Zig-zag ball

• US 4,609,196 A
• Filed: 10/11/1984
• Issued: 09/02/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zoran Bozinovic
• Original Assignee: Zoran Bozinovic
• Inventors: Bozinovic, Zoran
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, T.
• Application Number:
  US06/660,434
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 273/128 R, 273/128 A, 273/143 C, 273/138 R, 273/58 F, 273/58 R, 273/1 M, 446/437
• US Class Current: 473/594
• 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 zig-zag ball useful as a toy or in sports is disclosed. The ball moves in a zig-zag manner when rolled out on a flat horizontal surface. The zig-zag movement is achieved by a mechanism placed inside the ball which alters the center of gravity of the ball as it rolls. One embodiment of the invention comprises a ball containing an internal shaft with engraved left and right threads, a hollow cylinder slideably mounted on the shaft, a weight attached to the cylinder and a pin on the cylinder contacting and following the threads on the shaft as the ball rolls and the cylinder turns on the shaft.

Claims

1. A ball which moves in a zig-zag manner when rolled comprising:

(a) a body,

(b) a shaft traversing two points at opposite sides of the body,

(c) left and right threads engraved on said shaft,

(d) a hollow cylinder slideably mounted on said shaft,

(e) a pin connected to said cylinder and slideably contacting said threads and

(f) a weight attached to said cylinder such that said weight, pin and threads cooperate to cause said cylinder to reciprocatingly traverse said shaft as said ball rolls.

2. A ball which moves in a zig-zag manner when rolled comprising a body and means inside said body for altering the center of gravity of the ball in a reciprocating manner as the ball rolls comprising:

a shaft transversing a diameter of said ball and attached at points at opposite sides of said body,

(b) left and right threads engraved on said shaft,

(c) a means mounted on said shaft,

(d) a pin connected to said means and slideably contacting said threads and

(e) a weight attached to said means.