SOFT BALL WITH INTERNAL DRAG

• US 3,734,498 A
• Filed: 08/17/1971
• Issued: 05/22/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William K. Seiersen
• Original Assignee: William K. Seiersen
• Inventors: Seiersen, William K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US05/172,531
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 273/58F,199,128,63
• US Class Current: 473/125
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/04 with an eccentric centre of gravity; with mechanism for changing the centre of gravity solid balls A63B37/10

Abstract

A soft ball has an outer shell of a resilient polymeric material and is partially filled with a fine, dry, granular solid. When rolled on a hard surface the drag of the granular solid and the work of flexing the shell slow the ball and bring it to a stop after rolling a relatively short distance. The intent is to simulate the roll of a hard Bocce ball on a yielding surface such as a lawn. The outer diameter of the soft ball may be about 3 3/8 inches, the thickness of the shell may be from 0.050 to 0.080 inches, and the weight of the soft ball may be about 12 ounces.

Claims

1. A game ball adapted for rolling on a hard surface in a manner similar to that of a hard Bocce ball rolling on a lawn-like yielding surface, comprising a soft, resilient polymeric shell having spherical exterior and interior surfaces, a quantity of fine, dry, granular solid in said shell, said solid being shiftable along said spherical interior surface as said game ball is rolled and having an apparent volume from about 40 percent to about 70 percent of the internal volume of said shell, said shell being sufficiEntly inflexible to permit said game ball to be rolled substantial distances on a hard surface and sufficiently flexible to have portions thereof deflected during rolling contact with a hard surface, the kinetic energy of rolling being dissipated in friction between said granules and in said flexing of said shell, whereby said game ball is slowed and brought to a stop in a relatively short distance on a hard surface.

2. A game ball as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer diameter of said shell is approximately 3 3/8 inches and the thickness of said shell is from 0.050 to 0.080 inches, wherein the apparent volume of said granular solid is about 50 percent of the internal volume of said shell and wherein the weight of said game ball is about 12 ounces.

3. The game ball as defined in claim 2, wherein said fine, dry, granular solid is ordinary beach sand.