Ball hoppers

Ball hoppers are simply containers in which balls are stored. Hoppers are useful for the project because you are often tasked with collecting several balls for placement in a central location or with sorting different types of balls mixed together; in either case, it can be useful to contain some of the balls in a hopper while performing the task.

Perhaps the simplest type of container is a bucket, as shown below in figure 1, which is available with or without a tapered barrel and usually has a top lip for additional strength and stiffness. Buckets often have removable handles as well.

Figure 1: Simple bucket container

Another cheap and readily available option is plastic containers found at food or hardware stores as shown in figure 2. Also shown in figure 2 are similar boxes available in metal; these boxes are stronger, albeit at higher cost.

Figure 2: Plastic and steel containers

Based on the previous example there are many types of prefabricated (i.e. purchased off the shelf) containers that can function as hoppers. Figure 3 shows a hopper made exactly for the task of collecting and storing tennis balls.

Figure 3: Ball specific hopper

Another option for carrying objects is to design and fabricate a hopper that specifically meets your needs as far as its geometry, strength, sturdiness, material choice, etcetera. Figure 4 illustrates a custom fabricated sheetmetal box. Note that a good engineer must consider the amount of time and cost necessary to manufacture this type of hopper, as opposed to buying a pre-made container like those shown above.

Figure 4: Fabricated sheetmetal box