BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many youngsters are interested in improving their skills in hitting a baseball. Because of this, machines have been provided on a commercial basis for pitching balls to a batter. The batter positions himself or herself in a batting cage and the machine then transmits a plurality of balls in sequence to the batter. The batter pays for this by inserting coins into a coin box or by paying a cashier.

There are at least three (3) problems with the arrangement described in the previous paragraph. One problem is that the batter cannot control when successive balls are propelled to the batter by the pitching machine. Another problem is that the batter has to travel to the site of the pitching machine to the inconvenience of the batter. A third disadvantage is that the pitching machines propel the balls at a high velocity toward the batter. This may be advantageous to teenagers and adults but it is not advantageous to pre-teenagers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an apparatus for overcoming the disadvantages discussed in the previous paragraph. The apparatus of this invention provides for a control by an individual (e. g. a batter) of the times when a machine propels an element (e. g. a ball) for operation of a member (e. g. a bat) by the individual (e. g. batter). The apparatus of this invention is portable even by pre- teenagers so that the individual operating the member (e. g. the bat) can practice

anywhere including the individual's backyard or a friend's backyard. The apparatus of this invention is especially designed to be used by pre-teenagers.

Although a pitching machine is shown in the drawings to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments are within the scope of the invention. For example, the apparatus of this invention can be adapted to propel hockey pucks to a player holding a hockey stick or to propel lacrosse balls to a player holding a lacrosse stick.

In one embodiment of the invention, a member (e. g. baseball bat) includes a switch manually operable to obtain the transmission of signals by a transmitter in the member to apparatus for propelling an element (e. g. ball) toward an individual holding the member.

The apparatus includes a receiver for receiving the transmitted signals and includes a housing with a hollow passage. A ramp supported on the housing holds a plurality of the elements for sequential movement into the passage.

The element in the passage is supported on one of the fingers of a rotary detainer.

The detainer is normally prevented from rotating by a release mechanism coupled to the detainer.

The detainer is rotated by the weight of the element when the release mechanism is decoupled from the detainer upon the reception of the transmitted signals. The element then moves downwardly in the passage to a propulsion mechanism which may comprise a pair of rollers for gripping the opposite ends of the element. The rollers are actuated by motors connected in a circuit with a transportable energy source (e. g. battery) so that the motors are energized only when a ball is disposed on a finger in the detainer, thereby prolonging battery life.

The element is propelled by the propulsion mechanism toward the individual holding the member so that the individual can practice receiving the element (e. g. hitting the ball). The trajectory of the propelled ball can be adjusted by pivoting the housing relative to a base member which supports the housing and which holds the battery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of (1) a baseball bat and the hands of an individual swinging the bat to hit a ball propelled toward the bat, (2) pitching apparatus for propelling the ball toward the bat and (3) the movement of the ball from the pitching apparatus toward the bat; Figure 2 is a sectional view in elevation of the pitching apparatus shown in Figure 1 as seen from a position in front of the apparatus; Figure 3 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the pitching apparatus as seen from a position to one side of the apparatus; Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view in elevation of the bat and includes a switch manually operable to provide for a transmission of signals from the bat to the pitching apparatus; Figure 5 shows a block diagram of a transmitter in the bat for transmitting signals to the pitching apparatus and a block upon the closure of the switch in Figure 4 and a block diagram of a receiver in the pitching apparatus for receiving the signals transmitted from the bat and for activating the pitching machine to propel a ball toward the bat; and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit for energizing motors in the pitching apparatus when a ball is disposed in the pitching apparatus, thereby providing for the propulsion of the ball from the pitching apparatus when the receiver receives signals from the transmitter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one embodiment of the invention, apparatus generally indicated at 10 (Figure 1) is provided for propelling a ball 12 toward a bat generally indicated at 14. The ball 12 may be a hard or a soft ball generally provided for baseball games. Preferably the ball is a hollow plastic ball having a light weight and constructed to limit the speed of the ball and the distance of travel of the ball.

This ball is advantageous when the hitter is a child generally less than ten (10) years old.

A switch 16 (Figure 4) is provided in the bat 14, preferably at a position above the positions in the handle portion where the batter's hands 18 grip the bat when the batter is swinging at the ball 12. The switch 16 is depressed by the batter when the batter desires to have the apparatus 10 propel the ball 12 toward the batter.

A transmitter generally indicated at 20 in Figure 5 is disposed in the bat 14 to transmit signals to the pitching apparatus 10 for obtaining the propulsion of the ball 12 by the pitching apparatus toward the bat 14. In one embodiment, the transmitter 20 may include an oscillator 22 for producing signals at a particular frequency such as approximately thirty-two megahertz (32 MHz). The oscillator 22 may be crystal controlled.

The signals from the oscillator 22 may be amplified as at 24 and the amplified signals may be introduced to an antenna 26 which may be provided with an impedance preferably matching the impedance of the amplifier 24. An energy source such as a battery 28 (Figure 4) may be removably disposed in the bottom 30 of the bat to energize the transmitter 20.

A receiver generally indicated at 32 in Figure 5 may be disposed in the pitching apparatus 10 to receive the signals transmitted from the bat 14. The

receiver 32 may include an antenna 34 which may be in the form of a coil.

Amplifiers 36 may be provided to amplify the received signals. The amplified signals may then be mixed as at 38 and the mixed signals may then be detected as at 40 to recover the signals at thirty-two megahertz (32 MHz). The detected signals may then be introduced to a driver 42.

The apparatus 10 includes a base member 50 (Figures 1-3) and a housing 52 pivotably attached to the base member as at 54. The base member is adapted to be supported on a support surface such as the ground. The base member 52 is adapted to hold a transportable energy source such as a battery 56.

The housing 52 is provided with a hollow passage 58. Holes 60 may be provided in the housing 52 at progressive positions along the passage 58, primarily for aesthetic purposes. The ball 12 is adapted to be disposed in the hollow passage 58 against one of a plurality of annularly spaced fingers 62 in a rotatable detainer 64 having a shape such as a star wheel. The detainer 64 is normally engaged by a release mechanism 65 which is actuated to be withdrawn from engagement with the detainer when a solenoid 66 is energized.

The hollow passage 58 is initially disposed vertically and is progressively curved at progressive downward positions to have a horizontal disposition. A pair of pockets 70 are disposed in the housing 52 at the opposite sides of the housing at positions where the hollow passage 58 is substantially horizontal. One of a pair of motors 74 and one of a pair of actuators such as rollers 76 are disposed in each of the pockets 70.

The motor 74 and the roller 76 in each pocket 72 are operatively coupled to each other to provide a rotation of the roller in accordance with the energizing of the motor. The rollers 76 are preferably made from a resilient material and are preferably extended into the hollow passage 58 to grip the opposite ends of the ball 12 in the passage and to propel the ball from the passage

in accordance with the rotation of the rollers. The motors 74 and the rollers 76 may be considered as a propulsion mechanism.

The battery 56 and the motors 74 are disposed in a series circuit (Figure 6) with a normally open switch 78. The switch 78 becomes closed when the ball 12 is disposed on the finger 62 of the detainer 64. The closure of the switch 78 at such time results from the fact that each finger 62 has some play in its positioning. This causes each finger 62 to be disposed upwardly, with no ball on the finger, from the position which it occupies when the ball 12 is disposed on the finger. In the upward position of the finger 62, the switch 78 is open.

In this way, the motors 74 are energized only when the ball 12 is in the hollow passage 58 in a position to be propelled from the hollow passage when a signal from the transmitter 20 is received by the receiver 32. Furthermore, energy is conserved in the battery 54 to prolong the life of the battery since the battery provides energy to the motors 74 only when the ball 12 is disposed in the hollow passage 56.

The housing 52 is provided at its top end with a stanchion. A tube 82 forming a part of a ramp generally indicated at 84 fits snugly on the stanchion in a removable relationship to the stanchion. The ramp 84 defines an inclined track 86 extending in a spiral path to a position at its bottom end above the hollow passage 58. A plurality of the balls 12 are disposed on the track 86 for a movement of each ball in sequence into the hollow passage 58 when the ball previously in the hollow passage is propelled by the rollers 76 from the passage toward the batter holding the bat 14.

Assume that the ramp 84 is disposed on the stanchion at the top of the housing 52 and that one of the balls 12 on the track 86 has dropped into the hollow passage 58 for disposition on the finger 62 extending into the hollow passage. This causes the finger 62 on the detainer 64 to be positioned to close the

switch 78 in Figure 6 and the motors 74 to be energized. The resultant rotation of the rollers 76 provides for the propulsion of the ball from the hollow passage 58 when the ball is released by the detainer 64.

When the batter manually closes the switch 16 in Figure 4, signals are transmitted by the transmitter 20 in Figure 5 to the receiver 32 in Figure 5.

This causes the solenoid 66 (Figure 3) to be energized and the release mechanism 65 to be retracted from the detainer 64. The detainer 64 is now free to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction by the ball 12 on the finger 62. This rotation frees the ball 12 to move downwardly in the hollow passage 58 to a position between the rollers 76. Since the rollers 76 are already being rotated by the motors 74, the rollers propel the ball 12 from the hollow passage toward the batter when the ball reaches the rollers. At the same time that the ball 12 is dropping through the hollow passage 58, the next ball on the track 86 drops into the hollow passage for disposition against the next one of the fingers 62.

The apparatus described above has been disclosed with reference to a pitching machine for baseball. It is believed that a person of ordinary skill in the art will be able with little or no experimentation to adapt the apparatus for other uses. For example, it is believed that a person of ordinary skill in the art will be able to adapt the invention for use by a hockey player or for use by a lacrosse player.

Although this invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, the principles involved are susceptible for use in numerous other embodiments which will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims.