Ball throwing device with rotary wheel, and pad means for compressing a ball against the wheel

Abstract

A ball is delivered into the constricted space between, and thereby gripped frictionally by, a fixed pad and a confronting surface of a wheel which is driven at a speed predetermined to propel the ball therefrom at a selected velocity. The line on which the ball is propelled between the pad and wheel is adjustable about a horizontal axis and the speed of the wheel is variable so as to adjust the trajectory of the thrown ball. Further, the pad may be mounted above or below the wheel to reverse the spin on the ball and thus afford a variety of practice conditions.

Having now described our invention and the manner in which it may be used, we claim: 
     
       1. A ball throwing device, comprising: a. a support assembly including a base member, and a support member mounted on the base member for rotation and about a horizontal axis and having at least one portion thereof .[.projection.]. .Iadd.projecting .Iaddend.radially outward from the base member for 180° selective rotational adjustment about said horizontal axis to opposite vertical sides of said axis,   b. a rotary wheel having a ball-engaging surface, the wheel being mounted on the support assembly for rotation about an axis parallel to the said horizontal axis of rotational adjustment of the support member,   c. drive means engaging the wheel for rotating the ball-engaging surface thereof in a ball throwing direction at a speed predetermined to project a ball therefrom at a selected velocity,   d. a pad means mounted on the support member for rotation therewith about said horizontal axis, the pad means having a ball-engaging surface spaced radially from the ball-engaging surface of the wheel a distance slightly less than the diameter of a ball to be thrown for compressing a ball against the wheel, and   e. means for supporting the base member for rotation about a vertical axis whereby to accommodate throwing of a ball in the same direction when the pad means is positioned above the wheel and when the pad means is positioned below the wheel   f. said rotary wheel .[.on.]. .Iadd.or .Iaddend.pad means being mounted on said at least one radially projecting portion of the support member for adjustment to opposite vertical sides of said horizontal axis of rotation.   
     
     
       2. The ball throwing device of claim 1 including lock means on the base member engageable with the support member for securing the latter in selected positions of rotational adjustment about said horizontal axis. 
     
     
       3. The ball throwing device of claim 1 including ball delivery means mounted for rotation with the pad .Iadd.means .Iaddend.about said horizontal axis for introducing a ball into the space between the ball-engaging surfaces. .[.4. The ball throwing device of claim 1 wherein the pad means is mounted on the support member radially outward of said horizontal axis and the rotary wheel is mounted for rotation on an axis 
     
     
        coaxial with said horizontal axis..]. 5. The ball throwing device of claim 1 wherein the pad means is mounted on the support member radially outward of said horizontal axis and the rotary wheel is mounted for rotation about 
     
     
        an axis parallel to and spaced radially from said horizontal axis. 6. The ball throwing device of claim 1 wherein the ball-engaging surface of the pad means closest to the rotary wheel is disposed on said horizontal axis and the rotary wheel is mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to and 
     
     
        spaced radially from said horizontal axis. .Iadd.7.  A ball throwing device comprising: a support assembly including a base member, and a support member mounted on the base member for rotation about a horizontal adjustment axis, at least a portion of said support member projecting radially outwardly from the base member and being movable over at least about 180° for selective rotational adjustment about said adjustment axis to diametrically opposite sides of said axis,   a rotary wheel having a ball-engaging surface, the wheel being mounted on the support assembly for rotation about said adjustment axis,   drive means engaging said wheel for rotating the ball-engaging surface thereof in a ball throwing direction,   pad means mounted on said radially projecting portion of the support member and being movable with adjustment of the support member to opposite sides of said adjustment axis, said pad means having a ball-engaging surface spaced radially from the ball-engaging surface of the wheel a distance less than the diameter of a ball to be thrown whereby such ball while passing between the ball-engaging surface of the pad means and the ball-engaging surface of the wheel is compressed against the wheel, ball delivery means also mounted on said radially projecting portion of the support member for introducing a ball into the space between the ball engaging surfaces of said rotary wheel and said pad means, and   means for supporting said base member, support member, wheel and pad means at an elevation above the ground including a portable stand, the ball   
     
     
        throwing device being manually transportable. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8.  A ball throwing device comprising: a support assembly,   a ball-engaging rotatable wheel member having a ball-engaging surface extending circumferentially thereabout rotatably mounted on the support assembly with the wheel member occupying a substantially upright plane,   a ball-engaging pad member having a ball-engaging surface extending therealong mounted on said support assembly in substantially the plane of the wheel member and with the ball-engaging surface of the pad member spaced radially from the ball-engaging surface of the wheel member a distance slightly less than the diameter of a ball to be thrown whereby a ball is compressed against the wheel member on passing between the wheel and pad members,   drive means engaging the wheel member for rotating the ball-engaging surface thereof in a ball throwing direction,   said support assembly including a base member and a support member rotatably mounted on said base member for rotation about a horizontal adjustment axis extending normal to the plane of the wheel member, said support member including a portion disposed radially outwardly of said adjustment axis movable over at least about 180° for selective rotational adjustment about said adjustment axis,   at least one of said ball-engaging members being mounted on said portion of said support member and located by said support member in a position disposed over the other ball-engaging member, and movement of said portion of said support member over said 180° being effective to change the position of said one ball-engaging member from its position disposed over the other ball-engaging member to a position disposed under the said other ball-engaging member,   said support assembly further including a portable stand which supports said base member, support member and ball-engaging members at elevations disposed above the ground, the ball throwing device being manually   
     
     
        transportable. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9.  The ball throwing device of claim 8, wherein said pad member is mounted on said radially outwardly disposed portion of said support member, and which further includes ball delivery means mounted on said radially outwardly disposed portion of said support member for introducing a ball into the space between the ball-engaging surfaces of said wheel and pad members. .Iaddend.