Baseball de-slicking apparatus and method

Abstract

A baseball is desirably blasted with an abrasive material to attain a sufficient level of de-slicking. Baseballs are desirably delivered one at a time to a support and rotated while being sprayed with abrasive material from plural directions. Used abrasive material may be collected and recycled for reuse. Baseballs in a hopper are delivered one at a time in one embodiment to a support by selectively aligning an opening in a rotatable hopper element with an opening in a second element to permit the passage of a baseball through the second element and to the support at an appropriate time. Desirably, baseballs are ejected from the support following de-slicking, such as using an ejection lever or wand that is actuated by a timing rod to eject the baseball from the support ahead of the delivery of the next baseball to the support.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for de-slicking a baseball using an abrasive material, the apparatus comprising: 
 a baseball support operable to turn a baseball positioned on the support; and    an abrasive material applicator positioned to direct a spray of abrasive material at the baseball at least during a portion of the time the baseball is being turned.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  comprising a baseball singulator operable to deliver one baseball to the support at a time.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the singulator comprises: 
 a baseball hopper comprising a baseball receiving interior space;  
 a first member supported for rotation relative to the hopper, the first member comprising a baseball receiving passageway having an inlet opening communicating with the baseball receiving interior space and an outlet opening;  
 a second member defining a baseball delivery opening positioned for alignment with the outlet opening of the baseball receiving passageway when the first member is rotated to a baseball delivery position, whereby a first baseball positioned at least partially within the passageway may pass through the passageway, the outlet opening and the baseball delivery opening being aligned when the rotatable member is in the baseball delivery position; and  
 a stop positioned to block the passage of any baseballs other than the first baseball from the hopper into the passageway when the rotatable member is in the baseball delivery position.  
 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3  further comprising a speed adjuster operable to adjust the speed of rotation of the rotatable member to thereby adjust the rate of delivery of baseballs to the baseball delivery opening.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the first member has a baseball guiding surface that is contoured to guide any baseballs in the hopper toward the inlet opening of the baseball receiving passageway.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the hopper comprises a right cylinder having an upright longitudinal axis and an interior wall surface, wherein the first member has upper and lower surfaces and is positioned at least partially in a lower region of the hopper and is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the hopper, wherein the inlet opening opens upwardly through the upper surface of the first member, the outlet opening opens downwardly through the lower surface of the first member, wherein the passageway extends through the first member and wherein the inlet opening is positioned adjacent to the interior wall surface of the hopper, wherein the upper surface of the rotatable member is generally conical such that any baseballs in the hopper tend to move toward the interior wall surface where a baseball can be intercepted by the inlet opening to the passageway as the first member rotates, the stop being positioned at least partially above the inlet opening when the first member is in the baseball delivery position, the depth of the passageway and the spacing of the stop above the inlet opening when the first member is in the baseball delivery position being established such that only a single baseball positioned at least partially in the passageway may pass under the stop as the first member is moved to the baseball delivery position.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the support comprises plural elongated rollers each with a longitudinal axis and each being supported for rotation about their respective longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the rollers being parallel to one another, the rollers being rotated in the same direction about their respective longitudinal axes, the rollers being contoured such that a baseball positioned between the rotating rollers remains in such position as abrasive material is sprayed at the baseball.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 7  further comprising an ejector operable to selectively remove a baseball from the support following de-slicking of the baseball by the abrasive material.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 7  comprising an ejector mechanism operable to eject a baseball from the supporting rollers, the ejector mechanism comprising a baseball ejecting wand having first and second end portions and being pivotally supported for movement between a first wand position and a second baseball ejecting wand position, wherein when shifted to the second baseball ejecting wand position, the second end portion of the baseball ejecting wand pushes the baseball positioned on the support to a location off of the support, a biasing mechanism coupled to the wand and operable to bias the baseball ejecting wand toward the first wand position, a timing rod coupled to the first member for rotation with the rotation of the first member, the timing rod being positioned to engage the first end portion of the baseball ejecting wand as the first member rotates so as to pivot the baseball ejecting wand from the first position to the second baseball ejecting position, the timing rod moving past the first end portion of the baseball ejecting wand following the ejection of the baseball to a location off of the support to thereby allow the baseball ejecting wand to return to the first position so as to not interfere with the delivery of another baseball to the support for spraying with abrasive material.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the first end portion of the baseball ejecting wand comprises an arcuate timing rod engaging surface, the timing rod engaging and traveling along the timing rod engaging surface as the rotatable member is rotated with the timing rod pushing the baseball ejecting wand to the second baseball ejecting portion position as the timing rod travels along the timing rod engaging surface.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the abrasive material applicator directs pressurized air and abrasive material from a plurality of directions toward a baseball positioned on the support.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus to  claim 11  wherein the abrasive material applicator comprises an air compressor for providing a source of pressurized air, a first conduit coupled to the air compressor through which pressurized air flows from an air inlet to an air outlet, a suction tube coupled to the first conduit and comprising an abrasive material inlet positioned relative to abrasive material such that air flowing through the first conduit from the air inlet to the air outlet, draws abrasive material into the flowing air that exits the air outlet, and at least one hose coupled to the air outlet for carrying the mixture of air and abrasive material to a position for delivery at the baseball.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  comprising an abrasive material recycling bin for collecting abrasive material following the spraying of such material at a baseball, the abrasive material inlet being in communication with the recycling bin for drawing the abrasive material from the abrasive material recycling bin into air flowing through the venturi.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the abrasive material comprises a glass bead and dried mud mixture.  
     
     
         15 . A baseball de-slicked by the apparatus of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for de-slicking a baseball using an abrasive material, the apparatus comprising: 
 a baseball support operable to turn a baseball positioned on the support;    an abrasive material applicator positioned to spray abrasive material at the baseball at least during a portion of the time the baseball is being turned;    a baseball singulator operable to deliver one baseball to the support at a time; and    an ejector operable to selectively engage a baseball positioned on the support to remove the baseball from the support.    
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  comprising an abrasive material recycling bin for collecting abrasive material following the spraying of such material at a baseball.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the singulator comprises: 
 a baseball hopper comprising a baseball receiving interior space;  
 a first member supported for rotation relative to the hopper, the first member comprising a baseball receiving passageway having an inlet opening communicating with the baseball receiving interior space and an outlet opening;  
 a second fixed member comprising a baseball delivery opening positioned for alignment with the outlet opening of the baseball receiving passageway when the rotatable member is rotated to a baseball delivery position, whereby a first baseball positioned at least partially within the passageway may pass through the passageway, the outlet opening and the baseball delivery opening when the first member is in the baseball delivery position;  
 a stop positioned to block the passage of any baseballs other than the first baseball from the hopper into the passageway when the rotatable member is in the baseball delivery position;  
 wherein the support comprises plural elongated rollers each with a longitudinal axis and each being supported for rotation about their respective longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the rollers being parallel to one another, the rollers being rotated in the same direction about their respective longitudinal axes, the rollers being contoured such that a baseball positioned between the rotating rollers remains in such position as abrasive material is sprayed at the baseball; and  
 an ejector mechanism operable to eject a baseball from the supporting rollers, the ejector mechanism comprising a baseball ejecting wand having first and second end portions and being pivotally supported for movement between a first wand position and a second baseball ejecting wand position, wherein when shifted to the second baseball ejecting wand position, the second end portion of the baseball ejecting wand pushes the baseball positioned on the support to a location off of the support, a biasing spring coupled to the wand and operable to bias the baseball ejecting wand toward first wand position, a timing rod coupled to the first member for rotation with the rotation of the first member, the timing rod being positioned to engage the first end portion of the baseball ejecting wand as the first member rotates so as to pivot the baseball ejecting wand from the first position to the second baseball ejecting position, the timing rod moving past the first end portion of the baseball ejecting wand following the ejection of the baseball to a location off of the support to thereby allow the baseball ejecting wand to return to the first position so as to not interfere with the delivery of another baseball to the support for spraying with abrasive material.  
 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18  further comprising a speed adjuster operable to adjust the speed of rotation of the rotatable member to thereby adjust the rate of delivery of baseballs to the baseball delivery opening, and wherein the first member has a baseball guiding surface which is contoured to guide any baseballs in the hopper toward the inlet opening of the baseball receiving passageway.  
     
     
         20 . A method of de-slicking baseballs comprising: 
 spraying a de-slicking material at a baseball; and    turning the baseball at least during a portion of the time while spraying the de-slicking compound at the baseball.    
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the de-slicking material comprises an abrasive material.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein the de-slicking material comprises a mixture of dirt and glass beads.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein the dirt is Lena Blackburne mud.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the act of spraying comprises blasting the baseball with abrasive material from a plurality of directions.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  wherein the plurality of directions comprises first and second directions from opposed locations with the ball supported between said opposed locations and a third direction orthogonal to the first and second direction.  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  comprising the act of ejecting the de-slicked baseball.  
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 26  in which the act of turning the baseball comprises the act of rotating the baseball and the act of applying an abrasive material comprises the act of blasting the baseball with abrasive material from a plurality of directions.