| Baseball pitching practice aid -> Monitor Keywords |
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  Baseball pitching practice aidUSPTO Application #: 20060019775Title: Baseball pitching practice aid Abstract: A simulated batting dummy is provided with a three dimensional silhouette cutout-type structure. The dummy is made of two layers of impact absorbing, foam bonded together. A color image of a batter is painted or otherwise printed on each side of the silhouette for both right-handed and left-handed “batter” positioning. A support pole extends upwardly inside of the silhouette to the height of about the shoulder region of the “batter”. The support pole protrudes below the feet of the “batter” and is inserted into a receiving socket in a small base plate or, alternately, is inserted into a receiving pipe or cup buried in the ground in the batter's box at home plate. A bat made of identical foam material may be formed as part of the dummy. Further alternately, raised or relief portions may be added to the surface of the silhouette add further depth of view to the image, or such depth may be implemented with painted or printed shading. (end of abstract)
Agent: John J. Simkanich Paul & Paul - Philadelphia, PA, US Inventor: John M. Nurthen USPTO Applicaton #: 20060019775 - Class: 473454000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Playing Field Or Court Game; Game Element Or Accessory Therefor Other Than Projector Or Projectile, Per Se, Practice Or Training Device, For Game In Which Play Involves Base Running (e.g., For Baseball, Cricket, Etc.), Pitcher`s Target The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060019775. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: [0001] The present invention relates to mannequin's, silhouettes, cutouts, dummies, and targets used during baseball pitching practice to simulate a batter thereby providing a game-type condition for a baseball player practicing his pitching. [0002] During pitching practice, usually only a pitcher and a catcher are involved. This is an unrealistic situation, as a batter is at the plate under game conditions. During pitching practice, however, a manager does not want to chance injury to a batter. It is desirable to simulate a batter at the plate, such that a pitcher can practice as close to game conditions as possible. [0003] In the past, mechanized mannequins have been used in amusement parks as part of amusement apparatus testing a participant's pitching aim. While these mechanized mannequins have been made to be life-like, they are heavy, need power and need large mounting making them impractical to use on a baseball diamond. Moreover, they do not permit a live catcher to act with the practicing pitcher. [0004] Strike zone baseball silhouette cutouts have been made from a suitably thick plywood sheet, or an equivalent plastic plate. This silhouette is held upright by a stake driven into the ground and therefore be used on a baseball diamond. However, they are heavy to transport and setup. When used with smaller children, this is a disadvantage. When used with full grown men, the silhouette cutout can be knocked over when hit with a pitch, creating a safety hazard. A significant ricochet hazard also exists with both children and adults. [0005] In order to overcome this safety hazard, these silhouette cutouts have been mated with a pitching target being a swingable gate simulating the strike zone. This eliminates a live catcher crouched at the proper distance behind the home plate, and eliminates a real game condition. Generally a stake is attached to the back of the silhouette cutout and is used to hold the cutout upright in the ground. As an alternative, the swingable gate has been mated with a blowup batter-looking "doll". This doll is held in place by a weighted base or "foot". While such blowup dolls are lighter than a plywood silhouette cutout, they are more fragile and can rupture when struck with a fast pitch. They are also more subject to even the slightest wind conditions due to their depth. [0006] Improved blowup batter dummies for pitching practice have incorporated multiple air chambers. This assists the owner in locating an air leak. Blowup dummies generally require large base plates and take considerable time to be setup and to be taken down. These inflatable dummies also require an air pump on the ball field. If the pump is electric, a safety hazard may exist. [0007] To overcome the shortcomings of blowup dummies, molded rigid plastic dummies have been introduced. These dummies generally require a large base plate, much like the blowup dummies. The problem created with a large base plate is that it forces the batter dummy farther away from the plate than where a live batter would stand, thereby creating an unrealistic simulated game condition. [0008] The mannequins, rigid silhouette cutouts, and rigid plastic dummies can create a ricochet hazard when a pitched ball hits the object. The mannequins and rigid plastic dummies require large bases which force them to be placed too far from the plate. These objects also are generally very cumbersome to carry and store. While the blowup dummies do not create a ricochet hazard, they are fragile and require care in carrying and storage. Moreover, blowup dummies take time to inflate and deflate after use. Like the mannequins and the rigid plastic dummies, blowup dummies require large bases which also force them to be placed too far from home plate. Moreover, while the inflated dummies eliminate the ricochet hazard present with their rigid counterparts, the bases required by the inflated dummies introduce a ricochet hazard for balls "thrown into the dirt". [0009] What is desired is an improved simulated batter, which is easily positionable at varying distances both from the home plate and the pitcher's mound, and which i reasonably easy to transport, set up and store, and which is reasonably durable and eliminates or minimizes ricochet hazards. [0010] An objective of this invention is to provide a durable silhouette cutout-type batting dummy which is reasonably light weight but also durable. [0011] A second objective of this invention is to provide such batting dummy with pitched ball impact force absorption. [0012] A third object of this invention is to provide such batting dummy with a mounting pole and a variety of base or securement members thereby permitting the dummy to be positioned at varying distances from home plate in a normal batter's box area. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: [0013] The objectives of the present invention are realized in a simulated three dimensional batting dummy of the silhouette cutout-type. The "prop" will create the illusion of a crouched baseball batter (or softball batter) standing at home plate waiting for a pitched ball. The intent is to simulate a live right-handed or left-handed batter so that a pitcher can comfortably practice pitching in game simulated conditions, without the worry of hitting an actual batter with a wild pitch. [0014] A pitcher would prefer to have a "live" or "real batter" standing at home plate so that he could practice his warm-up routine or practice his pitching closest to real game conditions as possible. A live batter is reluctant to stand at home plate for fear of getting hurt. Also, the pitcher, while he wants a live batter while he practices, will not be fully relaxed in his throwing routine or as eager to try new pitches for fear of hitting a batter and teammate with a wild pitch. The present invention fills a long felt need at all levels of play from little league to professional ball. [0015] The "prop" is suitable to be set up in a batter's box at home plate, with little or no base member, to permit a catcher to crouch at his normal position behind the plate. Two sheets of closed cellular foam are cut into the shape (silhouette) of a crouched batter. A support pole is inserted between the sheets to create a hollow interior area having a small air pocket. This support pole forms the spine of the silhouetted dummy and extends from slightly below the "batter's shoes" to about his "shoulders". The "head" portion and any included "bat" projecting from the "batter's hands" are unsupported by the spine. [0016] The two sheets of foam are bonded together at their outer edges (the periphery of the silhouette) and bonded to the support pole. The shape of the silhouette is reasonably flat, with a shallow taper from its vertical middle, where the support pole is positioned, to the outer edges. [0017] The foam is chosen to be energy absorbing and therefore resistant to impact and weather proof. The foam is also selected to have excellent tear strength and abrasion resistance with good flexibility and ultraviolet protection. Bonding of the two sheets together may be had by gluing or heat welding. [0018] A color image of a batter painted or printed on the outer side of each cutout foam sheet either before or after assembly and bonding. Raised or relief features may be added to the surface of each cutout foam sheet if desired. These can be added by vinyl or rubber build-up techniques or by thermoforming the surface of each foam cutout sheet. Alternately, relief features may be attained by shading and coloring. [0019] The support pole can be solid or hollow, but rounded at its end closest to the dummy's head. Where a hollow pole is used, it may be implemented in tubing or pipe. Round, rectangular or square cross-section may be used. [0020] The base of the support pole is intended to seat into and be held in a receiving socket. Either a friction fit, a bayonet-like fit, or a pin tied (bolted) fit may be used between the bottom of the support pole and its receiving socket. [0021] The receiving socket may be driven into the ground, or may be mounted to the top face of a weighted base. The receiving socket may also be a batting tee assembled via insertion into its protruding tee-tub. The receiving socket may also be a sand filled PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tube/pipe configuration, whereby the base is positioned behind the cutout/silhouette dummy. The base may be covered with the foam material to reduce ricocheting, or it may be buried in an indentation in the ground. Alternately, a steel base plate in the range of about 6 inches to about 15 inches on a side may be used. This base plate if of heavier weight material can preferably be in the range of about 7 inches to 10 inches on a side. This base plate can have a thickness of from about 1/8 inches to about 3/8 inches. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for Baseball pitching practice aid Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Baseball pitching practice aid patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Baseball pitching practice aid or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Baseball tee Next Patent Application: High-strenght, lightweight blow-molded plastic basketball backboard Industry Class: Games using tangible projectile ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Baseball pitching practice aid patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.79623 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry |
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