Specialist R&D tax advisory firm Swanson Reed has awarded its August 2026 Alabama Patent of the Month to US Patent 12691338, titled “Sport ball retrieving system,” filed by The Ball Caddy, LLC. This invention delivers a versatile solution to a persistent challenge faced by sports facilities, athletic programs, and multi-sport athletes. Rather than forcing users to purchase and store individual pick-up tools for tennis balls, baseballs, softballs, golf balls, and cricket balls, the patented assembly provides a single, unified hopper system capable of handling various ball dimensions seamlessly.
The core innovation of the design rests in its modular assembly, which combines a central storage hopper with removable, interchangeable attachments. Each attachment features a custom retrieval structure engineered specifically for the unidirectional passage of balls within a defined diameter range. Complementing this adaptability is a reconfigurable lid that serves two distinct functions: securely enclosing the storage cavity during transport, or converting into a sturdy stand that maintains the hopper in an upright and open orientation during practice drills. This integrated approach drastically reduces equipment expenses and storage footprint while streamlining training sessions.
Why the Invention Won Swanson Reed’s Alabama Patent of the Month
Swanson Reed selected this patent as the August 2026 Alabama Patent of the Month due to its exceptional mechanical ingenuity, widespread commercial application, and direct value to sports communities across the state. By consolidating multi-sport collection into one adaptable tool, the system enables school districts, municipal recreation departments, and local training centers in Alabama to maximize their equipment budgets. Swanson Reed recognized the design for solving tangible physical constraints through clever modular engineering, making it an outstanding exemplar of practical research and development within the region.
R&D Tax Credit Eligibility for Practical Applications
The physical development and technical refinement of this patented system present clear alignment with the requirements for the United States federal Research and Development (R&D) tax credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 41. To successfully realize the product, the engineering team had to evaluate and eliminate technical uncertainties surrounding material elasticity, spring tensions, and structural durability necessary for repeated unidirectional ball entry. Developing interchangeable snap-fit attachment mechanisms required a rigorous process of experimentation involving 3D CAD modeling, rapid prototyping, and empirical force testing. Furthermore, engineering a convertible lid that reliably supports the weight of a fully loaded hopper under field conditions involved iterative structural load testing. Businesses undertaking similar mechanical design, prototype testing, and manufacturing process optimization can leverage R&D tax credits to recoup a significant portion of their development expenses.
