A 1903 Baseball Patent

In 1904, James E. Bennett submitted a patent for a really bizarre looking catching contraption. He intended it to replace the catcher's glove entirely. A big wire cage went over the chest and the catcher's face was also protected via a fence shield. The catcher would then catch the pitch with his chest, getting it to pass through flapped doors, which closed immediately. The ball would hit a padded spring against his chest. Then, gravity would bring it down a hole at the bottom of the cage, where the catcher would grab it and return it to the pitcher, or give it to the umpire. You can see the apparatus in greater detail below!