Pitching machine

Abstract

To smoothly move balls stored in a ball storage device, one at a time, to a ball transfer device in a pitching machine in which the ball transfer device is provided between a pitching device and the ball storage device.SOLUTION: In the present invention, a vertically-inclined bottom wall (14) that moves balls (9) toward the lower end side of a ball transfer device (6) is provided at the bottom of a ball storage device (5). An upstream agitating blade body (29) that includes a first agitating blade (33) for moving the balls (9) from either the left or right end side to the opposite side is provided at the downstream end of the bottom wall (14). A downstream agitating blade body (30) that includes a second agitating blade (36) for moving the balls (9) from the left end side to the center side, and a third agitating blade (37) for moving the balls (9) from the right end to the center side is disposed downstream and below the upstream agitating blade body (29). A ball holder (39) that holds a single ball (9) moved from the ball storage device (5) is provided at the lower end of the ball transfer device (6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pitching machine that throws a ball toward a batter. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, pitching machines that throw a ball with a rotating arm have been widely used as baseball practice tools and playground equipment. In recent years, instead of arm-type pitching machines, pneumatic pitching machines that use air pressure to launch the ball have been developed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In order to use this pitching machine to continuously and intermittently throw balls toward the batter, it is necessary to have a pitching device that throws the balls toward the batter, a ball storage device that stores multiple balls, and a ball transport device that transports the balls one by one from the ball storage device to the pitching device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-33157 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, pitching machines are not limited to being fixed in a specific location at a batting cage or the like, but may be moved around within a field, etc. Also, the shape and area that a pitching machine can occupy varies depending on the location where it is installed.

[0006] For this reason, it is desirable for the pitching machine to have a pitching device that throws a ball at the batter and a ball storage device that stores multiple balls arranged one above the other, and to have a ball transport device between the pitching device and the ball storage device that receives the ball from the ball storage device at its lower end, transports it upward, and hands it over to the pitching device at its upper end.

[0007] In a pitching machine with such specifications, it is necessary to smoothly move the balls contained in the ball containing device, one by one, to the ball transport device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Therefore, in the present invention as claimed in claim 1, a pitching machine having a pitching device which throws a ball towards a batter, a ball storage device which stores a plurality of balls, and a ball transporting device which receives a ball from the ball storage device at its lower end, transports it upward, and hands it over to the pitching device at its upper end, is provided with an up-down sloping bottom wall at the bottom of the ball storage device which moves the ball towards the lower end of the ball transporting device, an upstream agitating blade body having a first agitating blade for moving the ball from either the left or right end to the other end is provided at the downstream end of the bottom wall, a downstream agitating blade body having a second agitating blade for moving the ball from the left end to the center and a third agitating blade for moving the ball from the right end to the center is provided downstream and below the upstream agitating blade body, and a ball holder for holding one ball moved from the ball storage device is provided at the lower end of the ball transporting device.

[0009] Furthermore, in the present invention as claimed in claim 2, in the present invention as claimed in claim 1, a gap narrower than the diameter of the ball is formed between the right end of the second agitator blade and the left end of the third agitator blade of the downstream agitator blade body, and the ball is simultaneously pressed by the right end of the second agitator blade and the left end of the third agitator blade to move it to the ball holder.

[0010] Furthermore, in the present invention according to claim 3, in the present invention according to claim 1 or claim 2, the upper end of the ball holding body is formed in a downward incline from the ball storing device side toward the ball transporting device side to hold one ball that has been moved from the ball storing device. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The present invention provides the following advantages.

[0012] That is, in the present invention, a pitching machine having a pitching device which throws a ball toward a batter, a ball storage device which stores a plurality of balls, and a ball transport device which receives the ball from the ball storage device at its lower end, transports it upward, and delivers it to the pitching device at its upper end, is provided with a bottom wall which is inclined upward and downward at the bottom of the ball storage device for moving the ball toward the lower end of the ball transport device, and an upstream agitating blade body having a first agitating blade formed thereon for moving the ball from one end side to the other side of the ball, either the left or right end, is provided at the downstream end of the bottom wall, and the ball is transported from the left end side to the downstream and lower side of the upstream agitating blade body. A downstream agitating blade body is provided which is formed with a second agitating blade for moving the ball toward the center and a third agitating blade for moving the ball from the right end toward the center, and a ball holder is provided at the lower end of the ball transporting device to hold one ball moved from the ball storing device.This allows the many balls stored in the ball storing device to be stirred at the downstream end of the ball storing device by the upstream agitating blade body and downstream agitating blade body arranged above and below, while the balls are moved one by one to the ball transporting device, and the balls stored in the ball storing device can be moved smoothly one by one to the ball transporting device.

[0013] In particular, if a gap narrower than the diameter of the ball is formed between the right end of the second agitator blade and the left end of the third agitator blade of the downstream agitator blade body, and the ball is pressed simultaneously by the right end of the second agitator blade and the left end of the third agitator blade to move it to the ball holder, the balls contained in the ball containing device can be moved one by one more smoothly to the ball conveying device between the right end of the second agitator blade and the left end of the third agitator blade.

[0014] Furthermore, if the upper end of the ball holding body is formed with a downward incline from the ball containing device side toward the ball transporting device side to hold a single ball that has moved from the ball containing device, the ball that has moved from the ball containing device to the lower end of the ball transporting device can be prevented from flowing back into the ball containing device, allowing the ball transporting device to transport the ball to the pitching device smoothly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] The same side view. [Diagram 3] Rear view of the same. [Figure 4] 1A is a partially enlarged side view showing the ball transport device, and FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, a specific configuration of a pitching machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, pitching machine 1 has height adjustment means 3 attached to the top of a movable stand 2, and a pitching device 4, ball containing device 5, and ball transport device 6 mounted on top of height adjustment means 3. Height adjustment means 3 may be any mechanism capable of raising and lowering the upper surface relative to the lower surface, and in this case, it is designed to be able to raise and lower vertically.

[0018] As a result, the pitching machine 1 is capable of moving (transporting) the pitching device 4, ball containing device 5, and ball transporting device 6 as a unit using the stand 2, and the height adjustment means 3 allows the pitching device 4, ball containing device 5, and ball transporting device 6 to be raised and lowered up and down.

[0019] In the pitching machine 1, the pitching device 4, the ball storage device 5, and the ball transport device 6 can be attached to and detached from the stand 2 independently, and each of the devices 4, 5, and 6 can be removed for maintenance.

[0020] In addition, in the pitching machine 1, a ball containing device 5 is disposed directly below the throwing device 4, and a ball transporting device 6 that is deep vertically is disposed behind the throwing device 4 and the ball containing device 5, thereby reducing the area occupied by the pitching machine 1.

[0021] The pitching device 4 may be any device that throws a ball 9 toward a batter in front from an opening 8 formed in the front end surface of a housing 7, and in this embodiment, a mechanism for throwing the ball 9 by air pressure is housed inside the housing 7.

[0022] The pitching device 4 is attached to a base 10 attached to the top of the height adjustment means 3 so as to be tiltable back and forth via tilt adjustment means 11. The tilt adjustment means 11 may be any mechanism capable of adjusting the front-to-back tilt of the pitching device 4, and in this case, it is configured so that the front side can be tilted up and down with the rear end as a fulcrum. This allows the pitching device 4 to adjust the height of the ball 9 to be thrown by the height adjustment means 3, and also allows the angle of the ball 9 to be thrown by the tilt adjustment means 11.

[0023] Furthermore, the pitching device 4 is provided with a ball supply passage 12 for supplying the balls 9 to the upper part of the housing 7. This ball supply passage 12 is attached to the upper part of the housing 7 so as to be able to tilt up and down. The pitching device 4 is connected to the upper front part of the ball transport device 6 via this ball supply passage 12 so as to be able to deliver the balls 9. The ball supply passage 12 is open at the front so that the batter can visually see the balls 9 passing up and down.

[0024] The ball containing device 5 is a device for containing multiple balls 9, and has a bottom wall 14 of a box-shaped housing 13 that is inclined toward the rear ball transport device 5, with the front higher and the rear lower, and is provided with a mixing and transporting means 15 that mixes the balls 9 contained at the rear end and transports them to the central rear end. The ball containing device 5 is connected to the front lower part of the ball transport device 6 via the mixing and transporting means 15 so that the balls 9 can be delivered. This allows the ball containing device 5 to deliver the multiple balls 9 contained inside the housing 13 to the ball transport device 6 one by one by the mixing and transporting means 15.

[0025] The ball transport device 6 is a device that transports balls 9 vertically upward one by one from the ball storage device 5 below to the throwing device 4 above.

[0026] This ball transport device 6 has support posts 17 attached vertically to the left, right and rear sides of the upper part of a base 16, and a cover 18 attached to the upper ends of the support posts 17 to form a housing 19.

[0027] In addition, the ball conveying device 6 has a pair of conveying bodies 20, 21 extending vertically up and down, which are rotatably installed between the base 16 and the cover 18 with a gap between them. A support 17 is positioned on the rear side between the conveying bodies 20, 21. The conveying bodies 20, 21 have spiral-shaped helical blades 24, 25 formed around cylindrical rotating shafts 22, 23 extending vertically up and down, with the spacing being slightly wider than the diameter of the ball 9. Each conveying body 20, 21 has helical blades 24, 25 formed in opposite directions. The conveying bodies 20, 21 are arranged so that the spacing between the helical blades 24, 25 is narrower than the diameter of the ball 9, and the spacing between the rotating shafts 22, 23 is slightly wider than the diameter of the ball 9. Each conveying body 20, 21 is rotated in the opposite direction by a driving means accommodated inside the base 16. Moreover, the distance between the conveying bodies 20 and 21 may be adjustable according to the diameter of the ball 9 used.

[0028] Furthermore, ball transport device 6 has guide plate 26, which is curved forward and has a semicircular shape in a side view, attached between the upper parts of the pair of transport bodies 20, 21, and has sensor 27 for detecting ball 9 attached below guide plate 26. The upper end opening of ball supply passage 12 of pitching device 4 is located at the front lower part of guide plate 26. The upper end lower part of ball supply passage 12 is supported by pulley 28 attached to the front side of housing 19 (support 17).

[0029] In this way, the ball transporting device 6 is connected to the ball storing device 5 at the front between the lower parts of the transporting bodies 20, 21, and is connected to the throwing device 4 at the front between the upper parts of the transporting bodies 20, 21 via the guide plate 26.

[0030] In the pitching machine 1 configured as above, it is important to smoothly move the balls 9 one by one from the ball containing device 5 to the pitching device 4 via the ball transport device 6. In particular, since a large number of balls 9 are densely stored in the ball containing device 5, it is necessary to transfer the balls 9 one by one from the ball containing device 5 to the ball transport device 6 without the balls 9 getting clogged inside the ball containing device 5.

[0031] Therefore, the pitching machine 1 is provided with a mixing and conveying means 15 for delivering the balls 9 one by one to the ball conveying device 6 without clogging the ball containing device 5 with the balls.

[0032] 5 to 7, the stirring and conveying means 15 has a bottom wall 14 that is inclined up and down (high at the front, low at the rear) at the bottom of the ball receiving device 5 to move the balls 9 toward the lower end side of the ball conveying device 6, an upstream stirring blade 29 is provided at the downstream end (rear end) of the bottom wall 14, and a downstream stirring blade 30 is provided downstream (rear side) and below the upstream stirring blade 29. The upstream stirring blade 29 and the downstream stirring blade 30 are rotated in the same direction by a driving means housed in a base 31 provided at the bottom of the housing 13.

[0033] The upstream agitating blade body 29 is formed on the outer periphery of the upstream rotating shaft 32 rotatably installed between the left and right side walls of the housing 13, and a spiral-shaped first agitating blade 33 is formed for moving the ball 9 from the right end side to the left end side by the rotation of the upstream rotating shaft 32. Note that the upstream agitating blade body 29 only needs to be able to move the ball 9 from one end side, either the left or right, to the other end side inside the housing 13 of the ball receiving device 5, and since the ball receiving opening 34 for receiving the ball 9 in the ball receiving device 5 is provided on the right side of the housing 13 here, the ball 9 tends to be received more on the right side of the housing 13 inside the ball receiving device 5, so the upstream agitating blade body 29 is configured to move the ball 9 from the right end side of the housing 13 (the end side where the ball receiving opening 34 is provided) to the left end side (the other end side).

[0034] The downstream agitating blade body 30 is formed by arranging a second spiral agitating blade 36 for moving the ball 9 from the left end side to the center side by the rotation of the downstream rotating shaft 35 and a third spiral agitating blade 37 for moving the ball 9 from the right end side to the center side on the outer periphery of the downstream rotating shaft 35 which is rotatably installed between the left and right side walls of the housing 13 downstream (rear side) and below the upstream rotating shaft 32. The distance between the downstream rotating shaft 35 and the upstream rotating shaft 32 is narrower than the diameter of the ball 9.

[0035] Between the right end of the second agitating blade 36 and the left end of the third agitating blade 37 of the downstream agitating blade body 30, a gap narrower than the diameter of the ball 9 is formed, and by the rotation of the upstream rotating shaft 32 and the downstream rotating shaft 35, the right end of the second agitating blade 36 and the left end of the third agitating blade 37 simultaneously press the ball 9, moving the ball 9 from a gap 38 formed in the center of the rear wall of the housing 13 to the lower end of the ball conveying device 6. The gap 38 is slightly wider than the diameter of the ball 9.

[0036] At the lower end of the ball transporting device 6, a ball holder 39 for holding one ball 9 moved from the ball accommodating device 5 to the ball transporting device 6 is formed (at the center) between the transport bodies 20, 21 at the top of the base 16. The upper end of this ball holder 39 is formed in a downward inclination (high in front, low in rear) from the ball accommodating device 5 side to the ball transporting device 6 side, so that the ball 9 moved from the ball accommodating device 5 can be held without flowing back into the ball accommodating device 5 in front.

[0037] The pitching machine 1 is configured as described above and is controlled by the control device 40.

[0038] Then, the control device 40 drives the stirring and conveying means 15 of the ball receiving device 5 to supply the balls 9 one by one from the rear of the ball receiving device 5 to the lower front of the ball conveying device 6. At that time, a force acts on the upstream stirring blade 29 of the stirring and conveying means 15 in a direction to move the balls 9 from one end side (right end side) to the other end side (left end side), and a force acts on the downstream stirring blade 30 in a direction to move the balls 9 from both ends to the center side, so that the upstream stirring blade 29 and the downstream stirring blade 30 arranged vertically can stir many balls 9 contained in the ball receiving device 5 at the downstream end of the ball receiving device 5 while moving the balls 9 one by one to the ball conveying device 6, and the balls 9 contained in the ball receiving device 5 are smoothly moved one by one to the ball conveying device 6 without being clogged. Moreover, the balls 9 moved to the ball conveying device 6 are held one by one by the ball holder 39.

[0039] The control device 40 also drives the driving means of the ball transporting device 6 to sandwich the balls 9 one by one between the spiral blades 24, 25 of the pair of transport bodies 20, 21 and transport them vertically upward. At that time, the control device 40 temporarily stops the transport bodies 20, 21 when the sensor 27 detects the ball 9, and then drives the transport bodies 20, 21 until the sensor 27 detects the next (lower) ball 9, thereby supplying the balls 9 one by one from the upper front part of the ball transporting device 6 to the pitching device 4 (ball supply passage 12).

[0040] Furthermore, the control device 40 drives the pitching device 4 to pitch the balls 9 one by one toward the batter. At that time, the control device 40 pitches the balls 9 that were previously supplied to the pitching device 4 toward the batter at the timing when the ball 9 supplied from the ball transport device 6 to the ball supply passage 12 passes downward through the ball supply passage 12.

[0041] As described above, the pitching machine 1 is configured to include a pitching device 4 that throws balls 9 toward the batter, a ball storage device 5 that stores a plurality of balls 9, and a ball transport device 6 that receives balls 9 from the ball storage device 5 at its lower end, transports them upward, and hands over the balls 9 to the pitching device 4 at its upper end.

[0042] In addition, the pitching machine 1 is configured so that, at the bottom of the ball containing device 5, there is provided an up-down sloping bottom wall 14 which moves the ball 9 towards the lower end of the ball transporting device 6, an upstream agitating blade body 29 having a first agitating blade 33 formed thereon for moving the ball 9 from either the left or right end to the other end is provided at the downstream end of the bottom wall 14, a downstream agitating blade body 30 having a second agitating blade 36 for moving the ball 9 from the left end to the center and a third agitating blade 37 for moving the ball 9 from the right end to the center is provided downstream and below the upstream agitating blade body 29, and a ball holder 39 is provided at the lower end of the ball transporting device 6 for holding one ball 9 moved from the ball containing device 5.

[0043] Therefore, in the pitching machine 1 configured as described above, the many balls 9 contained in the ball containing device 5 are stirred at the downstream end of the ball containing device 5 by the upstream agitating blade 29 and downstream agitating blade 30 arranged one above the other, while the balls 9 are moved one by one to the ball transporting device 6, and the balls 9 contained in the ball containing device 5 can be moved smoothly one by one to the ball transporting device 6.

[0044] In addition, the pitching machine 1 is configured to form a gap narrower than the diameter of the ball 9 between the right end of the second agitator blade 36 and the left end of the third agitator blade 37 of the downstream agitator blade body 30, and to simultaneously press the ball 9 with the right end of the second agitator blade 36 and the left end of the third agitator blade 37 to move it to the ball holder 39.

[0045] Therefore, in the pitching machine 1 having the above-described configuration, the balls 9 contained in the ball containing device 5 can be moved more smoothly to the ball conveying device 6, one ball at a time, between the right end of the second agitating blade 36 and the left end of the third agitating blade 37.

[0046] In addition, the pitching machine 1 is configured such that the upper end of the ball holding body 39 is formed in a downward inclination from the ball containing device 5 side toward the ball transporting device 6 side to hold one ball 9 that has been moved from the ball containing device 5.

[0047] Therefore, in the pitching machine 1 configured as described above, the ball 9 that has moved from the ball containing device 5 to the lower end of the ball transporting device 6 is prevented from flowing back into the ball containing device 5, and the ball transporting device 6 can smoothly transport the ball 9 to the pitching device 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Pitching machine 2 Stand 3 Height adjustment means 4 Throwing device 5 Ball storage device 6 Ball transport device 7 Housing 8 Opening 9 balls 10 units 11 Tilt adjustment means 12 Ball supply passage 13 Housing 14 Bottom wall 15 Mixing and conveying means 16 Base 17 Support 18 Cover 19 Housing 20, 21 Carrier 22,23 Rotating shaft 24,25 Spiral blade 26 Guide board 27 Sensor 28 Pulley 29 Upstream mixing blade 30 downstream mixing blade body 31 base 32 upstream rotating shaft 33 first mixing blade 34 ball receiving port 35 downstream rotating shaft 36 second agitator blade 37 third agitator blade 38 Gap 39 Ball holder 40 Control device

Claims

1. A pitching machine having a pitching device for throwing a ball toward a batter, a ball storage device for storing a plurality of balls, and a ball transport device for receiving a ball from the ball storage device at a lower end, transporting the ball upward, and delivering the ball to the pitching device at an upper end, This pitching machine is characterized in that it has a vertically sloping bottom wall at the bottom of the ball containing device for moving the ball toward the lower end of the ball transporting device, an upstream agitating blade body formed with a first agitating blade for moving the ball from either the left or right end to the other end is provided at the downstream end of the bottom wall, a downstream agitating blade body formed with a second agitating blade for moving the ball from the left end to the center and a third agitating blade for moving the ball from the right end to the center is provided downstream and below the upstream agitating blade body, and a ball holder provided at the lower end of the ball transporting device for holding one ball moved from the ball containing device.

2. The pitching machine described in claim 1, characterized in that a gap narrower than the diameter of the ball is formed between the right end of the second agitating blade and the left end of the third agitating blade of the downstream agitating blade body, and the ball is simultaneously pressed by the right end of the second agitating blade and the left end of the third agitating blade to move it to the ball holder.

3. 3. The pitching machine according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the ball holding body is formed in a downward incline from the ball holding device side toward the ball transporting device side to hold one ball moved from the ball holding device.

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