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Portable Pitching Rubber

a technology of pitching rubber and portable body, which is applied in the field of portable pitching rubber, can solve the problems of difficult and inconvenient use of traditional outdoor pitching rubber, the rubber is not easily removed from the ground, and the rubber cannot be used effectively indoors, and achieves the effect of convenient movemen

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-10-29
MASSARO WILLIAM
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a removable and portable, pitching rubber which can be firmly but removably mounted to a variety of surfaces, including artificial or synthetic surfaces, but can be easily moved from place to place without damaging the surfaces or any underlying substrates.
[0010]Another object of the present invention is to provide a removable and portable, pitching rubber which can be stationarily mounted to artificial turf, carpeting and matting materials, but can be easily moved from place to place without damaging these mounting materials or any underlying substrates.
[0011]Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a removable and portable, indoor pitching rubber which performs in a manner nearly identical to traditional outdoor pitching rubbers and thereby provides the user with a safe and effective means for training year round.
[0012]A further objective of the present invention is to provide a removable and portable pitching rubber which is durable and easily adaptable for use on various types of indoor surfaces or flooring materials.
[0013]Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a portable pitching rubber that enables athletes to develop a proper pitching technique.

Problems solved by technology

As a result, such pitching rubbers are typically not easily removed from the ground and doing so often requires the use of tools to force the posts out of ground.
Such rubbers also cannot be used effectively indoors without providing a sufficient amount of ground material (e.g., soil, sand, dirt) so that the posts can be hammered into the material to secure the rubber.
While athletes, including baseball and softball pitchers, often train indoors, the use of traditional outdoor pitching rubbers is often impossible and, at best, difficult and inconvenient.
Many known pitching rubbers cannot be mounted or otherwise attached to most indoor surfaces, including artificial or synthetic surfaces.
While doing so could be considered marginally effective, this type of training can lead to problems, including injuries to athletes and the development of poor pitching technique, as pitching rubbers which are not adequately secured to a surface have a tendency to shift or move.
The pitching rubber of Griffin is ineffective when the suction devices are unable to secure the rubber to an underlying surface, including surfaces which are not hard and / or smooth, such that the rubber is prevented from moving or slipping during a pitch sequence.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0030]Referring to FIG. 2a, the ports 32 can simply be threaded openings in a bottom portion of the pad 36 capable of receiving a threaded portion 38 of the spike 34. Alternatively, the ports 32 can be any threaded connecting means which are imbedded in the bottom portion of the pad 36 and which are capable of connecting or attaching the spikes 34 to the pad 36 of the pitching rubber 30. For example, the ports 32 can be nuts or studs (not shown) used for a nut-and-bolt assembly such that the nuts are embedded into the pad 36 of the pitching rubber 30. The ports 32 and spikes 34 can be made of any of the various materials previous described for making the spikes 22. The spikes 34 are intended to differ from the spikes 22 in the first embodiment only in that they have a treaded portion 38 toward a top, blunt end 40 of the spikes 34 as shown in FIG. 2b. The ports 32 and spikes 34 are such that the top end 40 of the spikes 34 is capable of being easily screwed into the ports 32 thereby ...

second embodiment

[0032]Still referring to the invention, the ports 32 can be formed into the pad 36 by any method known or yet to be discovered. For example, a portion of the pad 36 can be removed by drilling in a manner that allows the treaded portion 38 of the spikes 34 to be screwed into the drilled portion (port 32) of the pad 36. Alternatively, a nut or similar treaded object can be placed or embedded in the portions where the pad 36 has been removed thereby forming ports 32 for a nut-and-bolt assembly whereby the spikes 34 are screwed into the ports 32. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other methods and objects can be used to create the ports 32 in the pad 36.

[0033]The third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. Similar to the embodiments already described, the third embodiment is directed to a pitching rubber 50 comprising a pad 52 and a plurality of angled spikes 60. Also, similar to the second embodiment (FIGS. 2a and 2b), the pitching ru...

third embodiment

[0036]There are several methods of using the present invention because of its portability and versatility. The pitching rubbers of the present invention can be used both indoors and outdoors on a variety of different surfaces. For example, in order to use the pitching rubber 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a user simply needs to place the pitching rubber 10 on a surface such as artificial turf at a desired location. In order to use the pitching rubber 30 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, a user needs to first connect or attach a sufficient number of spikes 34 to the ports 32 prior to placing the pitching rubber 30 on a surface at a desired location. Alternatively, a user may choose to use the pitching rubber 30 without connecting the spikes 34 to the ports 32 albeit that such a use of the pitching rubber 30 is limited as it will likely shift and not be secure during use (e.g., pitching). As for the present invention (FIGS. 3a and 3b), the spikes 60 and studs 70 are p...

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Abstract

A pitching rubber having a pad and a plurality of angled spikes connected to the pad and extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the pad for insertion into a surface, including artificial turf, carpeting and matting, so as to provide a stationary and portable pitching rubber for use both indoors and outdoors. Methods of making and using the portable pitching rubber of the present invention are also described.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to athletic equipment and more specifically to a portable pitching rubber for training and sporting activities, such as softball, baseball and other sports, which can be stationarily mounted to a variety of surfaces, including artificial or synthetic surfaces such as artificial turf, carpeting and matting materials, but can be easily moved from place to place without damaging the surfaces or any underlying substrates.[0002]Certain indoor and outdoor training and sporting exercises require the use of a designated area for a person to deliver (e.g., pitch, throw, kick) a ball or other similar object to another person. For example, pitching mounds are a traditional part of the games of baseball, and a pitching rubber is typically mounted at generally the center portion of the pitching mound. Similarly, softball utilizes a pitching circle in which a pitching rubber is typically mounted at generally the center porti...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): A63B71/00
CPCA63B69/0013A63B69/3661Y10T29/49947A63B2071/024A63B2243/0004A63B71/02A63B2102/18A63B2102/182
Inventor MASSARO, WILLIAM
Owner MASSARO WILLIAM
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