US3817520A

US3817520A - Coiled resilient ball

Info

Publication number: US3817520A
Application number: US00284618A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Burgos
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-08-29
Filing date: 1972-08-29
Publication date: 1974-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-18

Abstract

A sporting game comprising a ball which can be hit between game players positioned on a fixed court. The ball consists of two coiled strips of a lightweight material, each of said strips defining a plurality of coils and each of said coils of a first one of said strips being perpendicular to the planes defined by the coils of a second one of said strips, at least one of the coils of said first strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said second strip, at least one of the coils of said second strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said first strip, said first and second strips being secured together at right angles to each other at a predetermined area. The players, in a preferred embodiment, attempt to hit the ball over a net by means of special disc-like paddles.

Description

United States Patent [191 Burgos COILED RESILIENT BALL 211 Appl. No.: 284,618

[52] US. Cl. 273/58 D, 273/67 R, 273/95 H [51] Int. Cl A63b 71/02 [58] Field of Search..... 273/58 R, 58 C, 58 D, 95 H [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1871 Spencer 273/58 D 10/1962 Kamp 273/95 H Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fleit, Gipple & Jackson June 18, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A sporting game comprising a ball which can be hit between game players positioned on a fixed court. The ball consists of two coiled strips of a lightweight material, each of said strips defining a plurality of coils and each of said coils of a first one of said strips being perpendicular to the planes defined by the coils of a second one of said strips, at least one of the coils of said first strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said second strip, at least one of the coils of said second strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said first strip, said first and second strips being secured together at right angles to each other at a predetermined area. The players, in a preferred embodiment, attempt to hit the ball over a net by means of special disc-like paddles.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures 1 COILED RESILIENT BALL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a sporting game played with a ball that is hit between two players, who move about a fixed court and are, in addition, separated by a net between them. In sports of this type, as well as in other sporting games, the players invariably use a greater effort with either the right or left side of the body, resulting in the fact that one side develops more fully than the other, to the detriment of a balanced physical development. Thus, in any sport, like tennis, golf, basketball or table tennis, people who predominantly use their right limb exercise and develop this limb more extensively than their opposite. The same thing happens with people who predominantly use their left limb. The even greater disadvantage today is the conflict between ones desire to retain physical fitness, and the lack of spare time to devote to that goal.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a sporting game which can be played in an extremely small space, a room or any like area being suitable; a game requiring little movement, and which, in addition, is inexpensive.

A second characteristic of this newly-invented sporting game is that it can be played by a single player, or by two players, one against the other. A further characteristic of the game is that it forces the player or players to exert a great physical effort, greater on the weaker side of the body, since it is the side which his opponent will undoubtedly exploit more fully, thus achieving a balanced physical development.

The game provides complete exercise, for the hands, arms, feet, legs and body, since the movements which must be used to return the ball provide stimulus to all regions, thus offering scientific advantages over other sporting games played at present.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, the ball with which the sporting game is played, said ball comprising two coiled strips of a lightweight material, each of said strips defining a plurality of coils and each of said coils defining an imaginary plane, the planes defined by the coils of a first one of said strips being perpendicular to the planes defined'by the coils of a second one of said strips, at least one of the coils of said first strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said second strip, at least one of the coils of said second strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said first strip, said first and second strips being secured together at right angles to each other at a predetermined area.

In this way a ball is obtained which requires a great effort to hit a maximum distance of about three meters.

The propulsion of the ball is achieved by using discs, two to each player, the discs with a diameter approximately equal to 8 percent of the height of the user, each disc being held with one hand and causing the player to exert a constant physical effort with the hands and arms. The thickness of the discs can be approximately percent of said diameter.

A net is arranged between the players, the top of which is set at the eye level of the taller player, to prevent him from having an advantage over the shorter player.

The courts are proportional to the height of each player, their length, parallel to the net, being equal to the height reached by each player with his right thumb when his right arm is stretched upwards, while the width at right angles to the net is half this length. In this way neither player has an advantage over the other, and at the same time, the dimensions of the court insure that the effort required by either contestant is equivalent to the ratio between the area of the court and the height of that player. Each court may be about 12 inches from the net. In addition, to insure effort from the whole body, once the game is started, neither player is permitted to move his feet from the point at which he began. In this way, the legs and feet are forced to work.

This sporting game can be played in the following way: after deciding which of the two players is to play the ball first, that player takes the two discs in his left hand, one on top of the other, with their smaller faces touching, and throws the ball into the air with his right hand and hits it with the discs he is holding in his left hand, propelling it towards his opponents side. He then inunediately takes one of the discs from his left hand into his right hand, so that he now has one disc in each hand. The other player, who holds one disc in each hand from the start, returns the ball to the opposite side by hitting it with whichever disc is more convenient. Play continues in this way until one of the players fails to return the ball to his opponents court, in which case the latter will have won a point.

Play continues thus, until a predetermined score is reached, service then passing to the other player.

For a person to play this game alone, the net is set up as if two players were playing with a normal but light ball being suspended by means of a thread from one of the vertical posts supporting the net. The player positions himself in the same vertical plane as the net, but about 12 inches outside the court, with his head facing the net.

With his right hand he throws the ball hard, so that it goes over the net and then, when it comes near him, he hits it with the discs he is holding in his left hand so that the ball recrosses the net. He then takes one of the discs in his right hand, and with it hits the ball when it approaches him on the right. After this he hits it with the disc in his left hand, when the ball reaches him on his left, and he continues to play in this way until the ball hits the net and he cannot go on playing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A description of this newly invented sporting game is given below, with attached drawing, to ease comprehension.

FIG. 1 is a view, in perspective, of the net and playing courts.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the two discs, one on top of the other.

FIG. 3 is a plan of the strips from which the ball is obtained.

FIG. 4 is a head-on view of the ball.

FIG. 5 is a section along the line V-V in FIG. 4.

As can be seen from the drawings, the net I is erected in the playing court on two vertical posts 2. About 12 inches away the courts 3 and 4 are marked out; this can be done with tape. Each of the courts is equal in length to the height reached by the player with the thumb of his right hand, with his arm stretched upwards, while the width is half this length. The net 1 is placed so that the top is approximately at the eye level of the taller player. The players may position themselves in the courts, thusly marked, wherever they like, but with the condition that their feet may not move once the game has begun.

The ball is made up from the two strips 5, FIG. 3, arranged at right angles to each other, which can comprise only one piece. The two strips are wound alternately around themselves toward the point 6, so that the turns, or winds, are slightly separated from each other, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For example, from each strip 5 two turns 7 can be obtained, all of which are traveling and joined together at the point 6, for example by stitching 8, while around the vest of the ring they remain apart, the maximum separations being obtained at a point diametrically opposite the joint.

The strips 5 are of a light material, such as bobbinet. A ball is thus obtained which requires a great effort to hit a maximum of three meters. The ball is hit by discs 9 as shown in FIG. 2.

These discs 9 have a diameter approximately equal to 8 percent of the height of each player. The total area required in which to play the game is approximately square feet, which enables it to be played in a room, in commercially leased courts, or in the open air, provided there is no wind, etc.

What is claimed is:

1. A ball for use in a sporting game in which the ball is propelled over a net by being struck with a disc, said ball comprising two coiled strips of a lightweight shaperetaining material, each of said strips defining a plurality of substantially circular coils and each of said coils defining an imaginary plane, the planes defined by the coils of a first one of said strips being perpendicular to the planes defined by the coils of a second one of said strips, at least one of the coils of said first strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said second strip, at least one of the coils of said second strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said first strip, said first and second strips being secured together at right angles to each other at a predetermined area.

Claims

1. A ball for use in a sporting game in which the ball is propelled over a net by being struck with a disc, said ball comprising two coiled strips of a lightweight shape-retaining material, each of said strips defining a plurality of substantially circular coils and each of said coils defining an imaginary plane, the planes defined by the coils of a first one of said strips being perpendicular to the planes defined by the coils of a second one of said strips, at least one of the coils of said first strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said second strip, at least one of the coils of said second strip being positioned between adjacent ones of said coils in said first strip, said first and second strips being secured together at right angles to each other at a predetermined area.