Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Batting backstop or cage
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2002-03-12
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Batting backstop or cage
C473S197000, C473S476000, C473S422000, C473S439000, C273S400000, C273S410000, C273S398000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06354968
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pitcher protection net device that, in baseball practice, when the ball pitched by the pitcher is hit, prevents the ball from hitting the pitcher.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An example of such pitcher protection net device in baseball practice has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 7-19487.
According to the above publication, the net device comprises a frame installed on the ground to vertically extend to cover the pitcher from his front, and a net closing a space surrounded by the outer edge of said frame and attached to said frame. Further, said frame comprises a main frame forming a lateral portion on one widthwise side, and an auxiliary frame projecting from the lower portion of said main frame to the other widthwise side to form the other lateral portion of said frame.
In the above case, the auxiliary frame comprises a fixed frame attached to the lower portion of the main frame, and a movable frame installed to be capable of being projected upward from said fixed frame, whereby the height of the upper edge of said auxiliary frame is made adjustable.
When batting practice for baseball is to be done using said net device, first, said net device is installed on the ground forwardly of and adjacent the pitcher.
The pitcher will be sometimes a tall one and sometimes a short one; therefore, a ball to be pitched by a pitcher toward the batting zone for the batter will be pitched forward through a higher position or a lower position. Thus, the height of the upper edge of the auxiliary frame is adjusted such that the pitched ball passes above and adjacent the upper edge of the auxiliary frame.
Therefore, interference of the auxiliary frame with the pitcher's pitching action is prevented. Further, when the pitcher bends forward upon completion of the pitching action, he is substantially completely covered from front by the net device. Therefore, even if the ball hit immediately after being pitched flies toward the pitcher, this ball will hit the net device, prevented from hitting the pitcher and hence the pitcher is protected.
According to said prior art net device, in order to make adjustable the height of the upper edge of the auxiliary frame, the auxiliary frame comprises the fixed frame attached to the lower portion of the main frame, and the movable frame installed to be capable of being projected upward from said fixed frame. Thus, since the number of parts of said net device is large, the arrangement thereof is complicated, leading to a problem that the production is troublesome.
Further, since the number of parts of the frame is large, as described above, the weight of the net device increases, making it troublesome to carry the net device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to facilitate the production of a net device that ensures that when a ball pitched by a pitcher is batted, the pitcher is protected by preventing this ball from hitting the pitcher.
Another object of the invention is to make it easy to carry said net device.
Another object of the invention is to ensure that the net device does not interfere with pitching and that the pitcher is more reliably protected from the batted ball.
The present invention provides a pitcher protection net device in baseball practice, comprising a frame installed on the ground to vertically extend to cover a pitcher from his front, and a net closing a space surrounded by the outer edge of said frame and attached to said frame, said frame comprising a main frame forming one lateral portion thereof on one widthwise side, and an auxiliary frame projecting from the lower portion of said main frame toward the other widthwise side to form the other lateral portion of said frame, wherein
the net device includes an extension net that closes a corner space surrounded by the side edge of the upper portion of said main frame on said other side and the upper edge of said auxiliary frame and that is capable of deflecting downward, and an adjusting means for adjusting the amount of deflection of the upper edge of said extension net.
Other objects, arrangements, functions and effects than those described above will become more apparent from a detailed description of the invention to be given below.
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Hunter Alvin H.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Sewell Paul T.
Toa Sports Machine Incorporated
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