JP2009291623A - Handheld pitching device for propelling object along curved or linear trajectory - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a handheld pitching device for propelling objects along curved or linear trajectories. <P>SOLUTION: The device for propelling objects along curved or linear trajectories includes a handgrip having a first face and a second face, a pair of yoke members extending from the first face of the handgrip, a sling, and a plurality of elastic members interconnecting the sling and a pair of yoke members. A pair of yoke members and the handgrip are configured to generate a curve in the trajectory of a propelled object upon rotation of the handgrip with respect to a pair of yoke members. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for propelling an object along a curved or straight track. In particular, the invention disclosed herein relates to a handheld pitching device used to implement a curved or linear trajectory in a direction selected by propelling a ball.

  Among the prior art of the present invention, the most likely related one is the United States, which was published on August 31, 2006 and claims priority based on the provisional application filed on April 4, 2003. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0191521 ("Gee"). Gee discloses the underlying aspect of the present invention, the use of a sling shot to propel a plastic baseball. However, unlike the present invention, Gee discloses that a golf ball having a non-uniform structure size, such as a hole formed in only a part of the surface to generate spin or a curve. The use of plastic balls. It is claimed that the direction of the spin or curve can be controlled by orienting the hole of the ball in a slingshot firing bag before the ball is released. Of course, the need for a special ball with a non-uniform hole pattern and a smaller size than a baseball ball is a major drawback. That is, the ball for the device according to the prior art must be a specific ball, and thus needs to be specially manufactured for the device. Such balls tend to be much more expensive than plastic balls, which are about the size of a more standard baseball with uniformly spaced holes.

  Also, according to Gee's disclosure, the direction of spin imparted to the ball depends on the orientation of the ball in the firing bag. That is, it goes without saying that special balls such as those described above must be carefully placed in the firing bag with the hole in a specific position before being propelled towards the batter. Such a task is time consuming and tedious, obviously slowing down the sequence of steps and detracting from the training effects that the device can achieve. Also, if the ball's position or orientation changes without notice while using the slingshot, the ball will not spin or curve along the desired trajectory in the batter direction, but will have a curved trajectory along another path. There is a possibility of drawing. This can, of course, affect the desired training for the batter.

  As mentioned above, there are various deficiencies in the devices disclosed in Gee, so there is still a need for an apparatus that overcomes the above drawbacks. In particular, the size of the ball is almost the same as that of a standard baseball ball (or softball ball), the ball used is a standard ball and the structure is uniform, and the trajectory of the ball in the firing bag Regardless of orientation, the trajectory is likely to follow a predetermined desired path for the best training of each batter's baseball or softball ball training. There is a great demand for training devices that “fire” balls.

  One or more embodiments of the present invention are made in view of the aforementioned demands. According to a preferred embodiment, which is disclosed in its entirety herein, the present invention includes an apparatus for propelling an object along a curved or linear trajectory. The apparatus includes a handgrip having a first surface and a second surface, a pair of yoke members extending from the first surface of the handgrip, a sling, and a plurality of connecting the sling and the pair of yoke members to each other. And an elastic member. The pair of yoke members and the hand grip are configured to curve the trajectory of the propelled object when the hand grip is rotated with respect to the pair of yoke members.

  The pair of yoke members and the hand grip generates a curve from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members when the hand grip is rotated in the clockwise direction, and the hand grip is rotated in the counterclockwise direction. When rotated to the right, it may be configured to generate a curve from the second yoke member to the first yoke member of the pair of yoke members. The pair of yoke members are arranged at different distances from the sling, and when the hand grip is rotated, different tensions are generated in the plurality of elastic members.

  The hand grip may have an over-rotation stopper that contacts at least one of the pair of yoke members when the hand grip is rotated by a predetermined amount. When the handgrip is rotated by a predetermined amount, different distances between the pair of yoke members from the sling are maximum values. The hand grip may further include a pair of through holes into which the pair of yoke members are inserted on the first surface of the hand grip, and the pair of yoke members are slidable with respect to the through holes.

  The sling may be extended in the direction from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members.

  The device may further include a pair of arm support rods extending from the second surface of the handgrip toward the user of the device, and an arm support portion disposed at the distal ends of the pair of arm support rods. . The distance between the pair of yoke members on the first surface of the handgrip is greater than the distance between the pair of arm support rods on the second surface of the handgrip. One of the pair of yoke members and one of the pair of arm support rods may be formed as one member, and the other of the pair of yoke members and the other of the pair of arm support rods may be formed as one member.

  The apparatus may further include a sling blocker having one end connected to the first yoke member and the other end connected to the second yoke member, and the sling blocker and the pair of yoke members. Defines the space through which the object passes when propelled.

  The apparatus may further comprise a pair of flexible tubular members, each of the pair of tubular members covering a corresponding one of the plurality of elastic members. The plurality of elastic members may have two or more elastic bands.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, disclosed in its entirety herein, a method of manufacturing an apparatus for propelling an object along a curved or straight track has a first surface and a second surface, Preparing a handgrip having a pair of through-holes, and a pair of yoke members extending from a first surface of the handgrip so that the pair of yoke members are slidable and rotatable with respect to the handgrip Joining the pair of yoke members to the handgrip and fixing a plurality of elastic members to the pair of yoke members and sling.

  The method further includes that when the pair of yoke members and the hand grip are rotated clockwise, a curve from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members is generated. A step may be provided in which a curve is generated from the second yoke member to the first yoke member of the pair of yoke members when the grip is rotated counterclockwise. In the step of configuring, the pair of yoke members and the hand grip are configured such that the pair of yoke members are arranged at different distances from the sling, and different tensions are generated in the plurality of elastic members when the hand grip is rotated. Having stages.

  The method may further include forming an over-rotation stopper on the hand grip that contacts at least one of the pair of yoke members when the hand grip is rotated by a predetermined amount. The step of preparing the handgrip may include the step of forming a pair of through holes into which the pair of yoke members are inserted on the first surface of the handgrip, and the pair of yoke members slides with respect to the pair of through holes. Possible and rotatable.

  The sling may be extended from the first yoke member to the second yoke member in the pair of yoke members.

  The method may further include a step of inserting a pair of arm support rods into the pair of through holes on the second surface of the handgrip, and a step of forming an arm support portion at the distal ends of the pair of arm support rods. The distance between the pair of through holes may be larger on the first surface of the handgrip than on the second surface of the handgrip.

  The method may further include connecting one end of the sling blocker to the first yoke member of the pair of yoke members and connecting the other end to the second yoke member.

  The above objects and advantages of the present invention, together with other objects and advantages, will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the following drawings.

It is a three-dimensional front view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention and a plastic training baseball ball used in the embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred embodiment showing a ball being placed in a sling and ready to be pulled and propelled in a desired direction.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device showing a ball centrally located in the sling.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the apparatus showing a ball that is off-centered and placed on the left side in a sling and a ball that is off-center and placed on the right side.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing a band / yoke pin and a band / sling boundary.

It is a bottom view which shows the connection of the arm support part with respect to a grip and a grip.

It is a top view which shows the connection of the yoke member with respect to a grip and a grip, Comprising: It is a figure which shows a mode that the distance from the sling of a left yoke member is larger, and implement | achieves the curved track | orbit from left to right.

FIG. 8 is a top view similar to FIG. 7, but showing a state in which the distance from the sling of the right yoke member is larger and a curved orbit from right to left is realized.

It is a front view which shows the grip which is not rotated.

It is a side view which shows the rotated grip, Comprising: The distance of a yoke member is non-uniform | heterogenous.

It is a top view which shows the hand grip which concerns on preferable embodiment provided with the excessive rotation stopper provided arbitrarily. It is a rear view which shows the hand grip which concerns on preferable embodiment provided with the excessive rotation stopper provided arbitrarily.

It is a top view which shows the hand grip which concerns on preferable embodiment provided with the excessive rotation stopper provided arbitrarily when rotated.

It is a three-dimensional front view which shows the pitching apparatus which concerns on preferable embodiment provided with the excessive rotation stopper and sling blocker which are provided arbitrarily.

  Referring to the accompanying drawings, it can be seen that the pitching device 10 is used to propel the object 12. The object 12 may be, for example, a ball such as a hollow sphere in which the holes 13 are uniformly arranged. The pitching device 10 includes a hand grip 16 that is formed by through holes 17 and 19 and yoke members 14 and 15 that are inserted into the through holes 17 and 19 at the top of the hand grip 16, respectively. The yoke members 14 and 15 are joined to the elastic band 18 at opposite ends, and the elastic band 18 is connected to the opposite ends of the sling 20. The band 18 is preferably covered with a flexible rubber tube 22 for preventing the band 18 from being entangled.

  The pitching device further has arm support rods 25 and 24 which are inserted into the through holes 17 and 19 respectively at the bottom of the grip 16. The arm support rods 25 and 24 extend along the user's arm to the arm support 26 provided at the distal end, and the arm support 26 is shown in detail in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. , Extending around a part of the upper side of the user's forearm.

  Each of the yoke members 14 and 15 has one or more extending portions extending in a plurality of different directions with respect to the grip 16. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the yoke members 14 and 15 have vertical extending portions 14a and 15a, horizontal extending portions 14b and 15b, and shaft extending portions 14c and 15c. The horizontal extending portions 14 b and 15 b extend so as to be separated in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip 16. The vertically extending portions 14a and 15a extend in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the grip 16 from the ends of the horizontally extending portions 14b and 15b, respectively.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a method of connecting one end of the band 18 to the sling 20 and connecting the other end to the yoke member 14 or 15. As shown in the figure, each end of the sling 20 has a joining hole 28, and a joining part 30 is formed through the band 18 so as to pass through the joining hole 28. As further shown in the figure, a lateral pin 32 extending longer than the diameter of the cross section of the yoke members 14 and 15 is formed at the end of each of the yoke members 14 and 15. The pin 32 is securely attached to the annular end 34 of the band 18. The rubber tube 22 is indicated by a hatched line in FIG. 5 and a solid line in FIG. 1, and is fixed to a pin 32 penetrating a hole provided in the rubber tube 22 side by side. The rubber tube 22 prevents the band 18 from leaving the pin 32 without noticing.

  While the above-described embodiment has a plurality of separate bands 18 connected to each end of the sling 20, the invention is not so limited. For example, the band 18 connecting the yoke members 14 and 15 to the sling 20 is integrally formed as one band 18 extending from the yoke member 14 through a part of the sling 20 to the yoke member 15. You may do that.

  An example of the grip 16 shown in FIG. 1 is a hexagonal column whose longitudinal axes are aligned in the vertical direction. The through holes 17 and 19 are formed from the upper surface or upper surface of the grip 16 in which the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the grip 16 and from the lower surface or lower surface of the grip 16 in which the arm support rods 25 and 24 are inserted into the grip 16. It is extended to. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the shaft extending portions 14 c and 15 c of the yoke members 14 and 15 extend through the grip 16 through the through holes 17 and 19, respectively. The inner diameters of the through holes 17 and 19 are larger than the outer diameters of the shaft extending portions 14c and 15c, respectively, and the shaft extending portions 14c and 15c have the through holes 17 so that the grip 16 can rotate as described below. And 19 are slidable. The yoke members 14 and 15 may be formed integrally with the arm support rods 25 and 24, respectively, and may be one continuous member. The distance between the through hole 17 and the through hole 19 where the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the grip 16 is equal to the through hole 17 where the arm support rods 25 and 24 are inserted into the grip 16. It is preferable that it is larger than the distance between the through hole 19 and the through hole 19.

  Although the above-described embodiment includes the hexagonal grip 16, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the grip 16 may have a cylindrical shape or other shape, and may have any shape as long as the user's hand can grip the pitching device 10.

  As described above, the grip 16 is slidable and rotatable with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15. When the grip 16 and the yoke members 14 and 15 are arranged as shown in FIG. 1, rotating the grip 16 in the clockwise direction means that the vertical axis or the longitudinal axis of the grip 16 is viewed from above the pitching device 10. Rotation of the grip 16 in the counterclockwise direction means rotation in the opposite direction.

  A method for propelling the object 12 along a desired trajectory using the pitching device 10 will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sling 20 is pulled rearward from the yoke members 14 and 15, and the band 18 is extended. The object 12 may be located substantially in the center of the sling 20, and the yoke members 14 and 15 may be located so as to be substantially symmetrical with respect to a desired direction. The desired direction is, for example, the direction of a batter standing at a distant position. The grip 16 determines the trajectory of the object 12. As shown in FIG. 6, when the grip 16 has a central rotation configuration, there is a high possibility that the trajectory of the object 12 does not draw a large curve, and the object 12 is propelled in a straight direction. On the other hand, when the grip 16 is rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 7, the object 12 curves from the yoke member 15 to the yoke member 14. As shown in FIG. 8, when the grip 16 is rotated counterclockwise, the object 12 curves from the yoke member 14 to the yoke member 15. By rotating the grip 16, depending on the direction of rotation, one of the two yoke members 14 and 15 is moved further away from the user of the device 10. When the distance on one side becomes larger than the other in this way, a larger tension is generated on one side of the sling 20 than on the opposite side. Due to such a difference in tension, when the object 12 is released from the pitching device 10, a lateral torque or spin is applied to the object 12, and when the spin occurs in this way, the object 12 curves along a desired trajectory. As described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the distance between the through hole 17 and the through hole 19 at the top of the grip 16 in which the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the grip 16 is determined by the arm support rod. 25 and 24 may be larger than the distance between the through hole 17 and the through hole 19 at the bottom of the grip 16 inserted into the grip 16. By making the through holes 17 and 19 slanted or tapered in this way, the offset between the yoke member 14 and the yoke member 15 at the place where the through hole 17 and 19 are inserted into the grip 16 is increased. The tension of the band generated when the grip 16 is rotated to increase the spin is increased.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of further spinning the object 12. As can be seen from FIG. 4, when the sling 20 is extended from the first yoke member of the yoke members 14 and 15 in the direction of the second yoke member of the yoke members 14 and 15, the object 12 to be propelled is at a different position. Thus, the object 12 is arranged off the center of the sling 20, and the tension becomes non-uniform and the ball is spun. This method may be used in addition to the rotation of the grip to further spin the object 12.

  FIG. 11A is a top view showing one of the arrangements of grip 16, yoke members 14 and 15, arm support rods 25 and 24, and optional over-rotation stopper 36. FIG. The stopper 36 is joined to the grip 16 using a joining member 37. For example, according to the present embodiment, the joining member 37 is a screw as shown in FIG. 11A. According to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, if the grip 16 is excessively rotated, the offset between the yoke member 14 and the yoke member 15 is reduced, but the following effect is provided so as not to rotate too much. Can be prevented. As shown in FIG. 12, when the grip 16 including the stopper 36 is rotated counterclockwise, the stopper 36 comes into contact with one or both of the horizontal extending portions 14 b and 15 b of the yoke members 14 and 15. When contact is made in this way, the hand grip 16 does not further rotate counterclockwise with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15. Similarly, when the grip 16 including the stopper 36 is rotated in a clockwise direction (not shown), the stopper 36 comes into contact with one or both of the horizontal extending portions 14 b and 15 b of the yoke members 14 and 15. With such contact, the handgrip 16 does not further rotate in the clockwise direction with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15. Since the pitching device includes a stopper 36, the grip 16 can be quickly and easily rotated to a maximum in the desired direction until the offset between the yoke member 14 and the yoke member 15 is maximized. By rotating, the spin applied to the object 12 can be maximized. The illustrated stopper 36 is made of wood, but any other material such as steel, resin, rubber, metal or the like may be used.

  Although the embodiment described above includes the stopper 36 having the joining member 37 that joins the stopper 36 to the grip 16, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the stopper 36 may be formed integrally with the grip 16.

  According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the pitching device 10 comprises an optional sling blocker 38 having a bendable hose or tubular member. Both ends of the sling blocker 38 are joined to the yoke members 14 and 15 by clips 39 and extend along an arcuate path. A clip 39 shown in FIG. 13 removably joins the sling blocker 38 to the lateral pin 32. The interior area defined by the horizontal extensions 14b and 15b, the bottom defined by the vertical extensions 14a and 15a, and the top defined by the sling blocker 38 is large enough for the object 12 to pass through. . In the present embodiment having the sling blocker 38, the sling 20 does not wrap around or entangle with one of the yoke members 14 and 15, and the pitching device 10 can be used more easily and in a shorter time. .

  According to the above-described embodiment, the yoke members 14 and 15 have the horizontal extending portions 14b and 15b extending away from the longitudinal axis of the grip 16, and the longitudinal axis of the grip 16. It has the vertical extending | stretching parts 14a and 15a extended | stretched in the parallel direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as long as the yoke members 14 and 15 extend until they are separated from each other and away from the grip 16 to allow room for the object 12 to pass, the yoke members 14 and 15 are each in one direction relative to the grip 16. Only stretching may be performed.

  In the following, a method for manufacturing or assembling an apparatus for propelling an object along a curved or linear track will be described. According to the method, a hand grip 16 having a pair of through holes 17 and 19 is prepared, and the pair of yoke members 14 and 15 are slidable and rotatable with respect to the hand grip 16. 16 is attached. Subsequently, the elastic band 18 is fixed to the yoke members 14 and 15 and the sling 20. The method further curves the trajectory of the object to be propelled when the yoke members 14 and 15 and the hand grip 16 are rotated with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15 as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. To be configured to produce. Specifically, the yoke members 14 and 15 and the sling 16 are prepared so that the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the through holes 17 and 19 at the top of the grip 16. The yoke members 14 and 15 are joined to the elastic band 18 at opposite ends, and the elastic band 18 is connected to the opposite ends of the sling 20. The band 18 is preferably covered with a flexible rubber tube 22 for preventing the band 18 from being entangled.

  Subsequently, the arm support rods 25 and 24 are inserted into the through holes 17 and 19 at the bottom of the grip 16, respectively. The arm support rods 25 and 24 extend along the user's arm to the arm support 26, and the arm support 26 is located on the upper side of the user's forearm, as shown in detail in FIGS. It extends around the part.

  The yoke members 14 and 15 are each prepared to have one or more extending portions extending in a plurality of different directions with respect to the grip 16. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the yoke members 14 and 15 have vertical extending portions 14a and 15a, horizontal extending portions 14b and 15b, and shaft extending portions 14c and 15c. The horizontal extending portions 14 b and 15 b extend so as to be separated in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip 16. The vertically extending portions 14a and 15a extend in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the grip 16 from the ends of the horizontally extending portions 14b and 15b, respectively.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a method of fixing one end of the band 18 to the sling 20 and connecting the other end to the yoke member 14 or 15. As shown in the figure, each end of the sling 20 is prepared to have a joint hole 28, and a joint 30 is formed through the band 18 so as to pass through the joint hole 28. As further shown in the figure, a lateral pin 32 extending longer than the diameter of the cross section of the yoke members 14 and 15 is formed at the end of each of the yoke members 14 and 15. The pin 32 is securely attached to the annular end 34 of the band 18. The rubber tube 22 is indicated by a hatched line in FIG. 5 and a solid line in FIG. 1, and is fixed to a pin 32 penetrating a hole provided in the rubber tube 22 side by side. The rubber tube 22 prevents the band 18 from leaving the pin 32 without noticing.

  Although the above-described embodiments include securing a plurality of separate bands 18 to each end of the sling 20, the present invention is not so limited. For example, the band 18 connecting the yoke members 14 and 15 to the sling 20 is integrally formed as one band 18 extending from the yoke member 14 through a part of the sling 20 to the yoke member 15. You may do that.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of what kind of grip 16 is prepared, which is a hexagonal column having longitudinal axes aligned in the vertical direction. The grip 16 extends from the upper surface or upper surface of the grip 16 where the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the grip 16 to the bottom surface or lower surface of the grip 16 where the arm support rods 25 and 24 are inserted into the grip 16. Through-holes 17 and 19. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the shaft extending portions 14 c and 15 c of the yoke members 14 and 15 extend through the grip 16 through the through holes 17 and 19, respectively. The diameters of the through holes 17 and 19 are larger than the diameters of the shaft extension parts 14c and 15c, respectively. The shaft extension parts 14c and 15c are arranged so that the grip 16 can rotate as described below. 19 is slidable. The distance between the through hole 17 and the through hole 19 where the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the grip 16 is equal to the through hole 17 where the arm support rods 25 and 24 are inserted into the grip 16. It is preferable that it is larger than the distance between the through hole 19 and the through hole 19.

  The yoke members 14 and 15 may be formed integrally with the arm support rods 25 and 24, respectively, and may be one continuous member. Alternatively, the yoke members 14 and 15 may be formed so as to be separated from the arm support rods 25 and 24.

  Although the above-described embodiment includes preparing the hexagonal grip 16, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the grip 16 may be prepared as a grip 16 having any shape as long as the grip 16 has a cylindrical shape or other shapes and can be gripped by the user's hand.

  As described above, the grip 16 is slidable and rotatable with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15. When the grip 16 and the yoke members 14 and 15 are arranged as shown in FIG. 1, rotating the grip 16 in the clockwise direction means that the vertical axis or the longitudinal axis of the grip 16 is viewed from above the pitching device 10. Rotation of the grip 16 in the counterclockwise direction means rotation in the opposite direction.

  A method of propelling the object 12 along a desired trajectory using the pitching device 10 manufactured according to the above-described method will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sling 20 is pulled rearward from the yoke members 14 and 15, and the band 18 is extended. The object 12 may be located substantially in the center of the sling 20, and the yoke members 14 and 15 may be located so as to be substantially symmetrical with respect to a desired direction. The desired direction is, for example, the direction of a batter standing at a distant position. The grip 16 determines the trajectory of the object 12. As shown in FIG. 6, when the grip 16 has a central rotation configuration, there is a high possibility that the trajectory of the object 12 does not draw a large curve, and the object 12 is propelled in a straight direction. On the other hand, when the grip 16 is rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 7, the object 12 curves from the yoke member 15 to the yoke member 14. As shown in FIG. 8, when the grip 16 is rotated counterclockwise, the object 12 curves from the yoke member 14 to the yoke member 15. By rotating the grip 16, depending on the direction of rotation, one of the two yoke members 14 and 15 is moved further away from the user of the device 10. When the distance on one side becomes larger than the other in this way, a larger tension is generated on one side of the sling 20 than on the opposite side. Due to such a difference in tension, when the object 12 is released from the pitching device 10, a lateral torque or spin is applied to the object 12, and when the spin occurs in this way, the object 12 curves along a desired trajectory.

  As described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the distance between the through hole 17 and the through hole 19 at the top of the grip 16 in which the yoke members 14 and 15 are inserted into the grip 16 is determined by the arm support rod. 25 and 24 may be larger than the distance between the through hole 17 and the through hole 19 at the bottom of the grip 16 inserted into the grip 16. By making the through holes 17 and 19 slanted or tapered in this way, the offset between the yoke member 14 and the yoke member 15 at the place where the through hole 17 and 19 are inserted into the grip 16 is increased. The tension of the band generated when the grip 16 is rotated to increase the spin is increased.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of further spinning the object 12. As can be seen from FIG. 4, when the sling 20 is extended from the first yoke member of the yoke members 14 and 15 in the direction of the second yoke member of the yoke members 14 and 15, the object 12 to be propelled is at a different position. Thus, the object 12 is arranged off the center of the sling 20, and the tension becomes non-uniform and the ball is spun. This method may be used in addition to grip rotation to further spin the object 12 when it is desired to make the ball more curved.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, which is a top view showing one of the grip 16, yoke members 14 and 15, and arm support rods 25 and 24, the grip 16 may further comprise an optional over-rotation stopper 36. Good. The stopper 36 is joined to the grip 16 using a joining member 37. For example, according to the present embodiment, the joining member 37 is a screw as shown in FIG. 11A. According to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, if the grip 16 is excessively rotated, the offset between the yoke member 14 and the yoke member 15 is reduced, but the following effect is provided so as not to rotate too much. Can be prevented. As shown in FIG. 12, when the grip 16 including the stopper 36 is rotated counterclockwise, the stopper 36 comes into contact with one or both of the horizontally extending portions 14 b and 15 b of the yoke members 14 and 15. When contact is made in this way, the hand grip 16 does not further rotate counterclockwise with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15. Similarly, when the grip 16 including the stopper 36 is rotated in a clockwise direction (not shown), the stopper 36 comes into contact with one or both of the horizontal extending portions 14 b and 15 b of the yoke members 14 and 15. With such contact, the handgrip 16 does not further rotate in the clockwise direction with respect to the yoke members 14 and 15. The manufacturing method includes the step of providing the grip 16 with a stopper 36 so that the grip 16 can be quickly and easily rotated to the maximum desired offset between the yoke member 14 and the yoke member 15. As a result, the spin applied to the object 12 can be maximized by rotating. The illustrated stopper 36 is made of wood, but any other material such as steel, resin, rubber, metal or the like may be used.

  Although the embodiment described above includes the stopper 36 having the joining member 37 that joins the stopper 36 to the grip 16, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the stopper 36 may be formed integrally with the grip 16.

  According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the method includes providing an optional sling blocker 38 having a bendable hose member or tubular member. Both ends of the sling blocker 38 are joined to the yoke members 14 and 15 by clips 39 and extend along an arcuate path. A clip 39 shown in FIG. 13 removably joins the sling blocker 38 to the lateral pin 32. The interior area defined by the horizontal extensions 14b and 15b, the bottom defined by the vertical extensions 14a and 15a, and the top defined by the sling blocker 38 is large enough for the object 12 to pass through. . In the present embodiment having the sling blocker 38, the sling 20 does not wrap around or entangle with one of the yoke members 14 and 15, and the pitching device 10 can be used more easily and in a shorter time. .

  According to the above-described embodiment, the yoke members 14 and 15 have the horizontal extending portions 14b and 15b extending away from the longitudinal axis of the grip 16, and the longitudinal axis of the grip 16. It has the vertical extending | stretching parts 14a and 15a extended | stretched in the parallel direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as long as the yoke members 14 and 15 extend until they are separated from each other and away from the grip 16 to allow room for the object 12 to pass, the yoke members 14 and 15 are each in one direction relative to the grip 16. Only stretching may be performed.

  While some aspects of the invention have been described with reference to example embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize example embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined only by the claims hereof. It should be understood that can be changed and replaced in many ways.

Claims (22)

A device for propelling an object along a curved or straight track,
A hand grip having a first surface and a second surface;
A pair of yoke members extending from the first surface of the hand grip;
With the sling,
A plurality of elastic members connecting the sling and the pair of yoke members to each other;
The pair of yoke members and the handgrip are configured to curve the trajectory of a propelled object when the handgrip is rotated with respect to the pair of yoke members. The pair of yoke members and the hand grip generate a curve from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members when the hand grip is rotated in a clockwise direction, and the hand grip 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to generate a curve from the second yoke member to the first yoke member of the pair of yoke members when rotated in a counterclockwise direction. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of yoke members are disposed at different distances from the sling, and generate different tensions in the plurality of elastic members when the hand grip is rotated. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hand grip has an over-rotation stopper that contacts at least one of the pair of yoke members when the hand grip is rotated by a predetermined amount. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the hand grip is rotated by the predetermined amount, a different distance between the pair of yoke members from the sling becomes a maximum value. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sling is extended in a direction from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members. The hand grip has a pair of through holes into which the pair of yoke members are inserted on a first surface of the hand grip, and the pair of yoke members are slidable with respect to the through holes. The device described in 1. A pair of arm support rods extending from the second surface of the handgrip toward the user of the device;
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an arm support portion disposed at a distal end portion of the pair of arm support rods. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a distance between the pair of yoke members on the first surface of the handgrip is larger than a distance between the pair of arm support rods on the second surface of the handgrip. A sling blocker having one end connected to the first yoke member and the other end connected to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members;
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sling blocker and the pair of yoke members define a space through which the object passes when propelled. At least one of the pair of yoke members and one of the pair of arm support rods are formed as one member, and the other of the pair of yoke members and the other of the pair of arm support rods are formed as one member. The apparatus according to claim 1. A pair of flexible tubular members,
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of tubular members covers a corresponding one of the plurality of elastic members. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of elastic members have two or more elastic bands. A method of manufacturing a device for propelling an object along a curved or straight track,
Providing a handgrip having a first surface and a second surface and having a pair of through holes;
A pair of yoke members extends from the first surface of the hand grip so that the pair of yoke members are slidable and rotatable with respect to the hand grip. Joining the steps,
Fixing a plurality of elastic members to the pair of yoke members and sling. The fixing step includes the step of connecting the plurality of elastic members to the sling so that the sling extends from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members. The method according to claim 14. When the pair of yoke members and the hand grip are rotated in the clockwise direction, a curve from the first yoke member to the second yoke member of the pair of yoke members is generated, and the hand 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: configuring a curve from the second yoke member to the first yoke member of the pair of yoke members to be generated when the grip is rotated counterclockwise. The method described. In the configuring step, the pair of yoke members and the pair of yoke members are arranged such that the pair of yoke members are arranged at different distances from the sling, and different tensions are generated in the plurality of elastic members when the hand grip is rotated. The method of claim 16, comprising configuring the hand grip. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming an over-rotation stopper on the handgrip that contacts at least one of the pair of yoke members when the handgrip is rotated a predetermined amount. The step of preparing the handgrip includes the step of forming a pair of through holes into which the pair of yoke members are inserted on the first surface of the handgrip, wherein the pair of yoke members is the pair of through holes. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is slidable and rotatable with respect to. Inserting a pair of arm support rods into the pair of through holes on the second surface of the handgrip;
The method according to claim 19, further comprising: forming an arm support portion at a distal end portion of the pair of arm support rods. The method according to claim 20, wherein a distance between the pair of through holes is larger on the first surface of the handgrip than on the second surface of the handgrip. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: connecting one end of the sling blocker to a first yoke member of the pair of yoke members and connecting the other end to a second yoke member.

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