US3730131A

US3730131A - Tennis score computer

Info

Publication number: US3730131A
Application number: US00284587A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Izzo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-08-29
Filing date: 1972-08-29
Publication date: 1973-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-01

Abstract

A tennis scoring portable computer manually operated by the person holding the computer, the computer including three sets of paired wheels, the handle portion of each wheel being exposed for manual manipulation such that the wheel is rotatable manually, and an indicia carrying portion of each wheel being exposable through a window for each wheel disclosing tennis-scoring indicia, the particular indicia being viewable through the window being dependent upon the position to which the wheel is turned by manual adjustment of the handle portion, one set of wheels being paired separate wheels for indicating the respective scores of opposing players for the points of a single game, the several points listed on each wheel of the points set being love, 15, 30, 40, deuce, add, and game, a second set of paired wheels one for each of opposing players includes separate positions on each wheel for scores ranging from the number one through the number seven, and the third set of wheels each having numbers corresponding to sets for each of three different positions numbered one, two, and three, the face of the computer between opposing ones of each pair identifying each of the three sets of pairs as points, games, and sets, and a first column of one of each set being identified as one tennis player and a second column of the remaining one of each pair of the three sets being identified as the other tennis player.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Izzo [ TENNIS SCORE COMPUTER [76] Inventor: Charles P. 1:20, 72 Main Street,

Ridgefield, Conn. 06877 [22] Filed: Aug. 29, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 284,587

[52] US. Cl. ..l16/l20, 40/70, 116/133,

235/1 14 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 71/06 [58] Field of Search ..116/114, 120, 130, 116/131, 133; 273/29; 40/70; 235/114 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,114,945 10/1914 Variel, Jr ..235/1 14 1,985,652 12/1934 Campbell ..1 16/133 X 3,122,851 3/1964 Sepe ..40/7O FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 463,648 4/1937 Great Britain ..l l6/2O Primary Examiner-Louis .l. Capozi Attorney-William T. Hough et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A tennis scoring portable computer manually operated 11 3,73Q13fi [451 May 1, 1973 by the person holding the computer, the computer including three sets of paired wheels, the handle portion of each wheel being exposed for manual manipulation such that the wheel is rotatable manually, and an indicia carrying portion of each wheel being exposable' through a window for each wheel disclosing tennisscoring indicia, the particular indicia being viewable through the window being dependent upon the position to which the wheel is turned by manual adjustment of the handle portion, one set of wheels being paired separate wheels for indicating the respective scores of opposing players for the points of a single game, the several points listed on each wheel of the points set being love, 15, 30, 40, deuce, add, and game, a second set of paired wheels one for each of opposing players includes separate positions on each wheel for scores ranging from the number one through the number seven, and the third set of wheels each having numbers corresponding to sets for each of three different positions numbered one, two, and three, the face of the computer between opposing ones of each pair identifying each of the three sets of pairs as points, games, and sets, and a first column of one of each set being identified as one tennis player and a second column of the remaining one of each pair of the three sets being identified as the other tennis player.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TENNIS SCORE COMPUTER This invention relates to a portable tennis-scoring computer.

BACKGROUND Prior to the present invention, there have not been in existence any tennis scoring devices of a portable nature to the best knowledge of the inventor, although tennis has existed for many years and has within recent years acquired an even wider popularity among both youths and adults as a form of recreation both as a participating sport and a spectator sport. For the spectator, non-professional as well as professional, it is handy and convenient to be able to watch and enjoy the physical and mental gymnastic feats of the game without having to encumber the mind with details of the outstanding present score with regard to points of the present game being played, as well as the score in terms of games, as well as the score in terms of sets, which even to the trailed professional tennis mind sometimes is confusing or easily forgotten in the heat and stresses of competition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above-type difficulties and needs.

Another object is to obtain a portable tennis-score computer easily understandable an operatable by a person familiar with tennis scoring.

Another object is to obtain a portable tennis-scoring computer easily held within the palm of one hand.

Another object is to obtain a tennis-scoring computer of simple and inexpensive construction.

Another object is to obtain a tennis-scoring computer of attractive appearance.

Another object is to obtain a tennis-scoring computer typically of a disk-type shape easily insertable into and carried in the pocket.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a tennis-scoring computer suggestive in appearance of a tennis ball. 7

Other objects become apparent from the preceding and following disclosure.

One or more of the preceding objects are obtained by the invention as defined herein.

The invention broadly includes three pairs of rotary wheels, the first of each pair forming a first column representative of one tennis player and the second of each pair forming a second column representative of a second tennis player. A first set of wheels is indicative of the points scored in a particular game, such as love, I5, 30, 40, deuce, add, and games-indicating indicia, whereas for the second pair of wheels, the scores thereon are indicative of a first game, a second game, a third game, a fourth game, a fifth game, a sixth game, and a seventh game. The third pair of wheels is indicative ofthe number of sets which may be played, ranging from one to three in the numbers indicative of sets. In a face of an enclosure are windows corresponding to each of the six wheels such that by manually maneuvering the handle portion of each wheel, the particular tennis-scoring indicia for a particular wheel may be turned up as the next occurring score when a player makes that score.

It is to be understood of course that for example there may be some variations in the indicia carried on the respective wheels. For example on the points wheel for each of the players, there may be absent if desired the position indicating game, since whenever a player exceeds the score of add, the score keeper manipulating the portable computer merely pushes the game handle portion wheel to increase the number of games by one for that particular winning player. Similarly, the deuce position may be omitted such that the score keeper merely uses the 40 position in shifting back and forth between add and deuce scores. In like manner other modifications may be made such as for example utilizing the number 5 in the place of 15, or other equivalent modifications. Similarly, although for the games paired wheels there have been above indicated games ranging from one through seven, it is possible that the games may range to a lower or higher number.

as might be desired, although seven games are based on the current professional scoring practices. Similarly the set of wheels each indicating the number of sets won may range to higher numbers than three although three is the accepted professional scoring number since the first person to win three out of five wins the series of sets. Although it is not essential that there be springcatch devices or theirequivalents to anchor a wheel to a particular position, avoiding at least to some extent the possibility of accidentally moving the handle portion to disclose an erroneous game-scoring indicia, some embodiments of the present invention include such spring elements. However, from the standpoint of simplicity of construction and low cost, such a spring retaining device may be considered as a preferred accessory not necessarily desirable for a mass-produced portable computer. Each of the wheels is rotatably mounted on an axis therefor.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following figures.

THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective side view of a typical tennis-scoring computer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a view taken along *lines 2-2 of DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention may be better understood by reference to the particular embodiments illustrated in the Figures as follow.

FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective side viewa computer 5a having an upper planar face with windows such as and7aa through which indicia-carrying wheel portions and 911a and l0aa and the like may be viewed as the wheel is maneuvered by the

handle portion

8a, 9a, 10a, 12a, and the like. The side 1181 includes ports through which the

respective handle portions

8a, 9a, 10a, 12a, and the like extend in an exposed manner such that the handle portions may be maneuvered to turn the respective wheel to a particular indicia-viewing position viewable through the window for that particular wheel. On the edge of each of the handle portions are indentations such as 12a, 12aa', and the like into which a spring within the casing is snappable as the wheel 12a is maneuvered to different positions thereby at least temporarily partially securing the wheel in a particular position for disclosing a particular predetermined scoring-indicia, the spring in the inner enclosure locking in one of the indentations such as 120' of a particular wheel to thereby reduce the possibiliyt of accidental moving of the wheel to an erroneous position.

The FIG. 2 illustrates a typical view along lines 22 of FIG. 1, except that the respective wheels are shown in different positions than that of FIG. 1. Viewing the inner workings of the computer of an embodiment such as that of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 discloses the back inner wall 16a, the corresponding wall 11a, the indicia-carrying portion 80a, the handle portion 8a, shown in dotted outline, the window 7a location, the indentation 8a,

' the flexible spring-locking arm 13 of the spring structure l4 firmly and securely anchored to a predetermined position by set screw 15. Other positions are seen as labeled to correspond to the labeled items of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which instead of the wheels rotating as being laid on their sides with the indicia on the side face of the wheels as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the FIG. 3 embodiment discloses wheels rotating around an axis about parallel to the face 6b, with the

handle portion

9b, 9b, and the like extending through the face 6b and the port therefor being at least in this embodiment continuous with the windows 7b and 7bb for example. This embodiment is further understood by reference to the FIG. 4 as taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing a cross section of the casing at a point at which the games scoring indicia and handle portions are viewable. Each of the

handle portions

9b and 9b extend above the surface of the face 6b and the indicia-carrying portions 9bb and 9bb rotate within the windows. In order to prevent accidental rotation of one wheel of a pair by virtue of the

axle

17b and 17b rotating with the turning of the handle portion 9b, (in such embodiments where 17b and 17b are a single continuous axle-axis, there preferably is a key on the axle-axis engageable within a locking indentation within a support structure 18, whereby the

axes

17b and 17b do not turn. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the handle portion and indicia carrying portion 9b and 9bb respectively are unified and rotate freely around stationary axis 17b. Similarly unitary handle portion 9b and indicia-carrying portion 9bb rotate around stationary axis 17b. However, it might be noted that in an alternative embodiment the wheels may be fixedly attached to the axis where a separate axis is utilized for each wheel thereby being permissible for the axis to rotate with the wheel.

It should be noted that it is within the scope of the invention to include gears and/or belts of predetermined ratios such that when the game points equals a game, the game-scoring wheel automatically turns to a higher number, preferably it being solely the final turning of the point wheel from add to game" or from add to love that causes the game wheel to register.

Similarly an identical mechanism could cause the set wheel to register, by aplpropriate modifications.

It is within the scope of e present invention to utilize obvious equivalents and variations as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill.

I claim:

1. A portable tennis scoring device comprising in combination: an enclosure having at least one substantially planar face having defined therein three pairs of windows with each pair spaced from the other two pairs and with each window of each pair spaced from the other of that particular pair, six separately rotatable wheels mounted for independent rotation such that a handle portion of each wheel extends through a port and is accessible for turning the wheel, and such that another portion of the wheel carrying tennisscoring indicia turns beneath a window for each respective wheel, said six wheels being divided into three pairs corresponding to the three pairs of windows, each wheel of a first pair carrying identical point-scoring indicia, each wheel of a second pair of wheels carrying identical game-scoring indicia, and each wheel of a third pair of wheels carrying sets-scoring indicia.

2. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 1, additionally including catch means for offering stability to the particular indicia to which each wheel is presently turned such that the possibility of accidentally moving the wheel is reduced.

3. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 2, in which said structure is coin-like in shape having said windows in an upper face and having a plurality of said ports around a periphery of said structure, said tennisscoring indicia being on a side face of each wheel.

4. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 1, in which for each wheel said handle portion extends through its respective said port in said face, and in which each said wheel includes a rounded indicia carrying' surface rotatable around a central axis of said wheel.

5. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 4, in

which said enclosing structure includes a flat face and an angular hemispherically shaped base such that said enclosing structure resembles half of a tennis ball having a score-keeping face. 1

6. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 1, in which each wheel of points-scoring indicia includes separate positions in sequence for each of love, 15, 30, 40, deuce, add, game, and in which each games-scoring indicia carries separate positions for each of one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven, and in which each setsscoring indicia for each wheel thereof carries separate positions for one, two, and three.

7. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 1, in which a left column of one of each pair is identified on said face for a first player and in which a right column of one of each pair is identified on said face as a second other player.

Claims

1. A portable tennis scoring device comprising in combination: an enclosure having at least one substantially planar face having defined therein three pairs of windows with each pair spaced from the other two pairs and with each window of each pair spaced from the other of that particular pair, six separately rotatable wheels mounted for independent rotation such that a handle portion of each wheel extends through a port and is accessible for turning the wheel, and such that another portion of the wheel carrying tennis-scoring indicia turns beneath a window for each respective wheel, said six wheels being divided into three pairs corresponding to the three pairs of windows, each wheel of a first pair carrying identical point-scoring indicia, each wheel of a second pair of wheels carrying identical game-scoring indicia, and each wheel of a third pair of wheels carrying setsscoring indicia.

3. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 2, in which said structure is coin-like in shape having said windows in an upper face and having a plurality of said ports around a periphery of said structure, said tennis-scoring indicia being on a side face of each wheel.

4. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 1, in which for each wheel said handle portion extends through its respective said port in said face, and in which each said wheel includes a rounded indicia carrying surface rotatable around a central axis of said wheel.

5. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 4, in which said enclosing structure includes a flat face and an angular hemispherically shaped base such that said enclosing structure resembles half of a tennis ball having a score-keeping face.

6. A portable tennis scoring device of claim 1, in which each wheel of points-scoring indicia includes separate positions in sequence for each of love, 15, 30, 40, deuce, add, game, and in which each games-scoring indicia carries separate positions for each of one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven, and in which each sets-scoring indicia for each wheel thereof carries separate positions for one, two, and three.