The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 06, 1977
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1975
Thomas S Clark, Palo Alto, CA (US);
William S Kennedy, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert L Piziali, Stanford, CA (US);
American Tennis Systems, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A tennis ball retrieving and propelling device for placement on a surface having a ball delivery tube and a carrousel type ball retriever positioned below the ball delivery tube for receiving balls to be pneumatically transported to the ball delivery tube. The delivery tube is provided with a mechanism for constricting the effective cross sectional area thereof. The mechanism is provided with a releasing element for releasing the constriction to permit a ball to be pneumatically propelled through the tube. The mechanism includes a section of flexible tubing attached to the delivery tube, a cable surrounding the flexible tubing and a device attached to the cable for tensioning and releasing the cable to restrict and release a ball traveling through the flexible tube. The balls are pneumatically retrieved and propelled from the propelling device. The propelling device has elements for controlling the speed, azimuth and elevation of a ball delivered therefrom.