a collector attached to the frame;   an orientor adapted to move the football from the collector to the accelerator;   a launcher attached to the frame and movable relative to the frame from a first position to a second position to adjust a launch angle.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the launcher includes two wheels adapted to rotate and launch a football. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the launcher is combined with a linkage which pivots the launcher through an angle of rotation as it moves from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the collector has an open top and an open bottom, the open bottom being smaller in cross section than the open top. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fence having a plurality of rollers, wherein the fence is adapted to orient a football for delivery to the launcher. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a second fence extending from a rear side to the front side and spaced further from the fence at the rear side than at the front side. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a carrier combined and moveable with the launcher, said carrier operatively combined with a handle to move the launcher from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the launcher further comprises:
 a right hand motor attached to a carrier through a right hand bracket and operably connected to a right hand wheel;   a left hand motor attached to the carrier through a left hand bracket and operably connected to a left hand wheel.   
     
     
         9 . A football receiving and launching machine comprising:
 a frame having a shelf;   a collector combined with the frame and adapted to receive a football;   an orientor combined with the frame, said orientor comprising a belt operably connected to a motor;   an adjustment assembly having an accelerator disposed on a carrier, the adjustment assembly movable relative to the shelf from a first position to a second position to adjust a launch angle;   wherein the accelerator is adapted to launch the football into the air.   
     
     
         10 . The football receiving and launching  - machine of  claim 9 , wherein the accelerator is attached to the frame through an adjustable linkage adapted to pivot the accelerator through an angle of rotation as it moves from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         11 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 10 , wherein the linkage is a four-bar mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 9 , further comprising a fence having a plurality of rollers, wherein the fence is adapted to orient the football for delivery to the accelerator. 
     
     
         13 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 9 , wherein the frame remains stationary when the carrier is adjusted to change the orientation of the accelerator. 
     
     
         14 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 12 , wherein the orientor further comprises a second fence having vertical rollers. 
     
     
         15 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 14 , wherein the fence and the second fence are closer to each other at the accelerator than at the collector. 
     
     
         16 . A football receiving and launching machine comprising:
 a frame;   a collector combined with the frame and adapted to receive a .football, the collector comprising a flexible material;   an accelerator adapted to launch the football into the air;   an orientor adapted to move and steer the football from the collector to the accelerator;   an adjustable carrier attached to a frame and operably coupled to the accelerator.   
     
     
         17 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 16 , wherein the carrier comprises a four-bar mechanism and is movable relative to the frame. 
     
     
         18 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 16 , wherein the collector utilizes gravity to deliver the football to the orientor. 
     
     
         19 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 16 , wherein the orientor delivers a pointed end of the football to the accelerator. 
     
     
         20 . The football receiving and launching machine of  claim 16 , wherein the orientor comprises vertical rollers.