US3329429A

US3329429A - Bowling ball

Info

Publication number: US3329429A
Application number: US440520A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ellen E Kopperud
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-03-17
Filing date: 1965-03-17
Publication date: 1967-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-04

Description

y 4, 1967 E. E. KOPP-ERUD 3,329,429

BOWLI NG BALL Filed March 17, 1965 INVENTOR- ELLEN E. KOPPERUD United States Patent ()ffice 3,329,429 Patented July 4, 1967 3,329,429 BOWLlNG BALL Ellen E. Kopperud, 2325 N. 50th St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53210 Filed Mar. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 440,520 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-63) This invention relates to bowling balls, and more particularly to an improved arrangement of the openings or holes by which the ball is gripped.

A conventional bowling ball is gripped by means of either two or three holes bored in the outer surface thereof. One of these holes is enlarged to accommodate the thumb, while the other one or two, as the case may be, are smaller to accommodate the middle and/ or ring fingers of the bowler. The middle and/or ring finger holes are spaced from the thumb hole a sufficient distance to allow the ball to be held firmly but comfortably with the fingers inserted to the knuckles. In a three finger ball, the middle and ring finger holes are adjacent each other to permitcomfortable gripping of the ball without hand distortion. The ball is thus held by reason of a clamping action exerted by the thumb and middle and/ or ring fingers and by the friction between the sides of the holes and the fingers.

While the three-fingered ball is in most common use today, primarily due to the standard weight of bowling balls, it is generally considered that the two-fingered ball produces a more accurate delivery than the somewhat more conventional three-finger hole grip. As a result,

bowlers frequently follow the practice of using two bowl-- ing balls, namely, a three-fingered ball and a two-fingered ball.

It is desirable also to have the holes in the ball fit the digits of the bowler as closely as possible to reduce the amount of squeezing required to hold the ball and the resulting fatigue of the bowlers hand. The problem is particularly acute in the case of a two-finger hole grip, as the squeezing action may be exerted only between the thumb and a single finger thereby requiring a high degree of pressure. However, to obtain a coordinated, accurate delivery, it is additionally necessary that the bowlers fingers slide smoothly from the close-fitting holes. To assist in this, the bowler is generally provided with chalk and towels to prepare his hands.

Frequently, in the course of several games, it is a common phenomenon to have the fingers, and particularly the thumb, of the bowler become swollen to the point where the drying action of the towel and any lubricating film or the like are insuflicient to insure a smooth delivery. Also, considerable dismcomfort may be experienced by the bowler and blistering may result. This too has required many bowlers to utilize two bowling balls,.the second of which is formed with a slightly larger thumb hole than the first to accommodate an enlarged thumb. This, of course, involves additional expense as well as the inconvenience of carrying and storing two heavy balls.

The present invention provides a bowling ball which insures a smooth, accurate delivery regardless of Whether the thumb of the bowler is in its normal state or its swollen state, thereby eliminating the need for a second ball.

Additionally, the bowling ball herein provided includes a grip that is adapted to offer the bowler either a twofinger grip or a three-finger grip with the thumb in either its normal or abnormally swollen state.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following specification and drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the bowling ball of the present invention showing all of the finger holes thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary section along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and showing the differences in size of the two thumb holes somewhat exaggerated; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a somewhat modified finger hole arrangement.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a bowling ball conventionally constructed of a compressed plastic material. In accordance with the present invention, the ball is provided with two pairs or sets of laterally spaced gripping holes. The first pair or set is comprised of a thumb hole 3 and a finger hole 5. The second pair or set of holes is comprised of a thumb hole 7 and a finger hole 9. The diameter of thumb hole 7 is somewhat larger than that of thumb hole 3.

The two pairs of

holes

3, 5 and 7, 9 are drilled in the ball so that the bowler may grip the ball in normal three-finger fashion by positioning the thumb in thumb hole 3, his middle finger in hole 9, and his ring finger in hole 7. Alternately, the ball may also be gripped by positioning the thumb in thumb hole 7, the middle finger in hole 3, and the ring finger in hole 5. Since the thumb hole 7 is larger than thumb hole 3, the latter grip is used in the event the thumb becomes swollen or enlarged.

The exact position of holes 3 through 9 will depend on the dimension of the hand and the span between the base of the thumb and the knuckles of the middle and ring fingers of the bowler for whom the ball is fitted. However, in general, the holes will be drilled so that a line 11 through the centers of thumb hole 3 and finger hole 5 will run approximately parallel to a line 13 through the centers of thumb hole 7 and finger hole 9, while

lines

15 and 17 through the centers of thumb holes 3 and 7 and the centers of

finger holes

5 and 9, respectively, run parallel to each other and approximately perpendicular to lines 11 and 13.

When desired, as in bowling for spares where accuracy is desired, the ball 1 may be gripped with only a single finger and the thumb by inserting the thumb in thumb hole 3 and the middle finger in either the hole 7 or the hole 9 of the opposite pair of holes, whichever span is most comfortable. As before, if the thumb of the bowler becomes swollen during a series of games, the larger thumb hole 7 may be used with the middle finger being placed in either the hole 5 or the hole 3.

The distance or span between thumb hole 7 and finger hole 5 is greater than the distance between thumb hole 7 and thumb hole 3, which accommodates the middle finger in the three-finger grip, and the same is true with regard to the other set of holes, 3, 7 and 9. The greater span between the selected thumb and finger hole often aids the bowler in providing for an increased squeezing action between his swollen thumb and his middle finger while permitting him or her to grip the ball with only the thumb and one finger. Of course, the bowler may grip the ball by inserting his thumb in thumb hole 3 or 7 and his middle finger in hole 7 or 3, thereby utilizing the same span as in the two-finger grip.

If desired by the bowler, the ball may be drilled with the position of

holes

3 and 5 reversed, that is with the center of finger hole 5 at the junction of lines 11 and 15 and the center of thumb hole 3 at the junction of lines 11 and 17. See FIGURE 3. This permits the middle finger to be placed in

finger holes

5 or 9 in both the three-finger grip and the two-finger grip. Also, the distance required to be spanned by the thumb and middle finger may remain the same for both the two-finger grip and the singlefinger grip, or if an increased span is desired, the middle 1finlger may be placed in the diagonally opposite thumb It is appreciated that other modifications may be made to the above described bowling ball, and it is intended to encompass all such changes as fall within the attached claims.

Various modes of carryingout the invention are contemplated as being within the scope .of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A ball for use in the game of bowling including no more than four gripping holes comprising a first set of holes including a first finger hole and a first thumb hole closely spaced apart; and

a second set of holes including a second finger hole and a second thumb hole closely spaced apart, said second thumb hole being of a diiferent diameter than said first thumb hole, said second finger and thumb holes being arcuately spaced from said first thumb and finger holes, the distances from each of said holes to all the other holes being such that one bowler may accurately deliver the ball during play with his thumb inserted in the thumb hole of either of said sets and his fingers inserted in the holes of the other set.

2. A ball for use in the game of bowling including no more than four gripping holes comprising a first setof holes including a first finger hole and a first thu-mb hole closely spaced apart; and

a second set of holes including a second finger hole and a second thumb hole closely spaced apart, said second thumb hole being of a different diameter than said first thumb hole, said second finger and thumb holes being arcuately spaced from said first thumb and finger holes and an imaginary line connecting the centers of said first thumb and finger holes being generally parallel to an imaginary line connecting the centers of said second thumb and finger holes, the distances from each of said holes to all the other holes being such that one bowler may accurately deliver the ball during play with his thumb inserted in the thumb hole of either of said sets and his fingers inserted in the holes of the other set.

3. The bowling ball of claim 2 wherein an imaginary line connecting the centers of said first thumb hole and said second thumb hole is generally parallel to an imaginary line connecting the centers of said first finger hole and said second finger hole.

4. The bowling ball of claim 3 wherein said line connecting the centers of said first finger and thumb holes and the line connecting the centers of said second finger and thumb holes are generally perpendicular to said line connecting the center of said first and second thumb holes and the line connecting the center of said first and second finger holes.

5. The bowling ball of claim 2 in which an imaginary line connecting the centers of said first finger hole and said second thumb hole is generally parallel to an imaginary line connecting the centers of said second finger hole and said first thumb hole.

6. The bowling ball of claim 5 wherein said line connecting said first finger and thumb holes and the line connecting said second finger and thumb holes are generally perpendicular to said line connecting the center of said first finger hole and said second thumb hole and said line connecting the center of said first thumb hole and said second finger hole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,188,868 1/1940 Shepard 273-63 2,453,036 11/1948 Reitsma 27363 FOREIGN PATENTS 538,234 6/ 1922 France.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A BALL FOR USE IN THE GAME OF BOWLING INCLUDING NO MORE THAN FOUR GRIPPING HOLES COMPRISING A FIRST SET OF HOLES INCLUDING A FIRST FINGER HOLE AND A FIRST THUMB HOLE CLOSELY SPACED APART; AND A SECOND SET OF HOLES INCLUDING A SECOND FINGER HOLE AND A SECOND THUMB HOLE CLOSELY SPACED APART, SAID SECOND THUMB HOLE BEING OF A DIFFERENT DIAMETER THAN SAID FIRST THUMB HOLE, SAID SECOND FINGER AND THUMB HOLES BEING ARCUATELY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST THUMB AND FINGER HOLES, THE DISTANCES FROM EACH OF SAID HOLES TO ALL THE OTHER HOLES BEING SUCH THAT ONE BOWLER MAY ACCURATELY DELIVER THE BALL DURING PLAY WITH HIS THUMB INSERTED IN THE THUMB HOLE OF EITHER OF SAID SETS AND HIS FINGERS INSERTED IN THE HOLES OF THE OTHER SET.