Pivotal tilt adjustable projectile expelling apparatus

Abstract

An enhanced projectile expelling apparatus provides stability and versatility expelling projectiles at various speeds and trajectories. The projectile expelling apparatus has a rotational expelling housing supported by a supporting stand that is adjustable into innumerable configurations by rotating a launch tube and/or tilting a feeder elbow disposed to abut the launch tube in rotational engagement. A rotational connector assembly facilitated the rotation of the launch tube, and a rearwardly-disposed pivot adjustment assembly facilitates the tilting of the feeder elbow. A speed-controlled motor rotates a drive wheel that imparts speed and spin to the projectiles. Depending upon the rotation of the launch tube, tilt of the feeder tube, and rotational speed of the drive wheel, the projectile expelling apparatus expels projectiles in various straight, curving, rising, dropping, and sliding trajectories.

1 . A projectile expelling apparatus for launching projectiles, comprising:
 an expelling housing supported by a supporting stand, comprising:
 a launch tube having a longitudinal axis; 
 a feeder elbow disposed to direct projectiles into the launch tube, the feeder elbow having a pivot axis, the pivot axis being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the launch tube; and 
 a pivot adjustment assembly disposed at the pivot axis connecting the feeder elbow to the supporting stand in rotational tilting engagement, the pivot adjustment assembly having a tiltable mode wherein the pivot adjustment assembly facilitates the tilting of the feeder elbow about the pivot axis and a non-tiltable mode preventing tilting of the feeder elbow about the pivot axis, the pivot adjustment assembly is in the non-tiltable mode when tightened and is in the tiltable mode when loosened. 
   
     
     
         2 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the projectile expelling apparatus is in a base configuration when the longitudinal axis of the launch tube is disposed horizontally. 
     
     
         3 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the projectile expelling apparatus is in a non-base configuration when the feeder elbow is tilted away from the base configuration, the projectile expelling apparatus being adjustable into one of multiple non-base configurations. 
     
     
         4 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the pivot adjustment assembly comprising an anchoring transverse column connected to the feeder elbow and having its longitudinal axis coincident to the pivot axis, a pivot axis bolt that is anchored to the anchoring transverse column along the pivot axis, a receiving disk through which the pivot axis bolt passes, and a handle that receives the pivot axis bolt in tightening/loosening engagement. 
     
     
         5 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the receiving disk further comprises an elongate recess for receiving at least a portion of the supporting stand in nesting engagement. 
     
     
         6 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the pivot adjustment assembly further comprises a first meshing teeth interface on the receiving disk and a second meshing teeth interface on the anchoring transverse column. 
     
     
         7 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a rotational connector assembly connecting the launch tube to the feeder elbow in rotational engagement, the rotational connector assembly having a secured mode wherein the rotational connector assembly prevents rotation of the launch tube in relation to the feeder elbow and a rotation mode wherein rotational connector assembly facilitates rotation of the launch tube in relation to the feeder elbow, the rotational connector assembly is in the secured mode when tightened and is in the rotation mode when loosened. 
     
     
         8 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 7  wherein rotating the launch tube while in the rotation mode is independent of tilting the feeder tube while in the tiltable mode. 
     
     
         9 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the rotational connector assembly is a circular clamp. 
     
     
         10 . A projectile expelling apparatus, the projectile expelling apparatus for launching projectiles at various trajectories, comprising:
 an expelling housing supported by a supporting stand, comprising:
 a launch tube having a longitudinal axis; 
 a feeder elbow disposed to direct projectiles into the launch tube, the feeder elbow having a pivot axis positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the launch tube; 
 a pivot adjustment assembly connecting the feeder elbow to the supporting stand in rotational tilting engagement about the pivot axis, the pivot adjustment assembly having a tiltable mode wherein the pivot adjustment assembly facilitates the tilting of the feeder elbow about the pivot axis and a non-tiltable mode preventing tilting of the feeder elbow about the pivot axis, pivot adjustment assembly is in the non-tiltable mode when tightened and is in the tiltable mode when loosened; and 
 wherein the projectile expelling apparatus is in a base configuration when the longitudinal axis of the launch tube is disposed horizontally and is in a non-base configuration when the feeder elbow is tilted away from the base configuration, the projectile expelling apparatus being adjustable into one of multiple non-base configurations. 
   
     
     
         11 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the pivot adjustment assembly comprises an anchoring transverse column connected to the feeder elbow and having its longitudinal axis coincident to the pivot axis, a pivot axis bolt that is anchored to the anchoring transverse column along the pivot axis, a receiving disk through which the pivot axis bolt passes, and a rotatable handle that receives the pivot axis bolt in tightening/loosening engagement. 
     
     
         12 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the receiving disk further comprises an elongate recess for receiving at least a portion of the supporting stand in nesting engagement. 
     
     
         13 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the pivot adjustment assembly further comprises a first meshing teeth interface on the receiving disk and a second meshing teeth interface on the anchoring transverse column. 
     
     
         14 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a spin imparting structure for influencing a projectile being expelled to spin predictably when the projectile engages the spin imparting structure. 
     
     
         15 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a rotational connector assembly connecting the launch tube to the feeder elbow in rotational engagement about the longitudinal axis, the rotational connector assembly having a secured mode wherein the rotational connector assembly prevents rotation of the launch tube in relation to the feeder elbow and a rotation mode wherein rotational connector assembly facilitates rotation of the launch tube in relation to the feeder elbow, the rotational connector assembly is in the secured mode when tightened and is in the rotation mode when loosened. 
     
     
         16 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 15  wherein rotating the launch tube while in the rotation mode is independent of tilting the feeder tube while in the tiltable mode. 
     
     
         17 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the projectile expelling apparatus is in non-base configuration when the launch tube is rotated away from the base configuration, the projectile expelling apparatus being adjustable into one of multiple non-base configurations. 
     
     
         18 . A projectile expelling apparatus, the projectile expelling apparatus for launching projectiles at various trajectories, comprising:
 an expelling housing supported by a supporting stand, comprising:
 a launch tube having a longitudinal axis and a drive wheel opening; 
 a motor connected to a drive wheel, at least a portion of the drive wheel extending through the drive wheel opening, the motor for rotating the drive wheel; 
 a feeder elbow disposed to direct projectiles into the launch tube, the feeder elbow having a pivot axis positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the launch tube; 
 a pivot adjustment assembly connecting the feeder elbow to the supporting stand in rotational tilting engagement about the pivot axis, the pivot adjustment assembly having a tiltable mode wherein the pivot adjustment assembly facilitates the tilting of the feeder elbow about the pivot axis and a non-tiltable mode preventing tilting of the feeder elbow about the pivot axis, pivot adjustment assembly is in the non-tiltable mode when tightened and is in the tiltable mode when loosened; and 
 wherein the projectile expelling apparatus is in a base configuration when the longitudinal axis of the launch tube is disposed horizontally and is in a non-base configuration when the feeder elbow is tilted away from the base configuration, the projectile expelling apparatus being adjustable into one of multiple non-base configurations. 
   
     
     
         19 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 18  wherein at least a portion of the spin imparting structure comprises the drive wheel. 
     
     
         20 . The projectile expelling apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the motor has a speed control that regulates the speed at which the drive wheel rotates, the drive wheel imparting speed to the projectiles being expelled from the launch tube.