Ball delivery apparatus

摘要

Apparatus for delivering a plurality of balls one after another with spacing therebetween to a desired location for use by a player. The apparatus includes a support mounted on a surface which may be vertically adjustable and a gravity feed ball supply for permitting a plurality of balls to feed by gravity onto the playing surface. A gate is provided which retains one ball in position until another is released. The apparatus may include a movable member which is connected to the gate and down which a ball moves under gravity. When the ball is discharged onto the playing surface after it leaves the movable member, a counterweight also connected to the gate restores both the gate and the movable member to a position whereby the gate releases a subsequent ball while the movable member assists in blocking more than one ball from moving past the gate. The combined weight of the released ball and the movable member, as the released ball moves down the movable member, overcomes the weight of the counterweight thereby discharging a ball under gravity onto the playing surface. The speed and timing of the balls may be varied. The cycling of the discharged balls is repeated until all of the balls in the ball supply are discharged.