Portable Fielding System

Abstract

The disclosed invention is drawn to a motorized fielding system capable of launching balls at a wide range of trajectories defined by its distance and orientation with respect to its yaw and pitch axes. This system comprises a chassis assembly; a motorized yaw mechanism comprising of a rotary table that can spin about a yaw axis; a motorized pitch mechanism comprising a launcher mounting plate that can be oriented along any one of a range of pitch angles, where the pitch mechanism further comprises a bottom side, a top side, and a plurality of attachment provisions to attach the pitch mechanism to the rotary table; a motorized ball launcher mechanism; a ball transport conduit; and a motorized ball feeder mechanism. The ball feeder mechanism, ball transport conduit, ball launcher mechanism, pitch mechanism, and yaw mechanism are arranged and physically coupled in a top-down order along a vertical stack.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable fielding system comprising:
 a chassis assembly;   a motorized yaw mechanism comprising a rotary table that can spin about a yaw axis;   a motorized pitch mechanism;   a motorized ball launcher mechanism;   a ball transport conduit; and   a motorized ball feeder mechanism;   wherein:
 said rotary table comprises a downward-facing bottom side and an upward-facing top side; 
 said ball feeder mechanism, said ball transport conduit, said ball launcher mechanism, said pitch mechanism, and said yaw mechanism are arranged and physically coupled in a top-down order along a vertical stack. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said chassis assembly comprises:
 a bottom subframe, a rear subframe, and a top subframe each having an outer extent that forms a quadrilateral with four ends; 
 wherein:
 said bottom subframe and said top subframe are parallel to each other and at different elevations; 
 one of said four ends of said bottom subframe is attached to a bottom end of said rear subframe; 
 one of said four ends of said top subframe is attached along a location along the rear subframe at an elevation higher than the bottom subframe. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 :
 wherein:
 said ball feeder mechanism is capable of receiving, holding, and discharging one or a plurality of balls; 
 said ball(s) are discharged from said ball feeder mechanism one ball at a time into said ball transport conduit. 
   
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said ball feeder mechanism is attached to the top subframe. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said ball launcher mechanism comprises:
 a discharge barrel; and   a ball feed port with a receiving end connected to said ball transport conduit so one or a plurality of balls moving down the ball transport conduit can enter the ball feed port.   
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the opposite end of the receiving end of said ball feed port is the entrance to said discharge barrel. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 :
 wherein:
 said pitch mechanism comprises a launcher mounting plate that can be oriented along any one of a range of pitch angles; 
 said launcher mounting plate further comprises a bottom side and a top side. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said ball launcher mechanism is attached to the top side of the launcher mounting plate. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 2 :
 wherein:
 said yaw mechanism further comprises a yaw motor and a motor mounting plate; 
 said motor mounting plate comprises an upward-facing surface that is below and facing parallel to the bottom side of the rotary table; 
 said yaw motor is fixed to said motor mounting plate; 
 said motor mounting plate is attached to said bottom subframe. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 9 :
 wherein:
 said yaw motor comprises an output shaft that is disposed through, is rotationally fixed, and shares a common axis of rotation with a motor pulley; 
 said yaw mechanism further comprises a belt that is wrapped around said motor pulley and a driveshaft pulley; 
 a driveshaft that is disposed through, is rotationally fixed, and shares a common axis of rotation with said driveshaft pulley that corresponds with the yaw axis of said rotary table; 
 said driveshaft is rotationally coupled with said rotary table; 
 said yaw motor can apply torque to said output shaft and rotate the rotary table about said yaw axis. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said pitch mechanism further comprises a plurality of attachment provisions to attach the pitch mechanism to the top side of said rotary table. 
     
     
         12 . A portable fielding system comprising:
 a chassis assembly;   a motorized yaw mechanism comprising a rotary table that can spin about a yaw axis;   a motorized pitch mechanism; and   a motorized ball launcher mechanism;   wherein:
 said rotary table comprises a downward-facing bottom side and an upward-facing top side; 
 said ball launcher mechanism, said pitch mechanism, and said yaw mechanism are arranged and physically coupled in a top-down order along a vertical stack. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein said chassis assembly comprises:
 a bottom subframe, a rear subframe, and a top subframe each having an outer extent that forms a quadrilateral with four ends; 
 wherein:
 said bottom subframe and said top subframe are parallel to each other and at different elevations; 
 one of said four ends of said bottom subframe is attached to a bottom end of said rear subframe; 
 one of said four ends of said top subframe is attached along a location along the rear subframe at an elevation higher than the bottom subframe. 
 
 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said ball launcher mechanism comprises:
 a discharge barrel; and   a ball feed port with a receiving end capable of receiving one or a plurality of balls;   wherein the opposite end of the receiving end of said ball feed port is the entrance to said discharge barrel.   
     
     
         15 . The system as recited in  claim 12 :
 wherein:
 said pitch mechanism comprises a launcher mounting plate that can be oriented along any one of a range of pitch angles; 
 said launcher mounting plate further comprises a bottom side and a top side. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said ball launcher mechanism is attached to the top side of the launcher mounting plate. 
     
     
         17 . The system as recited in  claim 13 :
 wherein:
 said yaw mechanism further comprises a yaw motor and a motor mounting plate; 
 said motor mounting plate comprises an upward-facing surface that is below and facing parallel to the bottom side of the rotary table; 
 said yaw motor is fixed to said motor mounting plate; 
 said motor mounting plate is attached to said bottom subframe. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system as recited in  claim 17 :
 wherein:
 said yaw motor comprises an output shaft that is disposed through, is rotationally fixed, and shares a common axis of rotation with a motor pulley; 
 said yaw mechanism further comprises a belt that is wrapped around said motor pulley and a driveshaft pulley; 
 a driveshaft that is disposed through, is rotationally fixed, and shares a common axis of rotation with said driveshaft pulley that corresponds with the yaw axis of said rotary table; 
 said driveshaft is rotationally coupled with said rotary table; 
 said yaw motor can apply torque to said output shaft and rotate the rotary table about said yaw axis. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said pitch mechanism further comprises a plurality of attachment provisions to attach the pitch mechanism to the top side of said rotary table. 
     
     
         20 . The system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said control system assembly comprises:
 an enclosure;   a powered display;   a powered microcontroller circuit board that interfaces with a plurality of controls to power and control at least said yaw mechanism, said pitch mechanism, and said ball launcher mechanism so that a plurality of different pitch types, ball kinematics, and ball trajectories may be specified and executed; and   a plurality of electrical wires used to join a plurality of circuit ports of said microcontroller to said yaw mechanism, said pitch mechanism, and said ball launcher mechanism.