Electric indicator system for ball games

• US 3,883,860 A
• Filed: 11/08/1973
• Issued: 05/13/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry Von Kohorn
• Original Assignee: Henry Von Kohorn
• Inventors: von Kohorn, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Habecker, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US05/413,761
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 340/323 273/29,31,121
• US Class Current: 473/467
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0611 Automatic tennis linesmen, i.e. in-out detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration

Abstract

An electric circuit and indicator system for a court game, such as tennis, using conductive elements on both the ball and outside the court playing area to activate a visual and audible indicator when the ball drops outside of the playing area.

Claims

1. An electric out ball indicator system for a ball and court game comprising a. a non-conductive playing area defined by court lines, b. at least two spaced parallel, current-conductive strips adjacent to said court lines and exterior to said playing area, c. an insulating strip located between said spaced, currentconductive strips, d. an electric power source connected to said current-conductive strips, and e. an electric indicator, wherein said a-e define an open electrical circuit;

said system further containing a ball provided with current-conductive fibers on its outer surface, such that an out ball will close said open circuit and activate said indicator when contact is made between said current-conductive fibers of said ball and said spaced, current-conductive strips so as to close said open electrical circuit.

2. An electric indicator system for a ball and court game as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ball is provided with fibers attached to its outer surface that are coAted with a material constituted of aluminum powder dispersed in a resin.

3. An electric out ball indicator system for a ball and field game comprising a non-conductive playing area defined by field lines, at least two spaced, parallel, current-conductive strips adjacent to said field lines and exterior to said playing area, an insulating strip located between said spaced, current-conductive strips, and an electric power source connected to said current-conductive strips and an electric indicator, in which said power source and indicator together with said current-conductive strips forming an open circuit, said ball being provided with a current-conductive outer surface, wherein an out ball closes said open circuit and activates said signalling device when said surface engages both of said spaced, current-conductive strips.

4. An electric indicator and warning system for games as set forth in claim 3, wherein said current-conductive strips are contained in a coating on the surface exterior to said playing area, said coating comprising an electric current conducting substance.

5. An electric indicator and warning system for games as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inside edge of the current-conductive strip most remote from the court line is spaced from said court line a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the flattened portion of the ball at the moment of impact with the ground.

6. An electric indicator and warning system for games as set forth in claim 3, wherein the inside edge of the current-conductive strip most remote from the court line is spaced from said court line a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the flattened portion of the ball at the moment of impact with the ground.

7. In an electric out ball indicating system for tennis courts, an open circuit comprising a. a power source, b. an indicator, c. non-conductive tapes parallel to and corresponding to the tennis court lines located on the ground exterior to said lines, each tape having at least two electric leads comprised of separated, exposed, conductive bands on its upper surface, and d. connecting means between said power source, indicator and conductive bands, such that an out tennis ball provided with conductive surface fibers and touching two of said electric leads will close said open circuit and thereby activate said indicator.

8. An electrical out ball indicating system in a court and ball game comprising in combination:

a. an electric power source connected to an open circuit formed by;

b. a plurality of non-conductive tapes, each tape having on one side thereof;

i. a non-conductive, visible line along one edge, said line defining the playing area of the court, and ii. at least two separate parallel electrically conductive bands on the out side of said line, said bands acting as electric leads, separated by a non-conductive band, and c. an electric indicator capable of being activated upon said open circuit being closed by the electrically conductive surface of an out ball dropping on any two neighboring electric lead bands.

9. An electric out ball indicator system to indicate the end of a point and selectively usable for singles or doubles games on tennis courts having an electrically non-conductive surface inside and outside the lines defining the singles and doubles courts, comprising a power source, an out ball indicator and two open electric circuits, said circuits comprising a first set of alternately positive and negative electric leads in spaced parallel relationship located on the out side of the peripheral lines defining the playing area of the single court, and a second set of alternately positive and negative electric leads in spaced parallel relationship located on the out side of the peripheral lines defining the playing area of the doubles court, and further comprising contact and connecting means for alternatively and selectively connecting said power source and indicator to said fiRst set of singles court leads to form a first open circuit or to said second set of doubles court leads to form a second open circuit, so as to provide a means for a tennis ball having an electrically conductive surface to close the selected circuit and to activate said indicator when it touches two neighboring electric leads outside the lines of the selected court.

10. An electrical circuit system for indicating out balls in a court, net and ball game comprising at least four, at least partially distinct selectively activatable electric circuits, said circuits being formed by:

a. at least two spaced, current-conductive strips parallel and adjacent to each of the doubles lines, each of the singles lines, each of the base lines and each of the service lines, said conductive strips being located on the out side of said lines, b. at least four spaced, current-conductive strips parallel and adjacent to the center line, at least two of said conductive strips being located on either side of the center line;

wherein all of said conductive strips are separated by nonconductive strips, said system further comprising, c. an electric power source, d. selectively activatable, electrical contact means capable of forming at least four, at least partially distinct electric circuits, e. electric connecting means between said power source, contact means, indicating means and conductive strips, f. electric indicating means to signal out balls, and g. a partially deformable ball capable of flattening upon impact with the ground and having electrically conductive fibers on its outer surface so as to be able to create electric contact between two neighboring conductive strips on the out side of a line, wherein i. a first circuit of said system comprises the doubles lines and base lines, ii. a second circuit of said system comprises the singles lines and base lines, iii. a third circuit of said system comprises the service lines, the singles lines and the out side of the center line defining a first two contiguous service courts on opposite sides of the net, into one of which courts the served ball is intended to drop, and iv. a fourth circuit of said system comprises the service lines, the singles lines and the out side of the center line defining a second two contiguous courts on opposite sides of the net, into one of which courts the served ball is intended to drop.