US2509087A

US2509087A - Game missile

Info

Publication number: US2509087A
Application number: US650897A
Authority: US
Inventors: James M Edmund
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-02-28
Filing date: 1946-02-28
Publication date: 1950-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1967-05-23

Description

J. M. EDMUND. 2,509,087

GAME MIssILE.

May 23, 1950 Filed Feb. 28, 1946 S11/UWM J/Mas lVLEnMuND @$45, Wwf

' @www Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES ICE Y MISSIL James M. Edmund, Takoma Park, Md. .Application February 28, 1'916,"Serial No. 650,897 lall's. (Cl 273-1458) This invention relates to balls and comparable articles used as missiles in playing badminton and other games. n

iIt is an object of the inventionzso to forman article of this kind that, after being struck Vby a racquet, bat, or club, or otherwise propelled, it will decrease in speed in flight at a rapid rate.

Another object is to provide an article possessing those properties that can be made economically and with facility.

More specically, the article of this invention has stiif or bristle-like fibers, filaments, or strands, which extend individually and separately .beyond its core or body and give to the article aerodynamic characteristics, which diminish its speed in flight.

Further, the extending strands are disposed with respect to one another in such manner that they give high resistance to the air while in motion therein.

Moreover, the strands are so disposed with respect to the body of the article that they are not liable to be broken or rapidly worn by the propellant by which it is struck.

When considered with the description herein, characteristics of the invention are apparent in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein an adaptation of the invention in an article having a substantially spherical body is disclosed for purpose of explanation.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawing, of which- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a diametrical sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a View of a strand assembly before application to the outside of the body.

The article comprises a central body 5, which usually is spherical, and stiif strands 6 xed to and extending beyond the surface of the body.

The body may be of cork, relatively hard plastic material, resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber, or other suitable material. It may be a solid mass or may be hollow and of characteristics similar to those of a tennis ball. The desirable features of the body depend largely upon requirements for the game in which the article is to be used.

Animal bristles or rather stiff hair, comparably stiff vegetable strands, or artificial strands of equivalent resistance to bending may be used as the aerodynamic elements of the article.

The strands are sufficiently long to extend individually considerable distances from the body. They are spaced from one another in projecting portions, and they do not rely upon one another to maintaintheir normal :prot'ub'erance :from the body. Thelengthof the'strandsfordlnarily exa ceeds-vthe diameter Aofthe body. :The strands, individually disposed in separated relatiom give to the article greater resistance to the air in ight than one with smooth, slightly rough, matted, or compacted liber surfaces.

The strands extend from the body in directions other than radial; that is, they are disposed in angular lines having their vertices eccentric of the body. This inclined disposition of the strands may be tangential to the surface of the body, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In all of these dispositions of the strands with respect to the body, the strands are secant to radial lines of the body; that is, they do not intersect the center of the body. This disposition of the strands increases the aerodynamic resistance properties of the article.

Moreover, as the strands are disposed tangentially to the body or approximately so, they will not be bent considerably at their places of departure from the body by blows of propellants,

and thus they are not liable to be broken atk those places.

As a result, the article wears longer than one having radially disposed strands. In addition, the article, in long use, does not become matted or cluttered with broken strands.

The strands may be mounted on the body in dispositions such as hereinbefore described in any suitable manner and by any suitable means; for example:

Strands 6, of approximately twice the length required for their desired extension from the body, are secured by adhesive in spacedsubstantially parallel relation across and about midway of their length, to an elongated iiexible member of sheet material, such as tape 1, at acute'ar'gles thereto, as seen in Fig. 3, or perpendicular thereto. The strip/1 ordinarily is of the length required to circuinscribe the body.

Several strand assemblies are wrapped around the body in overlapping intersecting lines, with the strands under the tapes and directly against the body surface. When the body is spherical, the wrapping preferably is substantially in greatcircle lines.

The strand assemblies are secured to the body by adhesive applied to the tapes, which are pressed against the body firmly while being wrapped therearound. Application of the strand assemblies may be done by laying them, adhesive side up, on a firm surface, and by rolling the body along and pressing it against the tapes.

Strand assemblies also may be made by similarLv attaching strands to pieces of exible sheet material of other shapes and similarly securing them to the body.

Strand assemblies may be made in quantities and kept in stock, and adhesive applied thereto as they are about to be mounted on the body, or they may be made `iust before application to the body and the same adhesive that secures the strands to the flexible material used, while still moist or soft, to secure the assemblies to the body.

The strands as thus mounted on the body have disposition tangential to the surface thereof.

I claim:

1. A game missile comprising a ball and a strand assembly secured to said ball, said strand assembly consisting of a tape wrapped around the ball adjacent a great circle of the ball and a plurality of closely spaced relatively stiff strands arranged crosswise of said tape, said strands being located between the tape and the ball, whereby the strands extend approximately tangential to the ball.

l2.l A 'game missile comprising a ball and a plurality of strand assemblies wrapped around the ball in overlapping intersecting relationship, each strand assembly consisting of a piece of tape and ak plurality of relatively stiff strands arranged crosswise of the said piece of tape, said strands being located between the tape and the ball, so that the strands are disposed approximately tan-"- gentially to the surface of the ball.

JAMES M. EDMUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,580,230 Brereton Apr. 13, 1926 1,617,243 Flanagan Feb. 8, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,246 Australia July 27, 1933 of 1932 516,638 Great Britain J an. 8, 1940