US2757932A - Audible shuttlecocks - Google Patents

Description

Aus 7, 1956 H. E. SHAW 2,757,932

` AUDIBLE; sHUT'rLEcocKs Filed sept. 11. 195s INVENTOR. HORACE E. SHAW #Il FZIG. 5 #M ATTOFLNEl V2,151,932 AUDIBLE sHUmEcocKs Horace E. Shaw, Decatur, Ga. Application September 11, 1953, Serial No. 379,500 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-106) This invention relates` to an audible shuttlecock and particularly to a shuttlecockr of the typeA which produces a distinctly audible and-penetrating sound asV it moves through the air.

Itis believed that the game of badminton is well known since it dates from the early days of England when merry making people sat around a table batting a feathered object back and forth with their hands. That feathered object by development came to be the present day cork and feathered shuttlecock, sometimes called bird, which is now batted by a racket known as a battledore. As the conventional shuttlecock is driven through the air back and forth between the players it is silent in movement.

The present invention provides a modification to a conventional shuttlecock so that a distinctly audible noise is produced each time that the shuttlecock is batted through the air. It has been found that the distinct noise of the present shuttlecock enhances the game by attracting constant attention from both the players and spectators. lt also supplies entertainment in encouraging the' players to try and strike the shuttlecock harder in order to produce a louder noise.

Briefly described, the present invention comprises a shuttlecock with a nose member as a part thereof, and a noise producing means associated with said nose mem` ber and operable by air flow to produce a sound distinctly audible to the human ear.

An object of this invention is to provide a shuttlecock which produces an audible sound as it is driven through the air.

A further object of this invention is to locate a noise producer in the shuttlecock so that it will be operated as the shuttlecock moves through the air and without affecting the operation of the shuttlecock insofar as flight is concerned.

One feature of this invention is a noise producer which is confined in the nose of the shuttlecock in a particular manner.

Another object is found in one preferred embodiment wherein is constructed whistle producing means in the nose of the shuttlecock.

Also an object of this invention is the presentation of a noise producing means in a shuttlecock which is simple and inexpensive to fabricate and which is rugged in construction so as to withstand constant play so that the shuttlecock of the present invention is just as durable as a conventional shuttlecock.

The invention is capable of being embodied in a variety of ways, as will be apparent from the ensuing explanation to those skilled in the art, and therefore it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as definitions of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claim for that purpose.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are designated bythe same reference charactersv in the several gures:

United Stare Parent 'i0 y 2,757,932 .Patented Aug. 7, 1956 Vused in the embodiment of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a section view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is a full section view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig., 1 with the whistle removed.

Fig. 6 is a full section view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

With reference initially to Fig. 1, the shuttlecock, designated generally at 10, comprises a nose member 12 having a cylindrical body portion 14 formed at the `front terminal end 16 in the shape ofa hemisphere. Nose member 12 is shown as constructed from cork but it may be of other material such as plastic. The rear portion 18 of the nose 12 is circular and llat and has inserted near the periphery thereof a plurality of quills 20 arcuately spaced from each other and arranged in a circle concentric to the circle formed by the periphery of the rear portion 18, as is seen in Fig. 6. Each of the quills 20 radiates from the rear portion 18 and has at the end thereof a trimmed feather 22 and each of the feathers 22 overlaps a portion of an adjacent feather 22 forming a feather band which guides the shuttlecock in flight. Quills 20 are lashed together intermediate their lengths by a light, strong thread, as at 24 and 26, which keeps the quills 20 in tight association. The outside of nose 12 is usually covered or coated with a tough material (not shown).

In the conventional shuttlecock the nose 12 would be of solid construction and of a material such as cork or plastic as mentioned above. In the present embodiment, nose 12 has a central cylindrical passage 2S formed longitudinally thereof which passage 28 begins at the front terminal end 16 and extends through the interior of nose 12 terminating at an exhaust end 30 located concentrically of the circle formed by the quills 20 on the rear portion 18. Passage 28 does not remain the same size throughout the interior of nose 12 but becomes enlarged intermediate the length of nose 12 to form a larger cylindrical compartment 32 wholly within the interior of nose 12 and substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis thereof.

Compartment 32 tightly confines a button type whistle 34 with its disc diameter axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of passage 28 and having an opening 36 in the center thereof interposed in alignment with passage 28. Whistle 34 is of the flat disc type and as seen in Figs. 3 and 4 is constructed from twol overlapping face plates 38, 40 fastened together and spaced apart by a center whistle `throat or tube 42 forming the opening 36. A force of a volume of air against one of the face plates 38, 40 will be directed suddenly through the small tube 42 producing an audible sound of the vibration range commonly called a whistle.

In the operation of the shuttlecock, when the nose 12 is struck by a racket the feathers 22 cause the shuttlecock to invert so that the nose 12 leads in flight and air pressing against the front end 16 is directed into passage 28 and through whistle tube 42 where a whistling sound is produced as the air moves out through the rear exhaust end 30. 4As long as the shuttlecock travels with suicient velocity, the whistling sound is produced.

The present form is believed to be a desirable way to accomplish-the producing of a sound since the outer surface of the shuttlecock is not affected, there are no protruding parts to interfere with normal operation, and the location of the disc type whistle in a symmetrical fashion inside the nose 12 does not unbalance the shuttlecock and therefore does -not affect its normal ight. Furthermore, the weight of the bird after placing the whistle therein is substantially the same as with the solid nose since there would be `very little difference between the Weight of the lwhistle` andthe weight of the material `it replaces `plus the weight of the material'removed for the passage 28.

I have therefore provided an invention which adds considerable entertainment to the game of badminton, which is effective in `its operationfand which Aneither interferes with nor detracts from any other established practices of the game.

Inasmuch as various eliminations, substitutions, alterations, modications, and otherchanges may be made in the embodiment shown and described without departing from the spirit of theinvention, reference is to be had to the appended claim for -a definition of the invention.

I claim:

In an audible shuttlecock,a nose member having a cylindrical body portion and a hemispherical terminalend portion, an air passage formed substantially centrally and longitudinally of said cylindrical body portion and extending through ysaid body to exhaust at the rear thereof, said passage becoming enlarged in the interior of said body portion and forming a small cylindrical compartment confined within said body portion and having its longitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of said body, and a disc type whistle confined within said smaller compartment and having a whistle opening interposed in said air passage, whereby movement of said shuttlecock through the air causes air to pass through said passage producing a whistling sound.

References Cited in 'the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,212,079 Saunders Aug. 20, 1940 2,443,395 Lutins lune 15, 1948 2,621,441 Worden Dec. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,803 Great Britain 1905

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