Finned football

• US 3,256,020 A
• Filed: 04/23/1963
• Issued: 06/14/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles E. Smith
• Original Assignee: Charles E. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US04/275,152
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• US Class Current: 473/613
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/002 with special configuration, e.g. non-spherical discs for throwing A63B65/10

Claims

1. A FOOTBALL COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A MAJOR DIAMETER AND A SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE MINOR DIAMETER ESSENTIALLY INTERSECTING EACH OTHER AT THEIR MIDPOINTS, THE CROSS-SECTIONS OF SAID BODY TRANSVERSE TO SAID MAJOR DIAMETER BEING ESSENTIALLY CIRCULAR, SAID CROSS-SECTIONS PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING IN AREA FROM THE MIDDLE CROSS-SECTION WHICH INCLUDES SAID MINOR DIAMETER TOWARD THE ENDS OF SAID MAJOR DIAMETER TO LOCATE AND DEFINE END POLES OF THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID MAJOR DIAMETER, A MINIMUM OF THREE FINS UNITED WITH SAID BODY BETWEEN ONE END POLE THEREOF AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE MINOR DIAMETER OF THE BALL, SAID FINS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID BODY TO A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE RADIUS AT THE SAID MINOR DIAMETER, SAID FINS TERMINATING IN BEARING SURFACES SO LOCATED AND ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODY THAT, WHEN THE BALL IS PLACED ON A HORIZONTAL SURFACE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UP-RIGHT POSITION, THE BALL WILL REST ON POINTS CONSTITUTING THE CORNERS OF A POLYGON WITHIN WHOSE AREA A VERTICAL LINE FROM THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE BALL WILL FALL.