Rollable body

• US 4,257,605 A
• Filed: 10/15/1979
• Issued: 03/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald G. Bancroft
• Original Assignee: Donald G. Bancroft
• Inventors: Bancroft, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, T.
• Application Number:
  US06/084,999
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 273/128 R, 273/128 A, 273/58 D, 273/58 K, 46/1 R, 46/211, 46/201
• US Class Current: 473/595
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/40 Balls or other moving playing bodies, e.g. pinballs or discs used instead of balls
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 9/02 Land-based targets , e.g. inflatable targets supported by fluid pressure

Abstract

The present invention comprises a rollable article or device formed essentially of two interconnected members or sections of substantially equal weight which extend outwardly in diametrically opposite directions and each providing an outer bearing surface or supporting edge surface in the form of a uniformly curved arc, such as a semi-circular arc having a length of about 180°, with each of the supporting edge surfaces lying in separate planes which are perpendicular intersecting planes, preferably also perpendicular to a plane containing the ends of the supporting edge surfaces, and with said article having no portion thereof other than said supporting edges providing a bearing surface or support for the article when the article is placed on a flat or planar surface. The rollable article exhibits a wobbling motion when rolled down an inclined planar surface.

Claims

1. A rollable article consisting of two interconnected generally symmetrical sections of about equal weight which extend outwardly in diametrically opposite directions and each providing an outer supporting edge surface in the form of an arc having a length of about 180°

with each supporting edge surface laying in separate intersecting planes which intersect one of said supporting edge surfaces midway between the ends thereof, and said article having no portion thereof providing support therefor other than said edge surfaces when the said article is placed on a planar surface;

whereby said article exhibits a wobbling motion when rolled along an inclined planar surface.

2. A rollable article as in claim 1, wherein each supporting edge surface also is in a plane perpendicular to a plane containing the ends of the other supporting edge surfaces.

3. A rollable article as in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said sections has a generally planar semi-circular form.

4. A rollable article as in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said members are symmetrical.

5. A rollable device as in claim 1 or 2, wherein said sections have different radii.

6. A rollable article as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the lateral surface of each said sections is defined by lines having a concave curvature extending from each supporting edge surface to the opposite ends of the other supporting edge surface.

7. A rollable article as in claim 1 or 2, wherein each said member comprises a length of a form-retaining rod in the form of a semi-circular arc of about 180°

in length having a support surface along its outer surface and said members being interconnected by at least one rigid element.

8. A rollable article as in claim 5, wherein said sections are interconnected at their mid-points by a said element which has a length about equal to the length of the diameter line of said semi-circular arc.

9. A rollable article as in claim 7, wherein said sections are interconnected by a rigid element which allows moving said sections pivotally about the longitudinal axis of said rigid element.

10. A rollable article as in claim 1, wherein said sections are formed of flat semi-circular sections of rigid material which are interconnected by having the straight edge portion thereof extending perpendicularly outwardly from the opposite sides of a generally square planar section having a diagonal of the same length as the diameter of the said semi-circular sections with the sides of said square section being slightly concave between the corners thereof to avoid said sides making contact with a support surface on which the rollable device is placed and the said semi-circular sections extending outwardly from perpendicular diagonals of the said square section.