System for pitching sports balls
View Patent ↗A system for delivering balls to each of two players playing on opposite sides of a field includes a remote control unit worn or placed on each of the two players, each remote control unit configured, upon activation of a particular player, to transmit a wireless signal that identifies a location of the particular player. A ball pitching machine includes a housing configured to receive and hold the balls, at least one wheel, a ball shooting mechanism that receives the balls and shoots one of the balls at a time; and a controller that includes a position-locator, the controller configured to receive and process the signal, direct positioning of the ball shooting mechanism so as to face the player that sent the signal and shoot one of the balls in a direction of the player's position, in accordance with the signal received from the remote control unit.
1. A system for delivering balls to each of two players playing on opposite sides of a field, said system comprising:
a remote control unit worn or placed on each of the two players, each remote control unit configured, upon activation of a particular player, to transmit a wireless signal that identifies a location of the particular player;
a ball pitching machine situated off the field, comprising:
a housing, including at least one wheel, configured to receive and hold the balls,
a ball shooting mechanism that receives the balls and shoots one of the balls at a time; and
a controller comprising a position-locator, the controller configured to receive and process the signal, direct positioning of the ball shooting mechanism so as to face the player that sent the signal and shoot one of the balls in a direction of the player's position, in accordance with the signal received from the remote control unit,
wherein the position locator is configured to determine a position of a hand of the player who activated the remote control such that the player who activated can conveniently catch a ball shot by the ball pitching machine.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ball pitching machine is situated adjacent a one end of a net that divides the field.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning of the ball pitching mechanism in accordance with a direction of the controller is accomplished by the controller directing rotation of a plate at a bottom of the ball pitching machine.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a ball feeder and wherein the ball shooting mechanism includes one rotatable wheel that is positioned below an exit opening of the ball feeder and that is configured to contact, one at a time, the balls that exit the exit opening.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the ball shooting mechanism to shoot the ball at a distance and an angle so as to be conveniently catchable by an outstretched (i) hand or (ii) racquet of the player.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the ball shooting mechanism to shoot the one of the balls in the direction of the player's position within one second.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ball pitching mechanism is configured to pitch balls to either player on any part of the field.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ball pitching mechanism is configured to pitch balls to either player on any part of the field other than within a predefined distance from a net that divides the field.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ball shooting mechanism includes two rotatable wheels situated such that balls coming from the ball feeder are urged to contact each of the two rotatable wheels so as to be thrust between the two rotatable wheels and shot out of the ball pitching machine.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ball shooting mechanism includes two rotatable wheels attached to a fixture rotatable to change an angle at which the ball shooting mechanism ejects balls.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ball shooting mechanism is configured to receive the balls from a ball feeder.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an apparatus for collecting the balls, the apparatus comprising:
a ball-adhering ribbon surrounding a perimeter of a bottom of a net on the field;
a scooper attached to the ball-adhering ribbon and configured to advance relative to the ribbon and thereby collect balls that have adhered to said ribbon and urged the collected balls into the ball pitching machine for re-use, so that the players do not need to chase after the balls used during the game, thereby enhancing the game experience.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the scooper is configured to direct collected balls to a bottom of the ball pitching machine and wherein the ball feeder is configured to receive balls from the bottom of the ball pitching machine.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the ball pitching machine is situated adjacent one end of the track.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position locator is configured to determine the position of the outstretched hand of the player who activated the remote control.
16. A system for delivering balls to each of two players playing on opposite sides of a field, said system comprising:
a remote control configured to be placed on each of the two players and configured to send a wireless signal that identifies a location of a particular player of the two players that sent the signal;
a ball pitching machine comprising:
a housing configured to receive and hold the balls,
a ball feeder,
a ball shooting mechanism that receives the balls, one at a time, from the ball feeder and is configured to shoot one of the balls at a time; and
a rotatable barrel in communication with the housing and oriented at an angle to the housing, the barrel having an ejection component that cooperates with the shooting mechanism;
a controller comprising a position-locator, the controller configured to receive and process the signal, direct rotation of said rotatable barrel such that the ejection component faces the player that sent the signal and shoot one of the balls in a direction of the player's position, in accordance with the signal received from said remote control unit,
further comprising an apparatus for collecting the balls, the apparatus comprising:
a ball-adhering ribbon surrounding a perimeter of a bottom of a net on the field;
a scooper attached to the ball-adhering ribbon and configured to advance relative to the ribbon and thereby collect balls that have adhered to said ribbon and urged the collected balls into the ball pitching machine for re-use so that the players do not need to chase after the balls used during the game, thereby enhancing the game experience.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ball shooting mechanism is inside the rotatable barrel.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ball shooting mechanism includes two rotatable wheels situated such that balls coming from the ball feeder are urged to simultaneously contact each of the two rotatable wheels and be thrust between the two rotatable wheels.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the ball shooting mechanism to shoot the ball at a distance configured to be catchable by an outstretched hand of the player.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ejection component juts out of the housing and wherein a remainder of the barrel is within the housing.
21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the rotatable barrel is oriented at an angle to a side of the housing.
22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ball feeder is configured to receive balls that were collected on the field and urged into the ball pitching machine.
23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the scooper is configured to direct collected balls to a bottom of the ball pitching machine and wherein the ball feeder is configured to receive balls from the bottom of the ball pitching machine.
24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ball pitching machine is situated adjacent one end of the track.