1.Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an amusement device or game in the form of batting practice device having a tethered baseball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The technique of hitting a moving target, for example a small spherical ball, such as a baseball or softball, with a club, such as a long, tapered bat has long been considered an art and is perhaps the most difficult of all sports skills to master. From the origination of the game of baseball to the present time there exists numerous and diverse theories, training methods, and techniques regarding the art of batting. Stemming from this interest numerous practice devices have been devised.. Many of these have been considered worthy of recognition and have been issued patents by the United. States Patent Office. Among them is U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,219 to McKeon, et al. which discusses in great detail the need for a practical device to develop batting skills, but like other prior art devices, it is deficient in one or more areas. Closely related prior art is taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,048,828 to Love, and 4,322,075 to Hynes. In each of these references, the training device is basically a tethered ball on a non-elastic, flexible cord suspended from above. When hit the tethered ball wraps the cord about a vertical pole, and then slowly unwraps and oscillates to rest before the ball can be properly hit again. These devices are deficient in several ways. They do not adequately simulate the actual position of a pitched ball, and require a substantial wait between proper training swings. When using these devices, and the ball is missed by the swing of a bat, the cord could easily wrap about the bat, posing a possible danger to the user, or the cord may easily become entangled and cause more delay. Additionally, in the use of these devices, the path of the ball is outside the perimeter of the device, and may pose a threat to nearby persons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,413 to Yamanouchi, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,448 to Judd; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,367 to Oyarzabal are each based on the use of elastic cord with a ball tethered intermediately along a vertical cord. In each of these prior art devices, after being struck, the tethered ball may take an uncontrollable route upon return, and thereby cause a threat to the user. As with the other prior art, they also require a delay between swings. Another deficiency in these references is that changing the height of the ball is not an easy task.
It is therefore clear that none of the noted prior art baseball batting training devices provide, in combination, a device which positions a baseball to simulate the actual location of a pitched ball, in which the baseball is easily adjusted to varying heights for users of various sizes or simulating pitches at various heights, and which also do not require a substantial wait between proper training swings. Additionally, most of the prior art baseball batting training devices fail to provide, in combination, such a tethered ball device, which when the ball is missed by the swing of a bat, avoid having the tethering cord become entangled with the bat or with the supporting structure, and thereby causing delay. Other of these devices allow the path of the tethered hit ball to travel outside of the perimeter of the device, thereby posing a threat to nearby persons, or after being struck, allow the tethered ball to take an uncontrollable route upon return, and thereby cause a threat to the user. Many other prior art practice batting devices are deficient in that they are bulky, not easily transportable, impractical, expensive, and unrealistic in a number of ways; and, therefore, are impractical for widespread public use.