US3545121A - Toy and exercising captive ball - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1970 s. R. MISKO 3,545,121.

TOYAND EXERCISING CAPTIVE BALL? Filed Aug 14, 1968 Stephen R. Miska INVENTOK.

United States Patent Office 3,545,121 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 3,545,121 TOY AND EXERCISING CAPTIVE BALL Stephen R. Misko, New Orleans, La. (4709 Kawanee Ave., Metairie, La. 70002) Filed Aug. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 752,679 Int. Cl. A63h 33/00 U.S. Cl. 46-1 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An amusement device or toy for concentration and expending of energy by reciprocating a sphere on a defined length of a shaft. Compression springs at each end of the defined length of the shaft speed up the return of the sphere and intensify the action involved.

The present invention relates to a fascinating toy or amusement device that provides for fast moving action with a relatively small device without needing a large area within which to use it. The device allows a simplicity of construction that provides durability as well as low cost construction. The device is capable of utilization by one or two persons.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple, low cost, and durable toy.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an amusement device that permits the use thereof in a relatively small area.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an amusement device whose action is fast paced and increases with the amount of energy expended.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an amusement device that can be used by one or two persons.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a safe, simple to operate amusement device.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refere to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the toy with the hollow sphere compressing the spring on the shaft opposite from the user.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toy with the sphere compressing the spring at the opposite end of travel.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the snap washer which acts as the stop member for the device.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the end of the compression spring that bears against the stop member.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the loose end of the compression spring to be engaged by the sphere.

Referring now to the drawings the toy is generally indicated at numeral 10. The toy has as its main structure and support a cylindrical shaft 12. The shaft 12 may be fabricated of a wood dowel, plastic or metal tubing. At either end of the shaft 12 are indentations 14 in the circumference of the shaft. There are two rows of these indentations 14 at each end of the shaft 12 and each row is placed on opposite sides of the circumference of the shaft thereby forming an integral handle. If the shaft is made of a wood dowel these indentations could be carved out of the wood dowel, which if painted before the carving would add a decorative effect to the device. If the shaft is fabricated of plastic or metal tubing, these indentations could be pressed into the circumference of the shaft. Adjacent the end of each row of indentations at both ends of the shaft is a slot 16. To simplify construction, the four slots required on the shaft are in the same plane and to the same depth as the indentations 14. Therefore, if a carving or indenting tool is mounted on a jig to produce indentations 14 of a certain depth in the circumference of the shaft, it can produce the slots 16 from the same setting.

Adapted to be inserted in slots 16 at both end of the shaft are snap washers 18. These washers 18 are fabricated of a resilient material so that the width of the shaft 12, remaining between opposing slots 16, being larger than the opening 20 in the washer will force the washer Open and snap closed on the shaft 12 in the slots 16 as shown in FIG. 4.

Compression springs 22 are provided at each end of the shaft to produce a rebounding effect in the device. The springs 22 are relatively long coils with one end having the end coil 24 slightly smaller in circumference than the remainder of the spring and smaller in circumference than the shaft 12. This coil 24 then, will have a clamping effect on shaft 12 so that when the springs 22 are installed on the shaft 12 adjacent the washers 18 they will not travel up and down the shaft while the hollow sphere is in motion.

Mounted on the shaft 12 between the rebound compression springs 22 is a sphere 26. The hollow sphere 26 has two holes 28 disposed opposite from one another on the periphery thereof to define an axis along a diameter of the sphere. The holes 28 are slightly larger in diameter than the shaft 12 so that when the sphere is mounted thereon it provides a freely slidable relationship therewith, and the holes are small enough so that the sphere will not pass over the end of the compression spring.

With the structure above set forth in mind, the utilization of the toy is simple and straightforward. A force can be applied axially to one of the handles thereby imparting a force to the sliding sphere by comprising the spring 22 against the washer 18 to drive the sphere toward the opposite end of the device. The shaft could then be held rigid and the sphere be allowed to rebound back and forth between the springs or, an opposite force can be applied to the sphere in the axial direction adding additional force to the rebounding force of the spring and thereby accelerating the sphere even more. This increasing of the speed of the rebounding sphere can be maintained until the limit of the users reflexes are reached. The toy can also be used by applying axial force in only one direction from one end and letting the spring rebound the sphere back toward the user, much like a paddle and ball set. The toy can be used in any relative position between the user and the toy. The toy can also be utilized by two people, each one holding one of the handles and manipulating the toy as above set forth. From the above it can be seen that the versatility of the toy is limited only by the imagination and energy of the user.

The hollow sphere can preferably be blow-molded of an unbreakable plastic material having a fairly rigid wall. Also, the resilient snap washer can be die punched out of a plastic like material.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A toy or amusement device, comprising: an elongated shaft, handle means at the ends of said shaft facilitating manual gripping and axial movement thereof, means defining the inward extent of said handle means, compression springs spaced inwardly of said defining means, and a hollow sphere slidable on said shaft between said compression springs in response to manually exerted forces, said handle means comprising a series of indentations made in the circumference of the shaft, said defining means beng snap washers inserted in slots cut into the circumference of the shaft, said slots and said indentations being of a uniform depth and opposite each other, said slots being of the kerf type, said compression springs having a slightly larger inside diameter than said shaft diameter, and placed thereon in abutting relation to the defining means, said compression springs being of the coil-type with an end convolution of lesser diameter than the shaft which clampingly engages said shaft at the end of the spring abutting said defining means and the opposite end being free for compression.

2. A manually manipulated amusement device comprising an elongated rigid shaft having a central portion, a sphere freely reciprocally mounted on the central portion of said shaft, energy storing and releasing means carried by said shaft at each end of the central portion in position for engagement by said sphere when approaching the end of movement in one direction for stopping the sphere whilestoring the kinetic energy and accelerating the sphere in the opposite directon by applyng the stored kinetic energy to the sphere, axial handle means at each end of said shaft by which the shaft may be grasped and moved longitudinally to initially move said sphere axially of said shaft into engagement with said energy storing and releasing means and subsequently increase the velocity of the sphere by axially moving said shaft in relation to the sphere, wherein said handle means includes a series of indentations formed in the circumference of the shaft, a washer at the inner end of each handle means defining the inward extent of said handle means, said energy storing and releasing means includes a coil compression spring having an inside diameter slightly larger than the shaft diameter and disposed in encircling relation on the shaft with the outer end of each spring abuttingly engaging the Washer, the outer end convoluton of each spring having a diameter less than the diameter of the shaft and clampingly engaging the shaft for retaining the spring against the washer with the inner end of each spring being free of the shaft for compression.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein the inner ends of the springs on the shaft are spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the diameter of the sphere thereby enabling movement of the sphere between the inner ends of the springs during reciprocation thereof with the compression springs cushioning movement of the sphere when decelerating the sphere and then accelerating the sphere in the opposite direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,206,602 11/1916 Scott 4647 1,473,419 11/1923 Cudlipp 12426 3,031,797 5/1962 Gelfana 12426(XR) 3,306,612 2/1967 Rosen 4647 (XR) 113,654 4/1871 Harbison 4647 818,242 4/ 1906 Geisel 27279 2,871,017 1/1959 Cook 27279 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.'R.

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