US3197206A

US3197206A - Bowling ball with nonremovable rotatable finger plugs

Info

Publication number: US3197206A
Application number: US270352A
Authority: US
Inventors: Yettito Vincent
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-04-03
Filing date: 1963-04-03
Publication date: 1965-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-27

Description

July 27, 1965' BOWLING BALL WITH NOHBEMWXBBIIE ZEIEKQER PLUGS Filed a m :;s,., 21955 IN VENTOR VINCENT YETTITO MMLMMW AT TO R NE Y5 United States Patent f 3,197,206 BOWLING BALL WITH NONREMOVABLE ROTATABLE FINGER PLUGS Vincent Yettito, 32 S. Main St., Port Chester, N.Y. Filed Apr. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 270,352 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-63) This invention relates to bowling balls with rotatable plugs carrying the finger and thumb holes therein in which the plug may be conveniently and easily rotated as desired by the user, but in which the plug cannot be removed without destruction of the component parts thereof.

Bowling balls having rotatable plugs in which finger and/or thumb holes are provided are known to the art, as for example, that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,991,079. Rotatable plugs of this nature have become fairly popular since the user can adjust the ball as, for example, by adjustment of the plug during play to adjust the span and inclination of the holes. Thus, during play, the user may change the inclination of the hole to compensate for the loss of gripping force as his hands tire. This is particularly important during tournament play.

In the structure disclosed in my former patent, the plugs can be removed from the bowling ball. In many tournaments, however, particularly those conducted under the sponsorship of the American Bowling Congress, the balls are weighed to ensure conformance of the balls used with the precise specifications of the balls as, for example, with respect to weight eccentricity. To eliminate the necessity for reweighing balls during the tournament and to eliminate the time consumed thereby, it has been found desirable in many applications to provide a rotatable plug which, however, cannot be removed by the user without destruction of the component parts.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a bowling ball having rotatable plugs carrying the finger and thumb holes, which plugs can be easily rotated, but cannot be removed from the ball without destruction of the component parts of the plug structure,

In accordance with this object, there is provided, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, a bowling ball having a radially extending cylindrical cavity extending inwardly from the surface thereof. An annular keeper slot is milled in the surface of the cylindrical cavity. A plug is provided of cylindrical form which fits snugly within the cylindrical cavity. One end of the plug is shaped to conform to the spherical outer surface of the bowling ball. A finger hole is bored generally axially of the plug from the cylindrical shaped end thereof. A threaded bore is provided communicating between the bottom of the bored hole and the other end of the plug. The threaded bore receives the threaded section of a screw having a head thereon, which head is recessed within an annular cavity drilled in the other end of the plug. The plug is provided with an annular recess circumferentially extending about the outer surface thereof to receive an annular ring. The ring is compressed so as to fit entirely within the groove in the plug and the assembly is inserted within the cavity until the ring springs out into the annular slot in the cavity. A slot is provided in the shank of the bolt which may be reached by a screwdriver extended through the finger bore so as to frictionally engage the bottom of the cavity locking the plug in position. When it is desired to rotate the plug, the screw may be backed off. Thus, the plug may be easily and conveniently rotated by the user. However, the interaction of the clamp ring prevents removal of the plug.

Having briefly described the invention, it will be de- 3,197,206 Patented July 27, 1965 scribed in greater detail in the specification, which may best be understood by reference to the accompanying figure which is a partially sectioned View of a bowling ball constructed in accordance with the present invention.

In the figure, there is shown a bowling ball 10 having a first cylindrical cavity 12 and a second cylindrical cavity 14 extending radially inwardly from the surface thereof. Plugs are provided within each of the cavities, the plugs being shown fully inserted within the cavity 12 and in the process of being inserted within cavity 14.

Plug 16 is a cylindrical plug adapted to fit snugly within the cylindrical cavity 12. One end 18 of the plug is provided with a surface matching the spherical surface of the ball. A thumb hole 20 is bored inwardly from the surface 18. As shown, the bore 20 may extend at an angle to the axis of the plug thereby to provide a thumb hole, the position of which with re spect to the finger hole and the inclination thereof is adjusted by rotation of the plug within the cavity 12.

The plug 16 is held within the ball by the action of a C-ring 22 which extends into the annular groove 24 in the cavity wall and the annular groove 26 in the plug wall. To frictionally hold the plug in any desired position of rotation, a threaded bore 28 is provided communicating between the bottom of the thumb hole 20 and the cavity 12. A screw 30 threadably engages the threaded bore 28 and is provided with a slotted surface 32. Thus, a screwdriver may be inserted within the bore in slot 32 and the screw advanced until it engages the bottom of cavity 12. Since it is desired that the screw be irremovable, it is provided with a head 34 which is received within an annular recess 36 in the cavity.

Thus, by relatively simple means, the user may back off the screw until the head 34 thereof disengages the bottom of the cylindrical cavity 12. Thereupon, the plug may be rotated to any desired position and locked in that position by advancement of screw 28 so that the head 34 engages the bottom of the cavity 12. However, neither the plug nor its components can be removed from the ball without destruction of some of the components such as the ring 26.

The plug insertion can best be understood by reference to the plug 40 which is shown in position for insertion within the cavity 14. Plug 40 is provided with two finger holes 42 and 44 with a bore 46 communicating with the bottom of one finger hole and the cavity. A screw 28 is mounted within this bore for the purpose explained in connection with the plug 16. To insert the plug, the C-ring is compressed until the edges 43 thereof move into abutting relationship and the ring body is positioned within the groove of recess 26. The plug is then inserted within the cavity 14 and the ring 22 is contained within groove 26 and the plug can be inserted within the cavity 14. As the plug is inserted, the ring will deflect outwardly entering in part into the recess 24 in the wall of the cavity 14 thereby securing the plug in the inserted position.

What is claimed is:

A bowling ball comprising a cylindrical cavity extending radially inwardly from the surface thereof, an annular groove formed in the wall of said cavity, a cylindrical plug dimensioned to fit snugly within the cavity, said plug having an annular groove in the outer surface thereof aligned with the groove in the wall of the cavity when the plug is in the inserted position, a ring extending into the groove in both plug and the cavity thereby to mount the plug within the cavity for rotation therein, but preventing removal thereof, and means to frictionally lock the plug in any desired position of rotation, said last named means comprising a finger hole a) extending inwardly from the outer end of said plug, a threaded bore communicating between the bottom of the finger hole and said cavity, said bore being provided with an annular recess at the end of said bore adjacent the bottom of said cavity, a screw threaclably engaged within said bore, said screw being provided at one end thereof with a head adapted to frictionally engage the bottom of said cavity and to be received within said annular recess when said screw is backed off from engagement with the bottom of said cavity, said screw also being provided with a driver receiving means at the other end thereof, said driver receiver means being reachable through said bore to enable controlled advancement of said screw into frictional engagement with the bottom of said cavity and retraction therefrom to enable rotation of said cylindrical plug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,090,486 3/14 Lohrnann 287-124 X 2,393,026 1/46 Dietz et a1. 273--63 2,475,876 7/49 Campi 27363 2,693,034 11/54 Watson.

2,844,375 7/58 Nestor 273-63 2,991,079 7/61 Yettito 273--63 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.