Table Tennis ball Shooter

' United States Patent [191 Horvath PNEUMATIC BALL THROWER WITH CONSTRICTION FORMED VACUUM FOR DRAWING BALLS FROM BALL FEED THEREOF [76] Inventor: Tibor Horvath, 1877 E. 27th St.,

Brooklyn, NY. 11229 [22] Filed: Aug. 7, 1974 [21] Appl. N0.: 495, 373

Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerR. T. Stouffer Attorney, Agent, or FirmPeter L. Tailer [451 Oct..14, 1975 ABSTRACT A ball thrower has a blower connected to a discharge barrel from which balls are blown. A timing tube leads into the barrel in front of a constriction which causes a suction in the timing tube. Balls roll or are drawn through a ball feed tube to the base of the timing tube which branches at the end of the feed tube to form a suction bypass which is also connected to the barrel. A stop prevents a first ball from entering the suction bypass so that the first ball leaving the feed tube is drawn up the timing tube by greater suction therein. The first ball in the timing tube reduces its suction at the branching of the suction bypass so that a second ball is held against the stop by the now greater suction of the suction bypass. When the first ball is drawn into the barrel from the timing tube to be expelled therefrom, back pressure builds up in the timing tube and the suction bypass forcing the second ball against a third ball which jams in a jamming chamber while the first ball is expelled. Balls are successively expelled at intervals which are determined by adjusting the constriction in front of the barrel. While shown for table tennis balls, this invention may be adapted for tennis balls, baseballs, toy plastic balls, marbles, metal shot, and the like.

10 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet10f4 3, 911, 888

U.S. Pawn-i Oct.14, 1975 Sheet2of4 3, 911, 888