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:
Aug. 06, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 22, 2000
Marcus L. Caldwell, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Frederick L. Caldwell, Rockford, IL (US);
Other;
Abstract
An improved ball pitching apparatus for a ball pitching machine of the type having an upper and lower wheel, said wheels rotating on substantially parallel shafts and having generally aligned and spaced rims carrying peripheral ball gripping bands; independent speed controlled drive motors; a ball feeder for feeding the ball between the spaced rims so that the ball will be gripped and accelerated in a trajectory tangential to the rims; a head frame carrying the wheels, drive motors, and ball feeder; and, a stand carrying the head frame. The improvements comprise: 1) a singular gripping band on one wheel and two spaced gripping bands on the other wheel so that the ball contacts and is gripped by three discrete points on its peripheral surface; 2) one of the wheels rotating on a shaft biased towards the other wheel so that the ball to be pitched will be gripped with a similar force regardless of diameter variations; and, 3) wheel drive DC motors internally positioned within the wheel so that the shafts and bearings in the motors are directly and radially loaded when the ball is gripped and accelerated. Internally driven wheels facilitate microprocessor and programmed memory control of a servo motors to control rotation of the head frame on the stand. This arrangement enables quick and precise adjustment to different pitching positions.