US006026798A

Ulllted States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 6,026,798

Sanders et al. [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 22, 2000

[54] PROFESSIONAL BATTING TRAINING 4,844,458 7/1989 Gatchel ................................... .. 124/78

MACHINE 5,107,820 4/1992 Salansky . 124/78
5,125,653 6/1992 Kovacs .................................... .. 124/78

[76] Inventors: Barry L. Sanders, 942 E. Mountain Primary Examiner_Ben]-amin H Layne

St., Glendale, Cal1f. 91207; Ross D.
Beers, 2430 Los Amigos St., La [57] ABSTRACT
griilscgglaz’ \cligfr'ligellzAljé'Dxsdcegvsiila 'Abaseball pitching machine is disclosed preferably employ
Cah’f' 91792 Frank E‘ ?n] 3068 Lori 1ng a'counterrotatmg Wheel type baseball launch subsystem
Cir., Simi Vine y, C aM
1 .
93063 p1tch1ng a ser1es . of baseballs and a computer controlled
.
system for selecting the type and percentage of p1tches,
pitcher and batter characteristics, strike Zone areas and other
[21] Appl' NO‘: 09/109’970 parameters to provide a meaningful batting training session.
[22] Filed: Jun_ 23’ 1998 The pitching machine includes a ball transport subsystem
including a carousel for receiving and transporting baseballs
Related US Application Data in sequence to a position adjacent the counter rotating
Wheels. While being transported, each baseball stops at seam
[62] Division of application No, 08/799,768, Feb, 12, 1997, Pat, orienting stations Where seam rotators rotate the baseball to
NO- 5,897,445, Which is a Continuation of application NO- provide a commanded seam orientation for the particular
O8/278’613’ Jul‘ 12’ 1994’ abandoned‘ pitch selected. The baseball is oriented by the ball orienter
[51] Int. c1.7 .................................................... .. F41B 15/00 for insertion in the launch subsystem-Acomputer allows the
[52] us. c1. .............................................................. .. 124/78 Selection by the Operator of a variety of pitches, random or
[58] Field of Search ............................................... .. 124/78 Selected Order‘ The Computer has memory Capability for
storing pitches corresponding to any pitcher’s typical pitch
[56] References Cited pattern and the system includes video, audio and data
recording to record each batting session. An alignment
U-S- PATENT DOCUMENTS system is included utilizing a laser light source. A remote
2 182 369 12/1939 Barron .................................... .. 124/78 Control is also Provided for the batter or his Coach' Amanual
4:026j261 5/1977 Paulson ____ __ 124/78 baseball inserter is disclosed for use With other pitching
4,712,534 12/1987 NoZato ..... . . . . .. 124/78 machines

4,723,532 2/1988 Ogojnak .... .. 124/78

4,823,763 4/1989 PonZa ...................................... .. 124/78 10 Claims, 28 Drawing Sheets

/IO
20 ‘_l___‘_'__|
H/ LASER \-|[ 22 |
A - T l
30 34 Q,
S 28C |
|_____ _ PB a 286 I

BALL'C ‘ 28 ‘4O
52' 259L257‘= 0 [If 937
,BALLA | G l 17
. 56 60 2|Y_J 35
I? 'M ' "2;?

e23l 65
qxls j" - X T32

50 VIDEO \; L J
M RECORDER “

COMPUTER
CIRCUITRY AND MOTION CONTROL /70
/\I
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 1 0f28 6,026,798

I48
UNDERARMS
FIG. IA

[3A
l3

FIG?)
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 2 0f28 6,026,798

43
46 0

5O
FF

42 45 FIG. 4A

5| DATA IN
50 VIDEO L“ I
RECORDER
5 MO IONCONTROL 70

FIG. 5
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 3 0f28 6,026,798

/" E
LASER

20 27 34 25

(28 \P
L‘ \
5 8g AZ 25
63 \ 3|

62 60 5|

FlG.6
U.S. Patent Feb. 22, 2000 Sheet 4 0f 28 6,026,798

64 \65 e3 2
/ ~60
AxTsT "_ _F
$71 ' |sv

Fl (3. 7
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 5 0f28 6,026,798
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 6 0f28 6,026,798

FIG. II
U.S. Patent Feb. 22, 2000 Sheet 7 0f 28 6,026,798
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 8 0f28 6,026,798
U.S. Patent Feb. 22, 2000 Sheet 9 0f 28 6,026,798

Fl 6. l9

" 2 36A 36M

) /
36A
36D 36B 3
7 i-35
39/ \40

3a [as
J

“F ‘,2

36M

FIG. I9A
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 10 0f28 6,026,798

FIG. 20A E42

STOP POWER

HOST WHEEL SPEED COMMAND

CONTROLLER
AND WHEEL SPEED COMMAND
MOTION
7O CONTROLLER POSITION COMMAND
\A _ POSITION FEEDBACK
POSITION COMMAND
_ POSITION FEEDBACK
POSITION COMMAND
_ POSITION FEEDBACK

41 \ POSITION COMMAND
- —-— - _ POSITION FEEDBACK
|_ CONTROL “1 ~
I CONSOLE I
45 I : DICITAL I/O
| EXTERNAL l
I DATA I
READER l
44 I I
I KEYBOARD I [/0 MODULE _ '
l I INTERFACE
46 I __

: DISPLAY ‘
L _ _ _ _ J _.____

36x ‘4 I
\ / \ / \ / PITCH :

@
/ \ /
(ID \ /
@ \ —
CLIE LIGHTS _
7
=
_‘
_

CALIBRATION —

// __LASER _
:MJ
TEXT MESSAGE
Patent Feb. 22, 2000 Sheet 11 0f 28 6,026,798

81
HQ 208 TACHOMETER
' 82 SENSOR

\
T
“I ORIvE —@ WHEEL SPIN TAgESQAERER
“: DRIVE ~>® WHEEL SPIN

T: DRIVE —-@IIP/OOWN ENCODER —

T: DRIVE —~@LEFT/RIOIIT ENcOOER .

BALL SPIN
“I ORIvE ——~@ AXIS ENCODER -
\__ BALL POSITIONER
: DRIVE TO INSERTION ENCODER ——
POINT

CAROUSEL
POSITION
k. BALL SENSOR

L = DR'VE -’@OAROIISEL REMOTE CONTROL

BALL SEAM MICROPHONE
ROTATE x AXIS
BALL SEAM
ROTATE Y AXIS WDEO i

L LIFT BALL TO
BALL FEEDER _ __ _]
CAMERA
E 37

5
BALL
INSERTER VIDEO I
RECORDER TV 50
BALL EXIT
DOOR I
TEXT
T
INSERTER
__ __ _ __ __J
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 12 0f28 6,026,798

FIG. 21

FIG. 22

FIG. 23A FIG. 238

FIG. 24

FIG. 25

FIG. 26
U.S. Patent Feb. 22, 2000 Sheet 13 0f 28 6,026,798

REMOTE CONTROL
FIG. 22 (1')
REMOTE PITCH
COMMAND

CAROUSEL NO NO
POWER ON LOADED? ACTION

I YES
LOCATE TRAVEL CREATE SINGLE PITCH
LIMITS OF SPIN SEQUENCE OF
AZIMUTH, VERTICAL DESIRED PITCHES
AXIS AND HOME
POSITION OF BALL
FEED

ALICN PITCHING
(k)
‘I MACHINE WITH
HOME PLATE REMOTE VCR
SWITCHED TO ON

I
COMMAND
VCR ON

CALIBRATE (I)
MOTION CONTROLS REMOTE VCR
TO ALIGNMENT SWITCHED. TO AUTO
POSITION

<I> PITCH IN
PROGRESS?
NO
Y NO'
ACTION

COMMAND
VCR OFF
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 16 0f28 6,026,798

FIG. 24

READ OPERATOR
AND BATTER DATA

CENERATE SEQUENCE
OF PITCHES

I
PITCH OF
SEQUENCE = 1

COMMAND APPROPRIATE
AZIMUTH, ELEVATION,
SPIN AXIS 8c WHEEL SPEED
I
MOVE CAROUSEL TO
SEAM ORIENTATION
STATION AND ROTATE
AS REQUIRED

I
ROTATE CAROUSEL TO
BALL PICK—UP
POSITION

PICKUP BALL FROM

CAROUSEL 8c TRANSFER
TO BALL POSITIONER

I
MOVE BALL POSITIONER
TO LAUNCH LOCATION
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 17 0f28 6,026,798

FIG. 25
IS VCR
RUNNING

ARE AXES IS VIDEO

IN POSITION CONTROL ON?

START VIDEO
ARE RECORD
PROPULSION
MOTORS AT
DESIRED SPEED OPEN BALL
EXIT DOOR

READ TIMING DELAY

DEFAULT = 1.5
SECONDS
SINCE LAST PITCH
EEN EXCEEDED'7
TIMING LIGHT
GREEN = OFF
AMBER = OFF
RED = ON

OPERATOR OR YES
REMOTE PAUSED INSERT BALL INTO
SEQUENCE? PROPULSION WHEELS

TIMING LIGHTS
GREEN "OFF"
AMBER "ON"
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 18 0f28 6,026,798

FIG. 26

RETRACT BALL
INSERTER

CLOSE
EXIT DOOR

TIMING LIGHT
GREEN =
AMBER = OFF
RED =

VCR SWITCH
SET TO ON‘?

STOP WHEELS 8c
REMAINING PITCH COMMAND SPIN AXIS
COUNT = 0 TO CENTER

NEXT PITCH
OF SEQUENCE
U.S. Patent Feb. 22,2000 Sheet 19 0f28 6,026,798

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