GB2200850A

GB2200850A - Ball-firing device

Info

Publication number: GB2200850A
Application number: GB08726921A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christina Thomas; Russell Croston Aubusson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-11-18
Filing date: 1987-11-18
Publication date: 1988-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-18
Also published as: GB8726921D0; GB8627466D0; GB2200850B

Abstract

The open end of a cylindrical housing 12 can be lowered over a ball on the ground, the ball then being retained by clips 17 or bristles (Figures 3-5, not shown), downward force on handle 11 then cocking a spring- actuated ball firing mechanism. In the form shown, the cocked position is held by a projection 19 engaging under member 8 and is released by depression of button 21. The housing 12 then moves along shaft 10 until arrested by collar 13, whereupon the ball 18 is ejected. In a second form (Figures 3-5), spring-loaded ball detents (25A) hold the cocked position, which is released by axially sliding a collar (27A), a ram (23A) then striking the ball to eject it. <IMAGE>

Description

11BALL-IRING DEVICE." The present invention relates to a ball-firing device. Xore particularly, the present invention relates to a ball-firing device primarily, but not exclusively, intended for use in exercising dogs.

Dogs are often exercised by throwing items for them to retrieve, such as sticks or balls. However, some dog owners, particularly the aged and/or infirm, find difficulty in giving a dog exercise in this manner. There are three main reasons for this, these being (a) the difficulty of bending or stooping to pick up the retrieved object, (b) the difficulty of throwing the object and (c) the possibility of infection in handling the object after it has been in the dog's mouth and, hence, is coated with saliva.

Ball-firing devices of certain types are known; in the pin-table game of Bagatelle, for example, a small, hard ball is projected by a springdriven plunger which is primed by the player. However, this arrangement is unsuitable as a device for throwing a ball for a dog to retrieve as, in addition to the problems of loading and locating a ball and controlling the direction of launch when no longer enclosed within the confines of the pin-table, it would be impracticable for an infirm person to prime the device with sufficient energy to project a ball the required distance merely by pulling against the spring. Further, the person would still require to stoop to pick up the ball for reloading of the device.

The present invention seeks to provide a ball-firing device which overcomes these disadvantages; more particularly a device which does not require the user to stoop to pick up the ball from the ground, which can project a ball in any direction, which can be used by a relatively infirm person with minimal effort and without any requirement to touch the ball.

According to the present invention, there is provided a ball-firing device comprising a hollow, substantially cylindrical, housing member, one end of the housing member being open and including a ball-retaining device, the opposed end of the housing member including a closure device having an aperture extending axially therethrough, and a firing mechanism, the firing mechanism comprising a trigger device and springactuated firing means responsive to the trigger device and acting, in use, to release and fire the ball from the retaining device. The closure member may be integrally formed with the housing member, or may be detachably affixable thereto.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the trigger mechanism comprises a shaft disposed partially within the housing member and projecting substantially axially outwardly therefrom through the aperture in the closure member, the shaft being slidably, axially displaceable within the housing member and having the spring actuating the firing means fixedly connected thereto, the diameter of the shaft being less than that of the aperture by an amount sufficient to permit limited lateral displacement of the shaft within the aperture.

In such an arrangement, it is desirable if the portion of the shaft disposed within the housing member has a collar mounted thereon, the diameter of the collar being in excess of that of the aperture. This limits the displacement of the spring.

Desirably, in such an arrangement the shaft carries, on its external surface, projection members engageable with the underside of the closure member within the housing member and an actuating projection disposed externally of the housing member for laterally displacing the shaft between the first position in which one of the said projection members is in engagement with the underside of the closure member and a second position in which the projection members are free to pass through the apertures.

Advantageously, the firing means comprise projecting means mounted on the internal surface of the housing adjacent the ball retaining device, the projecting means simultaneously forming a stop member for the spring. The projecting means may either be in the form of lugs equiangularly disposed around the internal periphery of the housing member or in the form of an annular collar projecting inwardly from such internal periphery.

In an alternative embodiment the trigger mechanism comprises a piston rod slidably displaceable within the housing member and surrounded by the spring- actuating the firing means, the spring being attached to the inner face of the piston, the end of the piston rod remote from the piston having at least one annular circumferential groove formed therein, a sleeve arrangement which is slidably axially displaceable within the housing disposed around said spring and a priming device fixedly connected to the end of the spring and remote from the piston, the priming means including means displaceable into and out of the at least one circumferential groove in the piston rod and being engageable with the sleeve arrangement, at least a portion of the priming device projecting axially outwardly through the aperture.In such a case, the firing means may advantageously comprise a ram fixedly connected to the free major face of the piston and directed towards the ball retaining device. Desirably, the free end face of the ram is dished.

The means displaceable into and out of the circumferential groove in the piston rod may comprise a plurality of spring-loaded bearing balls. If desired, these bearing balls may be disposed in a ball race.

Alternatively, a resilient split ring may be used in place of the bearing balls.

Two specific embodiments of a ball-firing device according to the present invention will now be described further by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of a first embodiment of a ball-throwing device in the unprimed and ball-retaining position; Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1 in its loaded position ready for projecting the ball; Figure 3 shows a vertical sectional view of a second embodiment of a ball-firing device in its discharged state; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the device in the first stage of priming ready for use; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 3 and 4 but showing the device holding a ball and primed ready to fire.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a ball firing device comprising a hollow tubular housing 12. The housing 12 includes, in one end region, a closure member 8 which is integrally formed with the housing 12. The closure member 8 defines an axial central aperture 9 having a diameter considerably less than the diameter of the body of the housing 12. A handle member 10, the major portion of which is disposed exteriorly of the housing 12 and terminates in a bentover portion 11, projects through the aperture 9- into the housing 12.

The free end region of the handle member 10 located within the housing 12 is fixedly attached to the collar member 13, the collar member having a diameter in excess of that of the aperture 9. The interior of the handle member 10 is hollow and a shaft 14 is disposed therein. The shaft 14 is subtantially coaxial with the major portion of the handle member 11 and is also attached, at its lower (as shown) end to the collar member 13. The shaft 14 has a diameter less than that of the handle member 10 and thus can be displaced laterally, by a limited amount, relative to the handle member 11. On its external surface, the shaft 14 carries a plurality of projections 19 and an actuating button 21 biased by a spring 20. The projections 19 and the button 21 protrude, in their rest positions, through slots formed in the handle member 10.

Bearing against the major surface of the collar member 13 opposed to that to which the handle member 10 is attached, is one end of an actuating spring 15. The opposed end of the spring bears against lug members 16 projecting radially inwardly from the internal surface of the housing 12. The housing 12 projects beyond the lug members 16 and terminates in an open end. The portion of the housing between the lugs members 16 and the open end constitutes a ball 18 receiving device. The retaining device includes spring clip 17 which project inwardly from the internal wall of the housing 12 so as to retain the ball in position.

The strength of the clips 17 is so selected that the force they apply to the ball is readily overcome by the power of the spring 15.

The use of such a device will now be described. To achieve the position shown in Figure 1, the device is held vertically over a ball 18 located on the ground. Slight downward pressure on the handle portion 11 will force the ball 18 past the clips 17. The device can now be primed. If the free end of the housing is located on the ground, further downward pressure on the handle portion 11 will cause this latter to move axially with respect to the housing 12. By so doing, the collar 13 will be displaced downwardly, thereby compressing the spring 15. A stable, primed position is achieved when one of the projections 19 has passed through the aperture 9. In such circumstances, the selected projection is maintained in position by abutting against the underside of the closure member 8 within the housing 12. The device is now in a position shown in Figure 2.To fire the ball, the device is held by the handle member 11 and aimed in the desired direction; pressure is then applied to the button 21 against the pressure of the spring 20. It will readily be seen that this action causes lateral displacement of the shaft 14 to such an extent that the selected projection 19 moves out of abutment with the closure member 8. The compressed spring 15 is no longer constrained and, unable to force the handle member 11 rearwardly because the device is being held, the housing 12 is driven away from the handle member 11. This movement of the housing is arrested when the collar member 13 strikes against the closure member 8. The momentum thus gained is transferred to the ball by the lugs 16. Such momentum overcomes the retaining force of the clip 17 and the ball 18 is fired through the open end of the housing 12.

The embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 5 is similar in many respects to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus, the device in this embodiment also includes a handle portion 10A terminating in a bent-over portion llA and a tubular housing 12A. In this embodiment, however, the handle portion 11A has a collar portion 27A slidably mounted thereon which is springbiased by means of springs 28A. The collar portion 27A has recesses formed therein which receive further springs 26A to which are affixed bearing balls 25A and has a tapered end region. The bearing balls 25A are, in their rest positions, urged outwardly of the recesses to the springs 26A.

The lower end portion of the handle portion 10A terminates in a radially outwardly directed flange portion 29A whidh is fixedly attached to a sleeve member 30A. In turn, the sleeve member 30A is a friction fit within the interior of the housing 12A and is free to slide therein.

The sleeve member 30A surrounds the actuating spring 15A, one end of which bears against the flange portion 29A of the handle portion lOA.

In this embodiment, the shaft of Figures 1 and 2 is replaced by a piston rod assembly 22A. At one end, the rod carries a piston 32A and, at its other end, is provided with at least one circumferential groove- 24A.

The purpose of the groove 24A will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The second end of the spring 15A bears against the internal major face of the piston 32A.

Attached to the other major face of the piston 32A, that is to say, the face remote from the attachment of the sping 15A, is a ram 23A. The ram is preferably made from a resilient material such as rubber. The free end of the ram 23A is dished so as to correspond to the shape of a portion of the curved surface of the ball.

As in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper end of the housing is closed by a closure member 31A. In this embodiment, however, the closure 31A is a separate integer which is fixedly attached to the housing 12A. Xoreover, the ball retaining device is slightly modified in that the open end of the housing has an increased diameter compared with the major portion of the housing. This increased diameter portion is provided with frictional retaining means 17A, such as bristles, on its internal surface and is so dimensioned that, in use, a ball is retained by the bristles.

The operation of the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 5 will now be described. Initially, it will be asssumed that the device is in its dicharged state as shown in Figure 3. Downward pressure is applied to the handle portion 10A -by, for example, locating the ball retaining device 17A on the ground and leaning on the handle portion. This causes the sub-assembly of the collar portion 27A, the handle portion 10S and the sleeve member 30A to slide wwithin the housing 12A. The flange portion 29A, during such movement, bears against one end of the spring 15A, thereby compressing it. After a certain amount of travel, the bearing balls 25A become located opposed to the groove 24A and, due to the force of the springs 26A, enter such groove. This, effectively locks the above-mentioned sub-assembly in position and prevents further downward movement thereof.This state of the device is shown in Figure 4.

If the housing 12A is held, the portion of the handle 10A projecting axially therefrom can be retracted, that is to say, pulled upwardly as shown in Figure 4. Such retraction causes the above mentioned subassembly to be retracted and the location of the bearing balls 25A in the groove 24A entrains the retraction of the piston rod 22A. The device is now located on the ground over the ball to be fired. Such a state is shown in Figure 5. The device is now primed and is aimed in a desired direction.

Retraction of the collar portion 27A is now effected. This causes the springs 28A to move-upwardly, thereby removing or minimising the biasing of the bearing balls 25A into the groove 24A. Once such retraction of the bearing balls occurs, the spring 15A is free to extend and causes travel of the primed sub-assembly along the interior of the housing in a direction towards the ball-retaining device. The ram 23A strikes against the ball 18A, overcomes the frictional resistance of the bristles 17A and fires the ball.

To assist in improving efficiency of transfer of momentum from the piston to the flexible surface of the ball to be projected, it is important to reduce the sharpness of impact and consequent distortion of the ball shape. As shown, this is achieved by including a dished, deformable member 23A (e.g. soft rubber) over the end of the plunger.

An alternative implementation may replace deformable member 23A with a coil spring fixed to the lower end of piston 32A and terminated in a disc of metal or other suitable material, dished to match the curvature of the ball.

It will be apparent that charging of the spring may be achieved for both embodiments of the invention by placing the lower end of the device in contact with the ground and leaning on the handle; the force is supplied by the user's body weight, so an elderly or infirm person will have no difficulty in applying the necessary force.

In the first embodiment of the invention, the various set points 19 (two shown in the sketch of Figure 1) are provided for controlling the compression of the coil spring 15 and hence the projection velocity of the ball to suit the available playingarea. Such means of range control may be provided in the second embodiment (figures 3 to 5) by including additional grooves on piston rod 22A to permit increased storage of energy in spring 15A.

Materials of suitably strong, lightweight and rustproof characteristics will be selected, the spring geometry being chosen to provide a projectile range typical of the normal throw of an active person.

Various features of the invention can be modified; for example, the provision made by springs 17 or bristles 17A may alternatively be provided by a pad of foam rubber or other suitable material.

In an alternative implementation of the capture/release mechanism, the balls or ball-race 25A and springs 26A may be replaced by a split ring of a resilient material such as steel - as is commonly used for example in the connection of pressure hoses in garden water sprinklers and in the connections of gas lines for pressurising beer barrels; here, a similarly tapered or stepped external collar is pulled axially along the shaft to permit the ring to expand clear of the groove 24A on piston rod 22A which may then be driven by spring 15A along the tube 12A.

Claims

1. A ball-firing device comprising a hollow, substantially cylindrical, housing member, one end of the housing member being open and including a ball retaining device, the opposed end of the housing member including a closure device having an aperture extending axially therethrough, and a firing mechanism, the firing mechanism comprising a trigger device and a spring-actuated firing means responsive to the trigger device and acting, in use, to release and fire the ball from the retaining device.

2. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the closure device is integrally formed with the housing member.

3. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the closure device is detachedly affixable to the housing member.

4. A ball-firing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the trigger mechanism comprises a shaft disposed partially within the housing member and projecting substantially axially outwardly therefrom through the aperture in the closure member, the shaft being slidably axially displaceable within the housing member and having the spring actuating the firing means fixedly connected thereto, the diameter of the shaft being less than that of the aperture by an amount sufficient to permit limited lateral displacement of the shaft within the aperture.

5. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the portion of the shaft disposed within the housing member has a collar mounted thereon, the diameter of the collar being in excess of that of the aperture in the closure device.

6. A ball firing device as claimed in 4 or 5 wherein the shaft carries, on its external surface, projection members engageable with the underside of the closure member within the housing member and actuating projection disposed externally of the housing member for laterally displacing the shaft between a first position in which one of the said projection members is in engagement with the underside of the closure member and the second position in which the projection members are free to pass through the aperture.

7. A ball-firing device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the firing means comprise projecting means mounted on the internal surface of the housing adjacent the ball retaining device, the projecting means simultaneously forming a stop member for the spring.

8. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the projecting means comprise the plurality of lugs equiangularly disposed around the internal periphery of the housing member.

9. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the projecting means comprises an annular collar.

10. A ball-firing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the trigger mechanism comprises a piston rod slidably displaceable within the housing member and surrounded by the spring actuating the firing means, the spring bearing against the inner face of the piston, the end of the piston rod remote from the piston having at least one annular circumferential groove formed therein, a sleeve arrangement which is slidably axially displaceable within the housing disposed around the said spring and a priming device fixedly connected to the end of the spring remote from the piston, the priming means including means displaceable into and out of the at least one circumferential groove in the piston rod and being engageable with the sleeve arrangement, at least a portion of the priming device projecting axially outwardly through the aperture.

11. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 10 in which the firing means comprises a ram fixedly attached to the free major face of the piston and directed towards the ball retaining device.

12. A ball-firing device as claImed in claim 11 wherein the free end face of the ram is dished so as to correspond to a portion of the curved surface of a ball.

13. A ball-firing device as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the means displaceable. into and out of the circumferential groove comprises a plurality of spring-loaded bearing balls.

14. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the bearing balls are disposed in a ball race.

15. A ball--firing device as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the means displaceable into and out of the circumferential groove comprises a resilient split ring.

16. A ball-firing device as claimed in claim 1 constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.