BATA. 1 - Pitching Machine Stop

BATA. 1
Baseball/Softball
PitchingMachine
ASSEMBLY
And
OPERATINGNSTRUCTIONS
Your machine'sserialnumberis:
It is alsolocatedon the framebehindyour machine'sspeedcontrolbox.
This machinehas different settingsfor different types of balls. Unless
otherwisespecified,it is set for leatherbaseballsand dimpled baseballs(default
setting). Read and understandinstructions before operating the machine.
Before attemptingto make any repair, contact our customer service
departmentfor advice and/or instructions. Making unauthorizedrepairsor
alterationsto your machinewill void the warranty.
Service:1-800-7
Customer
62-2282
PARTSOF TI{E MACHNE
F'RlCl'lONPLz\TE
I_IOLES
AND SLOTS
(DEFz\ULTSET"|ING)
FEEDCHUTE
SPEEDCONTROLBOX
SPEEDCONTROLDiAL
MOTORMOUNT SLOTS
(DEFAULT SETTING)
MOTOR
PITCHTNGWHEEL
IIEICHTADJ
LOCK FIANDLE
LATERAL ADJ
LOCK HANDLE
TzuPOD
BASE
LEGS
ASSEMBLYINSTRUCTIONS
Your Bi{fr\-l
instrtrctionsbelow.
machinecolnesto yott fully asscmbled
exccptlbr thc legs. liolkrr,rrhe
(I)
'furn the machineupside-downand insertall threelegsinto the Tripod Basc.
(2\
Tightenthe leg lock nuts and boltsjust enoughto securcthe legs in lrlacc. [)o not or,'crtishtenthem.
SETTINGSFOR DIFFERENTBALLS
dirnpledbascballs.ar.rcl
solibnlls. If'
Your machineis designedto throw leathcrbaseballs,
you ordereda BASEBALL or COMBINATION BASEBALL/SOFTBAI.L machinc,your'
rnachineis factoryset for LEATHER BASEBALLS. If you ordereda SOFTBAI,1.machine.it
is set for SOFTBALLS.
At the Lf,ATHER BASEBALL setting,the machinewill pitch leatherbascballsancl
baseballsup to 62 rnph. (Otherbrandsof dirnpledballs may or nraynot perfbrm
dimpled
BATA
well in this rnachine).Do not chansethe GAP if you are using leathcr baseballsor BATA
dimnled baseballs.
you nlay neeclto rcclucethe
If you aregoing to pitch otherbrandsoIdimpled baseballs,
pitching
wheelby movingthe Friction Plateclownto thc
GAP betweenthe Friction Padand the
DIMPLED BB setting. Call us for aclvicetrefbremakingthis aci.justment.
DO NOT PUT LEATHER BASEBALLS IN TFIE MACHINE WIIEN I1' IS SE'f A'T
'IHE DTMPLEDBASEBALL SETTING. THIS WILL DAMAGE THE MACFIINI:],
the urotormount must
For LEATHER BASEBALLS, or for BATA dimpledbaseballs,
be at the top of its slots, and the Friction Plate must be at the top of its slots.
thc
For DIMPLED BASEBALLS ONLY (rneaningotherbrandsof dirnplcdbascb;rlls),
motor mount must be at the top of its slots,and the FrictionPlatemust be at thc bottomof its
slots or slightly higher.
F'orSOFTBALLS, thc rnotormount must bc at thc bottomof its skrts.and thc Irriction
Platemust be at the "HOLES" location. You must alsoremovethe bascballfeeclchutc.ancl
tcplaceit with the softballfeedchute. Changingto thesoftballlegsis optional,
Seethe drawing on the previouspage.
If you haveany questionaboutholv tclsetthc machinetbr diff'ercnttypcst',Iballr;.plca:;ec;rll
CrrstomsrScrviceat l-800-762-2282.
CONVERTNGFROM BASEBALLTO SOFTBALL
( l)
Using a %" ,'vrench.removethe tr,vonr"rts
that hold the Friction Plateto the frame.
Relocatethe FrictionPlateto the "holes" location(markedfoT"SOFTBALLS"), thenput
the washers,lock rvashers,and nuts back on and tighten them.
(2)
Using a t/2"wrench,loosen(do not remove)the four nuts that hold the motor mount to
the frame(shownas "MOTOR MOLINT SLOTS" on the drawing).
(3)
Slidethe motor mountdown to the bottomof the motor mount slots.thentightenthe nuts.
(4)
Usingtwo 7/ 16" lvrenches,removethe nutsand boltsthat hold the FeedChuteto the
frame. The nut at the lower-right is not accessible,so it has a nut that is pressedinto the
frame. You do not needto hold it with a wrench. Simply removethe bolt from the
outside.
(s)
Replacethe BaseballFeedChute with the Softball FeedChute. Install with the same
hardware. Tighten the nuts and bolts only until they pressslightly into the plastic. Do
not over-tightenthem.
(6)
To changethe legs,turn the machineupside-down,loosenthe T-knobs, and removethe
baseballlegs. Replacethem with the softballlegs.
Double-checkyour work. The GAP shouldmeasureas follows:
Leatherbaseballs: 2Y4"
Dimpled baseballs: 2"
Softballs:
3 -I / 8 "
Note: The SOFTBALL settingon your machineis designedfor 12" softballs. However,11"
softballsmay also be usedat this setting. The maximum speedfor I l" softballswill be
much slower,probably around50 mph.
Note: When convertingfrom baseballto softball, BE SURE to lower the motor mount to the
bottomof the slots. F'ailureto follow the aboveinstructionsproperlywill damageyour
machine.
Note: Leathersoflballsmay be usedin this machine.horvever,leathersoftballsare NOT made
to be usedin pitchingmachines.'[hey havevery thin coversand high seams.Chances
arethat leathersoftballsr.villnot lastvery long in the machine, We highly recommend
usingour dimplcdsotlballs.
on your machine,pleasecall
If you haveany questionsabouthow to rnakethe adjustments
CustomerServiceat I -800-762-2282.
WARNING!
This machineis NOT guaranteedto be 100% accurate.Although eachand every
machineis thoroughlytestedbefore leaving the factory, occasionalerrantpitchesmay occur due
to severalfactors,includingballs in poor condition,moisture,carelessor negligentLlse,improper
maintenance,and mechanicalfailure.
SAFETYINSTRUCTIONS
(I)
Never usethis machinein wet or moist conditions.
(2)
Never standor walk in front of the machine while it is running.
(3)
Keep handsaway from all moving parts.
(4)
Always wear a batting helmet when batting.
(5)
Turn the machineoff and wait tbr the wheelsto stop rotating beforechanginggap
settings.
(6)
Do not attempt to stop the wheels from rotating, even after turning off the power.
(7)
Place a protective screenin front of the machine to protect the machine and the operator.
(8)
The warranty does not cover damageto the machine from batted balls or abuse.
(9)
DO NOT EVER LET THE MACHINE GET WET.
( l0)
Make periodic checksto make surethat no nuts or bolts have loosened.
POWERSOURCES
Your rnachincrunson I l0-120 volt AC electricity(60h2). You may plug it into a
standardI 10 outlet,an extensioncord,or a generator.
EXTENSIONCORDS
It is importantto usean extensioncord of adequatewire gagesize. An inadequatecord
rvill causeoverheating,poor performance,and prematuremotor burnout.
Wire gagesize dependson the lengthof the cord. The longer the cord, the thicker the
wire gagemust be. Wire gagescomein evennumbers;8, 10, 12,14,16, etc. The lower the
number,the thicker the wire. For example,an 8-gagecord is (heavier)than a 16-gagecord.
Minimum wire gagesizesare as follows:
Iength
Gage
25' or less
l6
50'
t4
1 0 0'
t2
I 50',
l0
200'
8
GENERATORS
Your machinerequires600 watts to power it. When purchasinga generator,the
requirementsare as follows:
Currentdraw (machine)
Voltageoutput(generator)
3 amps(running)
6 amps(starting)
I 10-120VAC
Rccommendedpower output (generator)
600 watts (minimum)
'fo avoid damageto the speedcontroller,alwaysuse a surgeprotector. When using a
generator,to avoid damagingpowersurges:
(I)
Startthe generatorfltrst;
(2)
Plug the surgeprotectorinto the generator;
(3)
Plugthe pitchingmachineinto the surgeprotector;
(1)
'l'urn
on the pitching nracltinelast.
SPEEDCONTROL
Your machinervill pitchfrom about20 to 62 milesperhour. The speedcontroldial is
graduated
from 0 to 10.
Thesettingsdo not represent
milesper hotrr. You may referto the chartbelowto
speed,or simplyusethe followingformula:
calculatethe approximate
NumberonDialx6:MPH
Examplesillustratedon thefollowingchart:
Dial Settine
5
6
7
8
9
t0
Speedof Pitch
30
36
42
48
54
60
SETTING UP THE MACHINE
(l)
Placethe machineon the pitcher's mound (about3-4 feet in front of the pitching rubber).
(2)
Make stuethe speedcontroldial is in the
o'0".
turned counterclockwisepast
(3)
Plug the machine'spower cord into your power source,either a 110 volt outlet or a
generator(600 watts minimum). We recommendalso using a surgeprotector.
(4)
Startthe machineby turningthe speedcontroldial clockwisepast'"0" and set it at the
desiredspeed.(referto the chartabove) Allow the motor about30 secondsor moreto
get up to full speed.
(5)
Feedin oneball at a time to testthe location. Adjust as needed.
(6)
After settingthe speedand location,testthe locationseveraltirnesbcfbreallowing batters
to stepinto the batter'sbox.
.'OFF" position. Ihe dial will
click off when
WHAT ARE THE WHEELS MADE OF?
The Pitching Wheel on your BATA machineare madeof non-markingrubber.bondedto
an aluminumrim.
First,therim is castof raw aluminum,then it is machinedto a smooth.true finish.
Then, the rubber tread is carefully bondedto the aluminumrim in a mold, and
vulcanized.
At full speed,the wheel may turn as fast as 3200 rpm. The bond strengthof the treadto
the rim is severaltimes what is requiredto hold the treadto the rim at high speed.
However,on rare occasion,defectsin the bondingprocessor materialsmay causethe
tread to come separatedfrom the rim, or for the treadto crack or tear. In which case,the wheel
is no longer usableor safe. Discontinueuse immediatelyand contactour CustomerService.
MAINTAINTNG THE WHEEL
When you first receiveyour machine,the wheel will be new and, therefore,slightly
"slick". A shortbreak-inperiod is requiredbeforethe machinewill pitch consistently. You will
probably needto feed in between50 and 100 balls to "scuff up" the surfaceof the wheel.
After hundredsor thousandsof pitches,the wheelwill developa smoothdip or groovein
the pitching surf'ace.This is normal wear. Once the dip is deepenough,the wheel will begin to
grip the balls lessefficiently, especiallyat higher speeds.Dependingon the speed,the dip may
not effect the pitching until it is V+"deepor more. At that time, it may be necessaryto make
some adjustmentsto closethe GAP betweenthe wheel and the Pad. Do not make any
adjustmentswithout first contactingus.
During the off-seasonwhen the machineis not in use,the rubbertread on the r,vheelwill
oxidize. This will causethe rubberto becomeslick. Il aftera long lay-off, you find that the
machine is not pitching consistently, you may need to "scuff up" the tread with some sandpaper.
If you do, use40 - 60 grit sandpaper.Sandingthe rubberwith the machinerunning is very
dangerous,and not recommended.[f you chooseto do so, be very careful. You are doing so at
your own risk.
Do not cleanthe wheel with any cleanersor chemicals. If the surfaceneedsany
attention,use sandpaper.
FIOW DO DIFF'ERENTBALLS EFFECTTHE WHEELS?
Leatherballswill wear your wheelout much fasterthandimpledballs will. 'fhis is
becauseof the rough, abrasivenatureof the seams.
Also, leatherbaseballswill pitch lessconsistentlythandimpledballs. 'fhis hasto do with
'fhe
the l'actthat leatherballs have seams,and in betweenthe seamsthey have smooth leather,
measurementacrossthe seamsis largerthan the measuremcntacrossthe smooth leathersurf-ace.
1\ largerdiameterwill be tighterbetweenthe wheeland pad (which will pitch higher),
and a
smallerdiameter',villbe looser(which rvill pitch lower).
Also, becausethe seamsare rougherthan the leather,when the wheel contactsthe seams,
it will grip the ball betterthan it will if it contactsthe smooth leathersurface.
In additionto pitchinglessconsistently,leatherballs aremadewith a ,.painted"coloring
on the surf'aceof the leather. This coloring may come ofTonto the tread of the pitching wheel
and build up a stringy residue. When the residueis thick enough,it will begin io peel off. fn.
stringy residuemay or may not effect the pitching. If it does,
f'ou will neefto removeit by
sandingit off.
Do not ever use cheap,low-quality leatherballs, or syntheticleather(vinyl) covered
balls. This type of ball will wear out fast, deposita lot of plastic-likepaint on the wheel, and will
not pitch consistently.You havejust spenta lot of money to have the best pitching machine
money can buy. Do yourself a favor and useonly high-quality regulationleatherballs, or BATA
Dimpled Baseballs.
Other companiesalso sell dimpled balls. We cannot guaranteethat other companies'
dimpled balls will work effectively in our machines. We recommendthat you use oniy BATA
Dimpled Baseballsor softballs, or regulationleatherbaseballs.
Someballs,althoughthey may be sold as "regulation" balls, may or may not work
effectively in BAfA pitching machines,even if they are name-brandballs. Thereare so many
brandsof balls on the market,it would be impossiblefor us to test eachand every one and build
a machinethat will throw all of them
We havebuilt our machinesto throw regulationleatherbaseballsand BATA Dimpled
Baseballsand Softballs. We guaranteethat your machinewill pitch accuratelyand consistently
with the balls that we sell. We do not guaranteethat other brandsof balls will work with our
machines.
Someleathersoftballswill fit tightly in the infeed chute becauseof the high, raised
seams. Balls like this may not be suitablefor use in your BATA machine. The infeed chuteon
your machineis designedto limit the size of ball that may be used in the machine. Balls that are
too big will fit too tightly betweenthe pitching wheels,and may bend or breakthe motor shafts.
Leathersoftballsare very hard. and therefore,not very compressible.This causesthem
to pitch ratherinconsistently.Also, leathersoftballshave extremelythin leathercovcrs and are
not likely to last very long in your machinebeforethey begin to rip.
A NOTE ABOUT BALLS IN GENERAL
Dimpledballsaredesignedand manuf'actured
to be usedin pitchingmachines.They
haveno coverandno seams.Coversloosenand tear,and seamsbreak. Dimpled ballshavethe
sameoutersurfbcethroughout,so the wheelswill grip the samety'peof surfaceeverytime.
Dimpled ballswill pitch more consistentlyand last longer,and they are lessexpensivethan
leatherballs.
BATA BaseballMachinesReturn / Wamanfy Policv
Pleasecheckthe contentsof your shipmentwhen you receiveit. If anythingappears
damagedor missing,BATA must be notifledwithin 5 BUSINESSDAYS. Any itemsthat are
will be shippedto you as soonas they becomeavailable.
backordered
Before returningmerchandise,you must contactour customerservicedepartmentat
l-800-762-2282to requestReturn Authorization. Without Return Authorization,your
package(s)may be refusedand sent back to you.
When calling, pleasehave your invoice numberand your item's serial number(if applicable).
WARRANTY RETURNS
Pleaserefer to your instructionmanualbeforecalling, and find out the nameof the
damagedor defectivepart. When a part is damagedor defective,it must be returnedto BATA
for credit.
Somepartsare proratedafler the first year. They are as follows:
Motor
SpeedController Circuit Board
Potentiometer(switch)
PitchingWheel
Somepartsare covered 100%. They are as follows:
All structuralmetal parts
Somepartsare not covered. They are as follows:
Lock handles
Hardware (nuts and bolts)
Leg tips
an
When item is returned,a determinationwill be madeas to whetherthe item is
'odamaged"
or "det'ective".If evidenceshowsthat the part is damagedratherthandefective,no
given. If the item is determinedto be defective,the part or item will be repairedor
will
be
credit
replaced,and the cost proratedif applicable.
If an item or part is returned for warranty, custom€rpays to ship the part back to BATA.
BATA will pay the shippingchargesfor the replacementpart or item if the part or item is
determinedto covered under warranty.
partsor itemsare shippedvia UPS GroundService(whenshippingcharges
Replacement
are beingpaid by BATA). Customerwill pay shippingchargesif a fastershippingserviceis
requested.
NO RETURNS
BATA doesuot acceptreturns. We havea warrantyto coverany defectiveitem or part.
Thereis NO I.'REETI{IAL PERIOD,and we will not accepta returnsimply becauseyou
changedyour mind.
A l0% RESTOCKINGCHARGE may apply when a shippeditem is refusedor
exchanged.Customerrvill alsobe chargedtbr shippingand handling,and for any damagedue to
irnproperrepackagingof product.
WARRANTY
BATA s-YEAR LIMITED
WARRANTY
Every BATA productsis thoroughly inspectedand testedbefore leaving the
factory. It is warrantedto be free of defectsfrom workmanshipand materialsfor the
period of five yearsfrom the dateof origirralpurchase.
Shouldany trouble developduring this five year period.the machineor partsof it,
may be returnedto the factory, freight prepaid,for inspectionand repair or replacement.
If a part of the machineis deemedto be defective,it will be replaced. If the
defectoccurswithin the first year,the part will be replacedfree of charge. If the defect
occursafter the first year,the defectivepart will be replaced,and the value will be
prorated.
If inspection shows that the necessaryrepairs are due to damagerather than
defect, replacementparts and labor are not covered under the warranty, and standard
labor and replacementcost will be chargedto the customer,as well as return freight
costs.
It is our standardpolicy to require that the defective part be returned before a
replacementis issuedunderwarranty.
This wananty doesnot apply where:
. Repairshave beenmadeor attemptedby otherswithout authorization.
o Repairsare requiredbecauseof normal wear and tear.
o The product hasbeenabused,misused,or improperly maintained.
o Alterationshave beenmadeto the machine.
o Non-Commercialproductshavebeenusedfor commercialuse.
BATA reservesthe right to authorizewarranty serviceor repairsto be done by others.
Authorization must be obtainedby BATA before any repairs are made or attemptedby
anvoneother than BATA.
NOTICE
BATA productsthat are not labeledas "Commercial Grade" are not intendedfor
productsfor commercialuseshortensthe
commercialuse. Use of non-commercial
years
One
Year.
to
warranty frorn 5
BATA BaseballlVlachines
62-2282
1-800-7