Football including ball-to-kicking leg orientation means

• US 3,370,851 A
• Filed: 03/09/1965
• Issued: 02/27/1968
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1965
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas Murray Francis
• Original Assignee: Thomas Murray Francis
• Inventors: THOMAS MURRAY FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US04/438,209
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• US Class Current: 473/438
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06

Claims

1. IN A FOOTBALL OF PROLATE SPHEROIDAL SHAPE HAVING A COVER WITH LACING EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG A PORTION OF THE TOP OF THE BALL, AT LEAST THREE SETS OF CLEARLY DELINEATED, VISIBLE GUIDE MARKS FORMED ON SAID LACED TOP OF THE BALL, SAID SETS OF GUIDE MARKS BEING DISPOSED ALONG LINES WHICH INTERSECT AT THE MIDPOINT OF SAID LACING WITH THE GUIDE MARKS OF EACH SET VISIBLE AT LEAST UPON BOTH OF THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF THE FOOTBALL, ONE OF THE SAID LINES BEING COINCIDENT WITH SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING LACED SEAM AND THE OTHER LINES BEING SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED IN INTERSECTING RELATION EACH AT AN ANGLE OF BETWEEN 30 AND 35 DEGREES WITH RESPECT TO SAID ONE LINE, WHEREBY ANY ONE OF SAID LINES OF GUIDE MARKS MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A GUIDE FOR PRECISELY ORIENTING THE BALL RELATIVE TO THE VERTICAL PLANE OF SWING OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE KICKING LEG WHILE HELD IN THE HAND WITH ITS MAJOR AXIS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY SO THAT WHEN VERTICALLY DROPPED THE BALL IS IN CORRECT POSITION FOR EXECUTION OF A PREDETERMINEDLY DESIRED TYPE OF PUNT, SAID ONE LINE OF GUIDE MARKS EXTENDING IN COINCIDENCE WITH THE SEAM BEING UTILIZABLE AS AN INDICATOR TO ALINE THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE BALL WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE KICKING LEG FOR A STRAIGHT AHEAD END-OVER-END PUNT, WHILE SAID OTHER LINES OF GUIDE MARKS EXTENDING IN INTERSECTING RELATION TO SAID