US890920A - Return-ball. - Google Patents

Description

JOHN P. NEWBOLD, OF CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY.

RE TURN-B ALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed March 26, 1907. Serial N 0. 364,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. N EWBOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cape May, in the county of Cape May and State of New J ersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Return Balls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a ball, in the nature of a toy, to be thrown or pitched by the player in such way that it will return toward the player, and hence, I lgaliie designated my invention a return In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 illustrates the ball in the hand of a player in one position in which it may be eld, and the upper dottedline indicates the path of movement of the ball when tossed from the hand, and the lower dotted line represents substantially the path of movement of the return. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one form of ball. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a ball of the same shape as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but made hollow.

The ball 1 has different diameters in different planes of section, the portions arranged upon opposite sides of a plane which is coincident with their bases being convex, and said plane containing the greatest diameters. The ball is composed of two such convex portions, designated respectively 2 and 3, and these portions are conoidal and their bases are coincident and form the circumferentially projecting portion 4 of greatest diameters. The circumferentially projecting portion is the salient feature in effecting automatically the return of the ball, by arresting its flight away from the player when it comes in contact with a solid substance, as

a avement, and as illustrated substantia ly in Fig.- 1.

The ball is tossed away from th layer with more or less force, and in a path substantially such as indicated by the upper dotted which might have a tendency to guide the will be arrested and its impetus converted into a return movement, such impetus being aided by the resiliency of the ball.

The ballmay be made of pure rubber, or rubber'composition, clay, celluloid, vegetable ivory, or any other of a variety of wellknown substances of greater or less elasticity or resilience, and either solid or hollow.

It will be seen that the zone or portion 2 is smaller than the portion 3, and, consequently, there will be an overbalance in the portlon 3,

ball in casting it, so. as to cause it to alight on or near the portion 4 and atan inclination to effect the return. But'the portions 2'and 3' may be of equal size and weight. However, my present experience is that the'best results are obtained with a ball of substantially the outline, contour, construction, and configuration shown in the drawings, and yet I do not wish to be understood as so limiting the invention. I

. As already sufliciently indicated, the ball is a toy, and the fascination in its use, when skill in tossing or pitching it is acquired, consists in its return to the player after being cast from him.

What I claim is i A return ball, of elastic material, having different diameters in difl erent planes of section, the portions on opposite sides of the plane of greatest diameters being conoidal, their bases lying in said plane. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of March, A. D. 1907.

JOHN P. NEWBOLD.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. NELSON, Oseoon WELsH, "VIOLET P. WELSH.

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