Pickleball and Tennis Ball Retriever and Caddy

Abstract

A ball retriever and caddy device for pickleballs or tennis balls includes a base and a push handle connected to the base. Wheels movably support the base on an associated court surface. A resilient ball engaging cylinder is rotatably supported relative to the base and rotatably driven by the wheels and adapted to engage balls on the court surface. A ramp is located adjacent to the resilient ball engaging cylinder and is spaced from the ball engaging cylinder by a distance that is less than a diameter of the balls. A basket is connected to the base and configured to collect balls that are ejected from the ramp by the resilient ball engaging cylinder. The base can comprise wings to funnel balls to the ball engaging cylinder. The basket is movable relative to the base between a lowered position located adjacent the base and raised position spaced above the base.

1 . A ball retriever and caddy device for pickleballs or tennis balls, said device comprising:
 a base;   a push handle connected to the base;   wheels that movably support the base on an associated court surface;   a resilient ball engaging cylinder rotatably supported relative to the base and rotatably driven by the wheels and adapted to engage balls on the court surface;   a ramp located adjacent to the resilient ball engaging cylinder and spaced from the ball engaging cylinder by a distance that is less than a diameter of the balls;   a basket connected to the base configured to collect balls that are ejected from the ramp by the resilient ball engaging cylinder.   
     
     
         2 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises right and left base boards that are arranged in a parallel, spaced-apart configuration relative to each other, and wherein the resilient ball engaging cylinder extends between the right and left base boards. 
     
     
         3 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising right and left wings that are resilient pivotally connected to respective forward ends of the right and left base boards and that diverge outwardly away from each other in an operative position such that the wings funnel balls toward the resilient ball engaging cylinder between the right and left base boards. 
     
     
         4 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the basket is movable relative to the base between a lowered position located adjacent the base and raised position spaced above the base. 
     
     
         5 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the basket is connected to the base by a parallel motion linkage that maintains the basket horizontal in the raised and lowered positions. 
     
     
         6 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 5 , further comprising at least one gas spring operably connected between the base and the parallel motion linkage to assist movement of the basket from the lowered position toward the raised position. 
     
     
         7 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the right and left wings are operatively connected to the parallel motion linkage and pivot from their respective operative positions to respective retracted positions when the basket is moved from its lowered position to its raised position. 
     
     
         8 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the basket is removably connected to a basket holder that is operatively connected to the parallel motion linkage. 
     
     
         9 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the ramp comprises a lower end and an upper end spaced above the lower end, and wherein the ramp comprises a lip located at the upper end that extends toward the resilient ball engaging cylinder and that compresses balls that are moving up the ramp into the resilient ball engaging cylinder so that the balls that are compressed by the lip are ejected into the basket by the resilient ball engaging cylinder when exiting the ramp. 
     
     
         10 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the ramp comprises a lower end and an upper end spaced above the lower end, and wherein the ramp comprises a lip located at the upper end that extends toward the resilient ball engaging cylinder and that compresses balls that are moving up the ramp into the resilient ball engaging cylinder so that the balls that are compressed by the lip are ejected into the basket by the resilient ball engaging cylinder when exiting the ramp. 
     
     
         11 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the wherein the push handle is pivotally connected to the right and left base boards. 
     
     
         12 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising right and left friction disc mechanisms that respectively pivotally connect the push handle to the right and left base boards and that frictionally hold the handle at a selected angle relative to the right and let base boards. 
     
     
         13 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 5 , further comprising a movable pin connected to at least one of the right and left base boards that is selectively movable into a position where the pin retains the basket in the lowered position. 
     
     
         14 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the push handle comprises a lift bar that is engaged with the basket to move the basket from the lowered position to the raised position and vice versa when the push handle is pivoted relative to the right and left base boards. 
     
     
         15 . The ball retriever and caddy device as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the resilient ball engaging cylinder is selectively movable between first and second positions relative to the ramp, wherein the resilient ball engaging cylinder is closer to the ramp in the second position as compared to the first position.