Ball Injector

Abstract

An apparatus for loading and dispensing balls into a flow stream. The apparatus has an outer housing with a smooth cylindrical inner surface, and an inner housing, removably mounted within the outer housing. The inner housing has a hollow cylindrical body extending longitudinally between a lower guide plate and an upper guide band. A plurality of longitudinal slots are located in and extend the length of the cylindrical body and through the lower guide plate. The width of the slots is greater than the diameter of the balls. The apparatus also has a shaft with a smooth cylindrical outer surface, coaxially, rotatably, and removably mounted in the inner housing. The distance between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the outer housing is greater than the diameter of the balls.

1 . An apparatus for loading and dispensing balls, comprising:
 an outer housing, having a smooth cylindrical inner surface;   an inner housing, removably mounted within the outer housing, the inner housing having a hollow cylindrical body extending longitudinally between a lower guide plate and an upper guide band, a plurality of longitudinal slots located in and extending the length of the cylindrical body and the lower guide plate, wherein the width of the slots is greater than the diameter of the balls;   a shaft, having a smooth cylindrical outer surface, coaxially, rotatably, and removably mounted in the inner housing, wherein the distance between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the outer housing is greater than the diameter of the balls;   a helical rib, mounted on the outer surface of the shaft, wherein the distance between the rib and the inner surface of the outer housing is less than the diameter of the balls, so that the balls cannot fall between the rib and the inner surface of the outer housing, and wherein the distance between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the inner housing is less than the diameter of the balls, so that the balls cannot roll down the rib;   a device for rotating the shaft and the rib about the longitudinal axis of the shaft while the inner housing and the outer housing stay stationary, to move the balls through the inner housing and the outer housing; and   the inner housing, and the shaft and the rib being mounted independently from one another such that the shaft can be pulled upwardly from the inner housing, and the inner housing can be pulled upwardly from the outer housing.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the device for rotating the shaft and the rib about the longitudinal axis of the shaft comprises a hand crank. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drive member detachably connected between an upper end of the shaft and the device for rotating the shaft and the rib, such that the drive member can be removed without removing the shaft.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upper guide band comprises a circular band with an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the inner housing and portions of an inner surface of the band are connected to the outer peripheries of the cylindrical body, the circular band has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the outer housing such that portions of the band are in abutting contact with the upper end of the outer housing when mounted therein. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a locking device connected between the circular band and the outer housing to prevent rotation of the circular band and outer housing relative to one another.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the locking device comprises a plurality of pins. 
   
   
       7 . An apparatus for loading and dispensing balls, comprising:
 an inner housing, adapted to be removably mounted within an outer housing, the inner housing having a hollow cylindrical body extending longitudinally between a lower guide plate and an upper guide band, a plurality of longitudinal slots located in and extending the length of the cylindrical body and the lower guide plate, wherein the width of the slots is greater than the diameter of the balls;   a shaft, having a smooth cylindrical outer surface, coaxially, rotatably, and removably mounted in the inner housing, wherein the distance between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the outer housing is greater than the diameter of the balls when the inner housing is mounted within the outer housing;   a helical rib, mounted on the outer surface of the shaft, wherein the distance between the rib and the inner surface of the outer housing is less than the diameter of the balls when the inner housing is mounted within the outer housing, so that the balls cannot fall between the rib and the inner surface of the outer housing, and wherein the distance between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the inner housing is less than the diameter of the balls, so that the balls cannot roll down the rib;   a device for rotating the shaft and the rib about the longitudinal axis of the shaft while the inner housing stays stationary, to move the balls through the inner housing;   a drive member detachably connected between an upper end of the shaft and the device for rotating the shaft and the rib, such that the drive member can be removed without removing the shaft; and   the inner housing, and the shaft and the rib being mounted independently from one another such that the shaft can be pulled upwardly from the inner housing.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the upper guide band comprises a circular band with an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the inner housing and portions of an inner surface of the band are connected to the outer peripheries of the cylindrical body. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a plurality of pins extending downwards from the circular band and adapted to be connected to an outer housing to prevent rotation of the circular band relative to the outer housing when the inner housing is removably mounted within the outer housing.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the device for rotating the shaft and the rib about the longitudinal axis of the shaft comprises a hand crank. 
   
   
       11 . A method of loading balls into an apparatus for dispensing the balls, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing the apparatus with an outer housing, a cylindrical hollow bodied inner housing having a plurality of longitudinal slots located in and extending along the length of the inner housing, the inner housing being removably mounted within the outer housing, a shaft with a helical rib mounted thereon removably mounted within the inner housing, the shaft being rotatable relative to the inner housing;   (b) inserting a ball into the upper end of the inner housing; and   (c) rotating the shaft relative to the inner housing, to thereby move the ball downward relative to the inner housing and the outer housing while being captured in one of the plurality of longitudinal slot.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step (a) further comprises:
 providing a device for rotating the shaft and the rib about to move the balls through the inner housing, and a drive member detachably connected between an upper end of the shaft and the device for rotating the shaft and the rib, such that the drive member can be removed without removing the shaft; and wherein step (c) further comprises simultaneously rotating the drive member with the device to thereby rotate the shaft and the rib.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step (a) further comprises:
 providing a locking device; and the method further comprising after step (a), but before step (b):   locking the inner housing to the outer housing with the locking device to prevent rotation of the inner housing relative to the outer housing.