Hitting practice training equipment

Abstract

Hitting practice training equipment is disclosed having an hitting instrument such as a bat paddle or racket, an apparatus for propelling a game piece such as a ball or puck in front of an individual holding the hitting instrument, and a transmitter remote from the hitting instrument for initiating the propelling apparatus to propel a game piece in front of the individual. The propelling apparatus includes a receiver for receiving signals transmitted by the transmitter to initiate a game piece being propelled in front of the individual. The individual actuates the transmitter when they wish to initiate the operation of the game piece propelling apparatus, and may send different signals from the transmitter to propel a game piece in a different manner for each of the different signals. The individual may also activate the transmitter using voice commands. When the receiver in the propelling apparatus receives a signal from the transmitter an adjustable timer is started and a few seconds later a mechanism is actuated that forwards a game piece from a replaceable magazine containing a plurality of game pieces into a propulsion mechanism to propel the piece toward the individual. The propulsion mechanism contains a pair of rollers for contacting opposite sides of a game piece. The rollers are actuated by motors connected in a circuit with a transportable energy source (e.g. battery) and the motors are energized only after the timer is started, thereby prolonging battery life, and are de-energized after a game piece is propelled in front of the individual. Other idler rollers are allowed to selectively contact the game piece to control same as it is propelled. When the game piece is propelled by the rollers of the propulsion mechanism the individual attempts to hit the piece.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Hitting practice training equipment for use by an individual, said equipment comprising: 
 a game piece to be hit by the equipment user as part of said hitting practice;    means for propelling the game piece;    means for striking a game piece propelled by said propelling means to impose a force by the striking means against the game piece,    a transmitter being separate from the striking means and the hands of the individual and used to transmit a signal that causes a game piece to be propelled by the propelling means, said transmitter being operated by the individual using the training equipment.    
     
     
         2 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a receiver for receiving the transmitted signal, the receiver causing the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece to be hit by the individual using the striking means.  
     
     
         3 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the signals are transmitted on a wireless basis to the receiver.  
     
     
         4 . The invention in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the game piece is a ball, the striking means is a baseball bat and further comprising a home plate that contains the transmitter, the transmitter being actuated to send the transmitted signal by touching the home plate.  
     
     
         5 . The invention in accordance with  claim 4  wherein after the receiver receives the transmitted signal it delays causing the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece for a short period of time.  
     
     
         6 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the transmitter is located on the individual apart from the striking means and the hands of the individual and the individual actuates the transmitter to transmit the signal that causes a game piece to be propelled by the propelling means.  
     
     
         7 . The invention in accordance with  claim 6  wherein the signals are transmitted on a wireless basis to the receiver.  
     
     
         8 . The invention in accordance with  claim 7  wherein after the receiver receives the transmitted signal it delays causing the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece for a short period of time.  
     
     
         9 . The invention in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the propelling means is intended to propel the game piece toward individual with the striking means.  
     
     
         10 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  wherein after the receiver receives the transmitted signal it delays causing the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece for a short period of time.  
     
     
         11 . The invention in accordance with  claim 10  wherein the signals are transmitted on a wireless basis to the receiver.  
     
     
         12 . The invention in accordance with  claim 11  wherein the game piece is a ball, the striking means is a baseball bat and further comprising a home plate that contains the transmitter, the transmitter being actuated to send the transmitted signal by touching the home plate.  
     
     
         13 . The invention in accordance with  claim 3  further comprising means for selectively controlling the transmitter to transmit ones of a plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         14 . The invention in accordance with  claim 13  further comprising voice activated means that responds to the individuals voice for causing the transmitter to transmit the ones of the plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         15 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising means for selectively controlling the transmitter to transmit ones of a plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         16 . The invention in accordance with  claim 15  further comprising voice activated means that responds to the individuals voice for causing the transmitter to transmit the ones of the plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         17 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising: 
 voice activated means that responds to the individuals voice for causing the transmitter to transmit different signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the different signals.  
 
     
     
         18 . The invention in accordance with  claim 9   2  further comprising means for selectively controlling the transmitter to transmit ones of a plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         19 . The invention in accordance with  claim 18  further comprising voice activated means that responds to the individuals voice for causing the transmitter to transmit the ones of the plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         20 . A method for an individual to have hitting practice using means for propelling game pieces and hitting the game pieces with a striking means, the method comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting a signal from a transmitter that is apart from the striking means and the hands of the individual to cause the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece toward the individual; and    receiving the transmitted signal and causing the propelling means to propel a game piece that the individual will attempt to strike using the striking means.    
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 20  wherein the individual causes the transmission of the signal when they are ready to attempt hitting a propelled game piece.  
     
     
         22 . The method in accordance with  claim 21  wherein the transmitted signal is received at the propelling means and further comprising the step of delaying the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece after the transmitted signal is received.  
     
     
         23 . The method in accordance with  claim 22  wherein the striking means is a baseball bat and the game piece is a ball.  
     
     
         24 . The method in accordance with  claim 23  wherein the signals are transmitted by a transmitter in a home plate on the ground in front of the individual and further comprising the step of actuating the transmitter by touching the home plate.  
     
     
         25 . The method in accordance with  claim 24  wherein the transmitted signal is received at the propelling means and further comprising the step of delaying the actuation of the propelling means to propel a game piece after the transmitted signal is received.  
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 25  wherein the individual causes the transmission of the signal when they are ready to attempt hitting a propelled game piece.  
     
     
         27 . The invention in accordance with  claim 25  further comprising the step of controlling the transmitter to transmit ones of a plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         28 . The invention in accordance with  claim 27  wherein the transmitter has voice activated means and further comprising the step of responding to voice of the individual and causing the transmitter to transmit the ones of the plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         29 . The invention in accordance with  claim 20  wherein the transmitter has voice activated means and further comprising the step of responding to voice of the individual and causing the transmitter to transmit the ones of the plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.  
     
     
         30 . The invention in accordance with  claim 29  wherein the transmitter has voice activated means and further comprising the step of responding to voice of the individual and causing the transmitter to transmit the ones of the plurality of signals that the receiver and propelling means respond to and propel a game piece in a different manner for each one of the plurality of signals.